Frugal Shopping Tips

Everybody's gotta buy stuff. But using frugal shopping strategies can help you both save money and get more for your money when you shop for goods and services.

Buy on sale. Buying things when they're on sale is the easiest way to get the things you want for less. Watch store circulars both for items on your shopping list and for items you use a lot, and stock up on frequently used products. Clothes, appliances, etc. tend to go on sale around holidays or as seasons change, and grocery stores constantly run sales on certain items. Some states also host "tax-free shopping days" when consumers can buy certain types of items without paying a sales tax. One note of caution, though: Don't buy something you won't use just because you can get it for a great price. A deal is only a deal if it's for something you actually use!

Buy out of season. This frugal shopping tip applies less to food than it does to retail items, like clothes or garden furniture. Out of season fruit may not taste so great. But seasonal items will always cost you less at the end of the season, when the retailer is trying to get rid of his or her stock to make room for the new season's items. After a holiday, for instance, is the best time of the year to buy products related to that holiday. Some retailers will also run a big sale at the very beginning of the season to kick things off. I bought a Christmas tree one time in September for a really great price, when I'm sure no one besides me and the retailer could even think about Christmas!

Buy used. You can buy almost anything used - besides food. Don't buy food used. But for everything else, there are many resources out there for finding quality second-hand stuff for a fraction of the cost of new items. See my tips for buying used and find out how to find and buy secondhand items and save money.

Use coupons. Coupons are the not-so-secret super weapon of frugal shopping. They are available for all kinds of products and services and are nothing less than free money. Check out my tips for using and finding free coupons to keep your money where it belongs - in your laughing wallet!

Compare prices. Whether you're purchasing airline tickets or pancake syrup, you should always compare prices. If you need a specific product (a particular flight or a particular brand of pancake syrup), compare prices from different vendors (different airlines or grocery stores). If you're flexible on the specifics of what you want, then compare prices of the different options offered by a vendor (different flight times of different brands of syrup). For many retail items like electronics, you can do your comparison shopping, and even your actual buying, online. If you want to buy something at a brick-and-mortar store, though, still research prices online, then go to the retail outlet and use that knowledge to negotiate.

Buy in bulk. Wholesale clubs can be a great way to get a big quantity of something you use a lot at a good price. But it's also easy to spend a fortune without breaking a sweat. Follow my strategies for frugal shopping at wholesale clubs to bulk buy wisely.

Avoid "dry clean only." Clothes that must be dry cleaned will cost you much more in the long-run than the initial purchase price. So, when buying clothes, buy items that are machine washable. For tips on keeping laundry costs down, visit my frugal laundry page.

Check online classified sites. Online classified sites like Craigslist.com and Freecyle.org are virtual garage sales. Everything under the sun is listed for sale, and many items are listed for free - the current owner just wants someone to come and take the item away! The sites are organized at the local level, so unlike sites like eBay, there's no waiting for shipping, and you negotiate directly with the owner, just like a garage sale. So, before you pay full price for something new at a store, see if you can find what you want for less from someone who already has it and doesn't want it anymore.

Grocery shop smart. Grocery shopping is something everyone must do, and you must do it regularly. So make sure you're shopping smart with my frugal grocery shopping tips.

Buying Used

Free Coupons

Wholesale Clubs

Frugal Laundry

Frugal Grocery Shopping

Yard Sale Shopping Tips

Hosting Yard Sales

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