A Nickel Here, A Dime There, It All “Ads” Up
You know the old saying, “a penny saved is a penny earned?” Our parents used that saying to tell us that even a small amount of savings can eventually become a big amount down the road. Personally, I have never subscribed to it. To me, a penny saved was not worth the effort. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that. This is where the impulse purchase comes in. They’re designed to take our pennies.
How many of us see something we like and say, “It’s only a few bucks. That’s not going to break me.” I always thought that way for a long time. Then I realized this is how I make my money - with a click here and a click there. By themselves, the clicks make less than a dollar. However, added over the course of a month and they run into the tens of thousands. There is a lot of money in nickel and diming.
Many years back, a financial planner asked me track my all purchases for a month by writing them down on a small notepad. Being the tech guy that I am, I used a Pocket PC and MS Money. He asked me to begin the month with an estimate on how much I think I will spend and then compare it to the real number at the end of the month.
The experiment was very enlightening to say the least. I completely blew my estimated budget. You have no idea how those little purchases can add up quickly until you see it all in front of you. All those nickels and dimes really do add up.
The exercise did change my spending habits - I don’t buy thing as impulsively as I used to. Most people keep an eye on their big purchases but they really should be keeping an eye on the impulsive ones. Impulse purchases are like clicks to my Google ads - it’s only nickels and dimes but they add up really fast.
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We have to be careful that we don’t nickle and dime ourselves to financial ruin. Money is energy. The more we have the more we can invest. We need to always be plugging the leaks. The key is to focus our financial energy, not dissipate it.
Reply to this commentwell said
Reply to this commentYou make a post about making $11,000 / month from a blog where you talk about your expensive eating habits and in the next post you complain about spending pennies?
Reply to this commentjohn is not complaining
Reply to this commenthe was simply reminding us how important it is to pay attention to the nickles and dimes
And that is a great advice!
Reply to this commentwell said
Reply to this commentYou think that “And that is a great advice!” is well said? I’m not English major but there’s nothing there that particularly impresses me. It’s grammatically correct and all, but I’m not blown away by the content…
Reply to this commentScratch that. It’s not even grammatically correct… Like I said, I’m not and English major.
Reply to this commentSaving his pennies is how he can can afford expense eating habits!
Reply to this commentEverything adds up; small or big amounts of money that you save and spend makes a difference. John was able to afford all those scrumptious meals because now he acknowledges the importance of even the littlest amount of money (that, and he didn’t have to pay for ALL those meals LOL).
Reply to this commentDon’t forget that he can claim them as business related expenses since he blogs about them
Reply to this commentI would still write them off, but just make sure to bring the blog up at dinner so it can be considered a business meeting…that’s kinda evil right???
Reply to this commentLOL…I like this comment because of the responses it gets…Now you know John has a true following
Reply to this commentI used to be suprised when looking at online banking and how many trips to the cash machine I made. I now try not to go except for exactly what I need. I managed to cut back a few hundred a month that way.
A little here and there does add up.
Reply to this commentyeap, i need to stop eating takeaways, it costs me 150 a month, which means i eats up a top range laptop every year
Reply to this commentI think most of us have that problem, sadly
Reply to this commenttrue thats why not everybody is a mogul
Reply to this commentThe ATM can be an evil, evil thing alright. Now that I think about it, I have been going to the ATM more than I should; this is definitely a wake-up call.
Reply to this commentI have found that not having cash really helps to stop the impulsive buys… You have to be willing to visa $2.21 to make the purchase rather then just pull out a $5.
Try it.
Reply to this commentI agree to not having cash part, but don’t agree to having the cards. If you really want to stop the impulsive buys make sure you leave your cards home. One other thing that really helps is to make a list before you go shopping and stick to that list. Again not having more cash then necessary for the items in your list can help you stick to the list
Reply to this commentYeah not bringing the cards really helps. Although, at the grocery store or where I’m making other purchases I don’t really consider most of those purchases impulsive… although, technically a box of cookies is impulsive but much better then just throwing a dollar or so to a chocolate bar….
It’s all relative I guess.
Reply to this commentCash-on-hand is as good as gone, especially if your spending habits lean more toward the “happy-go-lucky” spectrum. A Credit Card can be devious that way, too, since almost all merchants accept them. Basically, you just have to take enough money that you think will last you through the day and leave the temptation to spend more at home.
PS–That grocery list thing works actually; thanks for pointing that one out.
Reply to this commentI agree, I rarely carry cash because it disappears so fast
Reply to this commentAnd usually those small purchases stops in the basement getting dust.
Reply to this commentOr don’t even make it that far because they are disposable (i.e. food)
Reply to this commentwell, my small purchases tend to go in the vending machine
Reply to this comment…you earn to spend 90 and save 10..so stash away the 10 and another 40 for bills and spend away 50.
Reply to this comment
Reply to this commentInsightful comment!
Reply to this commentohh kumiko changed her picture
Reply to this commentit is so true
Reply to this commentwhich part?
Reply to this commentGreat post and very true. I usually very good about tangible impulsive purchases, but find when advertising a website, Im very impulsive.
Reply to this commentgreat read this post reminds me of the struggle that i am in to get out of debt in life. but with everything surrounded to make you spend its no surprise that everybody is broke. At the rate its going it might get back to a trade society..lol
Reply to this commentBarter system LOL oh gosh, I don’t even have enough possessions to trade! For my sake and the rest of us who are not John Chow, I seriously hope it never gets to that.
Reply to this commentIs it just me or are there posts on this blog that just seem to disappear? Several days ago there was an entry about the “power of a PR6 blog” and I can’t find that any more. Yesterday there was what looked to be a ReviewMe ad for a dating site and that seems to be missing now too. Strange!
Reply to this commentJohn has evil powers. Maybe they didn’t pay up. Not sure what to think about the PR6 post.
Reply to this commentThey must pay first. I know because I paid for my ReviewME and they charge my Visa a few minutes later.
They only pay bloggers after and end of the month
For the topic:
Reply to this commentIt’s true, I don’t keep change or very little with me and at night and put it in a pot. Wow! it add up. Plus with $2(coin), the pot grows faster.
And I thought I was weird for having a piggy bank for loose change.
It’s good to know I’m not alone on this (although a “pot” sounds way cooler when you’re a grown-up LOL).
Reply to this commentunless it was a direct review through John, but i believe John sticks to going through ReviewMe as good practice. Well done John.
Reply to this commentDid you check the archives?
Reply to this commentI think you’re looking for this….
http://www.johnchow.com/feeling-the-power-of-google-pagerank-6/
Reply to this commenttrue, very true…but google does not add nickels and dimes for me…i am thinking about stopping using them!
http://www.theanand.com/blog/index.php/just-ripples/google-adsense-money-worth-it/
Reply to this commentIn trying to save for my retirement. I have had to become more conscious of my impulse purchases. And over the years, I have noticed that it does help the bottom line when you are trying to save for a goal.
Reply to this commentThis is absolutely true and one of the main culprits behind people that struggle to make the ends meet month to month.
I’ve written a few articles on impulse buying, one with a few tips to curb impluse buying at the grocery store which is often one store people struggle with:
Strategy to Curb Impulse Buying
Reply to this commentHow To Curb Impulse Buying
If you can’t make impulse buys then who can!
Reply to this commentI’ve become more careful over the years with spending money. It does add up at the end when your bank account seems more than it used to be.
Reply to this commenti just stopped drinking coffee and using the ATM …and i think i saved aound $50 bucks a month.
Reply to this commentHey Wolf,
With $50 spare bucks a month, you could advertise on John’s site
Reply to this commentJust buying your own beans can save a LOAD of money. you don’t have to stop drinking the black gold.
Reply to this commentYou can afford a reviewme from me every month!
Reply to this commentcouple little changes i made:
stop eating breakfast out of the house…now eat at home…saves about $3-5 per day x 20 = $60-100 per month
other thing is media…cut out mag’s…look for free newspapers or the cheaper competitor…saves about $.50 per day x 20 = $10 per month
total from just those two per year is $840 - $1320.
Reply to this commentEating out less and at home more is very effective money-saving, I have to agree…unless you order food in, then that doesn’t change anything LOL.
Reply to this commentI refuse to give up coffee. It makes me productive and chatty.
The few rich people (millionaires) I know all have a balance between overspending and penny pinching. They don’t sweat the small coins but neither do they go off on shopping sprees.
Reply to this commentlol…luckly I never took to coffee or tea. So that’s one vice I don’t have to give up
Reply to this commentI’ve generally been pretty good with this throughout my life. So much so that at one point I had $20+ worth in just pennies.
Looking back on that now, I feel a bit sorry for the cashiers who had to deal with all those pennies when I bought something I really wanted.
Also, I’ve found that more impulsive buys have decreased for me when I stopped using my debit card everywhere and instead use cash. Generally, I’ve been taking out a couple hundred at a time from an ATM, but I make that last for as long as I can.
Reply to this commentIm the exact opposite. If I have cash, I have an impulse to spend spend spend. Its rare that I keep cash on me now, and when I do have it, I tend to forget about it because im used to not keeping any on me.
Reply to this commentThis is very true!
I started keeping a record of every dollar I spent starting in January of this year. The results were staggering. As you said, its the little things that add up quickly. For me, fast food is the number one culprit. Damn those delicious fast food facilities!
Reply to this commentquote from the movie Ray - “If you think pennies, you make pennies. If you think Dollars, you make Dollars” or something like that . . . so what are you doing with all your money john? Stock Market? Real Estate? 401k? Mutual Funds?
Reply to this commentThat is a wonderful comparison. That saying has never really meant anything to me until now. You can expand that into other areas as well. If you are a salesperson sometimes all of your little sales add up to more than your large one. Another angle is you have to lose one pound before you can lose 20 and it takes that one to get to twenty.
Reply to this commentI see you have a lot of featured sites now John…I’m glad you used my suggestion.
Reply to this commentThere is a blog somewhere called give me back my 5 dollars or something to that effect where a woman managed to pay down 15000 or so in debt in 10 months by being frugal (e.g. packing her lunch each day). Those small things add up huge.
Speaking of nickels, coinflation.com has a melt value of U.S. coins (and I think canadian coins). It turns out they are worth a lot more than their face value
Reply to this commentGood post. I used to spend lavishly until I started my first business. During that startup phase I seriously realized the value in ‘nickel and diming’.
Reply to this commentBuy something only when you need it. Have you ever buy something but you never use it? Nearly everyone buys products they never actually use.
Reply to this commentDon’t buy something just because they are on sale, you may never use them.
So before go shopping, make a list the items you need in the order and don’t buy stuff unlisted.
Save your money!
You’re right John it all adds up. I’m a great fan in saving money and it’s true, it’s the little purchases that affects some people’s budget.
Reply to this commentGreat advice. I was able to take on this information at a young age and it has significantly done wonders. I would add that if and or when you take on this challenge you try keeping it to yourself. Watch of for those opinions to fly. There is no need to get the opinions this will impact your quality of life in a positive way IF you can follow it through all the way. Report back in 30 days. Great post John Chow.
Reply to this commentGreat John! is not only how to make money, it is also how to keep it with you for the important things, thanks for remember that.
Reply to this commentEvery mikkle makes a muckle
Reply to this commentGuys! It’s your nickels and dimes that drive the world economy at the moment! So, please keep spending those little amounts! Do take your Credit Cards everywhere! Spend, spend, spend! You’re giving millions of workers worldwide a good job! And you’re giving lots of financial advisers work who write books, blogs, and whatnot telling you to cut your spending habits! Not to mention, all those stores in the US that sell the goods, think of those workers, too!
So, if you are at all caring, SPEND, SPEND, SPEND! It’s really charity, after all!
Reply to this commentWarning: stripos() [function.stripos]: Offset not contained in string in /home/johnchow/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-affiliate-pro.php(240) : eval()'d code(1) : eval()'d code(1) : eval()'d code on line 771
This guy is evil.
Credit Card is no good as you will actually not run out of cash. And in US you could pay small amount even with Credit Card
Reply to this commentYeah, saving for a goal can help you change your spending habits alright. Awareness is crucial, I think; the more you tell yourself “it’s just a couple of bucks,” the more your money slips away from you without you even noticing.
Reply to this commentWhen I was a student in US (many yeras ago
) I used to count all the pennys and dimes at the end of the year and I always had 220/250$ extras in my pockets…same rule I do now on my Blog’s Ads 
. It is not super great but I am happy about it!
Come visit and click!
http://www.lucianobove.blogspot.com
Thanks & CIAO!
Reply to this commentMoney-saving and rich guys like you, John? A big no-no
Reply to this commentWithout nickel and dime there is no one dollar, and without a dollar there’s no hundred dollar and so on and so fort. Just spend minus your savings for the future…
Reply to this commentActually, that’s what I tell my nephews and nieces. Without a penny you can’t possibly have a whole dollar — interesting enough yet completely elementary.
Reply to this commentI just wish the nickels and dimes my sites make added up faster.
Reply to this commentIt’s like compounded interest, it doesn’t seem to move very fast then BOOM!
Reply to this commenthelp John! I can’t even put google ads to my site. I’m not sure how to do php or add it to my wordpress, even after plugins.
Reply to this commentSpeaking of which, what’s a good time to start putting ads on my page?
Reply to this commentNice article, all things are true
Reply to this comment