How to Get a Great Deal on Anything and Everything

Most people are perfectly content with going to Best Buy, shopping for a computer, and purchasing it there. However, this is definitely NOT the best way to go about buying something this big. This guide teaches you how to be a smart shopper for anything from shoes to televisions.

1) Do your research. All purchases should be thought over. Use google to find expert opinions on the products you are buying. In most cases, online stores will have user reviews of things and a lot of times these reviews will help you determine if the product is worth buying.

2) Buy it used, if practical. Things like golf clubs and video games are best bought new. Why? It will usually save at least 10% and the product you are buying is probably no different than a new one. If a used product is only a few dollars cheaper, I prefer to buy it new just for piece of mind. Ebay and craigslist.org are great places to shop for used things. If you haven't heard of craigslist before, it is a simple place where you search for local things that people are selling. You contact the seller, and then you choose a place to meet up (usually a fast food place or somewhere public) and make the purchase in person there.

3) SHOP ONLINE. On the internet, there is so much more to choose from. Online prices are often much, much cheaper than those found in stores. Do not shop for things on the manufacturer's website unless absolutely necessary--the manufacturer usually sells things at MSRP, while other stores will sell the same product at marked down prices. Online stores often have no tax as well, depending on if they have a presence in your state.

4) Use price comparison websites. The best of these from my experience are Google Shopping search and Pricegrabber.com. These websites will get the prices for a specific item from thousands of online stores and list them for you. You can then list the prices from lowest to highest, and buy from the website with the lowest price. There are also user reviews for every online store, so that you can be sure that these stores are reliable and not scams.

AND FINALLY,

5) USE DEAL-FINDING WEBSITES. Slickdeals.net and Fatwallet.com are the most commonly used websites. I prefer slickdeals for its layout. Users at these websites post good deals on anything and everything. The moderators there hand-pick the best deals, and place them on the front page. I cannot stress how much money these websites will save. You should check at least one of these websites daily at least, because most deals don't last very long. About 50% of the deals are electronics. It is even possible to make money by reselling the things that you buy at low prices.

Other tips:

Internet shopping is perfectly safe. Many people are discouraged to shop online because they think their credit card number will be scammed or hacked. You can use the BBB to verify that an online store is legit. Most online stores have encryption, which prevents hacking as the data moves from your computer to the online store. The only feasible way that your info may be stolen is if your computer is infected with certain types of viruses. To prevent this, you can use antivirus software (An excellent free AV program is AVG Home http://free.avg.com/) OR you can call in to order by phone. All credible online stores have phone numbers.

Some people think that shipping costs make online shopping not worth it. In most cases, an online store has prices low enough to make paying for shipping worth it. Some stores have in-store pickup options, where you can order an item online and pick it up at a walk-in store (Best buy, circuit city, and wal-mart all offer this) and this service is free. Amazon.com has free shipping on most products if your order is over $25, and slickdeals has a tool that finds very inexpensive items to help you reach this total.

Some stores online have no tax. This saves you a lot of money if your order is a big one. Amazon.com has no tax in most states. It depends on if the store has a presence in your state.

Some terms that are used in deal finding forums: BB=Best buy; CC=Circuit City; TRU=Toys 'r Us; Wally World = Wal-mart; YMMV= your mileage may vary (that is, you may not be able to replicate this deal); B&M, BM, B/M= Brick and Mortar (the walk-in store, as opposed to an online store)

Good Luck! If i've helped you please leave a comment!