If you’ve known me for the past year, you know that I frequent a little site called SlickDeals way more than I should. While I have reached unhealthy levels of messageboard reading, I have gained new and creative ways to shop. Never again will I pay MSRP for an item. Let me give you an example.
There’s this Christmas present I’ve been wanting to buy for Ashley and its MSRP is $350. That’s a load because if you check any of the major retailers (Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, Staples, Amazon, Buy.com, Target, Wal-Mart), you’ll find that half of them have it listed at $300 on a weekly basis. There’s the first trap you could fall into: not shopping around. So 300. That’s still too much for me. Check the online retailers. Amazon, Buy.com, and a few other specialty stores. Find 275 here and there. Nope. Try Pricegrabber.com and Froogle.com (they need to become your friends). Find a real nice price at 254.99. Do I purchase? Of course not? I’d be leaving some savings on the table. Go to Staples.com, home of the 110% price match. That means if you find a price that is lower than their, they’ll drop their price and give you 10% extra of the difference between the two. For an added bonus, I check eBay for coupons. Sure enough, there’s a $30 off $150 coupon for $3. Get that. Call 18003STAPLE. Talk to a CSR. Will you price match? Yes, but I have to include the overnight shipping price ($16) in the lower total. Bull. Hang up. Call again. Will you price match? Yes, I will. The new lady only needs to include 2 day shipping ($2). That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Ok, do the PM. Add the coupon. Call it a day. So that MSRP of $350 got shaved to a slender $236 with just a little work.
Online shopping really is where it’s at.
December 9, 2006
yeah, but….. were you in your underwear?