5 Simple Shopping Tips

Shopping...

The term is often associated with clothing more so that most of the time, people forget that even purchasing food is shopping.

Being an avid shopper myself, or rather an "ex-avid shopper" ?

Money was never safe in my hands. I had a habit of spending whenever I get the chance. Most of the time, it was on frivolous items that served little to no purpose only to be ended up on my list of junk items at home.

However, a few months back, I started working and apparently thats when I realised that I should start cutting back on my expenses and start spending frugally on things that was really necessary.

So, let's cut to the chase and go about a few shopping tips!

5. THINK Before You BUY!

Hey, both buy and speak are verbs. So, if you can think before you speak, why not think before you buy?

Take all the time you need.

First of all, ask yourself. Do you really need this?

Why am I holding this? What is it's purpose? Does it have a purpose? Will it actually serve me well?

Do not get blindsided by the terms sales or buy 2 free 1.

Often times, people tend to get blindsided by the these offers that they proceed to buy the item(s) or product(s) without really assessing it through.

This is what we call impulse buying and it is action like this that causes unnecessary purchase which only cause us to regret.

Better regret now than later, eh?

Think it through and if it does not serve you any relevant purpose and yet you are somehow attracted to its design or physical aspects, put it down.

Take a BIG step back, turn around and walk away. Preferably without looking back. 

Even better, RUN in the opposite direction.

Now, I'm just kidding. (But if the situation requires it?)

4. Is There A CHEAPER Alternative?

Always look into it.

If you are buying a laptop, call up the stores to check on the prices of the item that you want to purchase to know if there is a better deal. 

Hey, you don't know that there may be a better deal, right?

I remembered a few months back before I bought my MacBook Pro, I was looking through the choices of laptops online to see which suits my preference and need.

Personally, I'm not such a big fan of ordering things online or online shopping. I prefer going to a store and getting the item(s) immediately.

That way, I will get my purchased item on that day itself without having to worry about the shipment dates and also the condition of the items.

Anyway, I called up three different stores within the area and sought out the prices of the laptop that I wanted.

Now, I'm not going to mention the price but I managed to snag the one that I wanted which happened to be on sale. 

One of the stores offered a discount of 8% from the original price and another offered a discount for 3%. The third store didn't offer a discount at all. 

Obviously, I went for the cheapest one and it has served me well till now. :)

Now, the laptop was just an example. However, this applies to others too.

Moving on to my next point...

3. CHEAPER Isn't Always BETTER!

Yes, that's undeniably true too.

You see, there is usually a reason why an item is sold at such a tremendously cheap price compared to the original one.

Look into the condition of the workmanship of the product.

Is it properly manufactured?

Observe the material used.

Is it durable? Will it last?

More often than times, cheap products are poorly manufactured and are not lasting.

Now, since it's cheap, naturally one would opt to buy another one to replace it when it spoils. 

However, overtime the total amount of money spent on this particular product is more than the original cost of a product that was properly manufactured by a trusted brand. 

Besides the cost, let's take a look into the safety features. If it's an electrical appliance, how are we to judge the safety of the item?

Incidences such as electrocution, explosion and third-degree burn may happen due to the poor manufacture of the product. 

Now, if this were an apparel, surely you would want it to last, right? Or at least get you by the first few times that you plan to wear and not have the seams bursting up halfway in public. That actually happened to me once :(

Not all cheap products are poorly manufactured or are a safety hazard. I have used a number of cheap products myself that are of good quality and lasting till now.

However, look into the quality, material and invest in something that is lasting and of good quality. 

2. There's LESS on the SECOND purchase?

Do you really need BOTH items?

Well, if you do. SCORE!

But, before you attempt to reach out and grab the second item, ask yourself again and think before you buy.

If the second item does not really serve any purpose for you, put it back and walk away.

Think about it. Why spend extra on a second item that probably does not serve its purpose and will only be added to your list of junk items? After all, you already have the one you need. 

The best solution would be to get one first and if you REALLY need the second one, then get both.

Or, get it on another day.

You probably just saved yourself some money and prevented yourself from hoarding another item.

1. Stuck in DILEMMA?

Unsure of whether you should get it?

Put it back first and come back another time. 

Maybe by then, you would have allowed yourself some time to think it through and have made a sound decision.

However, if it's souvenirs from a distant place, that's a different tale. 

Usually, when we are stuck in a dilemma on whether to purchase something, psychologically it is due to the fact that we don't really need it or at least not at the moment rather our minds trying to fit a usage for that particular item into our daily life so we would convince ourself to get it even more and not feel guilty. I'm not a psychologist but that's just what I think.

Or at least it's true for myself. 

Sometimes, it may be due to financial matter or that there is something better in the horizon. 

It may seem like a loss at first for not getting it but if it's irrelevant, it will be out of your mind, sooner than you know it.

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I'm no expert here. I do slip and get away sometimes.

However, these are some simple and useful shopping tips to practice in our daily life from simple and small items on food, clothes or things to large and seemingly complex objects.

"Shopping is cheaper than therapy."

Just a little shopping zen. :)

Over and out!~

READ MORE: Things To Do Before It's TOO LATE

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