It’s no secret that we’re a society that seeks instant gratification, hence our economy and current debt levels. But, because our lifestyles are so busy and hectic, we all seek to make things more convenient. Convenience can be one of the biggest budget-killers out there and some of these are the first on a frugal person’s list to go.

# 1 – Bottled Water

I’ve never understood how someone could bottle a free resource and make money off of it. It would seem to me that society as a collective whole would balk at the idea of paying $2 for water when they can get it for free at home. But, the convenience factor wins out in most cases. It’s easier to grab a bottle of water to go than it is to take the cup.

# 2 – Fast or Pre-Packaged Food

Cooking takes time, in some cases, more than we care to spend on it. So, the convenient solution is fast food or the pre-packaged food that can be easily and quickly prepared. The mark-up on these products is certainly more than we’d spend if we were to buy the materials to make it ourselves, not to mention, we do lose some of the nutritional value of fresh foods. However, we accept it because it’s fast.

# 3 – Toll Roads

I hate toll roads! I dislike the idea that I have to pay to ride on a road, particularly when the taxes I pay for certain things already go to road maintenance. But, I have a toll tag. Why? Because it makes my 10 minute commute five minutes, it has less traffic which makes me happy, and it is quite a bit more convenient than accessing the main highway as the on-ramp is right next to my apartment complex.

# 4 – Paying Bills Over the Phone

Not sure why some people still do this, particularly when paying online is usually free…of course, I fall into the occasional “rush” payment fee when I forget to schedule the payment on time through online banking. But either way these fees are something companies charge for the convenience of doing business.

# 5 – Shipping Costs

With the advent of online shopping came the shipping costs associated with it. Sometimes we pay more to have it shipped faster, but in all cases we could save on shipping altogether by having it shipped to the store, or just going to the store to see if it’s in stock. But, that requires us to leave the house, whereas it’s simply convenient to have someone else drop it off on our doorstep.

# 6 – Ink Cartridges

You may see this as a bit of a necessity if you have items to print, and in that sense, I may agree with you. However, what I am referring to here is the fact that most people will simply toss their previous cartridges and just buy a new one…something that costs a bit of money depending on the printer you use. In most cases, you can refill an ink cartridge yourself and save money; however, it’s so much easier to buy the new one and just stick it in the printer. I don’t know many people who actually refill their ink cartridges these days.

# 7 – Delivery Charges

Now, this is different than shipping costs. Here I’m talking about the fact that not only do we usually eat take-out food, which costs more money than eating at home, but in many instances, we pay someone else to bring it to us. I ordered pizza last night and they charged me a $2 delivery. In addition to the bill and the delivery fee, etiquette says you’re also supposed to tips these delivery folks. Convenience sure can cost a pretty penny!

# 8 – Dry Cleaning

This is a convenience item pretty much across the board. I have clothes that are supposedly “dry clean” only and I wash them by hand and hang to dry without any issues whatsoever. I have some I even put in the gentle cycle and wash that way without any problems. But, this may also save some people a lot of time washing, drying, and ironing, so for them, it’s easier to take their laundry to the cleaners.

Summing It Up

Obviously each of these items could have multiple reasons why we would pay more for them, but the bulk of it comes down to convenience. The opportunity cost for us to pay more is free time, or at least, the illusion of free time. In a non-stop society where time is money, spending a little more to have more time seems to be an acceptable trade-off.

What are some convenience items you pay more for? Do you think it’s more convenience than anything, or do you believe many factors influence our buying decisions in these cases?

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