Cheap People + Internet = A Match Made In Heaven!

We, as consumers, have never wanted things any more than we do in this day and age … and there’s good reason for this epidemic: there’s more to want, and much easier ways to get it!

For example, cell phones are becoming an essential part of our culture, and so have the rest of the electronic goods like cameras, camcorders, laptops and iPods (note: if you don’t have these, people will look at you like have a second head or something!). It’s true … Americans are blowing their hard-earned cash hand over fist to over-accumulate unnecessary crap in their lives, just to keep up with the Joneses, who are also keeping up with their own set of Joneses. Now, if you’re not really into wasting money all the time, and you don’t give a crap about what your stupid neighbors think about you (welcome to my life … seriously) I think you might just enjoy the rest of this article … because it’s all about finding a deal online (when that “blue moon” finally comes back around)!

That urgent “need” for something expensive will eventually hit you (even the cheapies like myself get swindled from time to time) … just make sure you do your homework first, and find out as much as you can about whatever it is that’s catching your eye. Before you can spot a good deal on something, you should find out the going rate for it in the marketplace, and then ask yourself whether you can or can’t live without it (note: being willing to sacrifice or compromise will result in forking over less dough almost every time).

Thanks to the web, the competition for buyers has become particularly intense, and the wealth of information available to consumers makes it just plain silly for a buyer not to make an informed decision. The following tips should head you out in the right direction (which is far away from all your willy-nilly spendthrift friends, who are pretty much rattled with huge amounts of both debt and regret):

Use coupon codes. Sure, most merchants offer codes for free shipping, but with enough searching (try entering the words “coupon code” plus the name of a product or merchant on any search engine) careful shoppers can discover some big-time merchandise discounts and even free stuff from time to time. Coupon codes really are one of the net’s hidden treasures (and who doesn’t like treasures? Really?).

Buy refurbished. Another handy tool when it comes to receiving some of the best online promotions is finding an online retailer that specializes in factory-refurbished equipment (like Buy.com, for instance). Not only are the discounts going to be deep, but the merchandise is often sold in like virtually new or “like new” condition, and additional promotions may even cut your costs even further.

Buy in season. Certain items are always on sale at certain times of the year. For example, Father’s Day is an excellent time to buy men’s clothing, tools, wallets, ties, and razors. Another example is August, which is the prime time to buy school supplies (or office supplies, for us old guys) and take advantage of end of the summer clearance prices on patio furniture and grills (even though you can grill all year long in the FL).

Read the reviews. Is the item you want is actually worth the money? Why not check out what others are saying about it? Bonus: some reviewers will tell you what they paid or even mention a competitor that they liked better (then again … some are just whiny complainers … get ready for it). If the reviews on the shopping sites aren’t helpful, try searching Google for the product’s name and the word “complaints.”

Leave it in the cart. I do this one all of the time: First I’ll shop at an online retailer until I find something that I like, and then I’ll put the item in my cart and “forget” to check out. That’s where I end, and the follow up emails, offering the item at a much lower price, begins. Keep this one on the down low … I might have invented this trick! LOL (just kidding).

Here’s the real fact of the matter: pretty much anything you can buy locally can also be found online, and usually it’s going to be much cheaper as well. However, I sometimes find that there are still certain items that you must go to the brick and mortars to at least feel in person, such as clothing! For starters, you can try the stuff on (you know how messed up the designer’s tape measurers are, don’t you?) and secondly, there are clearance racks at the end of every season (this is when I shop all squirrel-like … storing up for next year). Other than this, the internet has brought us much closer to buying stuff at what it’s actually worth … as long as you don’t go overboard (you heard me, Mr. Jones)!

Ok, so our society is the most materialistic ever … however, we also have more choices than ever before—and many more ways to save money and get a great bargain on just about anything. Thank you Al Gore — for inventing the internet for us (just kidding, you old weirdo)!