Comments on: Long-term savings, short-term spending http://ipickuppennies.net/2010/01/long-term-savings-short-term-spending/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:23:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shevy http://ipickuppennies.net/2010/01/long-term-savings-short-term-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-1337 Shevy Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:40:00 +0000 http://ipickuppennies.net/?p=382#comment-1337 Well, the consumer reporter on our local news did a story on Direct Buy maybe a year or 2 ago and it cost about $7,000 here in Canada! The thing with them is that you go and you have to sign up with them before you leave or you can *never* do it (according to their hard sell). I think you also have to pay it on the spot, so you better have a lot of room free on your credit card (and then have the money to pay the card off).<br /><br />I think the only way it might pay was if you had just bought a house that you were planning on doing really extensive renos on (say you wanted a $70,000 kitchen reno, which is actually not an uncommon amount, as shocking as it might sound) or to redo every bathroom in the house. Or perhaps if you were building a house from scratch.<br /><br />Then, 10% of the cost of your new kitchen might be a good investment if you would then get your appliances, cabinets, tile, granite counters, etc. etc. at a big discount.<br /><br />I do not think it makes sense for the average person. And the fact that they keep who the participating companies are a secret until you meet with them kind of screams scam to me. Well, the consumer reporter on our local news did a story on Direct Buy maybe a year or 2 ago and it cost about $7,000 here in Canada! The thing with them is that you go and you have to sign up with them before you leave or you can *never* do it (according to their hard sell). I think you also have to pay it on the spot, so you better have a lot of room free on your credit card (and then have the money to pay the card off).

I think the only way it might pay was if you had just bought a house that you were planning on doing really extensive renos on (say you wanted a $70,000 kitchen reno, which is actually not an uncommon amount, as shocking as it might sound) or to redo every bathroom in the house. Or perhaps if you were building a house from scratch.

Then, 10% of the cost of your new kitchen might be a good investment if you would then get your appliances, cabinets, tile, granite counters, etc. etc. at a big discount.

I do not think it makes sense for the average person. And the fact that they keep who the participating companies are a secret until you meet with them kind of screams scam to me.

]]> By: Little Miss Moneybags http://ipickuppennies.net/2010/01/long-term-savings-short-term-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-1336 Little Miss Moneybags Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:27:59 +0000 http://ipickuppennies.net/?p=382#comment-1336 Thanks for the link!<br /><br />Peanut and I are members of Costco and we stock up on everything from laundry detergent and toilet paper to hot sauce and veggies. We also get movie tickets there--a regular adult ticket here is $12.50, or we can get a pair for $15.49. We get a few pairs at a time since we know we'll use them, and we can run to a movie on spur of the moment. <br /><br />Oh, and the hair removal isn't really lasers (at least what I'm getting--IPL is intense pulsed light.) It feels like getting snapped with a rubber band--not comfortable, but not as painful as a bikini wax! Thanks for the link!

Peanut and I are members of Costco and we stock up on everything from laundry detergent and toilet paper to hot sauce and veggies. We also get movie tickets there–a regular adult ticket here is $12.50, or we can get a pair for $15.49. We get a few pairs at a time since we know we'll use them, and we can run to a movie on spur of the moment.

Oh, and the hair removal isn't really lasers (at least what I'm getting–IPL is intense pulsed light.) It feels like getting snapped with a rubber band–not comfortable, but not as painful as a bikini wax!

]]> By: John DeFlumeri Jr http://ipickuppennies.net/2010/01/long-term-savings-short-term-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-1335 John DeFlumeri Jr Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:53:48 +0000 http://ipickuppennies.net/?p=382#comment-1335 Like you say, buy at wholesale prices and stock up when the discount is deep. Don't go out to dinner much. Eat chicken and turkey at home, they are worth the price per pound.<br /><br />John DeFlumeri Jr Like you say, buy at wholesale prices and stock up when the discount is deep. Don't go out to dinner much. Eat chicken and turkey at home, they are worth the price per pound.

John DeFlumeri Jr

]]> By: Abigail http://ipickuppennies.net/2010/01/long-term-savings-short-term-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 Abigail Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:06:31 +0000 http://ipickuppennies.net/?p=382#comment-1334 Meg,<br /><br />It probably is. We were given a pretty hard sell. (It was a mystery shop, so we didn't have the money to even worry about it.) <br /><br />They have those commercials where some folks are happy, but I suppose that's true of all scams. At any rate, I'm sure there are other expensive memberships that save over the long term. Meg,

It probably is. We were given a pretty hard sell. (It was a mystery shop, so we didn't have the money to even worry about it.)

They have those commercials where some folks are happy, but I suppose that's true of all scams. At any rate, I'm sure there are other expensive memberships that save over the long term.

]]> By: Meg http://ipickuppennies.net/2010/01/long-term-savings-short-term-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-1333 Meg Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:38:51 +0000 http://ipickuppennies.net/?p=382#comment-1333 Just FYI, I think it's been shown rather conclusively that Direct Buy is a scam and not a real money saver. You can google "direct buy + scam" for all the gory details, but the big thing is that they don't allow you to comparison shop before signing up, they pressure you into signing up (like REALLY pressure you), and then when you see what they're selling and the prices it's not a good deal at all. Just FYI, I think it's been shown rather conclusively that Direct Buy is a scam and not a real money saver. You can google "direct buy + scam" for all the gory details, but the big thing is that they don't allow you to comparison shop before signing up, they pressure you into signing up (like REALLY pressure you), and then when you see what they're selling and the prices it's not a good deal at all.

]]>