Comments on: Confessions Of A Recovering Consumerholic. http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/ A place to discuss money...for the rest of us. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:21:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: paidtwicehttp://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23466 paidtwice Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:18:31 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23466 Hello! Life got busy and I didn't get over here til now :) I do shop at Walmart. Indeed. It isn't pretty but there it is. However - in my city, a typical boring midwest one, there is not a one single non-big-chain grocery store. I could pay twice as much and support Kroger instead, but I choose not to. One could debate that round and round but I honestly don't see a huge difference in supporting one huge chain over another. I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi anyway. Take that for what it is worth ;). Anyway, back to the other thing. What I feel guilty not supporting are examples like I described - eateries and coffeeshops and such. When I used to go out for coffee, it wasn't at Starbucks it was at our local corner place. When we went on a vacation this past month (that my spouse's employer was paying for since my spouse spent it all in training lol) I took the kids to the local ice cream shop vs the chain one on the corner. Yes it is good to spend a little money for the experience. Just not a little money I have right now. Someday :). Hello!

Life got busy and I didn’t get over here til now :)

I do shop at Walmart. Indeed. It isn’t pretty but there it is. However – in my city, a typical boring midwest one, there is not a one single non-big-chain grocery store. I could pay twice as much and support Kroger instead, but I choose not to. One could debate that round and round but I honestly don’t see a huge difference in supporting one huge chain over another. I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi anyway. Take that for what it is worth ;) .

Anyway, back to the other thing. What I feel guilty not supporting are examples like I described – eateries and coffeeshops and such. When I used to go out for coffee, it wasn’t at Starbucks it was at our local corner place. When we went on a vacation this past month (that my spouse’s employer was paying for since my spouse spent it all in training lol) I took the kids to the local ice cream shop vs the chain one on the corner.

Yes it is good to spend a little money for the experience. Just not a little money I have right now. Someday :) .

]]> By: boomiehttp://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23451 boomie Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:54:08 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23451 JP, you are not comparing apples to apples. The small coffee shop that sells organic/fresh sandwiches can not be put out of business by Wal Mart. Wal Mart is not a restaurant (yet some do have fast food counterspace). It's NOT the same thing nor the same feeling. I understand how Paid Twice feels because once you realize the value of things and how expensive it is to eat outside the home, things (restaurants and small mom and pop stores) take on a different meaning. Paid Twice is in the process of paying down her debts and while doing so has a different agenda. We can't change nor save the whole world. We can only save ourselves. I also felt the same way Paid Twice felt but now that I am debt free, I have eased up on my spending habits (just a tad). I go to our local coffee shop on Sundays and get a cup of java (or even a latte) and read the paper, talk to the locals, maybe have a croissant or whatever. Trevor is very correct in his comments. It should be part of our life to spend the $5-$10 and enjoy. Perhaps in the future, should you go out with the girls or whatever, remember the coffee shop and go and enjoy (and support). Just my two cents. Thank you. JP, you are not comparing apples to apples. The small coffee shop that sells organic/fresh sandwiches can not be put out of business by Wal Mart. Wal Mart is not a restaurant (yet some do have fast food counterspace). It’s NOT the same thing nor the same feeling.

I understand how Paid Twice feels because once you realize the value of things and how expensive it is to eat outside the home, things (restaurants and small mom and pop stores) take on a different meaning.

Paid Twice is in the process of paying down her debts and while doing so has a different agenda. We can’t change nor save the whole world. We can only save ourselves.

I also felt the same way Paid Twice felt but now that I am debt free, I have eased up on my spending habits (just a tad). I go to our local coffee shop on Sundays and get a cup of java (or even a latte) and read the paper, talk to the locals, maybe have a croissant or whatever. Trevor is very correct in his comments. It should be part of our life to spend the $5-$10 and enjoy. Perhaps in the future, should you go out with the girls or whatever, remember the coffee shop and go and enjoy (and support).

Just my two cents. Thank you.

]]> By: JPhttp://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23450 JP Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:10:20 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23450 I am a follower of your blog and the walmart comment makes me laugh because I know you do shop at walmart. You are essentially crushing these small businesses you want to save by shopping there. Anyone who is always looking for the cheapest items in life is going to put a mom and pop shop like that out of business because they can't compete with the price bar that walmart sets. I am a follower of your blog and the walmart comment makes me laugh because I know you do shop at walmart. You are essentially crushing these small businesses you want to save by shopping there. Anyone who is always looking for the cheapest items in life is going to put a mom and pop shop like that out of business because they can’t compete with the price bar that walmart sets.

]]> By: Trevorhttp://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23448 Trevor Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:45:54 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23448 Here's my take - having just found your blog I'll go out on limb and assume you don't go out in order to not spend the money. Then the question becomes how important is that extra $5-10? Are you using it for something important, or would the good feelings you'd have after buying lunch or a magazine justify a once in a while frivolity? I think avoiding consumerism is admirable and something to aspire to, but only for the right reasons. If you can't enjoy your frugal life then what's the point. It's a nice catch-22 you've created - you feel guilty if you buy and if you don't. Ultimately it's you who has to decide. You feel guilty because of rules YOU created, not that were imposed on you. Only you can give yourself permission to break them and not feel guilty. Here’s my take – having just found your blog I’ll go out on limb and assume you don’t go out in order to not spend the money. Then the question becomes how important is that extra $5-10? Are you using it for something important, or would the good feelings you’d have after buying lunch or a magazine justify a once in a while frivolity? I think avoiding consumerism is admirable and something to aspire to, but only for the right reasons. If you can’t enjoy your frugal life then what’s the point. It’s a nice catch-22 you’ve created – you feel guilty if you buy and if you don’t.
Ultimately it’s you who has to decide. You feel guilty because of rules YOU created, not that were imposed on you. Only you can give yourself permission to break them and not feel guilty.

]]> By: My Two Dollars can make me a Good Human… | I've Paid For This Twice Already...http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23447 My Two Dollars can make me a Good Human… | I've Paid For This Twice Already... Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:23:08 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23447 [...] struggle a lot with my ingrained (learned, I assume) consumeristic tendencies, and that’s what I discuss today at My Two Dollars. Then pop on over to The Good Human for my guest post there and learn about the ‘even crazier [...] [...] struggle a lot with my ingrained (learned, I assume) consumeristic tendencies, and that’s what I discuss today at My Two Dollars. Then pop on over to The Good Human for my guest post there and learn about the ‘even crazier [...]

]]> By: Money Blue Bookhttp://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23446 Money Blue Book Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:09:45 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/2007/11/15/confessions-of-a-recovering-consumerholic/#comment-23446 Hmmm I guess you're probably not a big fan of Walmart then I'm guessing? They have a reputation for crushing little mom and pop stores in exchange for offering consumers must lower prices and better quality overall. At least that's their rep. -Raymond Hmmm I guess you’re probably not a big fan of Walmart then I’m guessing? They have a reputation for crushing little mom and pop stores in exchange for offering consumers must lower prices and better quality overall. At least that’s their rep.
-Raymond

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