This is a sponsored guest post. All opinions are my own.
The emergence of e-commerce platforms and social media has truly and totally transformed the retail landscape, making shopping so much easier and convenient for people from all around the world. With such simple and fast access to such a large variety of goods across all categories, we all run the risk of turning into die-hard shopaholics.
Moderation and financial restraint seem to fly out the window when you’re met with ads at every turn, and you see an endless stream of products that you may or may not need, constantly parading in front of you.
However, when you indulge in retail therapy a little too often without calculating your budget or thinking about the consequences of your frequent shopping sprees, you risk emptying your bank account faster than you can say checkout. If the lack of funds or the risk of going into debt doesn’t stop you from spending recklessly, the knowledge that you could buy more of the things your heart desires with the same amount of money or less should make you reconsider your financial habits.
This is not about trying to convince you to become a more mindful and conscious consumer – although it would be great if you worked a bit on that and curbed your buying impulses. But until you manage to improve your self-control, you could at least learn how to make better use of your money. So, here’s what you can do if you want to get more bang for your buck every time you go shopping.
Compare before you buy
Comparison may be the thief of joy in all other life situations, but when it comes to shopping it’s your best friend. People are sometimes tempted to hit the add to cart button the very moment they find something they like, especially when the item in question is something they’ve wanted for a long time like different Lilo & Stitch mini backpacks and bags.
However, a little patience could save you a lot of money. Instead of settling for the first price you see, you should do a bit of shopping around and check prices at different retailers, since costs for the same products can vary significantly between vendors. Fortunately, these days we have tools that can compare prices in seconds and help you find the best deals.
The only exception to this unwritten rule might be when hunting for certain objects and collectibles that are hard to come by, as they are often part of limited editions or are simply extremely popular and everyone wants to buy them. In this case, you might not have the time to search for a better price since these products can fly off the shelves in minutes, so you have to move fast and get your hands on them when you get the chance.
Use your smartphone for smart shopping
Smartphones can also be a powerful ally in your quest for better prices. Since they accompany you everywhere, you can use them to score some great deals when shopping in person. Let’s say you enter a store and you find a sweater you really like, but it’s full price and a bit above your budget. Running around from one store to another to check if you can find the same or a similar product on sale is not exactly ideal, but you can let your smartphone do the running for you.
Research has revealed that many customers use their mobile devices to compare prices (47%) or search for discounts and coupons (40%) while shopping at physical stores. By downloading the store’s app, you also gain access to all sorts of offers and perks that can reduce your total bill.
Be on the lookout for discounts and deals
It’s not just Black Friday campaigns that can get you some serious savings on the items you want. Retailers run events and promotions all year round, so you have the opportunity to score some nice deals. You just have to know where to look for them.
There are various ways you can stay up to speed with and take advantage of offers and discounts. You can join mailing lists to earn certain benefits as a new member or receive alerts from your favorite retailers whenever they have sales or promotions. Visiting coupon websites, using loyalty cards, or adding extensions to your browser that track price drops
and automatically find and apply coupons are also some clever options you might want to consider.
Practice off-season shopping
One of the oldest tricks in the book, if you want to stretch your money further, is to buy items when they are out of season. While this may not apply to all goods, there are certain products that are in higher demand during certain times of the year, such as swimsuits in summer or skiing gear during winter. So, the obvious solution here is to plan your purchases strategically and acquire these types of items outside their peak season, when they are much cheaper and therefore more budget-friendly.
Abandon your cart
You may be wondering why on earth you would add items to your cart and not go through with the purchase if you really wanted those products. Well, there’s a simple explanation for that. First of all, if you leave the website where you were shopping and then return a bit later, you give yourself time to think things through and maybe realize that you don’t really need all the products you wanted to purchase initially. Second, if you have an active account with the retailer and add items to the cart without finishing the checkout, you might get the vendor to send you a discount code as a way to convince you to complete the purchase.
Negotiate (when possible)
Haggling may not be common in the Western world, where vendors set fixed prices for their products, but if you ever find yourself in a setting where haggling is customary, we say go for it. Not only will this make for a more interesting shopping experience as you get the chance to put your negotiation skills to the test, but if you’re good at it, you can pay a lot less for the things you want to buy than the initial asking price.
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Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
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