10 Tips To Save Money While Shopping

With children having recently returned to school, many of us are officially broke. Shoes, clothes, supplies (why do they need a calculator that costs $100), and other miscellanea have broken more budgets than marriage and divorce combined. That brings me to my topic:  smarter shopping. If you are smart about it, you can save yourself hundreds, if not thousands of dollars annually.  As we all know, saving money is just as important as investing when it comes to wealth-building.  Here are ten tips that could help you keep more money in your pocket year-round.

10 Simple Money-Savings Tips

1. Buy used whenever possible. That $100 calculator mentioned above, picked it up for $30 from a parent that paid full price last year.
2. Always buy last-generation tech. You will save at least 50% and you will still have the majority of options that you actually need.
3. Never buy an extended warranty. Over 90% of them are never used.
4. Do not wait until the last minute to buy. Every buying season is predictable. Buy summer clothes at the end of the season for the coming year. School clothes are usually on sale early in the season, so buy them.
5. Always make a shopping list and stick to it. You should save 20% or more during each shopping trip if you plan your list and avoid impulse items.
6. Shopping while you are hungry can be devastating. How many times have you bought a candy bar in a department store or five or six items that look good, but you didn’t really need just because you were hungry at the time?
7. Before you go shopping for clothes, look through your closets and drawers. Have you ever bought a shirt or blouse only to come home and find a very similar item hanging up? Taking a careful inventory before you shop can save you hundreds of dollars each year.
8. Do not neglect yard/garage sales or thrift stores. These venues can save you hundreds of dollars on items that are in terrific shape.
9. Need a new furniture item? Look in the scratch and dent area. Retailers often receive items that were lightly damaged in shipping. It can be more cost-effective for them to lower the price by 10-20% and the damage is usually difficult to see.
10. Never pay for features that you do not need. Sure, the added features may seem ”cool”, but the added cost often outweighs any cool factor.

Hopefully, you have found a few helpful tips. Good luck saving money this year!