How to Not Go Broke in a Rich World
As a follow up to yesterday’s post on how to get by without expensive things you see on blogs, here’s some of my don’t-go-broke strategies:
Have the patience of an angel. Wait it out. The price will go down or it’ll go on sale.
Don’t fear individualism. Do you really have to have something just because everyone else does? Go ahead, be different.
Be a coupon-o-holic. Chances are there’s a coupon or discount code out there somewhere. Coupons don’t just come in newspapers anymore- Google whatever you’re looking for plus the word ‘coupon’, or try sites like retailmenot.com or groupon.com.
Exploit your neighbors. Know somebody that works somewhere? Ask if they can help you out. (Don’t be crass about it though.) Maybe they can tell you the best time of year to buy a certain product. Perhaps they’re allowed to share their employee discount, or hand out coupons to friends.
Be a store-whore. Just because you saw it at Place A doesn’t mean it’s not cheaper at Place B, C, or Z. Shop around. Ask about price matching. Some online stores don’t charge tax in certain states- that can add up! (And there’s often free shipping deals.) Try sites like amazon.com, tigerdirect.com, etc.
Get creative. See if there’s something else you can use or do instead. Maybe there’s something you can compromise with while you wait for something to go on sale. (Like putting new tires on a hybrid bike & pretending it’s a road bike.)
Be selective. Some things just don’t go on sale, and maybe you can’t wait. Pick one or two things you absolutely can’t live without and buy them. Save money somewhere else.
I don’t splurge on everything I see. When I do get nice things, you can bet I haven’t paid full price. I stalk sales, coupons, & deals like it’s my job. (Immediate gratification it is not.)
So if you see a dSLR pop up on my blog one day, don’t call me a hypocrite. 😉
Have any strategies to add?
