Nice Catch

Today's blog comes from a friend who attended my August class. On a recent trip to the grocery store Erika had a chance to put some of the Living Large with Less principles into action. "I spent just over $100 on the overall shopping trip, (and) I did save $92 so I felt good about that. I'm finally tracking my spending and planning a week of meals." YAY Erika!

"My biggest savings though was separate from the coupons and specials. I was watching the screen with the prices, trying to guess how much I was buying, when I noticed that my single pomegranate was $23.88. Not the $1.99 that I had already deemed reasonable (since it is the one exotic fruit my kids will actually eat). It turns out, the checker had charged me for 12 pomegranates! I wonder how often people overpay just for errors?"

This is where I say, "Nice catch!" Had Erika not been paying attention she might never have noticed this error or noticed it at home and not had a chance to immediately correct the problem. She saved herself the hassle of coming back later or simply losing that money on 11 invisible pomegranates. It pays to pay attention. In addition to paying attention while I am checking out, I am also vigilant about both my credit card and bank statements. Both are notorious for hidden charges, new fees or simply human errors in entering amounts. Sometimes I tire of the need to review financial documents or receipts but it helps me know exactly what I am paying for, even if errors are not found. So be sure to celebrate your next "catch" and consider it money saved.