When you really want to save money it is best to buy items that are not in season. Spring and summer clothing are on sale as winter approaches. It is hard to buy clothing and wait to wear it but you can save a fortune if you take the time to look for the clearance rack. I have been able to find some great buys for next years Spring and Summer wardrobe. If you like to shop then pick one day a month that you can go to several of your favorite stores and check the clearance items. the time is worth the money that you will save.
The same is true for gardening supplies. Now is a great time to order plants and seeds for next years garden. With all the reports of listeria, a bacteria that was found on cantaloupes and other fresh vegetables making people sick and even killed some now is the time to grow your own foods. Prices at the grocery store continue to rise and fresh foods from your own garden will save money especially if you purchase the seeds now.
Purchasing seeds this fall helps by getting seeds started in February saving you from buying expensive plants next year. Another good reason to order items now is that they will not send the item until it is time for your area to plant it. This is a good reminder of when to plant it if you are new to gardening. A smart gardener buys sustainable seeds so that he can use the seeds in next years garden.
The person that plans ahead of time when it comes to major holidays or seasons is a person that can really save a lot of money in this recession. Now is not the time to buy Halloween items as they will be very expensive. If you can wait until the season is over with you can buy twice as much with the same amount of money.
Purchasing Christmas presents now may save you some as the early shopper gets the merchandise and no last minute disappointments. If you are a person that waits until the last minute it may actually be better to wait until the day after Christmas to shop. I have found that certain products are almost 50% less the day after Christmas.
Now is not the best time to buy Christmas decorations but I have noticed that mass merchandisers are worried about a slow year so some of the items are priced lower than usual. Take advantage of any deals you can get and use this recession to your advantage by buying early or after the event has occurred.
Another way to save money is to buy items at a garage sale or auctions. I have purchased a brand new riding lawn mower at a garage sale paying half of what the store sold it for. You also need to know that you can barter in certain stores if you make the effort. Sometimes it works and sometime not. Being at the right place at the right time also helps. Practice up on your bartering skills as it is a talent and will work if you make the effort.
Thinking ahead really does pay off so plan next year this year. Right now is a good time to think of the 4th of July or summer needs like picnics and camping. Just remember that in the world of shopping it is better to plan for next year so you cans save money today.
Showing posts with label Bartering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bartering. Show all posts
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
The 2-year contract scam
Satellite, cell phone and many other companies offer the 2-year contract which promises to save you money. The way the satellite companies pull you in is by advertising the low price of $29.99 giving you Prime movie channels like HBO for 3 months for free. When you get your first bill you are charged for the rental of the receivers which was not included in the advertised low price of $29.99. The basic package does not include channels anyone wants so you must move to a more expensive package.
Finally you find a package deal you like but it is the $39.99 so your first bill is $55 for the first year. A promotional $100 rebate card which had no cash value adds to the great deal. Phone companies give you a free phone with all the newest bells and whistles which all sounds good, but is it worth binding yourself to a 2-year contract? A lot can happen in two years in this economy like a loss of a job. Your financial situation changes and there you are stuck in the middle of a two contract that is legal and binding.
Year two comes and then the boom is lowered. They make up for all the costs not paid in year one. You are a prisoner of the two-year contract and at their mercy of whatever they decide to charge at that moment. You are penalized if you stop their service before 2 year is up. They have your bank account and credit card information to make sure you do. You are caught in a vicious but legal scam and do they care that you lost your job or life changed for some reason? No, definitely not as you signed a legal and binding contract made to order for their company without you the customer in mind.
Solution:
Being at their mercy they can charge whatever they desire and they make sure to cover themselves to only their benefit not the consumer. There is something very wrong with 2-year contracts and being a victim of life changing events beyond my control I have learned a costly lesson. They do not want people to skip back and forth between satellite/phone companies but could care less about the customer after you are in their trap. Being stuck in a 2-year service agreement you must pay them any outrageous price they decide to charge. Believe me you are going to pay them back for everything you thought was a great deal initially.
My price now for satellite was $85 for the next year. This was not okay and not fair. They offer packages that are very rigid when I only watch about 6-10 of the 300 channels they offer. Most channels are useless so do not believe the 500 channel scam. They can turn certain channels off and on form the office, give you pay-per-view but they cannot offer you a individualized package that could help you the customer save money when your situation changes and make attempts to talk to them verses avoiding them. You are at their mercy and they make no effort to try and work with you. Advertising uses psychology to pull you in and millions of dollars are spent for this very reason. Really make sure it is a good deal before signing your life away.
Finally you find a package deal you like but it is the $39.99 so your first bill is $55 for the first year. A promotional $100 rebate card which had no cash value adds to the great deal. Phone companies give you a free phone with all the newest bells and whistles which all sounds good, but is it worth binding yourself to a 2-year contract? A lot can happen in two years in this economy like a loss of a job. Your financial situation changes and there you are stuck in the middle of a two contract that is legal and binding.
Year two comes and then the boom is lowered. They make up for all the costs not paid in year one. You are a prisoner of the two-year contract and at their mercy of whatever they decide to charge at that moment. You are penalized if you stop their service before 2 year is up. They have your bank account and credit card information to make sure you do. You are caught in a vicious but legal scam and do they care that you lost your job or life changed for some reason? No, definitely not as you signed a legal and binding contract made to order for their company without you the customer in mind.
Solution:
- Try not to purchase anything that requires signing a contract.
- If you are in a 2-year contract notify the promotional department as they want to keep you as a customer when the contract ends. Request a lower payment. Sometimes they will take off $10 or more.
- Bartering in furniture stores, appliance and major stores like Home Depot can get you a good deal, It never hurts to try as everyone really needs your business especially in these difficult economic times.
Being at their mercy they can charge whatever they desire and they make sure to cover themselves to only their benefit not the consumer. There is something very wrong with 2-year contracts and being a victim of life changing events beyond my control I have learned a costly lesson. They do not want people to skip back and forth between satellite/phone companies but could care less about the customer after you are in their trap. Being stuck in a 2-year service agreement you must pay them any outrageous price they decide to charge. Believe me you are going to pay them back for everything you thought was a great deal initially.
My price now for satellite was $85 for the next year. This was not okay and not fair. They offer packages that are very rigid when I only watch about 6-10 of the 300 channels they offer. Most channels are useless so do not believe the 500 channel scam. They can turn certain channels off and on form the office, give you pay-per-view but they cannot offer you a individualized package that could help you the customer save money when your situation changes and make attempts to talk to them verses avoiding them. You are at their mercy and they make no effort to try and work with you. Advertising uses psychology to pull you in and millions of dollars are spent for this very reason. Really make sure it is a good deal before signing your life away.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Barter at Garage Sales And Stores
I believe that garage sales are the best place to purchase knickknacks, outdoor products and/or furniture for your home. By way of the internet and free newspapers you can usually find what type of products they are offering before you go. Neighborhood garage sales are great as you can walk around and not waste a lot of gas. Estate sales are also fun as you can buy many assorted items. You can also barter at stores if you are on your toes. You feel really proud of yourself when you get a good deal.
The saying goes "someones trash may be your treasure". If you are good at bartering than this is the place to do it. Did you know that some stores you can also barter. My husband and I went to Home Depot one day to by a weed eater that was on sale. The store was very crowded and the weed eater we initially wanted to buy was on a high shelf so we asked for assistance. He was very helpful and tried to encourage us to look at the ones on the floor. We told him that we wanted the one on sale.
After he realized that they would have to get a forklift out in a crowded store. My husband and I asked him to sell us the weed eater that was on the floor for the same price. It was a better weed eater and because of the crowd he went talked to his boss explaining the dilemma. We walked out of the store with a nicer weed eater and all because we asked.
It also helped another guy that was standing near us as he overheard part of the deal. He asked how we got that good deal. We told him what we did and he was offered the same deal and all because we were at the right place at the right moment. Take advantage of things like this in life as they do not come everyday and when they do you get a deal you never expected. Stores do barter as I have talked to others that worked a good deal.
I seen a brand new Club Cadet mower at a estate sale for $250 when a brand new one cost around $1500. Depletion and depreciation is true for objects as you never can get what you paid for the item no matter how well you took care of it. People go to garage sales to save money and actually this makes them the smarter consumer. The one thing about garage sales is they take time to find a product you need but you never know what good deals await you.
I have that brand new Club Cadet for $250 which saved me $1250 and you can call it luck, coincidence or smart shopping but I had saved a lot of money and got what I needed. This is an item I need which makes my life more comfortable. Knickknacks which cost you a lot when purchased from a store but are worthless when you resale them. That is why it is better to buy them at a garage sale. Let someone else pay the marked up value at the store. Be smart and save your hard earned money by trying to barter.
The saying goes "someones trash may be your treasure". If you are good at bartering than this is the place to do it. Did you know that some stores you can also barter. My husband and I went to Home Depot one day to by a weed eater that was on sale. The store was very crowded and the weed eater we initially wanted to buy was on a high shelf so we asked for assistance. He was very helpful and tried to encourage us to look at the ones on the floor. We told him that we wanted the one on sale.
After he realized that they would have to get a forklift out in a crowded store. My husband and I asked him to sell us the weed eater that was on the floor for the same price. It was a better weed eater and because of the crowd he went talked to his boss explaining the dilemma. We walked out of the store with a nicer weed eater and all because we asked.
It also helped another guy that was standing near us as he overheard part of the deal. He asked how we got that good deal. We told him what we did and he was offered the same deal and all because we were at the right place at the right moment. Take advantage of things like this in life as they do not come everyday and when they do you get a deal you never expected. Stores do barter as I have talked to others that worked a good deal.
I seen a brand new Club Cadet mower at a estate sale for $250 when a brand new one cost around $1500. Depletion and depreciation is true for objects as you never can get what you paid for the item no matter how well you took care of it. People go to garage sales to save money and actually this makes them the smarter consumer. The one thing about garage sales is they take time to find a product you need but you never know what good deals await you.
I have that brand new Club Cadet for $250 which saved me $1250 and you can call it luck, coincidence or smart shopping but I had saved a lot of money and got what I needed. This is an item I need which makes my life more comfortable. Knickknacks which cost you a lot when purchased from a store but are worthless when you resale them. That is why it is better to buy them at a garage sale. Let someone else pay the marked up value at the store. Be smart and save your hard earned money by trying to barter.
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