Since my conversion to being a more frugal shopper, there are some things I just can’t seem to justify paying full price for anymore. Not paying full price doesn’t mean that you are getting an inferior product, you can actually get the exact same product, just pay less.
1. Books
There are so many ways to save on books. If you go to Barnes and Noble you can expect to shell out at least $6 on a paperback, even more on a hardback. It may be just me, but I can’t justify sending that much money on something that I am probably only going to read once. Now, many sites will claim the best way to save money on books is to purchase them online at either Half.com or Amazon. This may be the best place if you are looking for a specific book, but if you are just browsing you can actually save a lot more money. I’ve found thrift stores and used book stores to be incredible deals.
At the end of the summer, our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore was having a 50% off sale. The books were already priced at 10 for $1, but with this sale I was able to get 20 books for $1! I like action/mystery books and there are some authors that I read often. I didn’t go into the store looking for a certain book, but just to have some reading material on hand. I was able to get a stock that will last me for quite some time. I have also seen paperbacks at some of the local thrift stores for as low as $0.25. This is a deal that can’t be beat! Also, if I start reading one of the books and decide I don’t like it, I don’t feel guilty if I stop reading it. As an added bonus, I can always sell the books when I am done with them.
2. Children’s Toys and Clothes
Unless you are looking for a very specific toy, outfit, or piece of equipment there is no reason to purchase these items for full price. Personally, I am a big fan of children’s consignment sales. When I was pregnant with E, I actually bought a lot of my baby equipment used at consignment sales. Babies use the equipment for such a short period of time, these items are still in great condition and you can pick them up for a fraction of the price. As E has gotten older, I have sold the equipment and bought toys instead.
You can also think outside of the box some too. I have used Craiglist, garage sales, and even thrift stores to pick up great finds for E. For example, I was looking for a play kitchen for E, but was having some trouble finding one for a good price. One day, while I was at a local thrift store looking for some items to upcycle, I came across one of the Little Tikes tool benches. This was one of the large tool benches and because it was a 50% off day at the store I was able to get it for only $6 and it still had the accessories! I eventually did find the kitchen I was looking for on a Facebook yard sale group and ended up only paying a fraction of retail for it.
As I said before, these purchases are more that I saw a great deal and took advantage of. If you need something quickly, or if you are looking for something specific you may consider paying full price, but if not I can almost guarantee you will get it cheaper.
3. Personal Hygiene/Cleaning Items
I am going to cite the same disclaimer that I have in the past two items, but if you are looking for a very specific flavor, brand, size, scent, etc. of a product then you may consider paying full price, otherwise there are so many ways to save on these products. I have found that personal hygiene items are one of the common items that go on sale at both the grocery store as well as big box stores. When you combine these sales with coupons you can get these products either free or almost free.
What I do is cut out all of the coupons that relate to a specific product such as toothpaste or deodorant. I keep these in my coupon binder, so when I am at the grocery store and see the items on sale, or even if I see a sale in an ad I can use the coupons. Another great source for coupons in addition to the Sunday paper is using printable coupon sites such as Coupons.com. I have a bin in my laundry room in my upstairs linen closet that has all of the products in it. That way whenever I need a tube or toothpaste, a package of baby wipes, or a stick of deodorant I know that I have some. If you wait until you are in need of the product, then you will end up paying much more than you need to.
4. Pets
This is of that many people may not think of, but a lot of people spend a lot of money on buying pets. If you go through a dog breeder you may pay upwards of $500 for a dog. The problem with doing this is not only do you spend a lot of unnecessary money, but you are unintentionally adding to the pet overpopulation problem. There are animals in shelters all over the country that are in need of homes, many of them purebreds. Often, the adoption fee (which pays for veterinary care, food, housing, and often spaying/neutering pets) is just a fraction of what you would pay through a breeder.
Petfinder is a great service that allows you to input search criteria such as size, age, and you can even search for a specific breed. There are even rescue groups that can transport animals all across the country, so even if the pet you want is 500 miles away you still might be able to get it!
What are some things that you never pay full price for?
Some good tips, but “rescuing” a pet is not as easy as people think. Many organizations have such invasive vetting processes and are so picky, the average person gets turned away more often than not. Very sad, but be aware when you start the process, because I wasn’t.