July 4 2008: Bargain Shopper’s Guide To Melbourne
There’s a semi-annual magazine released here called “The Bargain Shopper’s Guide to Melbourne”. Sounds right up my alley correct? Well, let’s say I take bargain shopping one step further, and rather than forking out $9.95AUD for an issue (c’mon, what a ripoff!), I borrow it from the library and renew my loan multiple times, until I’ve had it out for at least three months. Yes, I’m cheap. So sue me.
It’s not particularly useful for a permanent resident of Melbourne like myself, as we generally know where all the factory outlets and so on are. It’s even less useful for me as my thriftiness is legendary, and I don’t need the bargain shopping tips in their issues either - among my many talents, I know very well to wait for proper discounts before buying, and I know how to haggle prices down.
However, the usefulness of the magazine to me isn’t measured in how much new knowledge and information it can give me. Rather, it’s the warm fuzzy feeling inside that it provides. It’s the knowledge that I’m not the only cheapskate in my city, that I’m not alone in my thriftiness. It’s the sense of comradeship that I get every time I see a woman on public transport reading the magazine as well.
More importantly, it’s the fact that I can sense a kindred spirit every time I can see a woman covertly flicking through an issue at the newsagents and taking notes, rather than buying an issue and taking it home. Because, right there? It shows that she cares about saving a meagre amount like $9.95AUD, and that automatically means that she’s my new best friend.
Filed under Money
Chans said:
Saving on buys is always good, and if you can do that by borrowing that expensive magazine from the library, so be it ;)
on Jul 5 2008 #
Shen-Shen said:
Oh, you and my mother would be best friends!
on Jul 5 2008 #
Alexandra said:
You’re thriftiness is indeed so legendary that every time I see a 75% off rack at Myer, I think of you.
Never heard of this magazine, but will endeavour to take a look (but not buy!) next time I pass a newsagents.
Reply: Mag-nation! I love their tagline, “You can touch, browse, and read everything in the store…except our staff”. Heh.
on Jul 5 2008 #
Melinda said:
Yes! I do the same thing! In Chadstone there is actually a magazine store/coffee shop there, so technically you can stay in there for aaaaages reading mags without ever actually paying a cent. Woo! I once spent like an hour there reading Art World XD.
Reply: Mag-nation! I love their tagline, “You can touch, browse, and read everything in the store…except our staff”. Heh.
on Jul 5 2008 #