Good morning, shoppers.

The New York Times had a really interesting story this morning that states that while consumers are trying to cut back on expenses, some aren’t really saving any money at all.

The story interviews shoppers who go out of their way to cut things out of their budget only to spend more money on something else. One New Yorker shopper bought three heads of cauliflower for $5 only to spend much more for cans of artichokes.  Not only did the shopper spend more money buying artichokes, she wasted money because her family was not likely to eat all the cauliflower.

Another interesting story — while Best Buy announced a drop in sales of flat-screen televisions, Wal-Mart announced that consumers increased purchases for the same item. Since Wal-Mart was considered a “bargain store,” customers felt they were saving money. But Ori Brafman, a business expert, notes that bargain store or not, buying a flat-screen television is not a necessary purchase during tight economic times.

I think many of us could relate to this story. How many of you out there went to Costco with the intention of saving on paper towels and other kitchen staples only to emerge with a whole stack of books at a “discount” and a bunch of new jeans? I won’t lie, I’ve done that a couple of times.

About a year ago, I tried to save money by buying a ton of oatmeal and boxes of cereal for $1 each. But I still spend $4 several times a week buying mochas in the morning even when there are boxes and boxes of oatmeal and cereal in my pantry.

And there are probably more stories where those came from.

How many of you have made minimal changes to the budget only to blow it on something else? I want to hear from you.

Well, nobody’s perfect. And neither am I. As always, I accept your feedback at mhoang@yakimaherald.com or by commenting below.
Happy shopping.