The Information Magazine

Have you ever walked into a store and seen something you like? You gape at, lets say, a piece of furniture and then step back when you see the price tag. It’s far beyond your budget. You walk away and try not to think of it again and never come back to the store. However, have you ever thought that you can actually afford it if you were to wait and check with the store again and again or check with other stores for similar or close to similar products. This is called bargain hunting in which you look for the best deals not only to save but to make it possible to own products you never dream of at its original prices.

Here are useful tips on bargain hunting:

1. Do your homework

How much prep time do you put in before you go shopping? Many will not bother to do any research work. Many will just get that primal urge to shop. If you take 5 minutes of your time to check to see what you need, how much money you have and where to get good deals, you will surely get to buy things that are worth spending money on. 

Your first step is to look in your own closet or in your own home so you can make a mental or written note of what you want to add or replace or what you already have. Look for sales in the newspaper or internet for sales which you can take advantage of to get hold of the items you need. Look out for websites of relevant stores to check for upcoming sale. For example, if you want to get a genuine polo T shirt, you should look out for sales at stores that may sell such items.  Surf the internet for websites announcing sales in you area. You will find how useful to have such information at your fingertips. 

2. Know what you buy

What should a shopper look for when buying a “bargain”? Check the merchandise carefully. Is it well made? If it is a particular piece of clothing, you should check if the seams are stitched properly. Are there loose threads?

If merchandise is marked down, make sure you know why. Check for rips, tears, dirt or make-up smears. For furniture or electronic items, check to see if there are scratches or if the item works.

3. Keep the timing right 

The best time to find bargains? Discount stores offer bargains all year round. But you can catch great buys at your favorite retail outlet at the right time. If you can time your urges, try to make them coincide with the following dates:  

HOLIDAY SALES : Labour Day, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day, Post Christmas and Post New Year’s.

STORE SALES: Inventory Sales at Mid Year and End of Yea, liquidation sale, summer sale, winter sales, anniversary sale, annual sales and closing sales.

Now that the economy is down, stores will be using the “sales” bait to keep the cash registers ringing.

And don’t forget the obvious haunts that you just may have overlooked. Garage sales are good bets but go early on Saturday.

4. Take control of what you spend on

The question you must ask yourself before you spend your earned money on a bargain is, “Why am I buying this?” If you don’t need it, put it back! It is a waste of money. Either you will never wear it or you will have to buy more things to go with it. When it comes to bargain shopping there are two categories: Impulse and Laser Guided. Don’t buy anything you don’t love or need just because it is cheap. Don’t let a sales person, friend or well-meaning stranger talk you into buying anything that you’re not comfortable with.

If you follow the above strategies, you will find that you can purchase items that are previously beyond your budget at more affordable prices. Take time to do your research and look around in order to purchase what you really need at a good price so you can stretch your dollar.