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Smart Shopping
Shopping smart takes time, skill and practice. Each of us needs to practice
smart shopping to get "A Fair Shake in the Market Place," which is the theme
for this year's National Consumer Week, October 19 - 26, 1997. To get your
fair shake in the market plac,e try these shopping reminders:
- Think before you buy! Ask yourself . . . do I need this item?
Will it fit into my budget? Spending only $5.00 a week on things you
don't need will cost you $260.00 in a year. And . . . coupons don't
always save you money. Buying something you don't need or won't use
because you have a coupon isn't smart shopping. You may also find that
an item on sale or a store brand item is cheaper than the product you
have a coupon for.
- Check it out! Find out all you can about a product before you
buy it. Read about the product. Talk to people who own the product.
Ask the salesperson to show you how the product works. See if the product
really does what the commercials say it does. Learn the usual price
of an item. Check the usual price of an item with the sale prices that
a store is offering. Is the sale price cheaper than the usual price
of the item? If the answer is yes, then this may be a good buy.
- Consider the facts! Think about the product facts that you
read or are told. Which facts are the most important to you and your
family? Remember that because a company made a product of high quality
one year does not mean that the company makes high quality products
every year. Smart shoppers consider the facts before they buy.
- Compare! Smart shoppers shop around. Visit or call three stores
to compare the price of the item, the different models of the item and
the return rules of each store. Buy from the store that gives you the
most for the money you spend.
- Choose! Be picky! It's your money. Think about what you are
getting for your money. Remember if a product or a deal sounds too good
to be true, it probably is!
"A Fair Shake in the Market Place" is what you will get by shopping smart.
It takes time, but it helps you get the most for every dollar you spend.
Prepared by Ellen Burton, Extension
Educator, Consumer and Family Economics.
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