The internet saves me money yet again, and again

[disneysteve]

I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by how much money I can save by using the internet. Here are the latest examples.

I need a new checkbook register for recording transactions. I also wanted to get one for my daughter who recently opened her first bank account. I checked Staples and Target and they didn't have them. I was all set to order them from the company that I get my checks from. They wanted $2.50 each plus shipping. I did a quick search and found them for $1.15 each including shipping. The only catch was their minimum order was 5 books, but what do I care. For a little more than the cost of 2 books from one company, I'll get 5. They don't go bad. I will continue to need them. I'm not sure how much shipping would have been, but even if it was free, I'm still saving $1.35 x 5 or $6.75 on the order.

Oh, another example today, though I haven't actually bought this yet. I'm doing a craft project using 8 x 10 artist canvases. They are $6.59 at A.C. Moore. I bought one yesterday using a 40% off coupon. It came to $4.23 with tax. Now that I know the project will work, I want to buy more canvases. I went online and found a company that sells a 10-pack for $28.00, or just $2.80 each. I'll have to pay shipping, but even with that, it will still be a lot better than $4.23 each and that price is only when I have a coupon. I can't get 10 at a time at that price.

Final example for right now. We just got the disc of photos from our daughter's Bat Mitzvah from the photographer. They came out really well and there are a bunch that we will want to print for friends and family. I checked a few stores for photo paper. The best price I found was $16.99 for 100 sheets. Online, I found the same package for $9.99 plus $4.00 shipping, or $13.99 total, a $3.00 savings. I ordered it last night and will have it in a few days.

It has really gotten to the point that you shouldn't buy anything that you don't need immediately without searching online first. No matter what you are buying or where you are shopping, you are probably paying too much.

[Dixiechick]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

It has really gotten to the point that you shouldn't buy anything that you don't need immediately without searching online first. No matter what you are buying or where you are shopping, you are probably paying too much.

I agree. I bought my daughter 2 pairs of American Eagle blue jeans online for $43 shipped. They had a buy-one-get-one 50% off sale, then I found a coupon code for 20% off entire order. And I didn't have to go out using gas to go to the store!

I always look online for what ever item I'm wanting or needing before I go to town. If it's the same price or cheaper to get online, that's the method I take. No sense burning gas when it can be delivered to your door - provided you don't need it immediately.

And always search for coupon codes for the vendor your buying from if available...

Dixie

[GREENBACK]

I had my 1st exposure to the internet about 10 yrs ago and didn't realize what a bargain it was to have it at home. I've saved so much over the years that it has covered the cost of buying a PC in the first place. The financial knowledge I've gained (including from this site) is immeasurable. Just having the ability to instantly search the country or the world for the best price is awsome.

[momof1in150]

I save a bunch on stuff we are planning to buy on the internet. The biggest saver for me right now is that Amazon offered a free trial of their Prime program. It typically costs $79 a year for upgraded free shipping but I have a 3 month trial and what would have taken me to 4-5 stores to shop for my son's birthday I did at one site with free shipping. My trial ends Dec. 23 so I will do 90% of my Christmas shopping on Amazon. No driving, no fighting crowds and no running around looking for a specific item.

[Broken Arrow]

Soooo... I take it the internet can save money?

Whenever I need someting computer related (such as a memory card the last time), I usually check online first, because the prices tend to be better than anything I can find in a store.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Need any more of those canvasses? Ac Moore has 50% off single items today. AC Moore coupon: 50% off one item - dealnews.com

[michaelo]

Excellent examples!

The internet makes comparison shopping a snap, and the online-only specials are the icing on the cake.

It is also useful for offline purchases. You can spend a few minutes looking for reviews (look for a general consensus of opinion) to help you make better buying decisions.

That's not to mention the cheap and/or free alternatives for things we would normally spend money on.

~michaelo

[sweeps]

The internet has saved me a lot of money -- too much money in fact. I get addicted to the deal sites and sometimes buy things I don't really need.

[DebbieL]

I've saved a lot by researching my own plane fare deals, hotels, etc. Travel is a much easier thing to do by yourself thanks to the internet!

[Pitman]

Textbook sells for $150 at the bookstore, I paid $43shipped from eBay. I love the internet.

[loulou]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

It has really gotten to the point that you shouldn't buy anything that you don't need immediately without searching online first. No matter what you are buying or where you are shopping, you are probably paying too much.

I definitely agree with this quote. Sometimes I go clothes shopping just to try the clothes on before I purchase them online!

Next time you need extra check registers, just ask the teller at your bank. They give me them for free.

[brig2221]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by how much money I can save by using the internet. Here are the latest examples.

I need a new checkbook register for recording transactions. I also wanted to get one for my daughter who recently opened her first bank account. I checked Staples and Target and they didn't have them. I was all set to order them from the company that I get my checks from. They wanted $2.50 each plus shipping. I did a quick search and found them for $1.15 each including shipping. The only catch was their minimum order was 5 books, but what do I care. For a little more than the cost of 2 books from one company, I'll get 5. They don't go bad. I will continue to need them. I'm not sure how much shipping would have been, but even if it was free, I'm still saving $1.35 x 5 or $6.75 on the order.

Oh, another example today, though I haven't actually bought this yet. I'm doing a craft project using 8 x 10 artist canvases. They are $6.59 at A.C. Moore. I bought one yesterday using a 40% off coupon. It came to $4.23 with tax. Now that I know the project will work, I want to buy more canvases. I went online and found a company that sells a 10-pack for $28.00, or just $2.80 each. I'll have to pay shipping, but even with that, it will still be a lot better than $4.23 each and that price is only when I have a coupon. I can't get 10 at a time at that price.

Final example for right now. We just got the disc of photos from our daughter's Bat Mitzvah from the photographer. They came out really well and there are a bunch that we will want to print for friends and family. I checked a few stores for photo paper. The best price I found was $16.99 for 100 sheets. Online, I found the same package for $9.99 plus $4.00 shipping, or $13.99 total, a $3.00 savings. I ordered it last night and will have it in a few days.

It has really gotten to the point that you shouldn't buy anything that you don't need immediately without searching online first. No matter what you are buying or where you are shopping, you are probably paying too much.

You make a very good point, however, if everyone, or eve most of us took that approach, we would bankrupt all of the local brick and mortar stores.

I tend to do what you do on some bigger ticket items, but for what I consider to be smaller stuff, I will pay a little extra to get the items when I want them, and it does help the local economy to patronage stores in your neighborhood or city. Normally one wouldn't think of that, but in the economic climate we are in today, supporting local businesses is more important than ever IMHO.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by brig2221

You make a very good point, however, if everyone, or eve most of us took that approach, we would bankrupt all of the local brick and mortar stores.

I tend to do what you do on some bigger ticket items, but for what I consider to be smaller stuff, I will pay a little extra to get the items when I want them, and it does help the local economy to patronage stores in your neighborhood or city. Normally one wouldn't think of that, but in the economic climate we are in today, supporting local businesses is more important than ever IMHO.

You raise a good point. Which is more important: the local economy or my personal economy? In most cases, I do what is best for me and my family. Of course, that indirectly benefits the local economy because if we save money on purchases, we have more disposable income to spend on things like dining out, entertainment, etc. Just today, my daughter and I spent about $75 going to the aquarium and out to lunch. Those aren't things that could be done online. If I was overpaying on other purchases, maybe I wouldn't have had that $75 available.

[Exile]

Just the convenience itself of the Internet has saved me a lot of stress and frustration in finding what I need, whether it's merchandise or information, not to mention the access to comparison shopping right at my fingertips. Then there's the knowlege that I've gained in different fields and the people whom I've met on line. Like many others, I could go on and on regarding the Internet as an invaluable tool, but 'nuff said.

[ithaca]

One thing I ask myself before searching around for better deals.... how long is this going to take me and how much money am I likely to save? Would I spend an hour searching for a better deal if it saved me $10? I don't think I would. I'd rather spend that hour working out or listening to a podcast.

[Exile]

I just received a text message from the "Philippines Charity Foundataion" informing me that my cell phone # had won P650,000 (about $14,000 USD). Sounds fishy, so I googled the name of that organization and included the word "scam". Sure enough, I received several hits in the search results confirming that this is indeed a bogus offer. The Internet is invaluable for uncovering such ruses.

[disneysteve]

Exile, surely you didn't need the internet to figure that out.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Exile, surely you didn't need the internet to figure that out.

True, but it's interesting as well as instructive to see how people let themselves get burned and then complain after the fact. BTW there is a legitimate government-run organization called Philippine Sweepstakes Charity Organization (PCSO). So when a scam outfit uses a similar sounding name, people easily get fooled. And that's my point: Looking up dubious propostions on the Internet is a great time saver and makes it easy to alert others as well.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by Exile

True, but it's interesting as well as instructive to see how people let themselves get burned and then complain after the fact. BTW there is a legitimate government-run organization called Philippine Sweepstakes Charity Organization (PCSO). So when a scam outfit uses a similar sounding name, people easily get fooled. And that's my point: Looking up dubious propostions on the Internet is a great time saver and makes it easy to alert others as well.

Yes. When friends forward me e-mails with product warnings or boycott info or other things that sound strange to me, I always check snopes.com, 99.9% of the time find that the e-mail is false, and send a link back to the person who sent it to me so that they'll stop forwarding it.

[KatieNK]

Doesn't your bank give out registers for free?

My bank does and they used to give out deposit slips for free too, but then they started charging. So I grabbed a handful of balnk ones from the counter, and printed out labels at home of our account info and stuck them on, hehe