Top Ways to Make Smart Purchases for Every Day Items

Who says you have to spend an arm and a leg to get the items you want or need most? Here are a few ways to make smart purchases for items and events every day.

Baby Products

Craigslist has become my new best friend for purchasing baby items. Kids grow so fast that it rarely makes sense to purchase big-ticket items brand new (there are a few exceptions). A few of my (and my daughter's) favorite finds from Craigslist include a Winnie-the-Pooh airplane push toy (retails for about $45; purchased from a mom on Craigslist for $15), a Bumbo chair (retails for about $40; bought from a mom on Craigslist for $5), and a Baby Bjorn infant carrier-make that two carriers (one for me and one for my husband). These were purchased for $25 total (they retail for about $75 each).

Music

Instead of purchasing CDs (averaging $9.99 to $19.99), buy individual MP3 files (averaging $0.99 each). If you insist on having an actual disc, you can burn the bought MP3 files onto a blank, writeable CD. Another alternative is to purchase the CD the first week that it is released. Many music retailers offer discounts on CDs that are new releases.

Fashion Items/Clothing

I have found that shopping online offers me the opportunity to find many more items than there would be at, say, the mall. In addition, I am able to compare many more retailers against each other to find the best deal. With websites such as promotionalcodes.com, freeshipping.org, and slickdeals.net, I am able to search for additional discounts and free shipping opportunities.

Movies

Seems to me that it is quite expensive to go to a weekend movie, much less get a bag of popcorn and soda to snack on while there (a couple of two could spend an average of $40 for just those items and the movie tickets!). Many movie theaters offer discounts on tickets for early shows as well as shows during the week. Try changing up the typical "movie date" by switching from a Friday night to a Saturday morning, and the savings could be huge (not to mention a less crowded theater). Combine the ticket savings with discounts on food from sites such as wildaboutmovies.com, and you may have enough funds leftover to take that date to Saturday brunch.