While generic brand items, especially groceries, seem to have improved in recent years, there are still many things that you need to watch out for that may seem to save you money at the time of purchase but may end up costing you more in the long run.  With the advent of the Dollar Store, it has become very easy to find “bargains” on everyday personal and household things, but as we all know, cheapness and quality don’t always come hand in hand. Save yourself - money, time, aggravation and, most importantly, your family’s health - by not saving on the following things

9 Things to Not Skimp On

• Cheese

  A few cents per ounce can be the difference between delicious and gross. Luckily for us, the generic brand at our grocery store is really good. A lot of cheap brands of cheese are bulked up with potato starch which has a horrible texture.

• Shampoo and Conditioner

  Occasionally I fall for those 97¢ bottles of shampoo and conditioner because they smell like strawberries or coconuts. But experience has taught me that these yummy hair products promote an increasingly scruffy appearance. The difference in the quality of your hair after a single wash with a good shampoo is worth $3-$5 dollars a bottle. And a 40 oz. bottle of Pantene or Herbal Essence is very economical.

• Electronics

  Cheap electronics may save you money at the time of purchase, but it adds up when you have to make the purchase 3 or more times within the period that a well-made product would have served you. Not to mention the time lost and significant inconvenience. $20 or $30 more spent on a reliable brand will infinitely pay off in the long run.

• Batteries

  Cheap generic brand batteries don’t last as long as brand name batteries and may not be as well-constructed. Battery fluid is toxic so it is worth spending a few more dollars to make sure yours are leak proof, especially if you have children or pets.

• Household cleaners

  Kill germs, not your family. Cheap and little-known brands may cut corners and not list harmful ingredients. Overexposure to certain toxins lead to things like skin irritation, respiratory problems and cancer.

• Bakeware

  If you grease your pans and still have to pry out your food with a knife and spend more time scrubbing the pans than eating, upgrade your bakeware and you will be able to eat more of your baking.

• Dollar Store Pencils

  Dollar store brand pencils like “A+ Homework” will find you spending more time trying to sharpen the pencils than actually writing. The wood and lead are of such poor consistency that they splinter from beginning to end. If you are lucky enough to achieve the likeness of a sharpened pencil, it doesn’t write as well. And we won’t even go into the eraser.

• Pet Food

  Better quality pet foods will keep your pets healthier, improving your finances and quality of life. A pet with kidney disease, cancer, or other illness may cost you $1,000 or more a month. Poor diet in young animals may affect the development of joints, immune systems, and intelligence. I have also read that certain artificial food colors causes aggression in both people and animals.

• Human Food

  For the same reasons as pet food.

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We would like to thank the following Blog Carnivals for featuring our posts.

(This list will be updated to include future inclusions for the month of August 2008.)

Descending chronologically by inclusion date

• August 17, 2008
  The Carnival of Personal Finance #166: Around the World of Commodities!
  Article: The Financial Woes of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• August 14, 2008
  Finance Fiesta: The Olympic Edition
  Article: Does Thinking About Money Make You a Bad Person?

(more…)

Our Fourpence Worth has the privilege of hosting two prominent finance and frugal living blog carnivals next week.

If you’re a blogger, be sure and submit your personal finance and frugal living articles. If you’re a blog reader, be sure and stop by for recommendations for great reads.

• Festival of Frugality 139th Edition
  

  Tuesday, August 19, 2008

  • Submission Guidelines
  • Submission Form
  • Submission Deadline: Aug 18, 2008 9:00 PM EST/EDT

• Money Hacks Carnival 26th Edition
  

  Wednesday, August 20, 2008

  • Submission Guidelines
  • Categories: Insurance, Frugality & Saving Money, Investing, Income, Career, Debt & Credit, Taxes, Economy, Other
  • Submission Form
  • Submission Deadline: Aug 19, 2008 2:00 PM EST/EDT

Bloggers, this is a great opportunity for doubled carnival traffic and exposure, so get your submissions in! If you have 2 articles, be sure to submit one to each of the carnivals.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Madoline and I lived in Los Angeles (in the San Fernando Valley) for a year and a half, during which time we went through a shopaholic phase followed by a phase of extreme frugality (described in Our Family Financial History). When we decided to be frugal, I learned a lot about free and low cost activities in the area. Here we will share some suggestions for free and frugal things to do in the Los Angeles area. Note that I have not been to all the places listed here, but many are things I remember hearing or reading about while living there there and others have been gathered from online sources.

All activities listed below are FREE of admission charges unless otherwise noted (some activities are free on particular days or at particular times of day). Those that are not free cost $5 or less per person. Parking fees are noted whenever possible. Depending on the distance and number of persons in your group, public transit may or may not be less expensive. Check out an earlier post I wrote on How to Save Gas and Time by Using Google Maps, which includes tips on looking up public transportation directions and fares.

General & Sight-Seeing

The Grove Fountain Photo credit: r3m3dy

Our favorite frugal activity was walking malls and pretty places to both sight-see and get some exercise. Here are some of our favorite places to walk. Note that even though these include shopping centers, you do not need to shop in order to enjoy the scenery and atmosphere!

• Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

  Grab a drink or ice cream cone and just enjoy the scenery and street performers. Check out Santa Monica Pier while you’re there. You don’t have to spend money on the rides, just enjoy the scenery, have a look at the famous carousel built in 1916.

  More information: Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

• The Grove

  A very pretty outdoor mall with cute buildings and a park-like setting with fountains and outdoor seating. Includes free events such as Movies in the Park, Girls Night Out, Music in the Park, etc.

  More information: The Grove

• Farmers Market

  

  The Farmers Market isn’t only a place to shop for groceries, but they host free events all year round including a Summer Music Series; Family Fun with music, arts & crafts; Fall Festival with marching band, petting zoo, pig races, etc.; Holiday Festivities including music, Menorah lighting, caroling and a toy soldier band; Mardi Gras with Cajun bands, mask making, etc.; and the Gilmore Heritage Auto Show featuring more than 100 vintage and classic cars. (Photo credit: andy castro)

  More information: Farmers Market Events

• Downtown Burbank

  “Come Out and Dance” with live bands with free dance lessons, fine arts festivals, Halloween trick-or-treat, Holiday Cheer and more in Downtown Burbank.

  More information: Events in Downtown Burbank

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We have decided to start a new section in our blog devoted to providing printable paper products for your personal use. These will include such items as greeting cards, gift bags, boxes, tags, invitations, and other stationary designed especially for Our Fourpence Worth. You only need to open and print templates, and possibly do a little easy assembly to get your finished product. We hope our projects will save you money by providing attractive alternatives to purchased products. If you enjoy using our design, we would appreciate it if you tell your friends or link back to us.

We already have many designs finished and scheduled to be posted. Please check back soon!

We would like to thank the following Blog Carnivals for featuring our posts.

(This list will be updated to include future inclusions for the month of July 2008.)

Descending chronologically by inclusion date

• July 30, 2008
  Money Hacks Carnival #23 — It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!
  Article: How to Save Gas and Time With Google Maps
• July 28, 2008
  Carnival of Debt Reduction 150: College Tuition Bills
  Article: Resisting the urge to splurge
• July 28, 2008
  Carnival of Personal Finance #163 - “Quotable Quotes”
  Article: How to Save Gas and Time with Google Maps
• July 21, 2008
  The 162nd Carnival of Personal Finance: Baseball edition
  Article: California Fires: Should We Have to Pay for the Choices of Others?
• July 15, 2008
  Festival of Frugality 134
  Article: Booking Flights Early Could End Up Costing More
• July 10, 2008
  Finance Fiesta: No Debt Plan Edition
  Article: Monopoly Game Expansion #4: Personal Credit Card Account
• July 7, 2008
  Festival of Frugality: Bare Necessities Edition
  Article: Economical Pet and Child Safe Ways to Repel and Kill Ants, Spiders and Other Insects
• July 2, 2008
  Money Hacks Carnival #19: The Independence Edition (Editor’s Pick - double thanks!)
  Article: Monopoly Game Expansion #3: Certificate of Deposit

(more…)