Taken for granted that you’re shopping for clothes and other body gears; the following tips from “Shopping Deals Round the Clock” can be your smart guide to save money. Some people think they are saving a lot by shopping online, but there are cases that would make you feel disappointed after the goods are delivered to your doorsteps. It is always wise to consider that you buy items worth your hard earned money.
Smart Shopping Tips
Plan Ahead: Spare yourself of unseen problems. Rush shopping (online or offline) can be frustrating. You may end up getting the wrong size, expensive items when there are better deals and not enough time for shipping. Make sure it will arrive on time when the item is needed for a scheduled event. Therefore, planning when to buy gives you more freedom to choose, more time to save money for buying, find the best prices and the reliable stores.
Look for Stores with “Free Shipping & Return”: It’s plain that you’re paying not for the item but for the service of bringing the product to your home. However, why pay this ridiculous fee when there are so many online shops that offer free shipping and return. There are also stores that offer a shipping fee that is negligible when you hit a designated amount; for example; “Free Shipping & Return with a minimum purchase of $_ _ _”. One of the best examples is Amazon.com.
Shop with a Budget: Set the amount you’ll spend for the clothing/s, gear/s and other things you need to buy. You should never go beyond that amount just because you saw something you desperately wanted. If you do, other parts of your budget will be affected; like for example the money for the house bills, food, gas, weekend trips, etc. Sticking to your allotted budget is the smart way to do it to keep stress at bay.
Shop at the Retail Outlets: Shopping at your favorite retail outlets can save you a lot of money. Outlets have plenty of deals which may go to your advantage. You can see and inspect products personally, ask the sales staff any question about the item and get answers right away. Plus, you have the item with you just after the purchase. You don’t have to worry about losing it along the way when shipped. Forget about the shipping cost!
Shop in the Morning: Most stores have discounted sales in the early hours. Stores would post a circular like this – “Men’s Pullover Sweatshirt = $9 (7 am – 10 am only)”. This might be only in favor of those who need what’s on sale in that particular moment; but you may want to grab this opportunity to save money. Wait or watch for discount sales like this one.
Shop during Clearance Sale: Stores often have a sale period (holidays or weekends). Instead of shopping during the same period, go during the clearance sale; that is after the sale. Items go a lot cheaper after the ‘Sale’ because stores have to put them on ‘Clearance Sale’. Isn’t that a good time to buy your needs?
Shopping When It’s The Off Season:
A lot of the products we buy are seasonal, like presents for Christmas or leisure stuff to use in the garden. So when buying for Xmas try to get stuff well in advance of the 25th of December or even better take advantage of the January sales. I often give my main presents after December, last year I got a great bike for my son for half price and he didn’t mind that Santa was late in delivering it!
I bought a fake Christmas tree 2 months in advance in a pre-season sale and saved 30%, it pays to buy before everyone else!
I guess it’s not conventional but you get a lot more bang for your buck in the sales after Christmas! The same principle can apply for seasonal products. For instance I bought some aluminium garden furniture last year in the late fall. The store was online and I got a 50% discount. You see, if say a patio furniture store has inventory left over and the summer has finished, who is gonna buy backyard stuff when they can only use it in 6 months time – remember most people are short sighted . A home store is more than happy to turn unwanted stock into cash.
My ‘buy when it’s not needed’ rule can also apply to vacations. Imagine, it’s the height of summer, you are on or just about to leave for your holidays – ever thought of booking for next year? I guess you don’t because you are thinking of this year’s vacation but there are some amazing deals if you buy a trip a year in advance! Don’t bother with flights as most airlines will not let you book a year ahead but hotels and holiday lets will gladly take a reservation 12 months before. I get at least 20% discounts when I do this.
What about car servicing? Some service centers will offer substantial deals if you agree to a service plan. My local dealer will give 15% off for a car that is serviced a minimum 3 times with them, consecutively of course. The same applies to energy bills – sign a long term contract and prices should be advantageously low. Play one fuel company off against another.
You can now even by gas in advance to save money, and not just 1 tank! Gas companies with now take fuel orders 3 months in advance – pay in monthly installments and you get a fuel card that can be taken at most gas stations across the country. You should be able to estimate your gas use in the next 3 months, so why not prepay to take advantage of forward planning?
So plan ahead and do the opposite of the buying public to get fantastic deals! It’s an easy equation to understand, more demand and the higher the price will be, low activity means lower prices – so buy when demand is low to save, save, save!
Conclusion:
When you love shopping or you consider it a therapy, don’t go beyond your capable means. Buying at “Shopping Deals Round the Clock” for new clothes and everything you need would give you a nice feeling of satisfaction only when you do it right. It doesn’t mean you must spend more than your budget allows. Try some smart shopping tips which are a way to stretch your dollars and save money.
