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Black Belt Shopper
Thoughts for the Times - Underground Shopper by Larry Wiener
Black belt
shoppers are always on the lookout for new resources, online and otherwise.
Here is a good Internet resource I have found lately as well as some thoughts
for the times. More...
The Underground Shopper (www.undergroundshopper.com) Run by Kathleen West out of Texas who calls herself the Diva, this site is a cornucopia of information on shopping and saving money. For example, one section of the site lists the top 10 places for bargains in major cities. Another lists what is new at the 99 Cent store, a dollar store that is popular in Texas, California, Arizona, and Nevada. While much of the site concentrates on Texas, there is plenty of information there for shoppers in other areas. Some Thoughts for the Times Here in California and probably in most parts of the country, there are bargains galore to be had. It is estimated that some 300,000 stores may be closing in the coming year and most of them will have going out of business sales. As I wrote this column, Circuit City is beginning its going out of business sale. Other stores, while not out of business, are swimming in inventory and are looking to unload it at fire sale prices. This situation presents quite a few opportunities, but with some caveats. If you have a steady stream of income and can afford to make purchases, this is the time to do it. I, for example, am about due to replace my computer system and my mattress. I know there will be deals to be had. It may even be worthwhile to take on a little extra work to be able to take advantage of some of these deals. Be careful, however, on a number of fronts. First, don’t spend money you don’t have no matter how good the deal is. Debt is the enemy of personal freedom now more than ever. Don’t dip into your emergency fund for elective purchases. Second, think twice before you buy a major item at a going out of business sale. Take that TV you are thinking about. If you buy it at a store that won’t be there tomorrow, you may or may not be able to get service should you need it. You won’t be able to return it if it stops working in four days. Third, be careful of buying things that you don’t really want or need. It’s easy to do so when there are so many deals. Last week I saw Ben Stein, the actor, economist, and commentator on one of the cable news shows. He was suggesting that people who can afford to do so could help the economy by spending. He’s probably right in a macroeconomic sense. A friend of mine, however, had a wise addition to Mr. Stein’s words. He suggested that maybe people who have means or a very secure income could be helpful by buying items for others they know who can’t afford luxuries. That way they’re both helping the economy and helping others. I know there is someone in my circle who has recently had to take a much lower paying job than she was used to. She doesn’t have a DVD player and maybe this is a time I can buy her one. These are challenging times and we all need to be cleverer than ever to survive and thrive. Use all the tools this site and other resources have to offer. Stay determined to avoid debt and keep that emergency fund in tact. * * * Copyright © 2009 by Larry Wiener, author of The Black Belt Shopper's Guide. All rights reserved. Want more money-saving tips? Get a FREE Subscription to our monthly newsletter!
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