Shopping Tips

Shopping Mistakes That Cost You Money

When do you decide what you are going to spend your money on? Do you find yourself spending more than you intended too, always? Perhaps it’s time to make some adjustments. Whether you shop as a couple or alone, your shopping habits will determine if you save up for the future or if you have money left to take you through the month.

As a GAAR specialist, you need to know that your shopping habits will determine if you have money left over at the end of the month or if you live paycheck to paycheck. So, which are these shopping mistakes you should be wary of?

  1. You don’t follow retailers on social media

How is this a big deal, you ask? Well, think about that dress you have been saving up for – the one sold at your favorite store. What if the store had a sale running on social media, one you didn’t get wind of; who would you blame?

Failing to follow the retailers on social media, and ignoring the Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook updates could mean losing out a coupon code. You could spend 25 or 50 percent less if only you did follow them on social media.

  1. You ignore store flyers

That piece of colorful paper could be holding more savings than you bargained for. If you care about saving your money at all, take the flyers to save on groceries. In most cases, the Flyers have weekly in-store sale. Your friends may think that it is weird at first but, knowing that you could save half or quarter your budget by taking the flyers, they will be reminding you of sales.

Besides flyers, you shouldn’t ignore the store apps because as they come with the best price deals.

  1. Buying the Final Sale items

Don’t we all the final sales? Think about it – the deal is an opportunity to save more at the last minute, isn’t it?

Think about it this way, what if you bought several items at the sale, only to get home and find that the shoes don’t fit or if you find that you don’t need them. Can you return them? No. To save your money, insist on trying out those items and don’t buy clothes that don’t fit hoping that you could lose some pounds.  That may never happen.

On the same note, protect your money by checking the return policy, even if the item is 90 percent off.

  1. Failing to research

The most hurtful thing you could do to yourself is buying stuff from one store when other stores selling the same products exist. The danger of this is that store A could have a sale and the discounted price, though appealing, will still be higher than the cost of the same item in store B. So, whether you are buying new shoes, electronics, or jewelry, take your time and compare the prices.

  1. Shopping without a budget

How many times have you filled your shopping cart and then pay more than you thought you would? You know, you are all to blame for this because you did not have a specific budget set. If you knew that your budget would not allow you to spend more than $100, how would you spend your money? Would you buy everything you just bought?

You could be wasting money if you are buying duplicates inadvertently or if you cannot say no to the credit card offers. Also, only buying shoes and clothes in season will lead to loss of money faster than you can imagine.