Are Recession Bargain Hunters Making It Harder to Be Frugal?by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 05 Jun 2008 08:06 AM
For some of these new recession bargain hunters, being frugal will be just a fad and something to be abandoned once the economy gets better. For others, it is the opportunity to learn about frugal living and then embrace the lifestyle permanently. One interesting topic that came up the other day was the impact of the recession on frugal living, not in terms of rising prices but in terms of having to compete against more bargain shoppers. I could sense the resentment by the "old frugals" for the "new frugals." The "old frugals" somehow felt that all of these new recession bargain hunters would be eating into their territory, so to speak. While I can understand this panic, I'm of the opinion that no one has an exclusive right to any bargains that might be available. Still, here is what I have noticed: It is harder to stockpile on bargains. Now when I get to the store, the bargains are already off of the shelf. There are less bargains at the yard sales I have visited. Stores are making more of an effort to lure frugal customers by having plenty of buy one get one free sales. There is less stock available at the good thrift stores. Curiously, there seems to be an abundance of donations at our local Goodwill, but the local store never seems to have that same stuff on the floor. Is it moving the stuff to other stores or selling it in bulk elsewhere? Do you think the recession bargain hunters are making it harder to be frugal? Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? 2 One Simple Way to Curb Spending The Recession and Garage Sales 2 The Recession and Garage Sales Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments Tashi (1013) 08 Jun 2008 07:19 AMHarder to be frugal? I know it's seemingly much crazier at Sam's Club than I would have expected it to be, sans economy problems. Maybe some of the newbies will indeed embrace long-term the bargain hunting. Maybe not. Rainchecks and other future deals or great sales are very possible or inevitable, should a deal be missed. One needs to put a smile on and do one's best to hunt down their deals. A door closes, but a window is always open. Somewhere. :-)  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 08 Jun 2008 10:49 AMI personally believe that there is enough resources out there for everyone who wants to be frugal. Thanks for the comment! Tashi (1013) 09 Jun 2008 05:12 PMYou're welcome! How about this for being frugal.... On my way home from work on Friday, I decided to satisfy a rare craving for a cheeseburger and fries, by visiting the golden arches. Cheap, albeit, not the most nutritional, obviously. When I began to offer my card for payment, I was told I'd get my meal FREE, as their server was down, and my card was the only way I had to pay. Talk about a good decision to make a rare trip to Mickey D's. And I wasn't even looking for a deal. It found ME. SteveB (5) 12 Jun 2008 02:44 AMThere are endless resources. One mans junk will always be another mans treasure, you only need to look. Community Tags bargain, frugal, recession, sales Discuss this article
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