Shopping Mistakes You’re Making and How To Stop
A little planning before you hit the stores can help you score the best prices on every item on your shopping list — and even save you time making those shopping rounds.
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So whether you’re chasing seasonal sales or need to buy a gift, make sure you’re not guilty of making some costly shopping mistakes.
Neglecting Price Adjustment Benefits
If your most-purchased items always seem to go on sale a few weeks after you buy them, you could be spending much more than you should and eating up your spending budget faster than you think.
What to do: Check your credit card benefits to see if you automatically qualify for price adjustments. Some retailers also offer a price match guarantee or price adjustment policy where you can get a refund for the difference when you provide proof of a sales price elsewhere within a certain time frame.
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Not Following Retailers on Social Media
Sara Skirboll, shopping and trends expert for RetailMeNot, recommends following retailers on social media. Also, sign up for some retailers’ email newsletters.
Ignoring Facebook and Twitter updates means you could miss out on coupon codes or links to special offers. Newsletters for first-time shoppers might include a one-time discount.
What to do: “If you are not inclined to go out of your way to research deals before you shop, follow your favorite retailers on social media so you can see what sales they are having before you go to the store,” she said. “Additionally, sometimes they will post special