Amanda, 28, and her husband, David, 32, have been married for two years. When they go to big box stores like Costco, David wants to stick to a budget, but Amanda wants to stock up for the future. Who's right?
He says: "Even though big box stores like Costco have lower prices than smaller chains, I just finished business school-so I'm all about budgets and bottom lines. I like to go into Costco with a fixed budget and an exact list of what we need to get on that trip. Amanda, on the other hand, likes to meander down the aisles, pointing out deals like "12 boxes of tissues for $29.99." Yes, we may need them later, but we don't have room for 12 boxes of tissues. I don't want to end up like those people on Hoarders or Extreme Couponing because my wife was afraid we'd run out of tissues at 3 a.m. one night and not have 11 boxes on standby."
She says: "It's not that I'm not economical-I fully understand the point of going to the store with a budget and a set list of things to buy. However, if we happen to spot a great deal while we're there on a product I know we'll use, what's the harm in buying it in bulk to save money on future purchases? It's not hoarding, it's smart buying. I'm great at home organization. I'll make room for all those tissue boxes-tell David not to worry. And really, you never know when you'll run out of tissues."
