Here are some strategies you could use to save money on shopping. With all the talk about recession, coupons are life savers. Surprise - Recently I got a $40 item for FREE with coupons (see receipt below)! You too can use these money saving ideas. Here are the strategies I use to save money on shopping. It’s very easy actually.

Internet Shopping :

Sometimes even with shipping fees it is cheaper to do internet shopping. Know that brick and mortar stores always have high cost of operating than the internet stores. I like internet shopping for items such as electronics and clothes. What’s more many times sites such as Amazon, Shopping.com and jcpenny have special days when the shipping is free. Note that, Amazon does not charge sales tax for most of the states. That is like a 10% discount in itself. I like Amazon for electonics stuff such as navigation systems and digital cameras.

I love shopping using some bargain sites such as kohlsbargains.com where you could find items with almost 80% discount. For internet shopping, always check if there are coupon codes available on retailmenot.comRetailmeNot has coupons for most of retails as well as sites like Orbitz.com I recently saved additional $40 on orbitz deal by applying coupon code found on retailmenot.

Use of coupons :

I never liked couponers before. They always held me up at the grocery store and I was embarrassed at the thought of using coupons myself. I didn't want to seem 'cheap.' That all changed with recession. Living cheap is new buzzword now. By couponing I felt like I had more control over our finances. I actually love coupons now. Scroll up for image of Actual receipt where I got a $40 item for $0. Nothing out of pocket !!

Double up the coupons :I generally do all my couponing in one shot. I go to places like lifehacker.com and moneysavingmon.com to track sale items and combine them with coupons I save from circulars and the Sunday paper. All in all it takes me about an hour. I look for manager's specials during the week and use my coupons when things are marked down. Recently I bought a BP checking machine from a drug store for almost at 70% discount.

Use the Web : Before you leave for the store, do a quick Google search to see if there are any coupons you can quickly print for things on your list. Check some of the coupon blogs like couponcravings.com, to see what is on sale and what's a good deal. Update 6/1/2009 : I recently discovered http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/ This site has some useful coupons. For example $10 off on $25 purchase at JC Penny. Wow that is like 40% off. Infact, I printed and used some coupon myself.

Tip: If you don't already have a printer at home, Invest in a small printer.. It pays for itself to have a printer at home. You could get a laser printer for less than $100.

Bed Bath and Beyond : Sign up to receive 20% off coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond. The coupons are for any one item per visit. Good thing about BBB is that they even accept expired coupons. I like BBB for curtains and some high end kitchen stuff.

Shop Around : Note that there is no one shop that give good deals on all the items. I was surprised to find that buying the biggest size is not always the most cost effective, especially when buying diapers or laundry detergent. So Shop around. The neighborhood drug store may have better deals on kitchen towels than the Wal-Mart.

Haggle for High Ticket Items :

In electronics stores, DIY stores, furniture stores and increasingly for hotel accommodation, haggling is generally accepted so you should try it. If you think that the price doesn't seem fair, you can bargain down the cost on just about any high ticket item. All you have to do is ask. Remember, it never hurts to ask. With retail markups often at least 50 percent, you have a lot to gain. Consumer Reports, found that more than two-thirds of Americans have haggled to secure a better price in the last six months.

Here are some tips to improve your haggling skills:

• Offer to pay cash. Merchants don't like to pay transaction fees to credit card companies -- anywhere from 2% to 8%. So this might be a great way to get them to cut you some slack.
• Always be polite. It's simply a business transaction where the shop is offering to sell you something at one price and you're making a counter offer looking for a better deal.
• If you’re getting nowhere with the sales person, ask for the manager. Be polite, but firm. Remember, you can always walk out.
• Avoid an audience. If everyone else is asking for a deal, chances are you won't get yours.
• Don't get emotional and do not loose your cool. Do be confident and relaxed and enjoy the process.
• The time to haggle is late in the month when salespeople are trying to meet their quotas. Also early in the morning or evening hours, when clerks have more time to talk.

Update on slickdeals and fatwallet: Thanks to my fellow saver “Christine” for the tips below. I am updating few sites as below.

There are popular deal hunting sites that have sections devoted to just about everything. They are Slickdeals.net and Fatwallet.com (listed in order of popularity).

They both have sections that cover everything from Hot Deals, Freebies, contests, coupons and more. Both slickdeals and fatwallet have an entire thread/section devoted to finding Kohl's deals! Here are the addresses:

Slickdeals: http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=901593 

Fatwallet: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/918835 

Both sites allow for open discussion as well.

© Ten Blogger

Ten Blogger on HubPages

Thanks for visiting Ten Blogger on hubpages. I write on various topics. I am sure you will find something interesting.

Technology : What is a computer cookie- in plain english | How to protect your job from Facebook disaster | My Monitor is Upside Down .. Help !

VDO Games : Most Popular Nintendo DS Games

Health and diet : 12 Healthy diet Tips - Best ever | How I walked off 15 pounds | Killer on Loose : Diabetes .. How to control it | How eating at Subway could be harmful to you ! | Why it's important to get a FLU shot this year | Severe Toothache ? How to handle dental emergency

Wonderful Recipe : Dabeli | Pav Bhaji | Onion Pakoda | Dal Dhokli | Masala Grilled Chicken | Sago (Sabudana) Khichdi | Puri and Potato Bhaji

Money Matters: Extreme Couponing.. How to shop on Budget | Save money on Car Insurance

Bollywood Actress Without Makeup: Most popular ! This is a 9 part series. Make sure you check out all of them : Katrina Kaif | Kareena Kapoor | Aishwarya Rai | Rani Muhkerjee | Bipasha Basu | Priyanka Chopra | Kajol, Deepika, Juhi and more | Malaika, Manisha, Neha Dhupia and more | Rakhi Sawant

Aishwarya Rai Special - Fashion : Personal Saree Collection | Glamorous Hot Wardrobe Collection |

Shahrukh Khan special - lots of Pictures : SRK Real Life photos | SRK Family Pictures | SRK Romantic Chemistry with Actresses | SRK Wallpapers and Iconic Images

Travel and Places : Romantic Goa India

Wonderful Quotes : Friendship Quotes | Michael Jackson Quotes.

© Ten Blogger .. Have a good day and visit for more updates soon !