Holiday Savings

As I did my patriotic duty last night and watched the tremendous display of fireworks blasting into the night sky, I started to wonder about the choices people make with their money.

I live in an area where there is a lot of flat land, thus the ability to see a span of 5-10 miles by pivoting my head 180 degrees. At about 9:30 PM last night, the 4th of July light shows started. I, along with my boyfriend and neighbors, sat out in our backyards for the free show.

Money saving tip Number 1: If you can enjoy fireworks or similar public displays for free, i.e., no gas cost for driving, no parking fee, no entry fee, etc., the better.

As we sat and watched the tennis match of colors and noises, looking from side to side to span the open 5 mile range, I started to wonder, how on earth do these people have the money to spend on fireworks. Please note that these are not professional shows, although I would have to say that the show last night would rival any that I have attended in my lifetime.

While the shows were pretty spectacular, I started adding up the cost of each light popping in the sky during each minute that we watched, which turned into over an hour. Now I know that you can go to the fireworks stands and get a deal, "Buy One Get One Free" all the way up to "Buy One Get Eleven Free" and so forth, but I can tell you, the fireworks we saw last night did not come from the Free Bin. No, these fireworks were easily $100 - $200 a pop, and from what I could tell, totaled in the $1000's all for my viewing pleasure last night.

Money saving tip Number 2: Take advantage of the Buy One Get Some Free deals, but stay within your budget.

All of this rehashing of last night's events brings me to my final thought of the evening, which was, with the price of gas going up and people having to call into work the day before payday because they don't have enough money to get to work, how on earth did they have money to spend on fireworks? Fireworks that are beautiful and loud and prestigious and celebratory, but that last all of a few seconds on one night of the year, make me question their return on investment. Are the people who purchase these fireworks trying to show off for their friends or just spending some time being a legal pyromaniac? While I understand the need to feed our ego and our quest for power over fire, I also know our need for food, clothing and shelter far outweighs any 4th of July display. Therefore, were my hosts last night the ones that could afford the fireworks or the ones that should have put the money toward their basic needs? Unfortunately, I think they were of the second group, which leads me to this. Money, both making and saving it, it all about choices.

So, finally,

Money saving tip Number 3: Make educated, calculated, and logical choices when it comes to money.

I am not saying, don't have a little fun along the way, but think about how you are using your money with a little more forethought than that of a few seconds of patriotic bliss.

Needless to say, I had a very nice time last night and enjoyed the fireworks shows (and I do mean shows because I could see about 8 separate ones from the comfort of my own backyard). But, I did it without spending any money, which in this day and age, it a big win.

Good luck to all of you in finding these kinds of deals in your future.