Feb 19th, 2008
Bacn: Does the Spam You Ask For Help You Spend Less?
Related to our discussion on frugality is a newer term for some electronic mail: bacn. Bacn, which is pronounced “bacon”, is not the same thing as Spam; it is, in many ways, the Spam you ask for. Bacn is email you actually might want to read, but not this second; it could be a notification of a coupon at your favorite online store, for instance.
So does Bacn end up saving you money?
The answer may be a huge “maybe”.
For instance, returning to my bicycle tube example of a short time ago; I get regular emails (a few times a week) from both Nashbar and Performance. Sometimes the sale information in them is great, and sometimes it’s not so great. I also only look at them (Bacn!) if I’m actually considering buying something.
However, if you are prone to impulse buying or buying something because it seems like a great deal whether or not you actually need it, you may wish to avoid bacn. If you don’t need a $100 watch even if it’s selling for $10, then you don’t; just because it’s a great deal doesn’t make it worth $10.
To continue with the watch example: if you need a watch or you have someone you can sell it to for a profit or give it to as a gift, then it could be very worthwhile to be receiving a piece of bacn from a vendor of watches. But considering that most people don’t really need more than a couple of watches–if they even need one–getting bacned by a watch vendor is either going to result in plain old ignored email (treated almost the same as Spam) or, worse, impulse spending.
So be careful signing up for bacn. The Spam you ask for could help, but also could hurt you in the pocketbook.
I think that’s one reason I don’t like receiving coupons. It can make me want things I don’t need. I do pretty well fighting those desires, but it’s easier not to have as many things to fight…there’s enough marketing in everyday life.
Interesting discussion. I fall into the same category as Mrs Micah, I tend to see a good deal in the sunday paper ads (my Bacn) and think it is to good to pass up! When in all reality my life would not be improved at all if I actually went out and bought it. So I tend to avoid temptation and not look at them at all.
I’m going to blog it, but I almost got caught by a piece of bacn myself just yesterday!
[...] 2008 by admin in Budgeting, Frugality, Social aspects As a follow up to my previous discussion on bacn, Friday morning I received a piece of bacn from Performance Bike, where I’m (at some point) [...]
[...] 2008 by admin in Budgeting, Frugality, Social aspects As a follow up to my previous discussion on bacn, Friday morning I received a piece of bacn from Performance Bike, where I’m (at some point) [...]
[...] and tons of others to see if there’s a coupon code out there (let’s not forget our previous discussion on bacn) that could help me [...]