Savvy Shopper

Some great places to search for books (and other media-type purchases) ...

I used to use mysimon.com to compare prices, but it's been less helpful the last couple of years.

Alibris.com is probably my favorite store for the past few years. They often have shipping specials and free shipping, but as they are both a large store AND a chain outlet for many retailers, you have to be careful on free shipping -- it doesn't usually apply to stores other than Alibris' own stores.

Half.com is also a great source, often very cheap. You will usually end up paying a separate shipping charge for each book, but the cost is sometimes so low that it still works out to be a best buy.

Amazon.com CAN be good, depending on what you are looking for, and the level of quality you expect. If you want new, Amazon is often a good bet.

Always check eBay.com of course ...

Good luck!

Comments

Last time we discussed the best shopping method for low cost items that you need frequently.

Big-ticket items are different of course. You may have a good starting place in mind from your previous research, but sales can change things. If you need several big-ticket items at a time, it can even be worth your while to ask the manager for a discount based on your total purchases. Don't be afraid to ask, and then don't be afraid to take that offer to another store and ask them to beat it. This can be effective for multiple furniture and/or appliance purchases.

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The best advice for general retail shopping is ...

Check out all the local stores within a certain category and compare prices (write them down along with exact item brands, sizes, model #, etc.). For example, go to every hardware store and check their prices on a particular faucet, a particular brand of closet shelving, 1x6 clear pine lumber, 1 gal of a particular kind of paint, etc. Generally you will find that one store is consistently better than the other in every category. Then you will know which hardware store to visit whenever you need an item they stock. The same can be done with variety-type stores, bedding stores, and even grocery stores (although with grocery stores you need to consider regular, not sale prices).

For all those things you need quickly that don't cost too much, this is the best method. It would cost too much in time and gasoline to drive all over town comparing prices all the time. It even costs too much in time and frustration calling all over for pricing.

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When shopping flea markets, antique stores, yard sales, and more unconventional outlets, keep an open mind about the objects you see for sale.

A beautiful quilt but with some ragged parts? Well, if you craft, maybe you can cut out the "good parts" and make them into pillows or wallhangings, or something else.

A great buy on a wooden stepladder? How about using it for a plant stand or display shelf?

If you aren't good at "thinking" this way, check out your local library in the crafts/home section and just browse a few books, and you'll see some great uses for "remade" objects.

Your purchases will make your home uniquely yours, and save you some money at the same time!

Comments

All posts with general tips will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Comments

All posts about other kinds of shopping will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Keep an open mind ...

When shopping flea markets, antique stores, yard sales, and more unconventional outlets, keep an open mind about the objects you see for sale.

A beautiful quilt but with some ragged parts? Well, if you craft, maybe you can cut out the "good parts" and make them into pillows or wallhangings, or something else.

A great buy on a wooden stepladder? How about using it for a plant stand or display shelf?

If you aren't good at "thinking" this way, check out your local library in the crafts/home section and just browse a few books, and you'll see some great uses for "remade" objects.

Your purchases will make your home uniquely yours, and save you some money at the same time!

Comments

All posts about retail shopping will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Know the best stores

The best advice for general retail shopping is ...

Check out all the local stores within a certain category and compare prices (write them down along with exact item brands, sizes, model #, etc.). For example, go to every hardware store and check their prices on a particular faucet, a particular brand of closet shelving, 1x6 clear pine lumber, 1 gal of a particular kind of paint, etc. Generally you will find that one store is consistently better than the other in every category. Then you will know which hardware store to visit whenever you need an item they stock. The same can be done with variety-type stores, bedding stores, and even grocery stores (although with grocery stores you need to consider regular, not sale prices).

For all those things you need quickly that don't cost too much, this is the best method. It would cost too much in time and gasoline to drive all over town comparing prices all the time. It even costs too much in time and frustration calling all over for pricing.

Big Ticket Items

Last time we discussed the best shopping method for low cost items that you need frequently.

Big-ticket items are different of course. You may have a good starting place in mind from your previous research, but sales can change things. If you need several big-ticket items at a time, it can even be worth your while to ask the manager for a discount based on your total purchases. Don't be afraid to ask, and then don't be afraid to take that offer to another store and ask them to beat it. This can be effective for multiple furniture and/or appliance purchases.

Comments

All posts about online shopping will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Thursday, February 1, 2007
Online shopping - eBay

Online shoppers can save a lot of money over retail stores, because the online resources can offer lower prices due to their lack of overhead.

EBay is a different kind of online shopping experience, because it is an auction site and you are buying from any one of multi-thousands of sellers, and sometimes in competition with other buyers.

A number one tip for saving money while shopping on eBay is to know your seller. Of course you can't know them in person, but be sure to click on the number in parenthesis after the seller's name to view their feedbacks. You will see an overall percentage rating at the top of the page which lets you know the percentage of buyers who rate them as good sellers. That's not the whole story though.

If their total number of feedbacks are low, one upset trading partner can cause the percentage to drop drastically. Check to see if the person bought from them, or sold to them, and what the actual comment was. You also want to check the complainer's feedback, to see if possibly they are only retaliating for negative feedback left to them.

You can click on tabs at the top to check what feedback has been received from either buyers or sellers, and also another tab to view feedback left.

If their single bad feedback is from a person who regularly leaves negative feedback to various sellers, while they have other positives from other buyers, it is much less of a red flag.

Also notice whether the feedbacks contributing to their score are from buyers or sellers. It is harder, perhaps, to receive good feedbacks from buyers than from those you sent money to, so it speaks better about their reliability if they have many satisfied customers than if they have only satisfied sellers.

Lastly, click on a few of the item numbers for the items sold, if they are still clickable. See what others say about the type of item you wish to purchase from them. Maybe they are great at selling books, but the last two video games they sold were both scratched.

A little research can save you some disappointment, not to mention money.

Happy Shopping!


Thursday, February 8, 2007
Buying books Online

Some great places to search for books (and other media-type purchases) ...

I used to use mysimon.com to compare prices, but it's been less helpful the last couple of years.

Alibris.com is probably my favorite store for the past few years. They often have shipping specials and free shipping, but as they are both a large store AND a chain outlet for many retailers, you have to be careful on free shipping -- it doesn't usually apply to stores other than Alibris' own stores.

Half.com is also a great source, often very cheap. You will usually end up paying a separate shipping charge for each book, but the cost is sometimes so low that it still works out to be a best buy.

Amazon.com CAN be good, depending on what you are looking for, and the level of quality you expect. If you want new, Amazon is often a good bet.

Always check eBay.com of course ...

Good luck!

Comments

Online shoppers can save a lot of money over retail stores, because the online resources can offer lower prices due to their lack of overhead.

EBay is a different kind of online shopping experience, because it is an auction site and you are buying from any one of multi-thousands of sellers, and sometimes in competition with other buyers.

A number one tip for saving money while shopping on eBay is to know your seller. Of course you can't know them in person, but be sure to click on the number in parenthesis after the seller's name to view their feedbacks. You will see an overall percentage rating at the top of the page which lets you know the percentage of buyers who rate them as good sellers. That's not the whole story though.

If their total number of feedbacks are low, one upset trading partner can cause the percentage to drop drastically. Check to see if the person bought from them, or sold to them, and what the actual comment was. You also want to check the complainer's feedback, to see if possibly they are only retaliating for negative feedback left to them.

You can click on tabs at the top to check what feedback has been received from either buyers or sellers, and also another tab to view feedback left.

If their single bad feedback is from a person who regularly leaves negative feedback to various sellers, while they have other positives from other buyers, it is much less of a red flag.

Also notice whether the feedbacks contributing to their score are from buyers or sellers. It is harder, perhaps, to receive good feedbacks from buyers than from those you sent money to, so it speaks better about their reliability if they have many satisfied customers than if they have only satisfied sellers.

Lastly, click on a few of the item numbers for the items sold, if they are still clickable. See what others say about the type of item you wish to purchase from them. Maybe they are great at selling books, but the last two video games they sold were both scratched.

A little research can save you some disappointment, not to mention money.

Happy Shopping!

Comments

Welcome to Savvy Shopper. We will be discussing tips for shopping wisely, both online and in retail outlets, as well as other shopping venues such as yard sales, flea markets, and more. We will offer tips for safe shopping, seeking out real bargains, and getting the most for your money, and posts about having fun along the way. Welcome, and we hope you enjoy!

Anna

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