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I’d like to expand on this a little bit. What makes a frugal purchase, versus a cheap purchase? First determine your budget. Making sure you don’t blow your budget is very important in shopping frugally. There’s no sense in spending time making sure you get the best buy, if you’re going to pay interest because you have to whip out the credit card.
Begin researching your item. I usually begin by checking out Amazon, Walmart, and Target. I pay special attention to the customer reviews at Amazon. I try to shoot for something that has really good reviews. Once I have a good idea of what I can afford, I’ll often look at other online stores likeLinens n Things, JcPenney, and Sears. I make notes of what stores offer what prices.
Check price comparison sites. I like pricegrabber.com and epinions. Once you have your item narrowed down to a couple of models, you can see what different online stores are asking for the item. I like epinions, because you can check more customer reviews.
Do a search for coupon codes. Once you know what you’re going to buy, and you have narrowed down the two or three least expensive online stores, you can do a google search for “store name + code”. Often you can find codes for 20% off the original price. Dealcatcher, fatwallet,Rather-be-Shopping, and Moolanomy Coupons are all great places to find coupons.
Participate in rebate programs. Sites like Ebates and MyPoints give you cash or points back when you shop through their program. With MyPoints, you can redeem your points for gift cards. It’s not that hard to earn enough points for a $10 gift card. There are a lot of annoying emails, but I just delete them, and I still find the program worth it.
Figure out how much you’ll save using coupons/rebates/online shopping vs. Walmart. Buy from the least expensive source. At this point, you should have enough information to know that you’re getting the best quality you can afford for the lowest price. If you find that the item is less expensive at Walmart, know you’re getting decent quality. If none of the quality items that came up in your search are offered at Walmart, you know that Walmart’s product is probably cheap and not worth buying. I know that sounds like a lot of time and effort, but it is the best way to make sure you’re getting the very best deal. There is another option when you don’t have time to do a lot of research, though.
When all else fails, ask. One of my favorite bargain hunting sites is Fishing For Deals. They have a special forum section called “Fishing for a Deal” where you can ask if anyone has seen a deal on a particular item. You have to join the site to post, but let me tell you, the ladies there can find great deals! So if you’re short on time and want to make a frugal purchase, go to the forums and ask!
There are many other options when looking for a great deal. I’ve focused on buying new items today, but you can also check for secondhand items on Freecycle, Craigslist, or Ebay. I try to have fun with finding bargains. I find that the more time I spend researching a purchase, the better my purchase tends to be. More time gives me an opportunity to consider how badly I need the item. Sometimes I just decide not to buy. But if I do buy, I know my money is well spent.
Something is new for me, I read it and gain a lot of information. Thanks
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