| Have you ever noticed how convenient those | | | | trip over the past ten years. How much could |
| giant office super stores are? I mean we all | | | | I have been saving the whole time? |
| use them. They're on every corner out here in | | | | |
| the suburbs of Boston. It's Officethis or | | | | When I try to mention this finding to people |
| Officethat or something like Paperclips, you | | | | in my local business community I hear things |
| know, all the major players. Well, I've | | | | like "who cares, it's all a write off anyway" |
| recently realized that over the past 10 years | | | | or "you should buy American"(as if these |
| of prosperity that my small business has been | | | | office superstores are all loaded with |
| paying a huge premium for this convenience. | | | | American made products.) These are both some |
| In the past several months, as a result of | | | | of the worst excuses for spending way too |
| the recent economic downturn in our local | | | | much money for no reason I have ever heard. |
| economy, I have been doing everything I can | | | | It is all a write off but saving several |
| to plug the holes in our spending and trying | | | | hundred dollars a month on office products |
| to "trim the fat" so to speak. Fortunately | | | | allows more flexibility in other areas of my |
| this is something that myself, my competition | | | | business. As far as the old "Buy American" |
| and other local business owners are not | | | | thing, this one makes me laugh; I would |
| familiar with. We have all prospered and have | | | | literally have to hire a full time employee |
| rarely, if ever, worried about money. | | | | to determine what is made here and what |
| | | | isn't. I usually just respond with something |
| One evening I was shopping with my family at | | | | like "I'll buy everything American if you |
| Wal-Mart loading up on family stuff and I | | | | start buying American gasoline or start |
| couldn't help but notice that the same 100ct | | | | riding your bicycle." I am as American as the |
| (or very similar) manila folders that I paid | | | | next person whose ancestors came over on the |
| nearly $7.00 for several hours earlier at | | | | Mayflower but the bottom line is that when I |
| Officethat were available at Wal-Mart at an | | | | am done with my office supply purchases now I |
| everyday low price of $1.77. Now, I never | | | | have a lot of money left over. |
| claimed to be a genius but a $5.00 difference | | | | |
| on a product that I buy 5 boxes of a month is | | | | Don't get me wrong, I still use the office |
| a $25.00 a month savings. That of course is | | | | superstores for certain items when I don't |
| $300 a year. I quickly realized that I was on | | | | have time to go into a department store (they |
| to something but I figured it was just a | | | | are convenient) and for one or two small |
| fluke. I had also bought a new water bubbler | | | | items it is worth paying more. When I need to |
| and a mini bar type refrigerator earlier and | | | | fill my supply cabinet, on the other hand, I |
| they both cost $149.00 each so I figured I | | | | will surely take a trip to Wal-mart, K-mart |
| would go and check out that aisle as well. I | | | | or even Target to save literally a bundle of |
| couldn't believe my eyes when I found a water | | | | cash. I simply don't care how neatly |
| bubbler/mini fridge combo for only $99.00. Of | | | | organized the office goliaths are because |
| course I bought it on the spot and when I got | | | | with a little more effort you can find |
| back to my office the next morning I | | | | everything you need for your office and a |
| repackaged the fridge and water bubbler and | | | | little more while saving hundreds of dollars |
| back to Officethat they went with five boxes | | | | at a department store. |
| of manila folders and a few other overpriced | | | | |
| items and I saved more than $225.00. Not too | | | | Copyright 2005 Affordable Concrete Cutting, |
| shabby. And to think that this was only one | | | | Inc. |