Extension or no extension the damage has been done. If you’re not hooked on Coles Little Shop by now, then you’re just one of a privileged few. If you are then you must be close to having them all, which suggests you either 1, have a big family; or 2, have gone a little overboard shopping at Coles.
You’re not alone.
We’ve all stretched our budget just that little bit further trying to win a tiny tin of John West tuna. We’ve all stocked up on enough toilet paper it would put even the most paranoid Doomsday Prepper to shame, in the hopes of being rewarded with a miniature Cold Power laundry detergent. And we’re all a little guilty of over feeding the family pet so we have an excuse to buy more dog food and maybe score a tiny tube of Colgate toothpaste in the process.
As the end of the Little Shop campaign comes close, we take stock of our mad Coles binge. Our pantry cupboards well prepared for Armageddon, and we have a blue folder filled with fake plastic goods we don’t really have any use for. This is probably a good time to look back on the experience and reflect on what we’ve learned.
The Coles Little Shop campaign hasn’t just been an ingenious marketing campaign and a whole lot of fun. It’s also been an educational experience.
What can we take away from this?
As we stare into what was once a linen closet but now houses a year’s supply of dog food, it’s important to remember that this wasn’t a complete waste of money. Buying in bulk, especially when something is on special can save a fortune! although remember that if you use a credit card the interest on your purchase can quickly outweigh the savings.
Keeping track of what goes into your trolley as you shop can also help keep your budget on track. You’ve already been adding up your shops to make sure you’ve hit that magical $30 mark, so why not stick to it? Set yourself a budget, add up your groceries as you go, and when you hit your limit: leave. With no mini Tim Tam packet as an incentive what reason have you got to spend more than you can afford to?
Making smart choices at the supermarket can pay dividends. Since Coles set out to send us all mad way back in July, we’ve all been working in multiples of 30 and asking ourselves “Do I need it now or can it wait till next time?” Why stop now? You may find you don’t need whatever it is at all and that’s pure savings!
We’ve all been sucked in to the Little Shop promotion, gone a little crazy, and overspent and overloaded just a little bit. But as the last of those Coles big red hands emerges from its little foil packet, and we marvel at our mountains of tinned goods and other non-perishables, it’s nice to remember that we’ve not just got a bunch of tiny plastic bananas we can’t eat. We’ve also picked up some valuable money managing habits.
