Trent, over at The Simple Dollar, posted an article recently about how the cheapest place to shop isn’t always the best, and how he shops at specific stores for specific reasons.  You can read the article here.

I confess that I do not shop at the grocery store with the lowest prices on my staple goods. Yes, that’s right - I intentionally go to a different store that, if I buy all of my staples, will actually cost me a few dollars more than the cheapest place.  -Trent

I can relate to this as well.  There are other things in addition to price that we should take into account when it comes down to where we shop.

Let’s say I shop at 4 major grocery chains in my area.  There is a cost that could outweigh the savings, for example, Aldi’s has the cheapest price on milk right now, but I have to drive 5 miles to get there.  That means that transportation (in my 20mpg vehicle) will cost $0.76 so it is not worth the trip to save anything less than $0.76 on milk.

I usually shop at a store that I can walk to.  It actually would only cost me $0.03 to drive there, but walking is free.  They give out samples all the time, (even flowers sometimes, don’t tell my wife) and the employees remember me when I go there and know what I usually buy.  The extra service can slaughter the minimal savings from driving all over town looking for the best deal.

Local small businesses also get my patronage before a larger chain will for most things.  The local people tend to know their products better, and won’t try to rip you off to get a comission, they’d rather get a repeat customer.  The garage that does all my auto maitenance actually gives me a substantial discount (1 free oil change) for every 10 people I send their way.  As a result they get the business of 20-30 cars a month, and I don’t usually pay for an oil change.  That’s value that a chain store would not likely provide.

What are some ways you’ve found added value for a minimal increase in cost?