Going to the Shops

Frugality and Cost Effectiveness at the Shops

There is no better frugal shopper than the woman, that's my opinion anyway!

Right then, just covering myself !

Shopping Frugally isn't just about shopping around to get the best deals, it's about finding the best deals and bartering the prices down even more!
There are hundreds of Retailers out there, all selling the same item, all wanting to take your money and all wanting to make a bigger profit to expand their business.

So in a way, it's simply we're trying to get the best price and they're trying to get the best profit. After all, on an item they may be selling for £100, they're probably making £40 and after overheads, a clear profit of £20.
If we cut that down to £10, we've done OK, so have they !

The negative about frugal shopping is that it usually means a bit of time spent searching for the best deals.
Personally, I always search the Internet first, make a list, then have a walk around the Town or Business Park to see what's there.

The joy of the Internet is you don't have to leave the home of course, but there's normally a delivery charge. With this we have to outweigh the costs of driving to the Shops, Parking and also, if self-employed' any time lost in 1. The Shopping and 2. Waiting in for the delivery etc.

Delivery costs on the Net can vary considerably. I recently purchased a new Oven. The price in the local large Electrical Retailers was the same, £149, but one had an £17 delivery charge and the other had £19. Also, neither of them could guarantee a delivery time.
I then went to the Argos website, same price, £4.95 delivery charge with options of delivery days plus am or pm - No Contest !

We have to remember that it's our right and in a way, part of our heritage to barter.
We show no qualms about about it with Double Glazing and other home services. Mobile Phone Companies, Broadband Providers will all 'move the goalposts' to get your one year Contract etc.

There's an attitude that large Retailers won't discount, but they will often have a price promise policy where they will beat any other price by X% or at least match it.
So that is them saying they can afford to knock the price off things if they want to!

I recently watched a TV programme on getting the best deals from Sellers and although it was with a Car, this is how it went.

I brought a Car from Auction nine months before for £475. It wouldn't start very well, I had a few pounds to spare, so went along to have a look at a Saxo for £900, thinking I may get £200 back on my old one.

Upon walking through the Cars to look at the Saxo, I saw a Suzuki Wagon and it had my name written on it; cheap to run and tax, lots of space, air bags, central locking etc. The only thing was the price - £1495. I'd already told the chap I didn't have a lot of money (but I had some extra cash on me to pay the Rent as well).

I said I was interested and asked him to look at my Car. Trying to keep a normal face was quite hard when he said he'd give me £400 for it, but I'd already seen the Suzuki had been there for a couple of month's by the Road Tax, so I had the better hand so to speak.

It was then that I remembered the TV programme. I mm'd and rrr'd for a few minutes showing mental anguish sorting my finances out, then.....
I put my hand out straight at him and said "£1000 cash and I'll take it now" - then silence. He pondered a few moments and shook my still awaiting hand and the deal was struck.

Fair enough, It was £300 more than I intended, but I thought I got a great deal and that's what matters. If you're happy with, the World's happy with it!

Now, don't discard this method in a large Retail Outlet. You can use the "I haven't had time to search around the Net as I only have this afternoon to sort it. But I'm pretty sure I could get it somewhere else for less, so let's say 10% discount for cash and I'll take it with me"

They have only two answers to that, "Yes" or "No". If it's no, fair enough, don't buy it and walk out to somewhere else. Somewhere else will discount it or you just buy it on the Net at the same price to save face from going back in there again!

So, shopping frugally isn't just about Auctions, Charity Shops and other Cheapy places, it's about getting what you want for the least amount of money AND pleasing the Retailer at the same time.

There is such a situation as a 'win win' sometimes, but it's in our hands !

Barter is often regarded as an old-fashioned means of exchange that was superseded because money is far more efficient. After all, in a monetary system an apple grower who needs shoes simply has to find a cobbler. In a pure barter system the apple grower would have to find not just any cobbler but one who happened to want apples at that time. Thus in virtually all civilizations, except the Incas, money came to play an important role. (projects.ex)

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Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. Dalai Lama

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