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smart shopping

Shopping

Do Women Have To Pay More Than Men For The Same Item?

While I was sitting in a waiting room the other day waiting for an appointment, I browsed through the April 2010 copy of Chatelaine magazine.  I found an article about how women’s products are generally more expensive than men’s products.  The article was specifically talking about hygiene products such as deodorant, body wash, shaving cream, etc.

The author of the article stated that for the most part, women are willing to spend more on hygiene products so stores jack up the prices accordingly.  The author’s suggestion to women is to check out the men’s products before making their purchases.  If they can find an unscented men’s product that is the equivalent to the higher priced women’s product, then they should go ahead and buy the men’s version.

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April 22, 2010
Shopping

Save Money By Doing Research And Asking Questions

My husband I recently purchased a D-Link gadget used for network storage.  It was priced at $195.00 at the Future Shop located within a short driving distance from our home, but it was only $165.00 at CBIT, which is located across the city from us.

Before making purchases for such items, my husband does research online.  He compares prices and quality of various brands to make sure he gets the ‘biggest bang for his buck’.  Although we knew that it would cost more at Future Shop, we decided to print out the CBIT advertisement and see if Future Shop would price match, sparing us from having to drive across the city.

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April 4, 2010
Book Reviews

Fight For Your Money – Full of Great Money Saving Tips

Fight For Your Money: How To Stop Getting Ripped Off And Save A Fortune by David Bach

learn ways to save money by reading David Bach's Fight For Your MoneyDavid Bach’s book Fight For Your Money is a must read for anyone looking for smarter ways to use their money for traveling, car rentals, banking, car repairs, health insurance, and many other aspects of daily life.  It’s easy to read and is organized by subject so you can easily find the information that interests you.

The book covers information on buying a home, mortgages, and remodeling and would be a good section to read if you are looking to buy or build a home in the near future.  Bach also discusses topics surrounding credit such as your credit score, credit cards, and he also touches on identity theft.

If you are into cable TV or satellite TV, you will find Bach’s information useful.  He discusses ways to save money on your cell phone service as well.

I especially enjoyed reading about his tips on traveling.  He listed several websites that he recommended for finding good deals on airfare such as www.priceline.com and www.hotwire.com.  He also advised travelers to ask a lot of questions as the airfare now has so many added fees for everything that it’s important to know what you are paying for.

For parents saving up for their children’s post secondary education, there is a very informative section about RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans) that Canadians will find useful.  Bach provides tips on not being too conservative, and recommends that you start saving as early as possible instead of waiting until your children are older.

I highly recommend that you check out this book as it is informative, practical, and easy to understand.  Bach uses everyday language to explain each topic and all the topics he discusses are relevant and timely.  There’s something in this book that will interest everyone whether they are young or old.

I will likely be writing more articles around things I’ve gleamed from this book in the near future.  Please share your thoughts on this book when you get the chance to read it.

October 4, 2009
Shopping

Check out IKEA – It’s An Affordable Place To Shop

I had always heard many good things about IKEA, but had never had the opportunity to visit an IKEA store until this past weekend while visiting friends in a faraway city.  I have to say, IKEA exceeded my expectations.  For those of you who have never heard of IKEA, it is a Scandinavian store that has locations all over the world.

First of all, eating out at IKEA is super cheap.  You can buy breakfast for $1.00.  They also have a lunch/supper menu that is very reasonably priced.  You can feed your entire family for a fraction of the cost of eating at any other restaurant.

Secondly, they make it easy for customers to shop by providing childcare.  Now that is practical!

Thirdly, they provide fairly decent quality products at affordable prices.  And, to make it even better, a lot of their furniture can be purchased in stages rather than having to buy it all at once.  For example, you could buy a shelf first and use it for a while, before buying the extra accessories such as the cabinet doors and drawers that can go with it. Some people prefer to only buy the barebones of the set anyway so they don’t have to waste their money on extras that they don’t even want.

Fourthly, it’s all do-it-yourself.  IKEA keeps their prices low by creating products that you can put together yourself at home instead of having to pay hefty delivery fees.  Shopping at IKEA is extremely efficient and their system is very practical.

So, although I didn’t really expect IKEA to be all that I had heard from others, I was pleasantly surprised and I would wholeheartedly recommend it  to anyone wanting to furnish their home.  IKEA also has a wide selection of kitchen gadgets that would be hard to find anywhere else.  And, if you don’t feel like cooking one day, eating out IKEA will definitely fit within your budget.

Check it out sometime.  You won’t be disappointed.  If you’re in an area like me with no IKEA store nearby, you can also check out their website .

September 10, 2009
Shopping

Buy Now & Pay Now

buy now, pay nowI’m sure everyone has heard the phrase, “Buy now, pay later.”  Almost every major furniture and appliance company has this kind of offer.   You can also often purchase electronic devices and all kinds of other gadgets this way.  Well, I want to be a bit contrary here and suggest that when you make purchases, whether they are big or small, pay for them at the time of purchase rather than waiting to pay.  Below are some reasons why I am suggesting this:

1.  Who wants extra debt?  Buy paying later you have taken on yet another debt that you will eventually have to pay.  Wouldn’t you rather just pay for it and get it over with?

2.  If you wait to make your purchase until you save up enough money, you will be more certain that it is really what you want.  You are less likely to impulse buy if you discipline yourself to ensure you have the funds before making purchases.

3.  By paying now you will eliminate the possibility of having to pay interest charges on your purchase.

4.   If you decide to pay later, there is a chance that you may forget about it and not save an adequate amount of money in order to make the payments once they begin.

That being said, there is one situation where I think buying now and paying later could be financially beneficial.  For instance, you buy a washer and dryer for $1000.  The offer is to pay for the appliances in 2010 but you don’t have to pay interest.  You currently have the money available to pay now, but since you won’t have to pay interest, you decide to invest the $1000 instead.  Then, in 2010, you pay for your purchase in full, after having earned interest on your money through your investment.  In my opinion, that would be the only time it would make sense to buy now and pay later when it comes to making small and medium-sized purchases.

September 8, 2009