Saving Money on Shopping!

According to a recent article on CNN Money, one survey says 65 percent of consumers would not complete a purchase if there was no deal involved. But how many of those 65 percent were willing to make that deal happen?

Surprisingly, it's not that hard. All it takes is a little time and, sometimes, a little nerve. Before you get overwhelmed with guilt or an over-riding sense of cheapness, remember that whether it's brick-and-mortar or an on-line store, they're in business to sell and if they don't, they won't stay in business.

AOL asked their readers: Do you search for coupon codes before you order online? Nearly 6 out of 10 of the 1430 voters said no. Leaving 4 out of 10 (and you bet I'm in that category) nodding their heads yes. And why not! (The exact numbers were: No 59%, Yes 41%)

You're already on line, so why not spend a couple of minutes doing a Google search for websites that'll do the work for you. Or just read on.

3 EZ Steps to Saving In Store or OnLine:
1) Find the best price on checking comparison sites like Pricegrabber.com, MySimon.com or PriceScan.com
2) Search for discounts and free shipping offers at coupon sharing site like CouponCabin.com, Couponcodes.com (get printable coupons too, at Printable-coupons.blogspot.com and Wow-coupons.com) and my recent favorite, RetailMeNot.com (who say they had 4 million visitors in May, up 260% from a year ago. Guess I'm not their only new visitor.)
3) Watch for future price drops with a price protection service like PriceProtectr.com. Plenty of retailers will refund the difference if the price of a product is reduced within a certain amount of time after the purchase.

Now when it comes to old-fashioned face to face haggling, nearly 6 out of 10 in that same AOL poll say they've never tried to negotiate the price of an item in a chain store.

That's just crazy! On behalf of the nearly 4 out of 10 of us who have, I can tell you that I've almost always gotten a better deal. Like your Momma always said "If you want you something, you've got to ask". Unless your mom never told you that, in which case you'll just have to take it from me. (exact results were No 56%, Yes 44%) So get up your nerve and try these:

Three steps to big savings in stores
1) Price Matching- Many big chains advertise extra savings against a lower advertised price. So easy. But if they don't, then it's up to you to try...

2) Haggling - once restricted to flea markets and car dealerships - has become acceptable in the retail marketplace. A good place to start is to speak with a manager and ask if the listed price is the best possible deal. Remember, he's there to help you buy!

3) Asking for a discount on slightly imperfect merchandise - Here's the least known shortcut to savings on items that have been on display or clothing that's missing a button. Electronics sold "out of the box" are also a source of great bargains, though they might be missing instructions, which you can find online.

Ultimately, everyone wins. You win because you've saved some moolah, the store wins because they've moved merchandise and the economy wins thanks to your selfless contribution. And it was so easy! Good going.