Are you getting ready to buy something in your life that costs more than $30?
Well, if you’re also in the process of trying to save money, let me tell you roughly the process you should be going through.
First, let me give you a newsflash and then we’ll move on…
Just because something is on sale somewhere does not mean you cannot find it somewhere else for cheaper.
For this particular example, let’s use a portable DVD player. The key here is to RESEARCH the product. Most of us do not wake up one morning and decide right at that moment that we will buy ourselves a portable DVD player and we proceed directly to the nearest store and buy it at that moment. We have at least thought about it for a few days. Now, if I were buying a new portable DVD player for myself, this is the exact process I would go through. I would start a generic search on the internet to determine (or narrow down) which brand I wanted, with which features, and one that was in my price range.
Then, I would do a search on that particular brand. If I couldn’t find the cheapest price through an online outlet (don’t forget to factor in the shipping costs you’ll pay) then, I would probably go to all of the three major appliance outlets that I have in my area (all within five to ten miles) to see if they had a comparable one with my benefits and features at a cheaper price, also checking out any other specials on portable DVD players they might have. Maybe I could forego a feature or two to save some money, maybe I could get a few extra features for the original price I was willing to spend. I would make my final decision and make my purchase.
All in all, I could not have spent THAT much extra time, and I know I would have gotten what I wanted for the cheapest price possible. Your savings here are all relative depending on the cost of the item, and there is more to this whole process, but I think you understand the basics. Also, I would imagine most of you did not know that for higher end items that you can actually negotiate the price down depending on where you are buying from. Let me explain.
You have to understand that these people want to sell you the item as much as you want to buy the item, and you would be surprised at the number of times you can get something for a cheaper price, just by asking the person you’re dealing with if they can do any better on the price. If they say no, fine, but it never hurts to ask. You may have thought that there was a more involved explanation coming, but that is really it. Just ask them. Tell them you don’t have enough money for the price on the item, tell them that their price is $50 higher than your budget for the item, tell them anything you can think of. If they knock off an extra $20 just because you asked, that’s another $20 saved.
The process that I just laid out for you does seem like it is fairly time consuming when looked at objectively. But, there is quite a premium that I place on my time, so if you do this right, it really won’t take you any extra time at all.
That is because I do not get up one morning and go to one store and then to the next and then to the next. I have already thought about this DVD player for a few days, and I just keep it in the back of my head that the next time I go to one of these stores where I want to research the item, that I need to check out the DVD players. So, I just factor it into my daily routine and it really doesn’t take me any extra time at all.
Another thing that going through this process does for you is that it confirms for you that you really want the item. If you go through this process, sometimes you’ll find out that you don’t really need the item you’re thinking about purchasing, or you’ll also find out from time to time that you don’t really WANT the item.
Again, the key here is research. You have no idea how frustrating it is to see something that I have just purchased for a cheaper price somewhere else. That is just like giving your money away.
If you would like to learn about even more ways to save money, click here to download my free report, 10 Fast and Easy Ways to Save Money, and sign up for my newsletter
