{This guest post was written by a friend of Celebrate Woman Today — Hapari Swimwear— Providing swimwear and tankinis for real women that looks good not only on the website, but on you too!}
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| Shopping Is An Art: Get Your ABC's and 101 on Smart Shopping |
When you shop online, you have a wealth of resources at your fingertips, which will help you get the best deal possible. Here are some tips and tricks that the savvy shopper can use for online bargain hunting:
• Buy used – Granted, there are some items that you definitely want to buy new, but you can get some items for a lot less money if you buy used. Look for things like books or movies on sites like EBay.com or Amazon.com, where third party sellers can give you a better price than other retailers. For some sites that offer auctions (like EBay), you can even get new items for less money (even once you factor in the shipping).
• Find bargains – Subscribe to sites like Groupon.com and Woot.com that give you daily deals on new products and services. Be careful though, because you might actually spend more money than you would have otherwise if you end up purchasing things that you would not have bought if they hadn’t been on sale. If you only buy things that you were going to buy regularly, then these deal sites can really save you some money.
• Buy handmade – Look for individuals and small businesses that make their product by hand. Etsy.com is a great place to go for handmade products like stationary, jewelry and fabric goods. Sometimes buying handmade products can be more expensive than mass manufactured products, so in order to save money, find things that will last for a long time.
• Join social networks – Many companies will offer discounts if you ‘like’ their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. Follow the brands that you regularly use, and periodically you might either win free products or get discount codes for being someone in the know. If you are on Twitter, do a search for hashtags like #free, #giveaway or #discount.
• Search for coupons – Before you purchase anything online, do a simple Google search to see if that company has any online coupons. You might be surprised how many companies are running promotions right underneath your nose.
When you are a savvy shopper online, you can often get great discounts and deals that save your pocketbook. When all else fails, walk into a retail store and barter—they might even price match something you saw online, which would save you on shipping.
PS: If you know a woman-entrepreneur who has created healthy product(s), please let me know, so we could spread the word about her and her contribution to this planet.
Disclosure: I only write about products I believe in and/or use personally and the companies who truly advance forward the best traits of the humankind. I am not compensated for my opinions.
Founder, CelebrateLifeNutrition.com
Curb Your Appetite – Stop Your Cravings
VP Programs Development, ScaleDown for Life
VP Education, GoZonkers Inc.
©2011 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.
