Last week we told you about Black Friday. While the country’s financial woes continue, let's look at the admittedly very dim bright side. What’s bad news for Retailers is good news for Consumers.
Discounters like TJ Maxx, outlet stores like Saks Fifth Avenue’s Off Fifth and websites like Overstock.com have much better selections because of retailer’s excess inventory that’s not selling in brick and mortar stores. You’ll see Designer names like, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Jimmy Choo, and more at discounts up to 75% off. You’ll also see these bargains at rival discounters like: Ross, SteinMart, DSW and DFS Stores. And let’s not forget B&H Factory Outlet, Inc. on eBay, where dresses start at a shockingly low 99 cents!
These deals are not limited to fashion. Online sellers like http://www.blogger.com/www.dyscern.com have great deals on handheld electronics and http://www.tigerdirect.com/ has been buying cancelled retailer orders for the past 3-4 weeks. Check out their site for great deals on computers, monitors, LCD TVs, etc. Make sure you look at the bottom of their webpage for “edeals.”
Before you buy, we urge you to re-read our July posting about shopping online, to make sure you get the lowest price possible: http://cheapiosity.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-shop-online.html
Check out: http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/; they know their stuff. We urge you to subscribe so you too can look forward to reading weekly (or more frequent when the spirit moves) newsletter emails.
Walmart boasts on its site that the average family of four can pocket a whopping $2,000 a year by opting for bulk purchases instead of smaller sizes. We're not entirely sure that's true, but the theory isn't bad, assuming nothing goes to waste. (We suspect that the average Walmart family of four might be slightly bulky themselves if they manage to consume such large quantities without waste.) Since buying in bulk can be something of a risk for most of us, we'd like to offer you some tips before your next trip to your favorite warehouse store. Wandering around Costco and Sam’s Club, we tend to get hypnotized by all the "bargains" and free samples. Treat your warehouse store like a regular grocery store. Try to avoid impulse purchases as much as you can. Shop with a list. A bargain's not a bargain if you don't use it, and you're probably not saving any money if you wind up disposing of an unused portion.
At this time of the year, warehouse stores offer plenty of good gift deals, especially for those ubiquitous semi-anonymous obligation type gifts: co-workers, doormen, and teachers for example. Shop smart and you'll find significantly discounted gift cards (20%) to other retailers like Starbucks and See's Chocolates. If you're savvy, you can find terrific deals on gift baskets and other seasonal items as well.
Just remember our motto: No matter how deep the discount, it's not a bargain if you don't really need it. Be careful out there.
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