So when I saw the $100+ price on the receipt, I asked if he could wait a few days if I could find the razor online for a significant savings. The process that I used to get a significantly lower price can be applied to all sorts of purchases.
Save Money By Shopping Around
I am not big on in-store price comparison shopping. Plus with the price of gas and my time, I rarely find that it's worth my time unless it's a very large appliance or vehicle that I want to test out first. However, I love the convenience of price comparison shopping online! I have a couple of sites that I always check first:
- Amazon.com
- Ebay (I only buy from “Top Sellers” with 100% positive feedback. I always read their feedback and history, and make sure to read the description carefully.)
Cheaper is not Always the Best Value
Sometimes cheaper is not better; for instance if the product is of inferior quality and doesn’t last or has maintenance issues. I check online reviews on Amazon and for major purchases or I look for articles in Consumer Reports at my local library. The razor that hubby picked out was the top of the line model, but he shaves daily and has a very thick beard, and this model had excellent reviews.
Save Money With Comparison Shopping Sites
I usually check Amazon first, because they have a huge selection of products and a $25 purchase usually qualifies for free shipping and no sales tax. When shopping on Ebay, I have to factor in shipping cost, if applicable. Next I check out a couple of my favorite price comparison sites such as Pricegrabber.com or Bizrate.com and enter the brand and model to see if any other online or local retailers have a lower price. In this situation, Amazon had the lowest price, so I completed my purchase
and saved over $50!
Save Money by Looking for a Rebate
If I had not purchased from Amazon, my next step would have been to visit ebates.com, a site that gives rebates for a variety of online merchants (but not Amazon.com). By entering the retailer’s site through ebates, you can earn an additional 1-5% percent off in the form of a “rebate”.
See If Any Other Discounts Are Available
Another site that I check is Slickdeals.net. I do a quick search for the product name and /or name of the retail store to see if one of my fellow bargain shoppers has posted a "Slick Deal".
My last step is to search for a coupon code using the name of the retailer and “coupon codes” as the keywords. Sometimes I can get one more discount this way, either an additional % off or free shipping.