Patience Can Pay Off On Shopping Trips

If you think you're a bargain hunter just because you seek the sale racks, think again. There's a lot more you could be doing to watch your bottom line during a day at the mall.

Strategic shopping doesn't mean watching for clearance signs while you're out and about. Instead, it means avoiding buying a product when it's overvalued or the price is inflated. Knowing when sales and markdowns are coming is half the battle against paying full price for items.

Being prepared helps bargain hunters plot their shopping plan rather than stumbling into a sale and going berserk with impulse buys.

Shopping Economics 101

Take into consideration supply and demand. At any given time, if there's too much merchandise around that isn't moving from store shelves, prices drop because new products are coming in.

"Retailers put things on sale to kick-start sales and to clear shelves for new products," said Eva Yusa, marketing manager at ShopLocal.com in an e-mail interview. "So, if you keep an eye out for new trends and technology, you might find discounts and deals on things just before they get super popular. This is particularly true of clothing."

Yusa said that people don't have to be obsessive coupon-cutters to shop wisely. She suggested making a list of what you want and using the Internet to research the best prices.

"Patience and preparedness are key when shopping for anything," Yusa said. "If you're pressed for time and don't know exactly what you want, that's when you go over budget and spend more than you really want or need to."

Do Your Research

To get clued in on good deals, keep tabs on prices for items you want, particularly big-ticket items.

Kara Rozendaal, of PracticalSaver.com, calls it an impulse list. She writes down the cheapest price of an item, the date and the store at which she saw it each week for five weeks.

She said the goal is to try to wait 30 days to make sure consumers have thorough research on a product's price.

"More than anything, try to give yourself two to four weeks to get the best price at that time of year," she said.

Rozendaal described how her family approaches items that cost $50 or more.

"I make sure we're fully prepared with our budget and we've fully researched the price," she said.

Her family also puts it on the calendar and goes back to it about 30 days later to see if they still want it.

When To Find Deals
Month	Deals
January	Fall merchandise clearance; Good time for home goods such as linens
February	Valentine's Day means sales on lingerie and jewelry
April	Spring fashion starts markdown cycle
May	Athletic clothing and shoes
June	Tool sales for Father's Day, camping items
July	Camping item clearance
August	School supplies sales, house items for dorms
September	Spring bulbs, lawn and garden items
October	Sales on cold-weather items and coats and gloves
November	Good electronics sales
December	Fall merchandise on clearance
Source: Kara Rozendaal, PracticalSaver.com

Buying items when they are out of season can also be a big money saver.

"Generally, if an item is seasonal, like an outdoor grill or snow tires, you'll find the best deals when the season is over," Yusa said.

Target Clothes Before, After Season

"As a rule, seasonal clothing goes on sale just before the season and then again after," Yusa said.

She said that, for example, spring and summer clothing will go on sale in March.Then in late July and August, shoppers see deep discounts again on spring and summer clothing.

Yusa suggested going online to find great deals and comparing prices online with prices in stores.

She pointed out that many retailers such as Urban Outfitters, J.Crew and the Gap have great online-only sales year round. Ravinstyle.com and LaRedoute.com are two great online shops for affordable, trendy clothes. She said her favorite in-store sale racks are Anthropologie and Bloomingdales.

Rozendaal said that because she buys clothes to last longer than three months, she hits stores' clearance sections. She said the items are at most a month or two old.

"The clearance rack doesn't necessarily mean end-of-season things," she said. "It just means they have to make room for more stuff."

Drugstores Best For Skin Care?

A recent study by Consumer Reports found that the best anti-wrinkle cream was not a pricey high-end cosmetic line, but an over-the-counter brand that can be found at any drugstore.

Rozendaal said she read books and researched the best ingredients for her skin type and then found products at the drugstore.

"It was really amazing what pharmacies have. I was really impressed with the discounts," she said.

Yusa said sales on skin-care products from stores such as CVS or Walgreens happen periodically year round, so she always scans sales circulars looking for deals.

Check Clearance Rack For Shoes

Shoe-shopping deals can be found by buying off-season or hitting the clearance rack.

Yusa said that for more expensive shoes like boots, she'll try them on in stores and then search for the best deal online. She said there are many great online shoe stores that offer free shipping and deep discounts on great styles.

Discount stores such as Nordstrom Rack, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls also carry name-brand shoes for less than manufacturers' prices.

Model Changes Good For Car Buyers

Mark Perleberg, lead automotive expert at NADAguides.com, said when the model year changes, consumers can get good deals because dealerships need to make room for new models.

At year's end, one thing consumers don't realize that the deals won't be just on 2009 models, but also on 2010 models.

He stressed that consumers should buy a car when they have time to put effort into determining their needs or wants. "Too many customers are focused on getting a deal," Perleberg said.

He said consumers should find the car they want, then look for deals -- because a car is not a good deal if you don't like it.

"Leave your negotiation skills until when you need them," he said.

Perleberg said to keep in mind for resale purposes that if a consumer buys a 2008 model in September 2008 and tries to sell it at the start of the 2011 model year, it will be considered a 3-year-old car even if you've only had it for two years. He said before heading to a car dealership, consumers should know how much they can afford, run a credit check and know the concept of a monthly payment.

He also said that all financial incentives have a cash value.

"If you only keep the car two to three years, that's all you're saving," he said. "You don't get the full advantage of the full loan."

For online sales, Perleberg recommended getting the serial number for a car and the last six digits of vehicle identification number, and then going to the dealer's site and printing out an online advertisement.

Deals For The Great Outdoors

Landscaping purchases can really add up if you buy plants and other items at the beginning of summer.

Big-box stores and nurseries typically have midsummer clearance sales right after July 4. It's a good time because consumers still have time to plant items and they'll be able to become established.

Wal-Mart, for instance, had $2 and $5 plants after the peak planting season had ended. Tea roses were $3.98, regular roses were $5.98 and often pricey topiaries were $4.

Garden stores and big retailers also have another clearance sale at the end of August, right before Labor Day. For instance, large decorative flower pots that cost more than $100 were half off.

But if you miss a good deal when it comes around, keep one thing in mind.

"Truthfully, most sales come back around at some point," Rozendaal said. "If you know what a good price is, you can act upon it."