"Two elephants for 25 cents is only a bargain if you need two elephants and you have 25 cents." Im not sure where that saying comes from, but its a colorful way of expressing a really important idea: that whether or not something is a "bargain" depends on more than just the price tag.
Pretty much everyone knows that "shopping on sale" and "hunting for bargains" lets you save money. And thats true... except that its not quite as easy as it looks. Why do you think stores trumpet "Sales!" and "Bargains!"? Not to give away their merchandise, thats for sure. Even if you dont buy the item at its original sales price, youre still buying, after all. And if you dont do your homework, your "bargain" might end up costing you a lot more than it should have.
http://www.spendingwisely.com/articles/0408/000032.html
