The Contest of Shopping

Many times, shopping is like a contest to me. I figure I can always find something cheaper than the price I initially see. There are many a ways for me to do this:

• Online shopping...google shows you the cheapest places online.
• Online discount codes...practically everyone has them for at least free shipping and 10% off.
• Sales, sales, sale...practically everything goes on sale...with clothes you can get some really good deals this way.
• Buy secondhand...beware though, sometimes things are selling for too close to their original price, so do your research before you buy secondhand.

The joy about shopping is that you don't have to pay a thing to go into stores. That means you can play with the latest gadgets to your heart's content, figure out exactly which one you want, then go shopping for it.

Lately, this is what I have been doing with stuff for Connor's. After my late night diaper inspiration, I began shopping around for cloth diapers for him. I discovered they were going for just as much on ebay as in the stores. This got me thinking, if I bought them in bulk, I would already be saving 10%...so if I used a couple and ended up not liking them, I could resell them on ebay without losing a dime. However, I also found a 10% off coupon and free shipping (I have a HUGE thing against paying for shipping). In the end, I saved about 18% off the retail price per diaper...and things like name brand cloth diapers go for the same price everywhere.

Next up, Connor's highchair. Connor seemed to be getting to the point that he is ready to set up. So first, I cleaned off the table (aka: Ian's desk) and rearranged the living room so we could actually sit at the table. Then, I did a little research and found the highchair I wanted...even the print I wanted. Then I scowered online "stores" (ebay, gumtree...I think that is only a UK thing) until I found one I wanted, in the condition I wanted it, at the price I wanted to pay. I ended up saving 75% off the original price and it looks brand new.


I could go on and on forever about this stuff...but you get the point...never just impulse buy something...not just because you probably won't like what you bought later, but because you can save yourself some mulah!