佔小便宜吃大虧 11種得不償失的省錢習慣
Trying to cut costs in your daily budget is a valiant — and often necessary — practice. A few dollars saved here and there can amount to a sizeable sum over time, after all. But how you save can make a big difference in how much you save. Because when it comes down to it, not all “money-saving” tactics actually save you money.
削減日常開支是一種勇敢的行爲，常常也是必要的行爲。這裏省幾塊，那裏省幾塊，一定時間過後可以形成一筆可觀的數目。但以怎樣的方式省錢，可能會對你最終能省下多少錢造成很大的影響。因爲細究起來的話，並不是所有“省錢”策略真的都會省錢。
Here are 11 common penny-pinching tactics that could actually cost you more in the long term — and smart money-saving moves you can make instead.
下文列舉了11種常見的、從長遠來講反倒有可能讓你損失更多的省錢策略，以及你可以取而代之的聰明省錢方法。
Buying Something Just Because It's on Sale
僅僅因爲特價而買
"Sale is the most dangerous four-letter word," says personal finance blogger Zina Kumok. And with the rise of flash sales and coupon sites like RueLaLa and Groupon, the temptation to impulse-buy just to get a good deal is even higher, adds Ozeme J. Bonnette, author of “Get What Belongs to You: A Christian Guide to Managing Your Finances.” "So often, we find a deal that is too good to pass up, yet we wouldn't have even bought the item or service if it had not been mentioned to us," she explains. (Guilty.)
個人理財博客寫手齊娜·庫莫克(Zina Kumok)說：“特價(sale)是最危險的四字單詞。”《該是你的就是你的：一位基督徒的理財指南》(Get What Belongs to You: A Christian Guide to Managing Your Finances)作者奧採姆·邦尼特(Ozeme J. Bonnette)指出，隨着閃購和RueLaLa、Groupon等團購網站的興起，僅以划算爲目的的衝動性購物產生了越來越大的誘惑。她解釋道：“我們經常發現某筆買賣太划算了，覺得不能錯過，但如果沒有人跟我們說起，我們根本就不會購買這件商品或服務。”（內疚中……）
Clothing sales can be especially tempting, as we justify buying items we don't need because they're half off or bargain with ourselves that we'll wear an item "someday." (Guilty and guilty!) Woroch suggests curbing the temptation to snatch up deals by unsubscribing from store e-newsletters, canceling snail mail catalogues by contacting Catalog Choice, and deleting any flash sale or daily deal apps that push tempting pop-up notifications on your mobile device. If all else fails, commit this mantra from Los Angeles-based financial expert Pegi Burdick to memory, "The most expensive thing in your closet is the item you don't wear."
服裝特價可能尤其誘人：我們以半價爲理由來爲自己購買不需要的東西開脫，或者是自己跟自己說，“有朝一日”我們會穿那件衣服的。（內疚，內疚！）全美知名的消費與理財專家安德烈亞·沃羅奇(Andrea Woroch)建議我們退訂商店電子通訊、聯繫Catalog Choice取消郵寄目錄、從手機上刪除任何推送誘人通知的閃購或團購應用，以控制爭搶特價品的誘惑。實在沒有辦法了，那就把洛杉磯理財專家佩希·伯迪克(Pegi Burdick)的這句至理名言銘記在心吧：“衣櫃裏最貴的東西是你不穿的那一件。”
Opening a Store Credit Card to Get a Discount
爲了打折而辦商戶信用卡
The offer seems like a no-brainer: Save 10-20 percent on your first purchase by opening a store credit card, but nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch says this practice can come back to bite you. "Store cards carry high interest rates, expensive late payments and usually tempt people into buying more than they would with cash or their debit card, especially to take advantage of that first-use discount," she says. Unless you plan to use the card one time on a huge purchase, pay it off, and then never use that card again, or if you open a card at a retailer you shop at often or exclusively, it's not worth that initial discount. Woroch suggests finding other ways to save with mobile coupons via a site like CouponSherpa.
面對這樣一個條件，似乎不用多想：辦一張商戶信用卡，第一筆消費可以減掉10%到20%。但沃羅奇說，這種做法有可能得不償失。她說：“商戶信用卡利息很高，滯納金很重，並且常常誘使人們比使用現金或借記卡購買更多的東西，特別是爲了利用第一次使用享受的折扣。”除非你打算用這張卡一次性地進行大額採購、把賬還清，之後再也不用那張卡，或者是在你經常去購物或只在那裏購物的商戶那裏開卡，否則光爲了第一筆的折扣而開卡就不值得。沃羅奇建議通過CouponSherpa之類的網站尋找其他利用手機優惠券省錢的辦法。
Buying An Extended Warranty
購買延保服務
Woroch also warns against shelling out dough to protect a big-ticket purchase. “You don't get what you pay for because extended warranties aren't what they seem to be," she says. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, stores keep 50 percent of what they charge for an extended warranty plan so that’s why they pitch it. “The warranty may be rife with restrictions and exclusions and may not offer the coverage you expect,” she explains. “You often don’t get the full explanation of how it works either, nor do many people even think to ask. Often times, the store contracts a third-party service provider and you don’t know anything about this service provider, how reliable they are, the quality of their work, how long the service will take should something need fixing or replacement.”
沃羅奇還提醒大家不要花很多錢去保修一件大額物品。她說：“你花的錢並不值當，因爲延長保修並不像表面看起來的那樣。”事實上據《消費者報告》(Consumer Reports)報道，商戶收取的延保費用有一半都放進了他們自己的口袋，所以他們纔會大力推銷延長保修。沃羅奇解釋道：“延保可能有諸多限制和很多不屬保修範圍的情況，也許並沒有提供你所期待的保障。你常常得不到有關具體怎樣延保的充分解釋，有很多人甚至也不會想到去問。商戶經常是將延保業務外包給某家第三方服務提供商，而你對這家服務提供商卻一無所知，也不知道他們有多可靠，工作質量如何，以及如果有東西需要維修或換貨，多久才能享受到服務。”
Instead, Woroch says that you can use a credit card that doubles the manufacturer warranty for free for that added coverage. Your state may also offer consumer warranty rights and protect resident purchases within a given period against seriously defective items, she adds: For instance, The Maine Implied Warranty is a little known law that protects Maine consumers from being sold seriously defective items within a reasonable useful life.
沃羅奇說，你可以使用一張可免費延長廠家保修期一倍的信用卡。她補充說，你所在的州可能也有自己的消費者維權法，能在一定時間內爲當地的消費行爲維權，確保消費者不會買到存在嚴重缺陷的產品。比如《緬因默示保證法案》(Maine Implied Warranty)是一部很少有人知道的法案，它在產品的合理使用期內爲緬因州的消費行爲維權，確保消費者不會買到存在嚴重缺陷的產品。
Driving Out of the Way Just to Use a Coupon
開很遠的車，只爲用掉一張優惠券
Of all the money-saving tricks that end up being pitfalls for a lot of people, the main ones are usually when people perceive they'll get savings right away, says Erin Konrad, Content Developer at CouponPal, rather than thinking about the long-term savings. "For example, some people will drive out of their way if they have a coupon or hear about a discount at a store," she says. "They don't think about the gas money they waste by driving farther or to a bunch of different shops."
CouponPal的內容開發員艾琳·康拉德(Erin Konrad)說，在很多人都發現最後變成了陷阱的那些省錢技巧當中，主要的那些技巧常常都是讓人覺得馬上就可以省錢，而不是讓人思考長遠來看省不省錢。她說：“比如如果有一張優惠券或聽說某家店打折，有些人會開很遠的車過去。他們也不想一下開更遠的車或開往一些不同商店所浪費的油錢。”
David Bakke, money saving expert at , agrees that being overly aggressive in your deal hunting efforts can cost you money in the end. "Taking a one hour round trip out to a retail store to save $5 on printer ink just isn't a good use of your time. You'd be better off using that hour in other ways to save more money or to generate it."
的省錢專家戴維·巴克(David Bakke)也認爲，過於努力地尋找打折優惠到頭來反倒有可能讓你多花錢。“爲了買打印機油墨能省下五美元而跑到一家來回需要一小時的零售店，就是沒有很好地利用自己的時間。最好是把這一小時的時間用到其他方面省下更多的錢，或者是生錢。”
So, before hauling yourself all over town, consider if the item is really something you need or worth the cost when you add in what it will take to get you there. Also check to see if you can use the coupon on the retailer's website before driving to the storefront.
所以在開着車滿城跑之前要想一想，那件東西是不是真的需要，或者說如果把一路上的花費加進去，你所花的錢是否值得。另外還要在驅車前往店鋪之前在商家的網站上看看這張優惠券能不能使用。
Buying in Bulk
批量購買
Big box stores like Costco are great for large families, but the average person might not really benefit from shopping in mass quantities. "Before buying seventeen pounds of dried pasta, be sure to break down the per ounce price,” says certified credit counselor Michelle Kuehner. “Plus, keeping it on the shelf for too long could hinder the cooking outcome — it might be gummy or take longer to prepare." Not to mention it can spoil, meaning that you've actually lost money while trying to save.
好市多(Costco)等大型零售店很適合大家庭買東西，但一般的人可能不會因爲大批量採購而真正受益。註冊信用諮詢師米歇爾·屈納(Michelle Kuehner)說：“在購買17磅重的幹通心粉之前，一定要算一下每盎司的價格。另外，擱太久也有可能會令烹調效果打折扣──可能變得很粘，或者是需要烹調更久的時間。”更不用說麪條有可能變質，讓你在想省錢的時候反倒虧了錢。
Shop smart when you're buying in big quantities, she advises. "Items like toilet paper, dishwashing [soap], laundry detergent and trash bags aren’t a problem, but they could be found cheaper by using a service like Amazon Subscribe and Save," she says. "It offers free shipping to your door, and I found is very competitive in price to the warehouse store. It also saves the membership fee." For perishables, Liz Dierking and Jenny Andrews of the tastytrade Financial Network suggest splitting your bulk shopping with a friend or family member so you won't end up tossing unused or expired items.
她建議在大批量採購的時候要好好挑選。“廁紙、洗潔精、洗衣粉和垃圾袋大批量購買都沒有問題，但通過Amazon Subscribe and Save之類的服務可以找到更便宜的。它提供免費送貨到門的服務，我覺得在價格上相比倉儲式商店也非常有競爭力。它還節省了會員費。”對於容易腐敗的物品，理財網絡Tastytrade的莉茲·迪爾金(Liz Dierking)和珍妮·安德魯斯(Jenny Andrews)建議跟朋友或家人合夥購買，免得最後不得不扔掉一些沒有使用過的或過了期的物品。
Buying in Bulk
留出資金用於緊急情況或用於將來肯定是一個好主意，但你也得想辦法讓它升值（且長期升值速度要快於通貨膨脹）。
Big box stores like Costco are great for large families, but the average person might not really benefit from shopping in mass quantities. "Before buying seventeen pounds of dried pasta, be sure to break down the per ounce price,” says certified credit counselor Michelle Kuehner. “Plus, keeping it on the shelf for too long could hinder the cooking outcome — it might be gummy or take longer to prepare." Not to mention it can spoil, meaning that you've actually lost money while trying to save.
在過去，定期存款賬戶(savings account)的利息率高於活期存款賬戶(checking account)。但現在不是這樣了。對於應急儲蓄，屈納建議登陸查看當前活期存款利率列表，以及獲得更高利率需要存入的最低額度。
Shop smart when you're buying in big quantities, she advises. "Items like toilet paper, dishwashing [soap], laundry detergent and trash bags aren’t a problem, but they could be found cheaper by using a service like Amazon Subscribe and Save," she says. "It offers free shipping to your door, and I found is very competitive in price to the warehouse store. It also saves the membership fee." For perishables, Liz Dierking and Jenny Andrews of the tastytrade Financial Network suggest splitting your bulk shopping with a friend or family member so you won't end up tossing unused or expired items.
如果回報太低，迪爾金和安德魯斯建議至少把一部分儲蓄存入一個經紀賬戶(brokerage account)。如此你不僅可以把儲蓄投進低風險基金，甚至根本就不必投資。迪爾金和安德魯斯說：“經紀賬戶裏沒有投資的資金仍然會產生微薄的利息。真正的好處是你把資金放在那裏隨時都可以進行投資，擁有各種工具和靈活的投資選擇，這些都是普通存款賬戶所沒有的。”
Buying More Online to Qualify for Free Shipping
爲了免運費，在網上購買更多東西
We've all been there: You're about to check out when you realize you need to spend $20 more to waive your shipping costs. "What happens is you often spend more than you originally planned just to save a few bucks on shipping," Konrad says.
我們都曾遇到過這樣的情況：馬上就要結賬的時候，才發現需要再花20美元才能免掉運費。康拉德說：“結果是你常常爲了省掉幾塊錢的運費而花了比最初計劃更多的錢。”
Of course, if the retailer offers free return shipping, this isn't as big of an issue—just send back whatever extra items you bought to get the shipping fee waived. (We imagine this is pretty common practice—according to one 2011 study, 40 percent of clothing purchases made online are indeed returned.)
當然，如果商家提供免費返運服務，那麼問題就沒那麼大了──把多買的東西寄回去，從而把運費免掉。（我們估計這是一個相當常見的做法──根據2011年的一次調查，網上購買的服裝40%都被寄回。）
But, there is still a risk over overspending if you end up liking the extras you bought and keeping them, costing you more in the long run. So, it's safer for your budget (and better for keeping your closet clutter-free) to buy what you intended to and pay the $5 shipping fee. Also, always be sure to check a coupon site like or before checking out to see if there are coupon codes or discounts you can use on your purchase.
但如果你到頭來喜歡上了多買的東西並且保留下來，那就還是有多花錢的風險。所以僅僅購買你打算購買的東西並支付五美元的運費，對於你的預算更加安全（也更有利於防止衣櫃塞不下）。另外，在結賬之前一定要登陸或之類的優惠券網站，看有沒有可以使用的優惠碼或折扣。
Buying the Cheapest of Everything
If your eye naturally gravitates to the lowest price of every item you buy, you'll end up spending more money over time, says Kyle James, owner and founder of . "Instead, develop the mindset of investing in certain high quality items and you’ll actually end up saving significant money," he says. "For example, every time I have skimped on a tool purchase — this goes for both power tools and hand tools — it has come back to haunt me."
老闆兼創始人凱爾·詹姆斯(Kyle James)說，如果你購買每一樣東西都習慣性地瞄準最低價格，一定時間過後你可能反而會花更多的錢。他說：“相反，養成花錢買某些優質產品的心態，到時候你反倒能省下不少的錢。比如，每次我買工具（包括電動工具和手工工具）時如果捨不得多花錢，最後就只會讓自己花掉更多的錢。”
He suggests doing your research before you buy big ticket items especially and make sure you're getting a quality product — it's definitely worth the extra money as you won’t have to replace the item anytime soon. This isn't to say that you can't buy the cheapest of anything, Bakke adds, rather it's important to know when it's okay to do so.
他建議，特別是在購買大額物品之前要先做好研究，並確保自己買的是一件優質產品──多花的錢絕對值得，因爲你不需要很快就替換。巴克說，這並不是說任何東西都不能購買最便宜的，而是說一定要知道什麼時候可以買最便宜的。
"It's OK to shop the dollar store for office supplies, for example, but when you're talking about a flat screen TV or a laptop, it pays to invest in quality," he says. "You don't have to get the most expensive product on the market, just don't go with the cheapest."
他說：“比如說，去一元店購買辦公用品是沒問題的，但如果是要買一臺平板電視機或筆記本電腦，爲高品質多花點錢是有好處的。你不一定要買市場上最貴的產品，只是不要去購買最便宜的。”
Overspending to Get Credit Card Rewards
爲獲得信用卡獎勵而多花錢
While many of us know that having a credit card that offers rewards comes with perks like cash back, airline miles, and free hotel stays, that doesn't mean it's worth racking up a bigger monthly balance just to reap those benefits. "If you spend $50 on a credit card to get the three percent cash back, you're not saving any money," Kumok says.
雖然我們很多人都知道擁有一張提供獎勵的信用卡可以享受返現、航班裏程積累、免費酒店住宿等好處，但這並不意味着僅僅爲了獲得這些好處就值得增加每月的開銷。庫莫克說：“如果你爲了獲得3%的返現而用信用卡花了50美元，這根本就不是省錢。”
While she explains that, generally if you're redeeming for material goods, you're better off buying in cash than redeeming points, spending money on certain cards can indeed pay off. Kumok recommends Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard for travel deals, which gives you 10 percent of your miles back when you redeem them. But she says she personally likes to “churn” her awards-giving credit cards, which means that you sign up for different credit cards to get sign-up bonus offers, like 20,000 miles if you spend $3,000 in three months.
她解釋，雖然一般情況下在你打算用積分兌換實物產品時，其實最好還是用現金購買而不是用積分兌換，但利用某些卡片付款確實有好處。庫莫克推薦“Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard”用於旅行，兌換積分的時候它會返回10%的里程。但她說，她個人喜歡“開造”提供獎勵的信用卡，也就是說申請不同的信用卡以獲得開卡獎勵，比如三個月花費3,000元的話就會獲得兩萬英里的里程。
“That's where you get the most bang, especially if you were going to spend the money anyway on stuff like groceries, gas, and so on,” she says. “And it’s best way to get miles quickly and efficiently.” (However, those with low credit scores might not be able to do this without further damaging their credit, so talk to a financial advisor if you’re unsure.)
她說：“這纔是重點所在，特別是如果你準備花錢買食雜品、汽油等東西的時候。而且最好是迅速而有效地獲得里程。”（但信用記錄較差的人可能無法在不進一步損害信用的情況下做到這一點，所以如果不確定的話，去找一位理財顧問談談吧。）
Buying Everything on Black Friday
所有的東西都在黑色星期五購買
Everyone knows that Black Friday is the day to score awesome deals, but frugal shopping expert Trae Bodge, senior editor for The Real Deal by RetailMeNot warns against holding out on making all of your big purchases that day. "While Black Friday is a great time to score deep discounts on electronics and entertainment items, other categories can be purchased during other times of the year at even better prices," she says. "Sales follow a seasonal calendar—as an example, spring is a great time to buy winter apparel because retailers are clearing inventory to make way for warm weather clothing."
大家都知道黑色星期五那天可以買到一些非常划算的東西，但節儉購物專家、RetailMeNot旗下網站The Real Deal高級編輯特雷·博吉(Trae Bodge)提醒，不要把所有重要採購都放到那一天。她說：“雖然黑色星期五那一天是享受電子產品和娛樂產品大幅折扣的大好時機，但其他門類產品可以在一年中的其他時段以更優惠的價格買到。特價是有季節性的，比如春季適合買冬裝，因爲那時候商家要清空庫存，爲暖和天的服裝騰出地方。”
Taking Advantage of Loyalty Program Discounts
利用客戶忠誠計劃提供的折扣
Being a loyal customer can win your brownie points with major companies—or even give you a break on fees and services. However, not all of them will actually save you money, Kuehner says. "It’s the perception that loyalty gives you a better deal," she explains. "I was recently helping someone with their budget, and when I suggested shopping around for insurance, they axed the suggestion quickly, saying they get a discount for being a long-time customer, so it would be cheaper than anything around. They were wrong — they could get the same coverage elsewhere for almost $100 per month less." Her advice? "Shop around for insurance, and save the loyalty for your family and friends."
作爲忠誠客戶，你可以在大公司獲得積分，甚至在手續費、服務方面享受價格減免。但屈納說，並不是這一切都真的就會讓你省錢。她說：“忠誠度讓你獲得更大優惠有時只是你的一廂情願。最近我幫人制定預算，當我建議他們在選保險的時候貨比三家時，他們打斷話頭，表示作爲長期客戶可以享受折扣，所以比其他家的都會便宜。他們錯了，同樣的保險在其他地方差不多一個月可以省下100美元。”她的建議？“選保險時貨比三家，把忠誠留給家人和朋友吧。”
