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, 2008 |
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Black Belt Shopper
Black Belt Shopping: Information & Newspapers by Larry Wiener
Information is a
key part of the three-legged stool of black belt shopping along with choices and
timing. Black belt shoppers make
informed decisions to get the most out of their shopping dollars.
One of the best—and most accessible—sources of information is the
daily newspaper. This powerful
tool, combined with other tools, can help you get the most out of your dollar.
More...
Here are some of the sections that can be most helpful: Display Ads The display ads distributed throughout almost all daily papers let you know what’s on sale and when. Using these ads can help you time your purchases to get the most out of your dollar. Ads on everything from groceries to electronics are in your daily paper. These ads are particularly useful for department store shoppers. Items go on and off sale all the time almost on a cycle. If a particular item you want isn’t on sale now, you can be sure it probably will be within a month or so. Keeping track of the display ads can help you. Ad Supplements Sunday papers are full of ad supplements for major and local chains. It’s easy to ignore these supplements because there are so many of them. Going through the supplements of stores your frequent or stores that sell items you plan to be buying soon, however, can be time well spent. Coupons While not as generous as they used to be, grocery coupons can save you mightily if you actually are interested in the items that the coupons advertise. Classified Ads Black belt shoppers know that on major items, good used items can be a better buy than lesser quality new items. Many people sell quality furniture, appliances, sporting equipment, musical instruments, and similar items at reasonable prices. Often they advertise these items in the classifieds. Used cars from private parties can save a buyer up to 40% of car costs over the life of a car. Often the largest metropolitan dailies such as the Los Angeles Times have such high ad rates that people won’t advertise a $150 dining room set. Those deals are more likely to be found in smaller dailies or even neighborhood weeklies. Also, don’t forget the Recycler and Craig’s list as sources of classified ads. Classified ads can also help you find yard sales in your area. The Business Section Why would a black belt shopper need the business section? Several reasons. First, the business section contains a lot of information about different products and retailers. This can be good background information for your buying. Second, another component of black belt shopping is to make good use of the money you save. If you don’t need to put every cent you have into debt reduction, you should be thinking of investing some of the money you are saving. The business section can give you many insights on places to invest. This time of the year especially you should be thinking about investing in an IRA or similar account. The business section can help you select from the many instruments available for such an investment. Other Sources While the newspaper is a good basic source, also consider more specialized sources of information such as Consumer Reports, specialty magazines about cars or electronics, and online rating sites such as epinions.com. And for other information on black belt shopping, check out my e-book, The Black Belt Shopper’s Guide available on this site. * * * Copyright © 2008 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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