How to Make a Bargain and Save Cash

The hard times are here again. With the economy shaky, many people are cash crunched and what is uppermost in everyone’s mind is how to cut expenses and save money. From the house wife to the chief executive officer, everyone is becoming adept at cash management.

Does this worry you? Here at Consumerdigestng.com, our goal is to let you in on some ways you can save money in addition with some shopping strategies to adopt. However, to accomplish this will require a lot of planning, loads of patience and a good deal of organizational skills.

When you go shopping, have it at the back of your mind that money is in short supply. With the cash crunch hitting hard at many homes, sales are down, at least for some luxury items, and getting a better price may not be so difficult. Despite the inflation, most traders won’t want to tie down their money. They will want to sell off their goods, make what little profit and replenish stock fast. Therefore, ensure that when shopping, getting a good price is top on your priority. Disregard loyalty to a shop and look for where you can make a bargain.

If your shopping preference is the supermarket, be aware that the best priced items are always at the high or low shelves, in any standard supermarket. Brands with the big markup are at the eye level.

the supermarket

The key to a good bargain is timing. The best time to shop is towards the end of the year. You may be quick to point out that this does not apply to Nigeria. Prices tend to go up in Nigeria during festive seasons. But we have Trade Fairs usually organized towards the end of the year. I know a lot of people who have bought luxury goods that they never thought they could have afforded at fairly good prices at such Trade Fairs. And the good thing about these Fairs is that most states in Nigeria get to hold one of their own thereby giving all citizens, regardless of where you are residing, a chance to participate.

 Most companies participating at the fair also get to organize promos for some of their old and new products. They make various enticing and irresistible offers to consumers; the BOGOF, Buy One Get One Free offer to the highly discounted products, down to the ridiculously low price. You may even be lucky to get free samples and more. Look out for such mouthwatering offers. 

  For the real bargain hunter, the best time to make the ‘killer’ buy is on the last day of the Fair when companies are heavily discounting on unsold wares, because they would really want to sell off all that they came with. This would not only boost their sales figure but would cut down on their logistics- they won’t have to take back too many of their wares.

If you are a good haggler and you have the time and energy to move from stall to stall, do not be ashamed to do it. You stand a better chance of paying less for more than those who do not. You have to be clear about just what you want and select your timing and targets carefully.

Shopping for bargains can be so much fun, especially when you take stock of how much you were able to save. For those with the penchant for shopping and with the energy, means and wherewithal, it is something they can look forward to doing more often.

So, you can start now to plan your next shopping. Get everything in tip top position and be ready to make a kill. Happy Shopping!