This Simple Question Could Save You Money On Every Shopping Trip

Over on personal finance blog Vosa, founder Brent recently presented a money-saving strategy he's named "The Olive Method," after the example of American Airlines eliminating the mostly uneaten olives from their customers' salads and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

What do in-flight meals have to do with saving you money while you shop?

Well, Brent explains, choosing your "olive" just means eliminating the item in your basket or cart you want least, just like you might not choose to eat the olive. If you aren't going to eat and enjoy it, why buy it? Pass it up and save the cash instead.

Here are a few examples of more widely applicable olives, based on the guidelines provided on Vosa:

- When clothes shopping, the duplicate "It's such a good deal" white tee
- When food shopping, the "I had a hard week" cookies
- When at the drugstore, the "Let me just grab this" candy bar

You can even find olives in larger purchases:

- When buying a home, the "My parents will want to come stay" third bedroom
- When buying a car, the "I'm not great at backing up" rearview camera
- When heading on vacation, the "It has a rainfall showerhead!" junior deluxe suite

So the next time you're standing in line at the store, or about to hit "purchase" on your online shopping cart, ask yourself a simple question: "What's my olive?"

h/t Rockstar Finance