QUALITY OR QUANTITY?

I think about things to write about when I go to the store. The reason for this is because the store is where the frugal spend their hard earned money. They are not on unemployment or using food stamps. The frugal believe in earning their way through life. They do not believe the world owes them a living. The frugal are industrious and hate laziness. The frugal are achievement oriented. When they go to work, they get the job done.

I shop mainly at Wal-Mart because their prices are the lowest and the quality of their products is adequate in most cases. For example, I have spent $3,350 at Wal-Mart and the next grocery store I have spent the most at is Kroger at a paltry $665. I have spent over five times more at Wal-Mart! However, this does not mean that I will give all my money to Wal-Mart. Kroger, at times, has superior quality over Wal-Mart.

Price is an important factor in being frugal, but it is not the only factor. Prices are objective, but our decisions regarding the products we buy is subjective. If we buy something based solely on price, we will get what we pay for. Economic law states that more will be demanded at less price. This means that luxury items will demand a higher price. They are luxury items because of their scarcity. Those items that are in abundance usually are of less quality.

Quantity is objectively determined and quality is subjectively determined. You have to look not only at the quantity but you must determine its quality. For instance, you can buy two pounds of bread at a cheaper price than you can buy a 100% Whole Wheat loaf of bread. You save money, but there is no comparison to quality and nutritional value. At some point, nutrition has to matter. If you buy junk food, it will have an effect upon your health and budget. While you saved some money, your health may suffer and in the long run cost you more.

Generally, Kroger has better quality produce than Wal-Mart. My wife loves navel oranges. We bought a four pound bag at Wal-Mart. There was a lot in the bag, but they were small. I just bought an eight pound bag of navel oranges at Kroger. They are much bigger than the ones that I bought at Wal-Mart. I eat an apple every day. The best quality apples that I have found are Cameo apples sold only at Kroger. These apples remain crunchy for a long time and taste like apples. If you buy something that is low quality, you may end up throwing it out and wasting money.

Part of eating food is not only for health reasons, but also for enjoyment. Food is to be enjoyed. Eating has an emotional aspect to it. I would rather eat something I enjoyed rather than eating something that is cheap, but lacks any quality. Psychologically, we must feel that we not only got a good quantity, but that we also got good quality. The frugal think when they shop. The frugal want quantity, but they prefer quality over quantity.