Along the way, I learned that shipping costs could be the best use of my dollar. I love saving money. However, chasing the lure of free or reduced shipping caused much waste.
Ordering $8 more to eliminate the $7 shipping cost means an almost free item, right? Not when I perused a catalog forty-three minutes to find that add-on. Once arrived, the unneeded, rarely-used item claimed valuable shelf-space.
Combining orders with a friend to reduce shipping was rarely worth the coordinating time. Or the friendship risk. One friend was angry with me when her item was out of stock. Another friend saw my order as meeting the minimum shipping and her part of the order as the free shipping. Even when orders were smooth, combined efforts outweighed the minuscule savings.
A few years ago, I faced a $32 shipping charge to mail my son a package. I chaffed until I asked myself, “What if a friend offered to drive over 800 miles to deliver this package to my son’s doorstep in exchange for $32?” A bargain.
Money is a tool. Now I gladly take it out of the toolbox for shipping.
What are you learning about your money tool?
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