It’s Friday – Friday – Gotta Get Down on Friday

Does anyone out there have that song running through their head this morning?  I have a nine-year old daughter and that song is a staple at our house – unfortunately.  Today is Friday, November 25, 2011 and that can only mean one thing.  Yes, it’s that day after Thanksgiving and it’s time for saving money – right?  It’s the day were lots of consumers go out and capture those great deals.  In fact, some have camped out for those wonderful opportunities to save some money.  I think those folks have a false sense of what saving money is all about.  In fact, I think most people have a false sense of what saving money is all about.  (Including me at times…)

Pull up a chair and let’s chat…or just keep sitting there reading.

Scenario…you hear that at 4:00AM on the day after Thanksgiving there is going to be a sale.  Yes, 4:00AM and that is late by some stores opening times.  In this “sale”, you hear that you will be able to “save” money on that television set you have had your eye on.  I mean come on…you have a 42″ TV in the living room, but Super Duper Buy Store has a 51″ Plasma TV on sale for $150.00 off normal price at 4:00AM.  You think to yourself, “I can save $150.00 off the price of that TV…I’m there.”  So you pack up the tent and sleeping bag and truck off to the wild blue yonder of the side of the Super Duper Buy store.  After hours of waiting, or days in some cases, you are the proud new owner of a bouncing baby 51″ Plasma TV.  You have a smile of satisfaction that you are only a hand full of folks around that saved some money. 

I have a question for the masses…did that person actually save any money yet? 

I imagine some would say, duh Phillip…he saved $150.00 at Super Duper Buy store on an awesome 51″ Plasma TV.  Then I say, “Oh really???”  Then I drop the bomb of…”Let me see where the guy/gal deposited $150.00 into a savings account.”  Then some would say, “What???”  I repeat my self,  just to make sure we were speaking the same language. 

Now I know my readers are much more savvy and get the point I am trying to make.  But I have another question for you though.  If you get the point, then why do you use the same logic over and over again trying to fool yourself.  You know what I am talking about.  How often do you go to buy something…end up paying less for it than what you expected…then you walk away from the transaction saying…”I saved some money.”???

You actually just paid less for something…that is all you have done.  No savings happens until you take that difference in what you expected to pay and the actual lower cost for the item and put that difference into a savings account.  Or put that money into some kind of mechanism for saving money.   

Yes, another lesson is here in this example as well.  Remember that poor little 42″ TV you currently have in the living room.  Enough said…

Please excuse me…I need to run now…the door buster “sales” at Super Duper Buy are almost over.  Gotta go save me some money…It’s Friday – Friday – Gotta Get Down on Friday!!!

- Phillip

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