Value shopping is not about buying cheap things. It is about paying the right price for the right thing. Most people confuse price with value. A cheap product that breaks in a month is expensive. An expensive product that lasts ten years is cheap. The trick is knowing the difference.
I watch people hunt for deals on things they never needed in the first place. They save 30 percent on a gadget they use twice. That is not a win. That is a loss disguised as a bargain. The real deal is the one they walk away from.
Deal hunting becomes a trap when the hunt itself becomes the reward. The dopamine hit of a discount replaces the actual need for the item. You end up with a house full of bargains and no savings. The most expensive thing you can buy is something you did not need.
If you want to be a good value shopper, start with the question: would I buy this at full price? If the answer is no, do not buy it at half price either. The discount does not change the usefulness of the thing. It only changes how much you overpaid.
Paul