How to Know a Deal When You See One

11 Nov 2011

The Author

Julie Thompson 4 Comments

With the holidays coming up, retailers are advertising at heightened paces through every avenue imaginable: Newspaper, mailings, the Internet, email, etc… All claim to offer a great deal, whether it is at the grocery store, the mall, or chain stores.

Is it a great deal? It’s easy to be enticed by these ads, but I urge you to take a second look at the deal before you buy.

A Deal’s A Deal… or Not?

Having spent countless hours grocery shopping, coupon clipping, and price matching, I’ve noticed a few of the tricks companies use to try and make you take a “deal.” For instance, one sale I noticed recently was offered for Dyer’s ice cream: Buy two, get one FREE. Before stocking up, I decided to check again.

What, exactly, did I have to buy to get my free carton? Turns out, in order to get the promised “Free” carton, I would have to buy two of the more expensive, $6.49 cartons. Yikes! No deal. Without any advertised sale, I knew the Dryers’ in question costs from $3.49-3.99; on sale they can be as cheap as $2.49!

Knowledge is Power

Before you get pulled in, think, “How much would I normally pay for this item?” If you want a good reference guide, Freebies2Deals and CuckooforCoupons have guide sheets for “stock-up prices” (something’s “cheapest” price) on lots of items.

It’s a great idea to inform yourself and start building your own guide sheet for items you buy regularly; that way you know if it’s on sale or not.

But most importantly, if you don’t need an item, you don’t need it REGARDLESS of whether or not it’s on sale! Buying it will still cost you money you wouldn’t have spent!

What are some ways you make sure you’re always getting a good – REAL – deal? Share in our comments section below.

Julie Thompson is a Christian, a wife and mother of three children. Her favorite way to save is by using coupons. She loves to budget, save money, craft, paint, and sew… then blog about it so others can learn as she learns. Her favorite quote is, “The greatest tragedy in life is when you give up what you want most for what you want now.” When she has time, she runs an Etsy shop and a personal blog to help others learn how to save.

Photo: Coastermitch

Julie Thompson 4 Comments

http://twitter.com/iheartqpons Iheart Qpons

Good advice. But, advice I’ve already been following for years. I also shop with my handy, dandy calculator! Just in case I am having one of those off days where Math does not compute in my noggin. : ) Unit price is very important. And, anyone who has ever taken a marketing class will be skeptical about BOGO deals, buy this and get that deals, and every other marketing ploy known to man. At least, I am.
Raemarie12

Our local grocery stores are the most guilty of this tactic on their fresh meats. I regularly see pork chops BOGO but find the per lb price raised to $4.99 = outrageous when they are often on sale for $1.99 lb.
Julie Thompson

I’m so glad you have been aware of these tactics. I know before I was living on my own I never even thought of grocery stores having “sales” but when I moved out and now that I have a family I have learned so much. I have not however taken a marketing class and am sure there are others out there that haven’t either. I’m so glad you take your calculator with you, so do I. Luckily most grocery stores also include price per unit right on the price tags. I am always paying attention to those and comparing with the store brands. I only buy the name brand when I have a coupon that makes the item LESS than the store brand:)

BOGO deals are only great if you have some sweet BOGO coupons. The example I used is just one of many tactics the stores use but a very common one that lures many buyers in, hence why I used the example.
Julie Thompson

So glad you are a wise shopper! Keep up the good work!

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A Deal’s A Deal… or Not?

Knowledge is Power

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