The Arrival Guide

Having the best of everything is something that almost everyone would agree to be a good thing. You know who doesn't like it though? Your budget. Sometimes buying the most expensive, best brand item isn't the best thing when looking at in the big picture. Admittedly, it depends on your priorities and your budget, but generally, there are things that are better bought inexpensively and things that are right to splurge on.

Clothing is one of the trickier things to decide when to cut back. I don't think that there is anything wrong with having nice clothes, even when you're on a strict budget. And there is definitely something to be said for someone that dresses for the job they want, and not the one they have. However, name brand clothes get very expensive. Decide which clothing items are most important to you, "brand wise." My own personal strategy is to buy cheap pants, since no one really sees the tag on them anyway. I do like to buy nice shirts, although I do try to find them at discount prices. There are many stores that sell top-brand clothes at fractional retail prices. Decide on a strategy that would work for you when clothes shopping.

Personally, food is an area where it is easier to cut back. I realize some people won't share that opinion with me, though. Some products, like a certain cereal that features a tiger wearing a bandana as its mascot, have pretty grrreat competitors when it comes to store brands. I usually go with the cheaper product when it comes to cereal. Same goes with water. I mean, I don't need those extra minerals. But who knows, maybe you like them. Certain foods don't need to be messed around with, though. Meat is one of them. I'm willing to pay an extra dollar or two per pound for quality meat. This can be seen as saving money since I won’t be paying a hospital bill from falling ill from eating meat that was too close to (or way past) its expiration date just because it was cheaper. Almost every item in the grocery store has a generic brand to go along with it. Decide which brands you "have to have" and which ones you can skip out on in order to save a few dollars.

One last example: there is nothing wrong with having a nice TV if you decide that's something you can afford to spend your money on, but you don't necessarily have to buy the $300 stand to put it on. And the surround sound might need to wait until your next raise. Or maybe even the next one. Let's not get crazy.

Everyone is different. What works for me might not work for you. Make a list of your priorities, and buy those name brand products to fit in your budget and save money on the products that aren't so important.

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