Saving Money vs. Spending Money When Shopping

There is a lot of talk about saving money.  If you look at your grocery receipt they even print at the bottom how much you "saved" on your purchases.  But, did we really save anything?  No.  In all actually you saved absolutely nothing.  In fact, you're in the hole because you spent money. 

What is true savings? 

Saved dollars is money set aside in a safe place.  Whether that means money stashed under your mattress, buried in a coffee can in the backyard, dropped in your piggy bank or deposited in your savings account at the bank it is saved and not to be spent.  That is what true savings is. 

What is spending? 

I place little importance to the amount of money I save when making purchases because of the reality behind that notion.  Instead I focus on the amount of money I am spending whenever I make a purchase.  Then I do whatever I can, within reason, to spend less of it. 

It is important to have the proper prospective when it comes to the true meaning of saving money versus spending money. Once that has been established you will find it much easier to meet your financial goals and stay within your budget. 

When you focus on saving money on purchases you automatically assume that it means you have additional money to spend.  You saved $5.00 on a blouse therefore you have an additional $5.00 to put toward another one.  This type of thinking, unfortunately, leads to two things - overspending and overconsumption. 

If you only needed one blouse to begin with then purchase only one blouse.  The $5.00 you "saved" on it becomes true savings if you then leave the store and head to the bank and deposit a $5.00 bill. 

When it comes to making purchases it isn't about the savings at all.  It is all about the spending.  So spend less and put more into your savings account.