Old Timer Tries to Skew Young?

Reader's  Digest has a feature new to me - called "Home."  This issue's column is all about lost money to be found there. 

Among the items - use those gift certificates!   I  would have said, "Duh - free something?  I'm on it!" until I realized that last week (October 15th-ish) we used one for $30 at the Cheesecake Factory and we have a $50 one for Tin Roof Bistro biding its time.  Both were received for my birthday - in April. 

Go on a change hunt in the sofa cushions, old purses, toll cup in the car (and seats)  because it can add up.  RD projects as much as $90 per household.  Ask your bank or credit union to sort it and then go out to lunch. The latter is my addition.

You bought a clothing item, in a hurry - just held it up to the appropriate body part, said, "Yeah" paid for it (this is important) and took off.  Now you're at home with the leisure to actually try it on and it doesn't fit.

"I'll take it back" you say.  Good luck on that because you're lost the receipt.  Keep an envelope in your purse or pocket and put receipts into it at the point of purchase.   

You've run out of storage space in your house so you rent a storage unit.  The unused except for three days exercise bike?   New home!  Some years later, you realize you've paid a great deal of money to "save" something you are never going to use at a price that is well over the item's purchase price.  Suck it up, get rid of it and the hell with the storage unit.  And do it before you sign up for a storage unit.

This is all well and good advice for many except ... the young who are already scrounging for home-made money.  In my salad days, I used to save the cans and bottles that once held soft drinks and turn them in for cigarette money.  And a gift card would have lasted exactly as long as it took me to get to the site. 

If old people don't know how to save or pay credit card bills on time (HUGE interest payments if you don't) you might could look for them down on Skid Row.  Where they don't sell Reader's Digest.