Guest blog by pinkdagger A lot of really good suggestions come of saving money - leaf through flyers, see what you can get on sale, and many more.
However, leafing through flyers can ultimately be your downfall. You may only be looking for a strict list of items, but let's face it. You see something you don't need but you most certainly want; maybe they're Twinkies on the same page as the broccoli spears and eggs. But it's such a bargain... how can you pass up something so good!?
Advertisements for sales or deals don't help the situation at all. If you're out to save money, stores know exactly how to bag us, hold us by the ankles, and shake till there's not a cent left in our pockets, and it's really so simple.
I was shopping online on
YesAsia earlier today, and it just so happens that places like
Amazon and
Chapters do the same thing, buy $39 worth in product to receive free shipping!
I love free things, especially free international shipping!! Being the miser of a shopper I am, I automatically head to the Bargain link and find myself some nice things - totaling $38.98.
Well, I'm not going to find anything online for TWO CENTS, so I bite the bullet and buy something cute for $7.
What am I told next? Buy $8 more in product to receive two $5 gift certificates! I was brave, denied, and checked out before I could buy any more.
Our hearts and our wallets know they need to scream "NO", but it seems we still need to slap some sense into those big heads of ours.
Do you end up buying more stuff when you see sale signs? What about when you need one more thing for free shipping?
dollarish.com
Comments (12)
Ahhh, I never really pay attention when I see things like that. I know they're doing it to rope people in, so I don't let it go that way. I buy things because I want them, not because they're online or because if I buy them I'll get free shipping.
The free shipping definitely gets me! Thats one reason I try not to shop online!
I try to be really careful about that stuff. Sometimes, when I see the bargains where you get free shopping or $20 back on something, I poll my family members and see if anyone else needs something from that website so that we can go in together for it and either split the rebate or both get the free shipping.
I am actually more likely to turn down the sale items. Sometimes if the sale is great, like a $4 shirt, I will get it. But I do not spend $5 on 20 disposable razors because it's a better deal than $1.50 for 4. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean it didn't cost money.
I have an account on BMG Music and they're always sending me e-mails about little "deals" they have every week. "Buy one CD, get 3 FREE!" Now, this is a good deal, but they charge you so much for one "regularly" priced CD and on shipping. The average cost of a CD on that site is $18.98, way overpriced compared to Best Buy or Target and what have you. And, they charge $2.79 S&H per CD. Even if you get a 2 disc set, you still have to pay $5.58 for shipping. Sadly, I do bite sometimes.
i try to make at least a mental list before i look at sales, so i know what i really need and don't get tricked into a bargain. sometimes, i'll keep things in mind i need for the future, so if something like your situation came up i would have the opportunity to buy those things without feeling guilty.
I've been had before when I went shopping once. Deal sounds great, but they've got your money at the end of the day.
Dang.. those evil retail marketers are good.
It depends, sometimes advertisment does work because in the long run, I will have to buy those things anyways. Working with food makes me a really practical person. If I've never used it before, chances are, I'll probably never use it. Will I use this thing in the future?
never do that lol.
it's never worth it if you wouldn't even pay full price for it
Yes, I do end up buying more stuff when I see sale signs BUT it's usually just with clothes.. not with things like books or movies or accessories. So it's kind of okay, because I don 't have many clothes to begin with so it only benefits me in the long run
xoxo
esbah
p.s. loves chapters.
I tend to buy only things on sale.
Yes, I am cheap, but then again these things were extremely expensive to begin with.. I can say that I have a pretty nice collection of material posessions (:
Being asian, penny pinching is first when we go shopping. I don't know why they say jews are cheap, I find that asians particularly Chinese people to be really cheap (which I am).
-Tom