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Here are ten tips to help you spend less, and get more value for your shopping dollar.
1. Never use shopping for entertainment, as a social activity or as a balm for hurt feelings or stress.
2. Make a list of clothing, appliances and household items you need. Update it regularly. Take it with you when you shop to remind you what you’re there for.
3. Don’t buy on impulse. One method of stopping is to freeze your credit cards in a container of water. When you see something you want, you’ll have to thaw the cards before you can purchase it. By the time the cards have warmed up, you will probably have cooled down. You can’t cheat – thawing the cards in the microwave will scramble the information on the magnetic strip.
4. Pick a couple of clothing stores you like and shop them regularly, watching for items you want to buy to go on sale. Once the sales clerks get to know you, they’ll often let you know about sales and price promotions in advance. You can get 25 percent to 50 percent off most articles of clothing, regardless of label and price range, if you are methodical.
5. Shop factory outlets and discount stores, where out-of-season clothes may be half-price or less.
6. Take advantage of special offers like coupons and two-for-one deals. But don’t spend money to save money – no matter how good the deal sounds. If you don’t need rhinestone-and-ostrich-feather flip-flops in lime and hot pink, it doesn’t make any sense to buy two pair in order to get them half-price.
7. Comparison shop for big-ticket items such as appliances and home entertainment equipment. Don’t be afraid to ask a retailer to reduce its price in order to beat a competitor’s.
8. Ask for a reduction on big-ticket items. Appliance and furniture salespeople are often paid by commission, and may be willing to trim sticker prices in order to make a sale. Small retailers will sometimes give a discount when you pay cash for a large purchase.
9. Before you make a purchase, find out what the store’s return policy is. Try to shop where you can get a full refund, as opposed to a store credit for merchandise you need to return. Make sure you return items within the specified time period. Keep sales receipts and tags until you are sure you want to keep a purchase.
10. Set a budget for clothing and household purchases, and stick to it.
Published on January 08, 2007