HOW CATALOGUES CAN SAVE TIME AND MONEY
You open your mail box one day and are greeted with countless catalogues or leaflet promotions. McDonald’s, Burger King’s, Gloria Jeans, The Good Guys, Target are just some of the participating merchants in the promotion strategy. Sounds familiar? Many of us throw these catalogues or leaflets hoping that we don’t get tempted by the irresistable offers in the junk mail heap in our hands. Ironically, catalogues can actually help us to save.
I receive letterbox deals once every two months and the weekly neighbourhood paper that comes with merchandise promotions in the mail. A close look at the promotions reveals how we can actually save by taking advantage of such deals. Here’s how:
1. Save on meals
The meal discount coupons from fast food outlets are great for cutting down on your meal expenses for the whole family. You can save about $10 for a family of five this way. Meal catalogues are a great way to find out promotions available in your area. For example, I discovered that Michel Patisserie offers a good ‘coffee with hot cross bun’ deal for $3.90 from the promotion leaflet chucked in my letterbox. Such a good treat if you happen to want a pick-me-up feeling after a hectic morning at work or catch up with a friend over coffee. My favourite restaurant, Oporto has a New Grilled Wings promotion for $2.98 for a pack of 3 wings.
2. Save on merchandise
Advertising leaflets offer good bargains for items such as vitamin supplement, baby wipes, cosmetics, apparels and services such as hair treatment and insulation for energy efficiency. Special discounts are offered if you present the leaflet or if you buy in bulk to stockpile. Big local department stores often advertise their monthly or seasonal offers via mail. If you don’t happen to receive them, check them out at the following sites:
The next time you receive such catalogues take time to leaf through them carefully to see if there is something you actually need or may need for a good price. Bookmark the item and get back to it again after some research.
Strategies to adopt:
1. Wise decision-making
If you don’t need anything at the moment or for the next season, probably it is best to recycle the catalogues. Catalogues come in handy if you find items that you really need for a good price. For example, if you have just moved in to a new place, catalogues are useful in helping you source out the best deals in household appliance available. This also applies to certain items of clothing or foot ware that you need. Quality vitamin supplements or toiletries on offer are also items that are worth sourcing out.
2. Comparison shopping
Avoid buying on impulse just because the item is supposedly cheap and on offer. Check out the prices of the same item online or at your local department store and compare prices before you decide to purchase the item advertised in your catalogue. Don’t end up paying for more than you should. Offers are meant to save you some cash, not lose.
3. Organised Filing
File up your catalogues systematically by dates. If you happen to need something relevant, sieve through them again. Discard the ones that are at least two months or two issues old or those whose expiry dates are long due. The latter applies to meal coupons.
Catalogue shopping avoids the hassle of going to the mall and physically finding for the item you need. Hence, a lot of time is saved. Once you know what is available from a certain store for a certain price, it is certainly worth travelling to the intended destination and department without having to spend precious time in futile.
