One of the easiest way to keep your savings account growing is simply not to spend money. It would make sense to always search for and go with the best deal, but that’s not always the case. Their are two other important aspects to consider when bargain shopping: time and long term value. The cheapest items can sometimes end up costing you a great deal more than you’d think.

Time: Finding the best deal is not always easy, whether it’s digging through Craigslist, searching for coupons, or hitting up three different grocery stores because the fruit is cheap at one, the meat costs less at the other, and the third is the only place with your favorite brand of peanut butter. Even if you’re not working and hours are not directly translating to money, lost time can lead to lost opportunity.

No one can be productive 100% of the time and we do need to spend some time not thinking about work, but it’s always important to consider the opportunity cost. If you spend all your time trying to find or create the best immediate value, then you may not be spending enough time on the things that lead to long term success.

Long Term Value & Quality: Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE finding the best deal, but sometimes things are cheap for a reason. Whatever you do, don’t skimp when it comes to items that relate to your safety and/or health. You only live once, so as much as it feels good to save cash, you can’t do much with it if you’re dead.

Sometimes spending a little more green will save you money in the long run. The perfect example of this is car maintenance. The car is running fine so it feels ok to hold off on the oil change, rotating the tires or the 120,000 service. Truth is preventative automotive maintenance works. For example, not rotating your tires leads to uneven wear which will cause you to have to buy new tires sooner than normal. On top of that, over time those uneven tires cause the alignment to shift and can put stress on other wheel and steering components. Don’t even get me started on the air filter you can change yourself or keeping that has a direct impact on fuel efficiency.

Health Insurance is another incredibly important thing to find money for. It may feel like a waste when if you’re young and healthy, but the last thing you want is to find yourself in the hospital with a burst appendix or broken bone wondering how the heck you’re going to pay for this five figure procedure.

Saving Efficiently: There are some great simple ways to make sure you’re still getting a good deal without wasting much time.

The ShopSavvy app for iPhone or Android and just by scanning a product’s bar code you can see the pricing at other local stores. Most stores will also match a lower price on the spot.

Google Product Search will also show you where you can buy the same products for less.

Reviews.cnet.com is my go to place for all the details on any technology purchase I’m considering.

Retail Me Not is a must check before any purchase online.

Be sure to hit up the social media world (facebook, twitter, fourquare, yelp) and follow or check in to get info on discounts and immediate savings.

Subscribe to the RSS Feed for Craigslist searches (RSS button at the bottom of the page of search results) and get instant updates when new items match your search.

What are some of the efficient ways that you save?

Lazy Bum, aka Mike DeHart, is borderline obsessed with new media and harnessing emerging technologies to make people's lives easier and more cost effective. With an urge to one day retire and open up a half baked dessert shoppe, old Italian style pizza place (the rectangular kind with the thick crust) or maybe both under the same roof; he's learning all he can about personal finance and savings all while keeping up with the Jones' in the online world. Spelling and sometimes homonyms tend to become afterthoughts for Mike and if caught should be swept under the virtual rug. Mike is also passionate about socially responsible businesses and you can read more about that at FromDeHart.com.