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(Photo by mauren veras)
I’ve written about free or discounted toothpaste twice, and a free toothbrush once. Should you just skip these posts because, man, that Kevin guy at No Debt Plan sure does seem to have a thing for toothpaste?
I don’t think so.
I’m All About the Frugal Mentality
Saving $1.19 on a $2.19 tube of toothpaste may not seem like much to you. For the average person if saving that amount of money required any amount of work, they just pass it by.
I embrace it. The little things start to add up. I’ve said it before… save the big dollars before focusing on the little cents. Changing your behavior to save you dollars rather than cents has a bigger impact up front. Saving money on toothpaste and toothbrushes may be fairly far down that list. I can admit that, and that’s fine. If you’re not to that point and still need to tackle some bigger issues… get to it.
However, I do have two reasons I think you should care about this subject.
Reason #1: If you’re saving money on the little things, it’s a sign of a positive change in your behavior.
If you’ve made a bunch of “dollar” changes to your behavior already, why not focus on the little things next? I’d love to get household items for free every week. Every dollar I save on toothpaste is a dollar I can put towards another savings goal like an emergency fund or retirement.
Reason #2: The frugal mentality should spill over into other facets of your money-spending life.
Again, focusing on saving money in little places like shampoo and toothpaste is indicative of a changed mentality. Now you are on the lookout for other places where you can save money. I’d guess that most people don’t just look to save money in one type of item (shampoo, for example). They look around at all items to try and save money wherever possible.
This is just another weapon in your arsenal to defeat debt and create wealth. You can increase your income or cut your spending. Just another tool to help you get across the finish line. Are you willing to tweak your spending habits?
6 Comments, Comment or Ping
Future Millionaire
I completely agree with you. Its the little things that add up that make a difference. Keep on saving on toothpaste.
Jun 23rd, 2008
Monroe on a Budget
Let’s see, free toothpaste here, $5 off there, sooner or later you’ve paid for a bigger expense that you’d otherwise have to do without.
Jun 24th, 2008
FruWiki Meg
Love this post! It *is* all about the attitude. It drives me nuts to see so many people asking, “Why should I do X” when X is something so easy that will save them money. They can throw away money if they want, but my attitude is “Why not?” Sometimes there are good reasons not to do X, but most of the time I find myself going, “Cool. I should try that!”
By the way, I’ve started using toothpowder instead of toothpaste. Right now I’m using Eco-Dent and I really like it. It’s a bit more expensive than regular toothpaste, but you don’t pay for liquid you don’t need. I’m betting that it’s a lot cheaper in the long run — though I could be wrong. I’m also looking into homemade tooth powder, but I’m careful when it comes to playing with my health — even dental health — so I’m not ready to make the switch yet.
Jun 27th, 2008
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