Sure, you can be a savvy shopper and buy most of your clothes, shoes, and food on sale or on clearance. But there’s a limit, right? You can’t buy certain things at a discount. Paying full price for some items, especially expensive, highly coveted items is just a way of life.
Right?
Not so fast.
If you dig carefully, you’ll find there’s a way to save money on almost EVERY product you buy.
Technology. A technology habit can be an expensive habit, but even for those who don’t have to have the latest or greatest, keeping up with technology can be expensive. However, you can find clever ways to cut the cost.
For instance, Apple products almost never go on sale. (There’s no need for a sale! People snap up the products, sometimes faster than they can be made.) Despite this, you can still save on Apple products by using a variety of strategies like using a cash back credit card and taking advantage of employer discounts. In fact, you’ll likely be surprised by the many ways you can save on Apple goods.
Housing. Sure, if you’re buying a house you know that you should try to negotiate for a lower price. Yet, most people don’t know that you also have negotiating power when renting an apartment. This is especially true if you have an excellent credit score. Most landlords would rather negotiate with a potential renter who will be a trouble-free tenant that will pay on time rather than one who doesn’t negotiate the price of rent but later doesn’t pay her bills on time.
You can negotiate for a reduction in rent or for other perks. During our last apartment search, we found a place that we loved that was slightly out of budget. We tried to get the monthly rent reduced, to no avail, so we walked away. Imagine our surprise, when, after a few weeks of interviewing less than stellar potential tenants, the owner called us back and offered us the price at the advertised rate, BUT he would pay all utilities. We snatched up the apartment and lived there 2.5 years and never paid one utility bill.
Cars. You might know that you should negotiate when buying a new car, but few people actually enjoy the negotiating process. To get the best deal, you will need to negotiate, but there are other ways you can save money, too.
First, consider buying in October. This is when the car companies are rolling out next year’s models, and they’ll cut the price of this year’s models to clear out the old inventory.
Second, go through a program like Costco’s. Costco offers members a number of perks, one of which is their auto program. Costco states they will get you within $500 of the lowest price possible. If you’re a hard core negotiator, this probably won’t be good enough, but for people who don’t like to negotiate, this program is a great way to score a good deal on a brand new or certified pre-owned vehicle.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that there are some products that you just must pay full price for. Clearly, that isn’t true. Happy bargain shopping!
