Any frugal and savvy shopper has a Costco membership. This is because this successful warehouse store offers consumers the most significant discounts in the current market.

There is no doubt that Costco is one of the most customer-friendly retailers when it comes to savings and low prices. Aside from the massive discounts there are other ways you can save substantially.

In this brief but detailed article you will learn 7 simple yet brilliant ways to save more money at Costco.  

1. Always buy in bulk

Bulk purchases of essential items have large discounts at Costco. In fact it is way cheaper than buying from big box stores and regular grocery stores. If you have a small household, partner with a friend and then split the bulk purchases.

It is worth mentioning that Costco has unparalleled deals on bulk meat. By buying meat in bulk and freezing for later use you save a lot.  

2. Costco Coupons are your friend

Just because it is a discount stores doesn’t mean you can’t save more from using coupon deals. Sites such as Retailmenot.com provide Costco coupons and sometimes money-back deals for some products likes mattresses.

Confirm consistently whether a purchase you intend to make has discounts. To access the Costco monthly coupon book simply check out the Slickdeals.net website. Costco is committed to offering customers the best prices. This is why this warehouse store automatically adds any available discounts to the Costco membership card.  

3. Take advantage of the low prices offered at the end of weather seasons

Most Costco customers have no idea that the prices on seasonal items go way down when a season is approaching it end. For instance the price summer items such as pool toys and patio furniture is significantly decreased.

This is because the store is intentionally freeing up room for merchandise suited for the next season. This is the best time to get unparalleled deals. The good thing is that end-of-season deals are available all year long including after the Christmas season.  

4. Enjoy great travel deals at Costco

Apart from shopping Costco also offers travel deals. If want to save money when travelling for work or leisure check the Costco travel offerings first. Members can get great deals on vacation packages, rental cars and cruise by taking advantage of Costco Travel.

For instance, people travelling to Maui can save more than $200 on a car trip. If you are travelling by flight you can include a flight in the Costco travel package or choose to book airfare independently.  

5. Take advantage of the deals on returned items.

Any returned item at Costco costs significantly less the brand new one. Since Costco has one of the most generous return policies in the market, it is very common for people to return gentle used items to the store.

It is easy to spot returned items because Costco has a few shelves dedicated to returned items. The markdowns on returned items are unbelievable! Returned items are stored near the sporting goods, household and automotive sections of the store.  

6. If you want to save more at Costco avoid the ‘Action Alley’

So what is action alley? Simple! Just as the name implies, this is the section in the store with the most action (foot traffic). Since this area gets the best traffic in the whole store, most distributors pay more to locate their products here.

Additionally, in this section the advertising is eye catching and very convincing. Don’t be fooled! The flashy and attractive adverts can be very deceptive. Keep in mind that the action alley is where most items are highly priced and low bargains.

There is also the added advantage that on the less crowded alleys you will have the peace and comfort of low traffic.  

7. Substantially reduce car maintenance expenses by buying tires at Costco

The initial cost of buying tires at Costco can be a tad bit expensive. However, you can save a lot by purchasing a brand new set from Costco. Unknown to most people Costco offers tire maintenance services such as pressure checking, tire rotation, flat repair and everything else.

The post 7 Simple Ways to Save More Money at Costco first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

The E-commerce sector globally is booming like never before. Figuring out the best time to buy great things requires constant watch over ever-fluctuating online prices and some information about how prices have changed in the past.

Dynamic pricing technology has actually enabled people to save money online since prices fluctuate from moment to moment.

There’s an entire suite of tools in the market today for price tracking that makes this process simple. Most of these tools will not only track products on Amazon but also on retail shops.

You can also get alerts when the cost drops to the level you want and find out historical pricing as well the price you want could reasonably happen. Therefore, here are the top five great tools that can help you save a significant amount of money.  

1. CamelCamelCamel  

This is one of the favorite tools to get discounts along with track prices on Amazon products. This tool can be accessed by installing the browser extension. This will enable you to access the features of the site without leaving Amazon or in other words you can put in the URL while searching.

From there you can then keep track of the prices and be alerted on price drops as well see historical pricing data for the product. If you sign up for a free account, you can set up alerts so that the site can alert you by electronic mail when the value of the product drops to a certain amount.    

2. Slick Deals Price Tracker  

This price tracking tool is famous for bringing you great coupons, up-to-minute discounts and other deals to the web. Their web-based tracker play a vital role in watching prices on Amazon and several other favorite shopping sites such as GameStop, Newegg, Buy.com just to name but a few.

This tool opens the door to track by making sure you’re receiving the top deal even if you don’t pay money for your product at Amazon and not relying on a single retailer. For that reason, this tool doesn’t give detailed price history, but it will track the cost of your item from when you generate the alert going forward as well send you an email if the value drops below a threshold that you set.

From there you can log in to your account and observe all of your tracked products on the same screen.  

3. CheapShark  

CheapShark is a great option for gamers looking to save money on video games as compared to most of the other tools that focus on a broad range of consumer products. This tool covers all the obvious choices such as Green Man Gaming, GoG, GameStop, the Humble Bundle, and Amazon.

Apparently, when you are searching for a particular game, this tool tells you what the cheapest-ever price was and when you hit that price, it gives you a choice to either go ahead and purchase it or sign up for a price notice if it drops again.  

4. Invisible Hand  

InvisibleHand has been around for a long time. This tool is different as compared to other tools discussed above just because it doesn’t track the prices for you or show you a price record.

But, InviableHand can tell you whether the item you’re shopping is cheaper somewhere else on the web, the cost of the product, and helps you find discounts on various things you desire to pay money for right now.

This tool works with numerous online retailers such as NewEgg, Amazon, Best Buy and even some US airlines. It also works with Google searches because when searching for a product name, it will ideally show you where in particular you can find the greatest deals for that item.

The post Best Price Tracking Tools first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

We all want to save money wherever we can when shopping and thanks to the internet, it’s now easier than ever. Being able to compare prices and find the best deal sites means that you can make your money stretch that little bit further.

Let’s take a look at the 7 best deal sites out there, meaning no matter what you are looking to purchase – you don’t have to worry about it being too much off a strain on your bank balance.  

1. DealNews.com

This site will always show you the best deals on electronics, computer equipment, clothes and a whole lot more. The site is really easy to navigate, you can simply search what product you are looking for and a whole backlog of deals will appear to browse at your convenience.

Dealnews get lots of offers that are exclusive to them, meaning you will find them nowhere else on the internet. In addition to daily savings, they will also show you the hottest deals that are available on holidays, black Friday and so on!  

2. NewEgg.com

If you are a geek who just loves the latest and greatest in computers and other gadgets, this is the right site for you. NewEgg has awesome prices on technology and promises to always show you the best deals currently available.

The website is easy to browse on a standard computer/laptop and you can also get the app to make things even easier.  

3. SlickDeals.net

This is one of the most popular deal websites for all the right reasons. You can find offers on pretty much anything including computers, other electronics, travel packages and stores that are local to you.

New deals appear but sadly also expire on SlickDeals every single day, so it’s important that you check the site regularly. The best thing about this site in my opinion is that it’s made up of a community of people just like you, who share coupon codes and deals that are available on different websites.

It’s super active with lots of members who just want to help each other grab a bargain.  

4. Woot.com

This is one of the first daily deal sites that existed online and it has only continued to grow, since Amazon purchased the franchise in 2010. While it only used to have a list of the best technology deals online – it’s now expanded to wine, clothing, apparel, toys and more.

Deals Woot is a community of like-minded people sharing deals that you might be interested in, there deals can do “down” or “up” voted according to if they are still active. This is a really handy site that helps to save you as much money as possible.  

5. FatWallet.com

This is a classic deals website, it’s simple but to the point. It is jammed packed full of coupon codes that can help save you money on certain websites. One thing I find useful with this website is that they cover big websites but also smaller ones that you might not be aware of.

They have product deals that you might not be able to find on other sites including categories like cosmetics and jewelry. Whether you are just looking for the best deals on the front page or you want to get more in depth in the forums, just enjoy what’s available!  

6. Passwird.com

This is a deal site that isn’t as packed as others because it’s run by one person single handedly. While there are not THOUSANDS of deals, the ones that are there are quality ones that are updated regularly. Check this site out today and you might just find a hidden gem or two.  

7. BradsDeals.com

BradsDeals is great for finding products that we all need to use on a daily basis such as razors, toiletries, cosmetics and clothing – in addition to bigger deals like electronics of course.

You can find price alerts, coupon codes and the latest discounts on all your favorite items on a daily basis. In addition to codes that you can use online, BradsDeals also has the back to basics coupons that you can print out and use in many stores. This is a great site that is well worth adding to your bookmarks!  

Now that you know the best deal sites, it’s time to shop with no regret! Some of these websites work in different ways but they are all designed to help you get amazing prices on some really good products. So make the most of the resources around you and shop smart.

The post 7 Best Sites to Find Deals first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

In order to take advantage of Black Friday deals, you need to have sufficient money. Sufficient here is subjective and depends on an individual.

If you do not save up enough money, you will pass up on offers that will haunt you. You should consider a two-way approach: reduce your expenses and raise your income. Here are ways to save up for black Friday:  

1. Reduce expenses  

– Stick to a budget

Budgets help people keep their expenses in check. Though different finance professionals recommend different spending percentages on different expenses, they all agree that a budget is necessary to keep finances in check.

A budget should be made to include everything that you usually spend on. Entertainment should be part of the budget. After the income is allocated, the figures should be stuck to no matter what.

The beauty of budgeting is that you can always set aside a portion of your income for Black Friday purchases. That way, you will have money sitting and will not have to run up and down to look for money to buy that item you have always wanted.  

– Reduce bank and card charges

Bank charges can be ridiculously high if you are not careful. Card fees charged by banks are typically on a percentage of the amount being billed for example at a mall. Different accounts from different banks have different charges.

You should ask upfront about a bank’s bank and card charges. The goal is to look for a bank that gives you the most value at the lowest price possible. Also, it is advisable to do bulk payments at a go rather than multiple small payments.  

– Save up on phone expenses

Expenditure on phone services is unavoidable. That does not however mean that it cannot be minimized. How much of the service you have paid for do you actually use?

As a guide, unlimited bundles are usually costly compared to set bundles. Figure out how much call time you need, text messages you send and internet you use and pay for just that.

What is the point of paying for an unlimited phone package that costs a fortune yet you barely use it enough to warrant the spending?  

– Cut out unnecessary snacking

Sweet tooth syndrome is a big challenge for many. Do you see that cupcake and all over sudden you are craving something sweet? Well, you should know that marketers are out to get you! They will position advertisements and displays in strategic areas to get you to spend your money.

That is what they are paid for so you should not blame them. However, you should be smart. Snacking much as it may be smart is completely unnecessary. Half the time, snacking is usually on unhealthy stuff anyway so what is the point?

The few dollars you save on snacking today, tomorrow and the day after will accumulate to a handsome amount that you can then use to buy something tangible during Black Friday.  

– Avoid paying for services you do not need

Services you do not need depend on an individual. There are those who have cable TV for example yet are barely home to watch TV to begin with. What is the point of paying for such a service if you will barely ever use it?

In popular terms, you should cut the cable cord. Rather than spending money on such a service, would you rather not use the same money to buy something you will use every often during Black Friday?  

– Entertain in-house

External entertainment is more expensive compare to in-house entertainment. That is a fact. It is cheaper to buy liquor at the store and have it from home as compared to clubbing.

The experience is not exactly the same but if you are having fun and enjoying time with friends that frankly speaking there is not much a difference.

You should be objective enough to realize that entertaining in-house will save you enough quite a bit of money and this can be pushed to you Black Friday budget.    

2. Raise income  

– Sell stuff you do not use/need

Everyone has that old sofa set or golf club they know they do not need. Well, why have you not gotten rid of it? What if I told you that you could get rid of it and still salvage some value?

Exciting? Yes! You can sell stuff you would like to get rid of and raise your income. The extra income can then be used to buy new stuff during Black Friday.

The post How to Save Up for Black Friday first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

Sometimes shopping the Black Friday deals can be tough, discouraging many shoppers from taking advantage of all the amazing discounts available. The hustle is not for the faint-hearted, and you’ll know exactly what I mean if you have ever stood in a queue for hours, just to grab a door buster sale item before it’s gone.

And then along comes Cyber Monday… You thought you got some great deals on Black Friday, just to discover that Cyber Monday has more or even less to offer. The uncertainty can be gut-wrenching and most people simply want to know when to shop. Black Friday or Cyber Monday?  

Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times of the year to get great deals and discounts. You just never know how deep the discounts will be. Expectations are usually high and almost all of America is waiting to grab a great deal off both sales events.

When it comes down to it, you have to make a choice, but no matter when you shop, you’ll definitely be saving money.  

Black Friday  

A recent survey shows that 75% of Americans will shop the Black Friday sales event and the chances are they’ll probably spend 20% more than what they spent in 2016.

Statistics show that as the years go by, this percentage increases along with household spending budgets for Black Friday.  

Pros

• Black Friday is more of a physical shopping sales event and offers shoppers the opportunity to try out items they want to buy and decide on the spot if these products are really what they need.

• No one wants to be bothered with returns and shipping. In-store shopping enables easy product returns and a faster refund or store credit.

On Black Friday, prices tend to be lower in the stores than they are online. There are many exclusive deals in-stores especially for door busters or perishable items. You will get the chance to snatch great deals as they come up, even before they become available online.  

Cons

• Black Friday is hindered by queues and crowds. It is only for brave shoppers who don’t mind other people in their personal space. It starts with difficulty getting a parking space, elbow to elbow shopping and finally, joining a long snaking line just to get to the cash register.

• Many doorbuster items come in limited quantities. If you are one of those who cannot make it to the sale event early, the deal may be gone before you hit the stores.

• Black Friday can sometimes feel like you’re shopping blindly. Even though you might have a list of what you want, many times the stores may have run out and could have a different color, size or brand. You may not get that deal you’ve been hankering for and might feel compelled to buy totally different item.

Cyber Monday

If you are one of the many Black Friday shoppers who aren’t a fan of long queues, large crowds, and bustling stores, Cyber Monday may be the best choice for you. This sales event stole the show in 2016, attracting $3.45 billion in sales; more than what Black Friday retailers sold.

It is getting more and more popular, and this year it’s anticipated that Cyber Monday may still out-pace last year’s trend.  

Pros

• Being online means that it’s a convenient way to shop for many people. No crowds, no hassles, and no parking space issues. Just shop from your home, office or school and save time.

• Easily compare prices across several shops or brands. This way, you are sure you are getting the best deal online.

• Even with a Cyber Monday sale, you can still use coupons, points etc., to get even deeper discounts from the sales event. Some merchants offer free shipping when you buy up to a certain amount, so look out for more offers to deepen your savings.  

Cons

• Most deals are left over from Black Friday offers. In many cases, you will be left with remnant sale items.

• Shopping online means that you can’t try or test your products before buying. Many shops offer a return policy, so remember to confirm the details of the policy before shopping.

• A high rate of out of stock items is common on Cyber Monday. Due to multiple orders being placed at the very same moment, merchants are sometimes caught unaware.

And the winner is…  

There is no winner between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It all comes down to what you’re buying, what offers you are interested in, and if you are an in-person or online shopper.

If you like to touch and feel your product before purchasing them, then a Cyber Monday deal might not be the best choice for you.

But, if you are a seasoned online shopper and have no qualms buying online— bearing in mind also that you may have missed out on some exclusive deals— then Cyber Monday will suit your needs just fine.

The post Black Friday vs Cyber Monday – When Should You Shop? first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

Black Friday used to conjure up images of sleep-deprived people lining up at the local Walmart in the wee hours of morning, desperately hoping to score big deals on laptops, cameras, toys, gaming consoles, and other in-demand items. And yes, sometimes things can get ugly. Reports of people fighting and squabbling over the last unit of an ultra-discounted flat screen TV are not at all that rare.  

But that was ages ago. Now, the Black Friday war zone is mostly online, and you don’t even have to go out of bed for it. You can still score some pretty sweet Black Friday deals- if you know what you’re doing.  

Here are some life hacks that can make this year’s Black Friday your best one yet:

Be Specific

Imagine stumbling upon an HDTV priced at a measly $200. At first glance, it’s basically a steal. But do you really want that $200 TV if it doesn’t meet your standards? It has crappy resolution, the viewing angles are terrible, and it only has one HDMI port.

This is the reason why it’s important to be very specific about the items that you want to buy. For example, what is the exact model/brand/unit of laptop that you want to score on Black Friday? (eg. Asus ROG Strix GL502, Alienware 13 R3). If you haven’t decided on the model yet, make a list of all the features that you want to have in a particular item (e.g. for a TV, must-have features include 4K and HDR, more than two HDMI ports, at least 120hz refresh rate, etcetera).

It’s easy to get caught up in the Black Friday frenzy and start beelining for the “best” deals that you can grab ASAP, but having a concrete list will make you more grounded and in control of your wallet and purchasing decisions.

Do Your Research

Get crackin’ and start researchin’. Preferably, the best time to study Black Friday deals from different retailers is a few weeks or even one whole month before the day itself. You’ll find better deals that way.  

Here’s a great example. Did you know that Amazon actually do Black Friday for one whole week instead of one day? For the whole week of November 17 – November 24, there are various discounts on specific items during the days leading up to Black Friday, and the day itself is peppered with “lightning deals” that offer crazy discounts during a limited period of time. Sure, you must be always online to take advantage of this, and buying stuff early might cost you to lose out on even bigger savings. But hey, it’s a lot better than being glued to your computer screen all day on Black Friday.  

Example number two: Don’t stick to one site alone. It’s not only Amazon that does the Black Friday Week thing, it’s a whole bunch of other retailers too like Newegg and Best Buy. You can even use sites like PriceGrabber.com, Shopping.com, ShopZilla, and apps like BuyVia and ShopSavvy to compare prices on a whole range of online sites.  

Example number three: Mastercard and Visa can reimburse you the price difference of a recently bought item if you can find it priced lower on Black Friday. All you need to do is to send them your receipt and a copy or screenshot of the ad of the item in question, and you can get some of your money back within sixty days.

Compare Historical Prices

Here’s a not-so-secret fact. Some scrupulous sellers and retailers actually price some of their items higher a few weeks Black Friday and then apply a “discount” on Black Friday to make them look like as if they were on sale.  

Thankfully, consumers have technology on their site. There are various sites and apps out there that can tell you the historical prices for items that you want to buy.  

One of the most popular sites used for this purpose is CamelCamelCamel.com. Humorous name aside, this site is very useful if you want to see the current and historical prices for a particular item among the top online retailers namely Best Buy, Newegg, and Amazon. These retailers do tend to let their prices go up a bit during the holidays (when there’s higher demand), and analyzing the price spikes and dips using CamelCamelCamel will let you know if Black Friday is really the right time to buy it.  

Google also provides a great service called Google Shopping. Just enter an item name, and you’ll get a listing of all its prices among multiple online stores. It’s best if you want to see if an item’s price on a particular site is really the its current going rate on the market.

Be Social

Retailers are all about social media, and they will sometimes offer limited deals to their followers (whether it be Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat) or reward customers who will like and follow them with rebates and coupons. Another great thing about following these retailers on their social media pages is that it makes it a whole lot easier to share your Black Friday finds with your own circle of friends.  

Another tip: retailers also do a lot of email marketing. And these promotional emails usually have sales coupons in them. If you don’t mind going through the trouble of setting up a dedicated burner email for this spam-catching purpose, then this is an excellent method to squeeze out more discounts from these retail sites.

Black Friday Is Not Always The Cheapest

Yes, you read that right. Some of the prices for certain types of items that you can find during Black Friday won’t be the cheapest.  

Some excellent examples: Historically, toys are at their cheapest a couple of weeks before Christmas- not on Black Friday. Winter apparel go for much cheaper during late November.

Fitness equipment like treadmills, weights, punching bags, etcetera are cheaper during January, when people are getting started on those weight loss resolutions. DSLR cameras are usually cheaper after February, after the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (where newer models are often announced). TVs from famous brands also go cheaper during this time; it’s usually the third-tier brands that go on deep sale during Black Friday.

The post Black Friday Shopping Tips 2019 – How to Get the Best Deals first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

In recent years, there has been a shift in focus when it comes to shopping tendencies. Traditionally, days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday dominated as the most profitable, for both consumers and retailers.

However, in 2018 it is expected that more retailers will try to get ahead of their competition by offering their deals as early as a week before Black Friday. Consumers may be vary and thinking about waiting for the “shopping prime time” to get the best deals, but those who are proactive about spending their money and willing to do some research can maybe snag some hidden gem of a deal early.

Although some retailers will offer their deals as early as Monday, Wednesday (Thanksgiving Eve) and Thursday (Thanksgiving) will emerge as the most dominant pre Friday shopping days, especially when it comes to online shopping.

When it comes to the retailers, Amazon, being the ruler of online shopping world is expected to dominate once again this year. If you are looking for traditional in-store deals however, Walmart remains the best option. After them come Kohl’s, Best Buy, Target, Macy’s and others.

The post Black Friday 2018 Trends first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

How Cyber Monday came to be?

Back in the days of dial up internet, people were eagerly awaiting Monday to do their shopping from work computers because that was the only way to get fast internet speeds and some retailers offered deals after the Black Friday weekend. Whether that was happening on mass scale or not, retailers noticed the trend and started offering better deals.

The dial up days are long gone and now most retailers wouldn’t miss a chance to seize the day and earn even more profit and with fast internet being widely available everywhere, many shoppers prefer to do their shopping online, from home, their mobile device or tablet.

What can you expect on Cyber Monday?

Each year, retailers expand and prolong their offers, many of which are starting as early as Thanksgiving Day, which will give you plenty of time to find and nab those juicy deals you’re looking for. In case you’re busy during the Thanksgiving weekend, Monday is an ideal time to make up for the missed shopping opportunities and in many cases find even better deals.

Despite Black Friday being the unofficial king among shopping days, many retailers, especially the ones focused on online shopping, choose to save their best deals for Cyber Monday.

While excellent deals on things like tablets, smartphones, 4K TV’s and other electronics are to be expected, many retailers will also focus on smaller items that sometimes get overlooked on Black Friday due to people focusing on getting their big purchases first.

If you’re an avid online shopper, check out membership programs and loyalty cards. If you’re not ready to shell out cash for them, don’t give them up just yet. Some of them offer free trials. Amazon Prime is something we recommend checking out. Another thing are the gift cards, some stores offer discount if you spend a certain amount of money or load up your gift cards for the first time.

The post Cyber Monday: What You Need to Know first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

The statistic that really demonstrates the significance Black Friday has for retailers is that 30% of all annual retail sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas. For certain retailers, such as jewelers, that percentage is even higher, around 40%.

Black Friday remains the biggest shopping day for stores. Around 101.7 million people hit the stores in 2016. That’s noticeably more than the 74 million from 2015. Saturday was the next biggest day with 64 million shoppers. 33 million shopped on Sunday and on Thanksgiving, only 29 million.

The Black Friday weekend saw 137 million people visited the stores. That’s around 30% more than the 102 million in 2015.

According to National Retail Federation, November and December are considered holiday shopping season and Black Friday is a big part of that. Black Friday sales show a steady rise of around 2.5% a year. In 2002 the sales were $416 billion and in 2016, $935 billion. NRF predicts they will be around $967 billion in 2017.

Another benefit Black Friday has on economy is seasonal employment. The record year was 2013 when 764,750 workers were employed and it’s estimated that around $500,000 to a $550,000 seasonal works will be hired in 2017.

Getting the best Black Friday Sales and Deals

If you want to find the best Black Friday days, you can use this unexpected trick, look for deals in the days prior to Black Friday. In the competition to make the most sales, retailers are offering deals earlier each year, even upstaging Black Friday.

According to research, best electronic deal are available early in November. If you’re looking for Christmas decor, try November 22, it has up to 25% discounts. If you want to make your children happy with some new toys, the day before Thanksgiving has the best prices.

The week before Thanksgiving has excellent in store discounts, going from 20% average. That raises to 37% during the Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Saturday.

If you’re looking for online deals Thanksgiving Day offers some really good ones on electronics, sports equipment and video games with discounts of around 24%.

However, if you’re looking for TV’s, appliances or jewelry, Black Friday still has the best online discounts.

Useful tips for shopping on Black Friday

• Start early and make sure you check the online prices, many of them match even the door busters.
• Use mobile apps for retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target or Best Buy to get early notifications on best deals
• Try haggling, some managers are allowed to offer a 10% discount in order to match the competition.
• Make sure you check out Cyber Monday, if you miss the deals you wanted on Friday, you can still get lucky or even do better on Monday, as online prices come down significantly.

The post Black Friday: Ins and Outs first appeared on Proactive Shopping.

However, online shopping is not without dangers and you can sometimes make mistakes that could jeopardize your privacy or cost you money. So here are some common mistakes to avoid

1) Avoid saving your personal information

While it may seem convenient to save your personal info for further purchases, if the retailer’s site gets compromised, your account info might be in danger and you may end up losing money, so it’s best to never store personal info on retailer’s website, especially not your credit card number. Saving a username or a password is fine though.

2) Ignoring Shipping costs

Some shoppers tend to overlook this and end up paying more than they initially thought. When shopping for items online, make sure you check the shipping price. Most retailers allow you to filter the results to include shipping costs, so that might be a good idea to get the accurate cost on the items you’re buying.

3) Ignoring the Return Policy

When shopping online, be sure to check the return policy. It contains information of who is financially responsible for the return shipping as well as the time frame in which you can return the product. If you’re not paying attention you might end up with a product that is very costly to return, to a point that it just doesn’t pay off doing it and you end up stuck with something you don’t want.

4) Not doing your research

While you may be accustomed to using a certain store or a website, it’s always recommended to explore other places too. The convenience of online shopping allows you to quickly find and compare the prices of the product you’re interested. This can save you money and help you get the most for your buck.

5) Shopping from a public WiFi

While it might be convenient to shop from a local cafe, you should always avoid sharing delicate private information on a public network. You never know when a hacker might be lurking and some of them specifically target insecure or public connections. Be patient, wait until you get home to your private network.

6) Not reading the customer reviews

A lot of people skip this step, but you really shouldn’t. If the product is bad, people will express their anger, so to avoid really bad purchases, learn from other people’s mistakes. Most accurate reviews are the ones that give the product a middle of the road review, taking into consideration both the flaws and the qualities so it’s recommended to pay attention to those.

The post 6 Common Shopping Mistakes first appeared on Proactive Shopping.