Take Advantage of the Slow Economy! It's a Bargain-Hunter's Paradise!

It seems like any time you hear the word “economy” on the news, it’s something negative. The stock market’s dropping, home sales are falling, auto sales are down … the list goes on and on. But if you think about it, on some level, now is the PERFECT time to go out on a shopping spree – for a bargain, anyway. I’m not advocating going out and spending your life savings by any stretch… but if you’re on the hunt for a deal, the time to buy is NOW!

What do I mean? Well, everywhere I look I see stores advertising big sales on clothes. So I decided to head out on a mini-shopping trip to see what I could find. And guess what? I ended up spending about $70 … for what would’ve retailed $700 or more! How did I do it? It’s called “the clearance sale”.

Right now stores are doing anything and everything they can to get rid of their fall and winter merchandise to make way for their spring and summer gear. I found some $30-$40 sweaters marked down to the $2-$5 range. A basic black sweater dress that retailed for $60? Try spending $1.97. Yes, that’s right. Less than two dollars. Brand new. With the tags. Less than you’d pay for something used at a yard sale! And guess what? You can do the same thing.

What are my tricks?

First off, NEVER pay full price, unless it’s an emergency. Store markups, especially on clothes, are astronomical! I wouldn’t be surprised if the store that sold me the $60 sweater dress for under $2 still made a few pennies. EVERY store is going to have a sale at some point – just be on the lookout for sales! Make sure to check sales ads to see what’s on sale and where – or search the websites of your favorite stores.

COUPONS!! Yes, I know clipping coupons can be time-consuming – but if you know what you want … or at least the store(s) you’re headed to, you can narrow down the coupon search. Try going to websites of major retailers (i.e. Sears, JC Penney) and sign up for e-mail lists. For agreeing to join the list, you’re going to get plenty of percentage off messages you can print off and take into a store – or use on that store’s website. If you’re worried about junking up your inbox with too many messages, set up a free account JUST for those lists (for example, Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail).

Say no to credit cards … except for a REAL emergency. Guess what? I don’t have a credit card. I’ve never had one, either. I figure I would counteract all my deals if I used a credit card to pay for my finds – because interest rates are astronomical!

And the power of the price match. I usually use this tip for buying groceries, but it applies for all things. Many stores will match a competitor’s ad – IF you are buying the exact same product (for example, if you see a DVD on sale at one store, another will likely honor that sale). Just make SURE you take the sales ad with you – and if you’re not sure that a store price matches, call ahead.

If you have other bargain hunting questions, or a specific topic you want me to cover in the future, email me at ahawkins@wvtm.com
Happy bargain hunting!