I laughed (loudly) at this commercial, too....

**checkerkitty** · 11-12-2008, 01:13 PM

Here's another laughable commercial. This is for Progressive Auto Insurance. You can see it here:

http://www.progressive.com/commercia...mmercials.aspx

The commercial is called the "Switch and Save". The idea of saving on car insurance is great. Who wouldn't love lower rates. But when prospective customer comments that she would save so much, it's actually enough for a new pair of shoes, I started cackling! The biggest difference in the rates they show is $324. How many pairs of shoes could YOU buy with that! I think I could buy an entire wardrobe for myself with that. Now, I'll admit I'm newer than some to the frugal lifestyle. I've always been very aware of prices and tried to spend as little as I could to get what I need, but now I think I'm finally getting into "frugal zealot land". I know I would become physically ill if I tried to spend that much on a pair of shoes. I would much rather put that money toward debt. Call me crazy. Has anyone else seen this commercial?

**peanut** · 11-12-2008, 01:16 PM

Actually $324 US is equivalent to $398 Cdn. Which would buy me 8 seasons of wardrobe at the local thrift store. Hmmm....!!!

Jean

**YarnTotingMama** · 11-12-2008, 01:27 PM

Oh, please. You know someone spending that much on shoes isn't paying cash.

They probably truncated what she really said which possibly went something like, "it's actually enough for next month's credit card payment so I can go stick a new pair of shoes on it!"

Isn't that the way everyone celebrates a savings? Isn't it??

**Denvergirlie** · 11-12-2008, 03:39 PM

Seeing that my sneakers regulary cost around $75- $100 a pair, that's 3 maybe 4 pairs, not that crazy after all.

Of course I don't need 4 pairs of new sneakers a year, more like 18-24 months.

Likewise, my hiking boots cost $150, in our closet there is easily $1750 worth of shoes, of course they never need replaced all at the same time. (knock on wood)

However, normal shoes..... um no, not $324 a pair, but some of our stuff is quite the investment.

I've really been looking at these reverse heel shoes that are to be wonderful for those that stand on their feet all day... $249 a pair which is why I am still looking at them....

I have no problems with paying for quaility products, but do view them as an investment,

**madhen** · 11-12-2008, 04:08 PM

My running shoes are $95/pair, and I get a new set about every six to eight months. However, I then use the old pair(s) to wear everywhere else (including work, unless I have to dress up) and until they disintegrate and beg me for mercy, at which point, they become my gardening/around the ranch shoes. I haven't actually thrown any away, but they disappear over time, so I guess I just wear them down to nothing!!

**craftyjan** · 11-12-2008, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by aimeebee

I

Also, Wal-mart has a dumb breakfast commercial, too. About spending $5 per person on eating breakfast out. According to their commercial if you stayed home and ate Kellogg's breakfasts you can save X amount per week. I don't remember the exact X amount from the commercial, but it was an extremely high number. Way more than I would spend on breakfast for a couple of months.

But lets face it if you went out for breakfast for $5 you'd get more than a bowl of cereal and a pop tart.
Have you seen that commercial for instant oatmeal, all the kids like different flavours and then they eat it in the car on the way to school, is that realistic? I always get my kids to brush their teeth after they have eaten breakfast.
I moved to the US 2yrs ago from the UK and only here have i seen kids drinking Starbucks or Jamba juice outside of school, so do they brush their teeth when they get up? just curious

**katholc** · 11-12-2008, 08:42 PM

I admit I do have some expensive shoes because I have foot problems, but these shoes(birkenstock) have been known to last 15 to 20 years. Other than that the most I've paid for a pair of shoes is $22.00(timberland hiking boots, also shoes that will last awhile.)

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-12-2008, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by checkerkitty

Here's another laughable commercial. This is for Progressive Auto Insurance. You can see it here:

http://www.progressive.com/commercia...mmercials.aspx

The commercial is called the "Switch and Save". The idea of saving on car insurance is great. Who wouldn't love lower rates. But when prospective customer comments that she would save so much, it's actually enough for a new pair of shoes, I started cackling! The biggest difference in the rates they show is $324. How many pairs of shoes could YOU buy with that! I think I could buy an entire wardrobe for myself with that. Now, I'll admit I'm newer than some to the frugal lifestyle. I've always been very aware of prices and tried to spend as little as I could to get what I need, but now I think I'm finally getting into "frugal zealot land". I know I would become physically ill if I tried to spend that much on a pair of shoes. I would much rather put that money toward debt. Call me crazy. Has anyone else seen this commercial?

Omg, I love this commercial! My favorite part was when she responds with, "Or a really tricked out...name tag."

$324 USD is about $400 CDN now. I can buy 10 pairs of Hush Puppies boots (because I got mine for 50% off at ShoeFactory and they were originally $80). I can't stand Payless in Canada so I buy all my shoes from ShoeFactory now.

Victoria's Secret always teases me with $160 thigh-high leather boots that I want.

**checkerkitty** · 11-13-2008, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Denvergirlie

Seeing that my sneakers regulary cost around $75- $100 a pair, that's 3 maybe 4 pairs, not that crazy after all.

Of course I don't need 4 pairs of new sneakers a year, more like 18-24 months.

Likewise, my hiking boots cost $150, in our closet there is easily $1750 worth of shoes, of course they never need replaced all at the same time. (knock on wood)

However, normal shoes..... um no, not $324 a pair, but some of our stuff is quite the investment.

I've really been looking at these reverse heel shoes that are to be wonderful for those that stand on their feet all day... $249 a pair which is why I am still looking at them....

I have no problems with paying for quaility products, but do view them as an investment,

Originally Posted by madhen

My running shoes are $95/pair, and I get a new set about every six to eight months. However, I then use the old pair(s) to wear everywhere else (including work, unless I have to dress up) and until they disintegrate and beg me for mercy, at which point, they become my gardening/around the ranch shoes. I haven't actually thrown any away, but they disappear over time, so I guess I just wear them down to nothing!!

Originally Posted by katholc

I admit I do have some expensive shoes because I have foot problems, but these shoes(birkenstock) have been known to last 15 to 20 years. Other than that the most I've paid for a pair of shoes is $22.00(timberland hiking boots, also shoes that will last awhile.)

I agree that there are times when spending a little more makes sense. I spent around $100 bucks on a pair of Ryka athletic shoes one time. It was hard to do but I did. That was 5 years or so ago and I still cringe about it. They were great shoes, though. I'm lucky that I have a large outlet mall nearby so I can pick up shoes pretty cheaply now. I guess I could never see spending hundreds on a pair of Jimmy Choo's. OUCH!

**Spikey1341** · 11-13-2008, 08:53 AM

Every time I see that comercial I think the same thing. For me I think more like, that would be a dishwasher. My last two pairs of tennis shoes have come from Walmart for $12 (they look like reboks). The first pair I wore almost daily for two years and now have been delgated to camping shoes. The second pair is going on one year and still going.

Of course my dress shoes usually come from Kmart (Thom McAn) and last for a few years also. The most expensive pair I think I bought was about 13 years ago and they were a $70 pair of Rockports. They lasted about 5 years.

And yes Walmart does have some good prices on groceries, but I wouldn't be buying the crap they show anyway. Everyone is jumping on the frugal band wagon in advertising now, like it is something new!

**craftyjan** · 11-14-2008, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by aimeebee

We live SO far out in the country that fast food and Starbucks are just not an option on the way to school--20+ minutes each way. I can't imagine sending my kids to school hopped up on Starbucks! Yikes, people really do that?? That would be a pricey breakfast; $5 coffees plus bagels or donuts or something?? I have no idea about the teeth...personally I'd be more worried about the poor teachers having to suffer through kids taking in all that sugar and caffeine for breakfast!! At least the egg mcmuffins and biscuit sandwiches have some form of protein mixed in with all the fat.

I live in Southern California and when we first moved here we lived in an apartment. The library was our next door neighbour, and 300 yards away was the middle school, it was not inner city or urban, suburbs. Behind the apts was 2 ! fire stations, ( fire engine alarm sounds all the time) and behind that was Michaels, Kohls, Rite Aid , Starbucks , all the fast food joints and Ralphs. It was very convenient, i miss living so close to all those shops but i don't miss the noise of the apts. I noticed the kids doing this because my daughter had too take the bus to elementary school as the only one i could get her in was not in the area. I guess the moms dropped their kids off at Starbucks, and it looked like they had those chocolate frapachino things at $3.75- $5.00 a cup.
I would also see the kids with Jamba Juice. this must have been the kids that were dropped off early as school started at 9am for them and my daughter caught the bus at 8am.
I certainly wouldn't go and buy my kids that every morning just because they obviously had no time to grab some breakfast.

It could be a California thing, my SiL always gets take out for dinner.

**nuisance26** · 11-14-2008, 02:16 PM

~The actual numbers on that board in the commercial that made her say "That's a pair of shoes" were $581,and next lowest,$808. That's $227 for shoes. Not much better but even as frugal as I am, I would maybe splurge on a $227 pair of leather boots if they were well-made and versatile. Every time I switch car insurance companies to save money though, my savings gets eaten up by other budget increases, like property tax and energy costs. I guess everything else in her budget is stable.

~

**hwmabire3** · 11-14-2008, 03:18 PM

She was probably referring to buying a pair of Monolo Blahniks or something, ala Sex and the City.

**hugxlaughxsmilexlove** · 11-15-2008, 05:31 PM

I too loved the tricked out name tag line, bwahahaha..

I've had my same pair of tennis shoes for over three years now.. cost me about $100 and are in almost perfect condition still. No idea how that works

**hazystargazer** · 11-16-2008, 02:17 AM

I couldn't even fathom spending that kind of money on one pair of shoes. Well, OK, I spent $80 on my hiking boots, but every other pair I own cost less than $30. And I always crack up at the "tricked-out name tag" line...

How about the commercial (also Progressive) where the husband surprises the wife by getting boat/RV/motorcycle insurance, she asks why they need that insurance, husband says "well we actually have all that (boat/RV/what have you)", wife gives him and cashier lady the look of death, voice-over says"saving you money so you can buy more toys!!!" Good message to send out - buy really expensive stuff that you probably don't need and will probably go into major debt for so you can save a little money on insurance!!

That commercial just aggravates me...