Avoid Wasting Money

I am a curious person and I always love to try new products, whether it be something for me personally, food, or other items. I could spend hours in the grocery store checking out new things. And I am always drawn to a new beauty product when my friends talk about something I've never seen. The problem is, I usually give into my curiosity and purchase the item. Sometimes I really like it, but many other times I end up with clutter around the house and I wasted my money. That curious feeling is never going to go away for me though so I had to come up with other ways to try new products without wasting my cash. Here's what I do:

Get free samples. Free samples are everywhere and they really help to avoid wasting money. Request them on online freebie sites, right off manufacturers sites or even at your local store. There have been many make-up and fragrance samples that I was happy to have because they helped me keep my cash in purse. I really didn't like the item and was able to avoid wasting my money.

Read product reviews. Product reviews are all over the internet now on sites that are specifically designed to write reviews and other sites like this one, Associated Content, where people do it to help others save their money. Even products like snack foods are reviewed now days so take advantage of reading others opinions to help you save your money.

Shop at a consignment shop or Goodwill. If you aren't sure that you are going to like a particular brand of something such as clothing or an electronic item, shop at one of these stores first to get the item and give it a test drive for a very low price. Then if you really like it, you can get it, and if not, you'll have avoided wasting a lot of money.

Borrow from friends and family. I am big believer in word of mouth so when a family member or friend tells me they like a product and have purchased it, I ask if I can borrow it or take some of it. For example, a friend lent me a magazine that they subscribed to that I wasn't real sure about. I read it over and wasn't all that impressed. I decided not to buy a copy or get a subscription and avoided wasting $19.99 thanks to my friend. Remember though - don't be a mooch. If you borrow from your friends or family, allow them to do the same with your things.

Feel free to drop me a comment and let me know how you save your money on new products.