topic Re: Putting off purchases in Community Chat

Putting off purchases

Trailrun23 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:44:08 GMT

A business channel this morning said consumers are pushing back on the rising costs of consumer goods...including groceries, cars, and some big ticket items that are not huge ticket items. Some are not buying eggs at all now and are looking for other sources of protein, etc.

Are you putting off buying anything, hoping the price will come down to earth soon?
DH wants to get another car, but the prices are insane, so he is waiting it out.

Re: Putting off purchases

Mombo1 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:59:53 GMT

@Trailrun23 wrote:
A business channel this morning said consumers are pushing back on the rising costs of consumer goods...including groceries, cars, and some big ticket items that are not huge ticket items. Some are not buying eggs at all now and are looking for other sources of protein, etc.
Are you putting off buying anything, hoping the price will come down to earth soon?
DH wants to get another car, but the prices are insane, so he is waiting it out.

@Trailrun23 Yes definitely. Prices are just too high so I am cautious with purchases.
Last year my lease was up on my car. There was no inventory on any of the lots...plus moving into a new car was just getting me into a much higher payment. I decided to purchase my lease and it was the right decision for me. Just checked the Blue Book value and it is almost valued of what it was selling for 4 years ago. Long story short...I will be driving my Honda for a long time. It only has 23,000 miles on it so I'm happy to keep it. You are right. Prices are insane.

Re: Putting off purchases

deepwaterdotter — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:00:42 GMT

I try to save a portion of my monthly income for emergency expenditures. I hope it will cover those purchases if/when I need a new item.

Re: Putting off purchases

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:00:55 GMT

We have always saved for large projects, so once we have all the money we will go ahead with our plans...but DH and I eat lunch out 3x a week when I work. The bill has gone to $20.00 +tip, and portions are smaller.

Prices were always very fair but over the last year prices have crept up, not unexpected but I may not always have lunch....sometimes I was not hungry but ate anyway, now I might just have a drink while DH eats.

Re: Putting off purchases

Barbara-QVC — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:04:00 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because going off topic

Re: Putting off purchases

cjm61 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:06:01 GMT

I can't say we are "putting off" buying anything small or large. We aren't planning on buying any vehicles or homes any time soon so it's mostly just groceries, and an occasional dinner out or trip to visit family. I do pay much more attention to prices though. I now base our meals around what's on sale or a better deal.

Re: Putting off purchases

Trailrun23 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:34:34 GMT

After my last trip to the grocery store, I think in many cases it really is less money to eat out than buy the groceries and make the same thing at home.

Re: Putting off purchases

chrystaltree — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:43:34 GMT

I'm not putting off buy eggs or any other grocery item. I thought 2023 might be my new car year. My car is 6 years old and paid but I like not having a car note. I'll hold on to it for another year. We aren't putting off buying anything but I do want to cut back on my impulse buying.

Re: Putting off purchases

beckyb1012 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:50:24 GMT

I paid off my car last week and yesterday my cell phone died. Cannot win for loosing.

I must admit a new phone has been needed for months but I just kept putting it off since I do not finance phones. New one on backorder until 1/27 oh well, my fault.

Sometimes it does not pay to put off.

I did buy eggs a couple of weeks ago and it was first time in since Thanksgiving I was shocked. I live alone so it took me a while to see how even more outrageous the price was.

Re: Putting off purchases

Trailrun23 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:04:15 GMT

I was at the grocery store yesterday and the eggs were gone...totally empty shelves. I'm sure they weren't sold out...not at those prices. Maybe they just stopped stocking so many. DH wanted me to make egg salad.,,,guess it's pimento cheese instead.
I wonder if places that serve breakfast will change their menus to say "market price" next to the egg dishes, like they do on lobster in fine dining restaurants. 😳

Re: Putting off purchases

DrBabs — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:21:03 GMT

Yes, I'm being very careful now -- more than my usually conservative nature. I've been putting off buying eggs due to sticker shock, and am monitoring my grocery purchases closely to delay purchasing food items that were once a normal part of my shopping. I have a well-stocked freezer and pantry so am focusing on making meals from home -- I live alone -- and planning my grocery list like I did when I was first living on my own as a young woman. Last year, when my Mom passed away, I took time to make sure my house was updated, painted, maintained/serviced, and appliances in good order so I could go forward with a safe and comfortable abode requiring minimal purchases as my income changed with retirement.

Am I delaying the purchase of anything specific? Besides eggs and steak not really, but I am consciously evaluating where my money is best and most wisely spent.

Re: Putting off purchases

Allegheny — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:21:33 GMT

I do more "on sale" grocery shopping then before, and more willing to try less expensive brands.

I quit "want" shopping years ago when I started to declutter my house and realized how much was needlessly purchased.

If I feel an item's price has risen too high, I avoid purchasing it unless absolutely needed. Many times with some of these price increases I feel like we are being taken advantage of.

Re: Putting off purchases

Carmie — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:26:03 GMT

No, there isn't anything we need. Our cars and home are paid off and we aren't planning on replacing them.

Groceries are high, but if you want something, you either pay or do without. Our utilities just went up...electricity bill was double what it usually is and our water meter, unknown to us, stopped working in June and we were only sent the minimum amount for service. They just recently replaced the meter so we got a six month estimated bill this month.

I plan on replacing the LR furniture and have the money put aside, but I am not in the mood to deal with it now.

We are blessed to be able to afford this inflation....going into a recession. I think it will be awhile before prices go down.

Re: Putting off purchases

Snoopp — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:31:56 GMT

No junk food is coming into my home. Just the usual healthy stuff. I like eggs and buy them, but I'll go where they are priced the lowest.

Frankly, I want to stay out of the grocery store for a while. I have a stocked pantry and freezer, so I am trying to pull from there.

Re: Putting off purchases

GenXmuse — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:32:59 GMT

I read in the WSJ today, that grocery stores, among others, are feeling the pinch because customers are buying less and they're either not planning on increasing prices or are reducing prices. Hopefully we'll start seeing a little reprieve.

Re: Putting off purchases

Twins Mom — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:39:41 GMT

@Carmie

I have put off new flooring for two years. My 30+ year old carpet has to go. But brnging myself to make the decision and doing is so hard. I had an appointment last November to measure but family came down with covid. Have to jump in again.

As for other purchases, eating out less and not jumping at sales promotions on clothes.

Re: Putting off purchases

amyb — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 12:39:56 GMT

@Trailrun23 wrote:
After my last trip to the grocery store, I think in many cases it really is less money to eat out than buy the groceries and make the same thing at home.

Unless you live in CT...we still eat out maybe once a week, sometimes twice. Even our low-key places the average for two out, with cocktail, or sometimes without, is anywhere from $65.-85 plus tip. Many more special places we like to go to occasionally...last year we'd treat ourselves once a week to a local, cozy old Inn for lunch on Fridays when bf was off...average lunch, with just an entree & one cocktail ea. was $100.00 plus tip. Life is short, we still enjoy it while we can, but we found other places to do the Friday thing too....just saying, things are high here.

When I visited my friend in Virginia last spring we ate at comparable nice places out...the average bill came to more like $45.00 plus tip.

And yes...I'm watching everything now. My car is older, and still driving well, but I probably should have upgraded in 2018-2019, when inventory was there and there wasn't price gouging; I certainly didn't see this coming. Thing was back then, tho' my car was getting older, I still loved it & it still drove well, and I've always kept my cars long. But, now I wish I had. Who knows what things will be like when I actually need to replace it...but, for now, I'm holding off.

Need some expensive home upgrades in kitchen and flooring. Flooring was just about to happen, was shopping samples end of 2019 when suddenly we shut down. Now things have tripled. It's so frustrating to think about, but out of my control.

Grocery prices continue to be shocking and I'm certainly being more prudent, selective, look for the sales and decide what I'm cooking based on that.

Not going to stop living but definitely have got to cut back.

Our electric bills just went up something like 45% for another stupid CT government ^%$%$# (waste) thing.

Life goes on. As my dear mom used to say...for now..."grateful I can pay my bills and I'm not destitute."

I just wonder how/if things will go down, once vendors, stores etc keep getting what they are getting for food and goods...unless somehow supply, demand drastically change.

Re: Putting off purchases

Sooner — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:44:14 GMT

I don't know how you can get a better grocery buy than eggs. Even with the higher prices.

Re: Putting off purchases

Carmie — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:48:12 GMT

@Twins Mom wrote:
@Carmie

I have put off new flooring for two years. My 30+ year old carpet has to go. But brnging myself to make the decision and doing is so hard. I had an appointment last November to measure but family came down with covid. Have to jump in again.

As for other purchases, eating out less and not jumping at sales promotions on clothes.

I just replaced all of my floors on the second story of my house last spring. ( Bedrooms, baths, hall and stairs) It was expensive and I was not happy with the price.

Now, I noticed that the flooring I chose is even more expensive and I am happy it is already done. I think the price for flooring is way overpriced.

Re: Putting off purchases

SilleeMee — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:56:44 GMT

My utility bill and property taxes are killing me. I'm dreading opening my property tax bill when it arrives...that is any time now. Grocery prices are also taking me down and then I just heard gas prices went up 25 cents per gallon just this week. Good thing I don't drive much. My last big-ticket purchase was a dental makeover....that was enough to almost buy a car but I wanted it and it's done. I'm happy at least for that part.