Good Things Come To Those That Wait

Most budgeting experts agree that if you are trying to manage your money and see an item that you want but don't *need* that you wait a few days and if after a couple days you still want that item then, and only then, should you purchase it. Often times it was going to be an impulse purchase and after stewing it over a few days you decide you don't want it, nor need it. I'm on board with that idea.

I go a step further and often wait for weeks or months to get something that I want or even need. Because I have found all too often (after I've purchased something for full price) that I can find that item on sale or at a garage sale for far cheaper.

One small example is that my husband wanted to buy the kids a Scooby Doo DVD. He went to a used movie store and found it for $5. I was a bit aghast at spending $5 on a cartoon and mentioned to my husband that I am sure I could have found it cheaper somewhere else. He laughed and said "I doubt it." The very next day I saw the exact movie at a garage sale for 50 cents! I had to rub that one in just a teeny bit.

Last year my pots and pans were falling apart. The Teflon was coming off and I wanted to avoid Teflon completely so researched stainless steel pans. I wanted a couple skillets, a sauce pan, and a large pot. All the sets I found were over $100 and many included items that I didn't want. Buying the individual pieces were going to cost even more. A large stainless steel pot was going to be at least $40 alone...and that was for the cheapest! I watched sales and came close to purchasing a set when it dropped to $110. I kept hesitating knowing that I would find a better deal somewhere, so I put off the purchase. I suddenly ran across a clearance find of a sauce pan for just $7 so snatched that up. I then hit the jackpot at a garage sale where I found an Emeril 6 qt. pot for $3...with it's lid and in almost like new condition. At the same sale were two stainless steel skillets for $1 each! So for $12 total I had all 4 pieces that I wanted!

A couple years ago I wanted a hall table to put against a wall in the dining room. I watched sales and saw one advertised at Shopko for $79. I drove 45 minutes there to look at it and was about to buy it but hesitated once again. Was it worth $79 to me?! In the back of my mind I knew that I would find one cheaper somewhere so I left the store without purchasing it. Just a few weeks later I found an old battered (but neat in a distressed kind of way) hall table at a garage sale for $5. A few new knobs later and I like it better than the brand new one that was at the store.

Last year we were considering a chest freezer and got close to buying one, but put that purchase off too. A few weeks later a grocery store around here had a sale of buy a freezer for $200 and get over $200 in free groceries. We were able to get the freezer and fill it up as well! You can't beat that deal.

I could list several more instances where it paid to put off a purchase. My point is that you can almost always find what you need for a better price, or often realize that you don't even need the item to begin with. Good things truly do come to those that wait.