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You're ready to put the cheese on the burgers and take the fries out of the oven, when you realize that the buns in the refrigerator are for hot dogs. Do you get in the car and drive all the way to the grocery store, wait in line, and let dinner get ruined for $0.99 hamburger buns? No, you run up to the corner store, pay $1.39, and get home before the cheese melts.

Convenience stores got their name because, obviously, they're convenient. One franchise or another has a store on virtually every corner and they are designed to get you in and out, with a minimum of fuss. But they aren't called discount stores or dollar stores. They aren't inexpensive.

Using a convenience store for occasional emergency shopping is fine. All in all, the price differences won't break the bank or the budget. But, when lack of planning, or the belief that a few pennies here and there won't hurt, results in frequent trips to the corner store, the financial impact can be enormous.

By comparing prices on a few common items, available at the grocery store and any convenience store, it's easy to see the savings that can be gained by simply planning ahead. Take a quick, easy meal of chili dogs, for example. The basics would be hot dogs, chili, cheese, and buns. (Prices vary from city to city.)

At the average corner store: Hot dogs - $3.49; 2 cans of chili - $2.49/each; 8oz. of cheese - $2.89; Hot dog buns - $1.39. Total: $12.75.

At the average grocery store: Hot dogs - $2.69; 2 cans of chili - $1.89/each; 8oz. of cheese - $2.50; Hot dog buns - $0.99. Total: $9.96.

The difference of $2.79 may not seem like much and, if only an occasional purchase, probably won't overly damage the grocery budget. But, running to a convenience store for, say, 10 chili dog meals a month, brings the excess cost to a noticeable $27.90. That's the cash equivalent of 3 additional meals, out the window. And it doesn't take impulse purchases into account.

By shopping last-minute at a convenience store, it's easy to add a $4.00 bag of potato chips and a $4.50 12-pack of soda to the contents of the meal. At the grocery store, a $3.00 bag of potato chips and a $2.00 12-pack of soda widen the cost gap even further, from $2.79 to $6.79. Over those 10 trips for chili dog meals, the excess cost becomes $67.90; a noticeable dent in the budget.

Most amazingly, the one item that commuters frequently purchase at a convenience store can be a real budget killer that morning cup of coffee. At an average of $1.75 for a 16oz cup on every workday, at the end of a 22-workday month, that becomes an amazing $38.50. But, by purchasing coffee at the grocery store a 39.5oz canister costs about $11.00 and makes approximately thirty (30) 20-cup pots the cost of that 16oz cup of coffee drops to an incredible $0.036! A savings of $1.71 per day that will easily pay for a travel mug and a favorite flavored creamer. And, when coffee is on sale, the per-mug savings can double or triple.

Convenience stores are just that convenient. For an occasional emergency trip, they are wonderful. But planning ahead and shopping wisely is always the best bet, especially when the budget is tight.

Learn more about this author, Julie G. Hughes.
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