Tuesday, June 16, 2009

On our Cost Cutters segment this week, Larry Hatteberg joins us with some more shopping tips, this time from a new magazine published by consumer reports.

The magazine is called 'Shopsmart' and it's targeted at shoppers who are always looking for ways to save money.

Start your shopping with price-comparison sites. Consumer Reports says they have found that no single site has the best deals every time. They suggest using pricegrabber.com, shopping.com, and google.com/products.

Customer reviews can be used to help you determine what to purchase. Shopping sites like GVC, Petco and zappos.com post user reviews. The magazine also says to Google the name of the product and add the word 'complaints'.

If you can't get free shipping, look for 'ship to store' sites. Many e-retailers will deliver your order to a store for pickup eliminating shipping charges. If the item is big or bulky, this can result in significant savings.

Use promotional codes. Dozens of sites collect promotional codes for discount on web purchases. Just Google the name of the shopping site with the words 'coupon code' or 'promotion code'.

One interesting note from the magazine suggests putting an item in your online checkout-cart and leaving it there for awhile. They say there is a decent chance of getting a follow-up email offering a cheaper price. A word of warning here…the price can also go up.

See if eBay has it cheaper. Enter the item in the search box, then click on 'advanced search' and select "completed listings only'. You'll then see a list of the prices paid for that item both new and used. Shopping secrets magazine said that some retailers offer better prices on eBay than they do on their own web sites.

Send your cost-cutting suggestions to larry.hatteberg@kake.com