It's time to start thinking about Christmas shopping--and if you have friends and family that want something nice, something brand name or something from a mall store, you can STILL get it for less.
Gift cards are the way to go. When you decide what you want to get, give yourself plenty of time to buy it and then look for coupons online. Many times you will find 10-20% off coupons for almost every mall store, whether it be Bath and Body Works or any of the other chic places to buy gifts.
Start on Google and look for free coupons. Then head over to eBay to get the gift cards. Remember to buy a gift card for UNDER the amount you want to pay, or you are going to have a balance left and that isn't a savings.
Combining gift card and coupons will allow you to get the hot gifts for less.
Also, January is gift card month on eBay; people who got gift cards that they didn't want for Christmas are going to put them all up on eBay, so if you have birthdays coming up or even if you want to prepare for next Christmas--you can get some good deals.
One of the best buys in gift certificates is for Home Depot. I have always been able to get one for less than the value left on the card, and with my house being a constant work in progress, it sure helps.
Beware of $1000 ONLINE SHOPPING SPREES, they are scams. The way they work is by charging cash for the shipping, with the shipping based on the price of the item. When it's all said and done, you haven't saved a thing by using the $1000 shopping spree. I have had several over the years given to me, but when I went online, I found that the cheap made-in-china items that they are selling were actually less on eBay than they were to just pay for the "shipping."
When buying gift certificates on eBay, I use Gixen, the
eBay Sniper
. You can put a group bid out, which is really cool. The way it works is that once you decide what item you want and the price you want to pay for it, you can bid on several auctions by using Gixen, and, once you win one of the auctions in the group you selected it stops bidding on any of the other ones.
If you get to buying in time you can be assured of getting all of your shopping done for less than anyone else without having to compromise on quality.
And of course, I can't stress enough the greatness of eBay when it comes to gift shopping. Go and find what you want to get in the malls and then write down the specs and item name or number, then when you go online you can compare apples to apples and get the exact item you want without having to blow your budget or skimp on gifts.
For instance, I wanted to get someone a nice pen from a high end pen manufacturer. I really wanted to get them a $150-$200 pen, but I didnt want to spend anywhere near that much. I wanted something classic, yet classy, something heavy and with the type of writing mechanism that the person preferred; so with much searching, I landed on a brand I wanted, and a style and color. When it was all said and done I got a $195 pen (which is price controlled by the manufacturer) for only $50, and even though the pen didn't say it came with an expensive $10 gift box, by wording an email to the seller perfectly, I was able to get him to throw it in for free.
Now someone is going to get a fantastic pen that will last them the rest of their lives for only $50--can't beat it.
Make your decisions later, do your research earlier. This will make sure you have the most information before making your final purchase decision, and if you are an old pro with bargain hunting, you will be able to identify deals that have to be grabbed on the spot.
Happy Bargain Hunting.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Internet: Now Half Off
In today's society, it's hard to get by without the Internet, but that is no reason to overpay for it!
Home Internet
If you already have a phone line, it's time to ask yourself "Why?" If it isn't easy to defend, then answer these questions: Is there any reason I can't just give out my cell phone number to the people that have my home phone number? Do I have an alarm system that relies on the phone line? Do I use pay-per-view movies and don't want to have to call-in my movies over the phone?
If the answer is "No" to all of those questions, then you can just get rid of your home phone line.
Personally, I do have satellite TV service, but I don't use pay-per-view; I have an alarm system, but it connects through an on-board cell phone; and I never did have home phone service, but I still have DSL Internet, and a wireless router. I have it unlocked, in case my neighbors or passers by want a WiFi hotspot.
If you go through AT&T, you can get Internet a la carte for $20 a month (inc. taxes or fees) and if they ever change your billing schedule (which they generally do after about a year) you can call up and complain about it and get one month for free!
If you are getting a bundle deal, it's time to ask yourself if it really is a deal.
Look at what you can get without bundling them all together and chances are you are going to pay much less (like I do.
I pay $50/month for my cell phone, $20 a month for home Internet and $30 a month for satellite. And that pretty much covers it.
On the Road
If you travel a lot, like I used to, it is very convienient to have the Internet with you wherever you go.
Wifi Hotspots
They aren't free anymore...or at least not everywhere.
Here are a few places that you can find free Internet: public libraries, places such as Krystals (a burger joint similar to White Castle)and certain hotels such as La Quinta. (But try to stay out of sight while using the Internet, as they don't appreciate people sucking off their internet for some reason.) There are websites dedicated to telling you where free hotspots are. But if you want to get Internet literally anywhere, you are going to want wireless internet from a cell phone company.
If you already have a smart phone with Windows Mobile, Pdanet, or the Google operating system, then there is no reason to pay the extra $25-$60 a month for wireless Internet on your computer. You can use PDAnet From June Fabric.
You install it on your computer and hook your computer up to your phone and install it there as well. This will allow you to have internet in places that you couldn't before. The drawback is that PDAnet can be buggy when used with certian versions of Windows and needs to be re-connected often in some cases. However, that does not stop me. I am using it right now!
In the mall where I have my store, their WiFi is a joke. It works about 8% of the time, so my G1 (Google phone) is connected to the computer and provides me with an internet speed that I can live with.
It's not enough to seamlessly stream video, but then, I usually don't use it for that in any case.
Home Internet
If you already have a phone line, it's time to ask yourself "Why?" If it isn't easy to defend, then answer these questions: Is there any reason I can't just give out my cell phone number to the people that have my home phone number? Do I have an alarm system that relies on the phone line? Do I use pay-per-view movies and don't want to have to call-in my movies over the phone?
If the answer is "No" to all of those questions, then you can just get rid of your home phone line.
Personally, I do have satellite TV service, but I don't use pay-per-view; I have an alarm system, but it connects through an on-board cell phone; and I never did have home phone service, but I still have DSL Internet, and a wireless router. I have it unlocked, in case my neighbors or passers by want a WiFi hotspot.
If you go through AT&T, you can get Internet a la carte for $20 a month (inc. taxes or fees) and if they ever change your billing schedule (which they generally do after about a year) you can call up and complain about it and get one month for free!
If you are getting a bundle deal, it's time to ask yourself if it really is a deal.
Look at what you can get without bundling them all together and chances are you are going to pay much less (like I do.
I pay $50/month for my cell phone, $20 a month for home Internet and $30 a month for satellite. And that pretty much covers it.
On the Road
If you travel a lot, like I used to, it is very convienient to have the Internet with you wherever you go.
Wifi Hotspots
They aren't free anymore...or at least not everywhere.
Here are a few places that you can find free Internet: public libraries, places such as Krystals (a burger joint similar to White Castle)and certain hotels such as La Quinta. (But try to stay out of sight while using the Internet, as they don't appreciate people sucking off their internet for some reason.) There are websites dedicated to telling you where free hotspots are. But if you want to get Internet literally anywhere, you are going to want wireless internet from a cell phone company.
If you already have a smart phone with Windows Mobile, Pdanet, or the Google operating system, then there is no reason to pay the extra $25-$60 a month for wireless Internet on your computer. You can use PDAnet From June Fabric.
You install it on your computer and hook your computer up to your phone and install it there as well. This will allow you to have internet in places that you couldn't before. The drawback is that PDAnet can be buggy when used with certian versions of Windows and needs to be re-connected often in some cases. However, that does not stop me. I am using it right now!
In the mall where I have my store, their WiFi is a joke. It works about 8% of the time, so my G1 (Google phone) is connected to the computer and provides me with an internet speed that I can live with.
It's not enough to seamlessly stream video, but then, I usually don't use it for that in any case.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Random tips
Gixen.com will save you cash when you use eBay, but remember to put in the absolute most you are willing to pay, and use random numbers. For instance, I often put in numbers like $102.23 if the most I want to pay is $100 or so (including shipping.
Always look at shipping!
Any website comparison is going to be difficult to do apples to apples, because they want to hide the amount of shipping and handling. Many times they will make you enter your email address or shipping address before they will quote you on the shipping. Remember, you do not know how much the item costs until you finish looking at shipping.
Quality vs. Price vs. Condition
Many times a good price comes at the cost of quality, but not always. For instance, it is generally known that cheap shoes are cheap because they...well, are cheap. But you can still get great shoes for cheap on eBay, but you get a different condition. If you are buying an item that still has 90% of the usability left in it, why wouldn't it be a great idea to buy it for 1/2 (or less) the price?
Televisions.
Face it, since you're not going to stop watching TV you are going to always want one in your home. You can get a great price on an LCD or Plasma TV that has been used for quite some time, but WATCH OUT. Television sets have a usable life, and when that runs out you are going to have to replace the screen or some of the electronic boards and then you will have to make another purchase decision, so...avoid it. Don't buy a TV that you suspect is near the end of its usable life. Look instead for an off-brand TV that has good specs and compare them with new items and slightly used items (remember that people generally don't replace a perfectly good flat screen TV unless they think they can get a better picture with another one).
Caveat emptor (buyer beware).
Watch out for items that are too close to free or don't make sense at the price they are listed at. Nobody is going to sell you a working iPhone for $50--it's simply not going to happen. Especially watch out for items that pretty much everyone and their brother wants: brand name MP3 players, new console systems and other in-demand items are going to be price stabilized. This means that unless you are buying it stolen or through a connection from someone who doesn't care what they get out of it, you're pretty much going to be paying the same price as everyone else. Beware of links on Craigslist and beware of listings selling hundreds of bullion coins on eBay all at the same time.
Basically look into things that sound fishy. If you can, call the person on the phone and ferret it out. In some rare cases, you may find that the person who is selling the item is simply out of touch with reality and is offering an unbelievable deal.
There is a reason other people have not already purchased it!
When it comes to Craigslist and eBay items offered on a buy-it-now, there is a reason that it's still there. You need to understand that reason before you commit to it.
How about 100 Sterling Silver and CZ rings for $55.00 free shipping, BIN (Buy-It-Now) 3 days into the auction? (Average wholesale for items as described: $280-$450.)
Reason: It's fake silver.
New Nike inspired Airflex shoes size 10 for $19.99 with 5.99 shipping.
(Average retail for item as described: $180.)
Reason: It's not a Nike shoe.
32 inch HDTV (no brand listed, fuzzy picture, all it says is "works great" with a buy-it-now of $250.) (Average retail: $50-$3000.)
Reason1: It's not a flat screen, its a tube TV OR
Reason2: It's a moron selling it for his mother and everyone else thought it was the former.
You have to find out. It could be a great deal, it might not, but you have to figure it out.
Research, research, research!
No matter what you want to buy, the solution to the problem getting the best deal is either going to be either research or being a crack dealer. Either one will give you an edge over the average unmotivated person and can allow you to save some serious cash, though currently there is no law against research... so I would pick that.
Always look at shipping!
Any website comparison is going to be difficult to do apples to apples, because they want to hide the amount of shipping and handling. Many times they will make you enter your email address or shipping address before they will quote you on the shipping. Remember, you do not know how much the item costs until you finish looking at shipping.
Quality vs. Price vs. Condition
Many times a good price comes at the cost of quality, but not always. For instance, it is generally known that cheap shoes are cheap because they...well, are cheap. But you can still get great shoes for cheap on eBay, but you get a different condition. If you are buying an item that still has 90% of the usability left in it, why wouldn't it be a great idea to buy it for 1/2 (or less) the price?
Televisions.
Face it, since you're not going to stop watching TV you are going to always want one in your home. You can get a great price on an LCD or Plasma TV that has been used for quite some time, but WATCH OUT. Television sets have a usable life, and when that runs out you are going to have to replace the screen or some of the electronic boards and then you will have to make another purchase decision, so...avoid it. Don't buy a TV that you suspect is near the end of its usable life. Look instead for an off-brand TV that has good specs and compare them with new items and slightly used items (remember that people generally don't replace a perfectly good flat screen TV unless they think they can get a better picture with another one).
Caveat emptor (buyer beware).
Watch out for items that are too close to free or don't make sense at the price they are listed at. Nobody is going to sell you a working iPhone for $50--it's simply not going to happen. Especially watch out for items that pretty much everyone and their brother wants: brand name MP3 players, new console systems and other in-demand items are going to be price stabilized. This means that unless you are buying it stolen or through a connection from someone who doesn't care what they get out of it, you're pretty much going to be paying the same price as everyone else. Beware of links on Craigslist and beware of listings selling hundreds of bullion coins on eBay all at the same time.
Basically look into things that sound fishy. If you can, call the person on the phone and ferret it out. In some rare cases, you may find that the person who is selling the item is simply out of touch with reality and is offering an unbelievable deal.
There is a reason other people have not already purchased it!
When it comes to Craigslist and eBay items offered on a buy-it-now, there is a reason that it's still there. You need to understand that reason before you commit to it.
How about 100 Sterling Silver and CZ rings for $55.00 free shipping, BIN (Buy-It-Now) 3 days into the auction? (Average wholesale for items as described: $280-$450.)
Reason: It's fake silver.
New Nike inspired Airflex shoes size 10 for $19.99 with 5.99 shipping.
(Average retail for item as described: $180.)
Reason: It's not a Nike shoe.
32 inch HDTV (no brand listed, fuzzy picture, all it says is "works great" with a buy-it-now of $250.) (Average retail: $50-$3000.)
Reason1: It's not a flat screen, its a tube TV OR
Reason2: It's a moron selling it for his mother and everyone else thought it was the former.
You have to find out. It could be a great deal, it might not, but you have to figure it out.
Research, research, research!
No matter what you want to buy, the solution to the problem getting the best deal is either going to be either research or being a crack dealer. Either one will give you an edge over the average unmotivated person and can allow you to save some serious cash, though currently there is no law against research... so I would pick that.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Craigslist
Craigslist is a fantastic resource for almost anything that is bulky or heavy. Things that won't well well on eBay are found in great supply on your local Craigslist site.
Most people who live in larger cities will get the most use out of it, but it is possible to get great deals from locals even if you live out in the country (you might even get a better deal than in the big cities in some instances).
When it comes to Craigslist stategy, it depends on what you are looking for. For instance, if you see a great price on a flat-screen tv that was just listed, or any other high-demand item, don't bother trying to haggle, just call (if they listed their phone number) or e-mail and tell them that you want it, and have cash in hand.
For items that have a lower demand or that Craigslist is flooded with, such as couches, beds, workout equipment, and so forth, look for items that have been on there for 3 days or more, and send in your low-ball offer. You will likely want to e-mail several people and tell them that you are going to take the first person who says yes.
Craigslist is basically a huge online garage sale and car-mart. you can find everything you need to deck out your home at drastically reduced prices. And as with eBay, you want to pay attention to poorly listed items that you can research. Many people on Craigslist do not pay attention to the type of information that buyers are looking for, and in a crowded market, you may get a fantastic price on items that are missing the length and width measurements, or items without pictures. If the lister has a phone number, feel free to call them and pump them for information that they should have put on the listing in the first place; for instance, I was looking for an LED sign that was programmable, and found that one person had one that originally sold for over $2000 listed for $40. He neglected to put LED in the title or description, so I found it by searching for "lighted sign" and came up with his listing. After calling, I was able to find out exactly what it was and how much it should be going for. Unfortunatly, it did not meet my needs very well, and so I went with one off of eBay for $150, which is serving its purpose well.
Searching for items will easily get you what you want, but you have to be persistant; if you want an item that everyone else wants, you are likely going to have to be creative in your searching to get a great deal. Searching for misspelled items is a great way to do that.
You can also look for skilled labor on Craigslist. If you want to find someone who installs carpet or does welding, look for it in the jobs section; but be careful, people who are looking for a job and have a skill that is in demand are going to likely have character flaws, poor workmanship, or demand top dollar. But if you are desperate you will have a hard time beating the quotes you get, so long as you fully understand what you are looking for from people.
Here is a partial list of things that I have bought on Craigslist:
Couch
chairs
flooring installer
carpet and installation
bedroom furniture set
night stands
TV
Granite countertops
kitchen cabinets
Cooktop
washer and dryer
bricks (free!)
Home Depot Gift Card
workout machine
rings
woodworking tools
I have saved at least $10,000 by buying things I needed for my home on Craigslist vs. paying the lowest retail price for any of it.
My best deals on Craigslist are:
$300 complete home workout machine: $50
$200 HDTV: $50
$15,000 kitchen setup (granite counters, wood cabinets, sink, faucet, microwave, dishwasher, icemaker):$1,800
$900 carpets in 3 rooms and installation: $550
$100 worth of bricks: free
$200 display case: free
Make sure you have the ability to pick up the items you want. Usually that will involve a helper and a truck and a willingness to pick it up on the seller's schedule.
Many businesses also list on Craigslist and that can throw a wrench into the searching at times as the items you are looking for will generally be described as lightly used, but good quality, and businesses that are successful on CL are selling new low quality items. Make sure to do your research before you get on, and you will find everything that was AWESOME 10 years ago, for pennies on the dollar. And when it comes to things like tables, a little age does not hurt.
Most people who live in larger cities will get the most use out of it, but it is possible to get great deals from locals even if you live out in the country (you might even get a better deal than in the big cities in some instances).
When it comes to Craigslist stategy, it depends on what you are looking for. For instance, if you see a great price on a flat-screen tv that was just listed, or any other high-demand item, don't bother trying to haggle, just call (if they listed their phone number) or e-mail and tell them that you want it, and have cash in hand.
For items that have a lower demand or that Craigslist is flooded with, such as couches, beds, workout equipment, and so forth, look for items that have been on there for 3 days or more, and send in your low-ball offer. You will likely want to e-mail several people and tell them that you are going to take the first person who says yes.
Craigslist is basically a huge online garage sale and car-mart. you can find everything you need to deck out your home at drastically reduced prices. And as with eBay, you want to pay attention to poorly listed items that you can research. Many people on Craigslist do not pay attention to the type of information that buyers are looking for, and in a crowded market, you may get a fantastic price on items that are missing the length and width measurements, or items without pictures. If the lister has a phone number, feel free to call them and pump them for information that they should have put on the listing in the first place; for instance, I was looking for an LED sign that was programmable, and found that one person had one that originally sold for over $2000 listed for $40. He neglected to put LED in the title or description, so I found it by searching for "lighted sign" and came up with his listing. After calling, I was able to find out exactly what it was and how much it should be going for. Unfortunatly, it did not meet my needs very well, and so I went with one off of eBay for $150, which is serving its purpose well.
Searching for items will easily get you what you want, but you have to be persistant; if you want an item that everyone else wants, you are likely going to have to be creative in your searching to get a great deal. Searching for misspelled items is a great way to do that.
You can also look for skilled labor on Craigslist. If you want to find someone who installs carpet or does welding, look for it in the jobs section; but be careful, people who are looking for a job and have a skill that is in demand are going to likely have character flaws, poor workmanship, or demand top dollar. But if you are desperate you will have a hard time beating the quotes you get, so long as you fully understand what you are looking for from people.
Here is a partial list of things that I have bought on Craigslist:
Couch
chairs
flooring installer
carpet and installation
bedroom furniture set
night stands
TV
Granite countertops
kitchen cabinets
Cooktop
washer and dryer
bricks (free!)
Home Depot Gift Card
workout machine
rings
woodworking tools
I have saved at least $10,000 by buying things I needed for my home on Craigslist vs. paying the lowest retail price for any of it.
My best deals on Craigslist are:
$300 complete home workout machine: $50
$200 HDTV: $50
$15,000 kitchen setup (granite counters, wood cabinets, sink, faucet, microwave, dishwasher, icemaker):$1,800
$900 carpets in 3 rooms and installation: $550
$100 worth of bricks: free
$200 display case: free
Make sure you have the ability to pick up the items you want. Usually that will involve a helper and a truck and a willingness to pick it up on the seller's schedule.
Many businesses also list on Craigslist and that can throw a wrench into the searching at times as the items you are looking for will generally be described as lightly used, but good quality, and businesses that are successful on CL are selling new low quality items. Make sure to do your research before you get on, and you will find everything that was AWESOME 10 years ago, for pennies on the dollar. And when it comes to things like tables, a little age does not hurt.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Service Magic
Sometimes you need a site that is going to connect you with only qualified repair people.
If you need an electrician, plumber or A/C repair guy, Service Magic is a website that will allow you to have qualified technicians call you and offer their services. The reason this is very helpful when it comes to getting your services for less is that whoever calls you knows that there are going to be at least 4 or 5 more calls coming in as well and that more than likely, you're going to pick one of them. I was able to talk $250 off the installation price of my Air Conditioning unit, simply by telling the first person that called that if they wanted the job, then they would have to give me a price so good, that I wasn't tempted to call around on it. He ended up installing the entire unit for $200 including freon.
Another great thing about Service Magic is that you get the most motivated people calling you first, and the most motivated people generally make the hardest workers. When I received another call after the first person I spoke with, they said that they could not match their price, and questioned whether the person that I was going with was qualified or not. That is always a great sign that you got a great service deal.
The main thing to know before you go to Service Magic what you are going to need to be done. It's hard to get a quote on something you are clueless about! So, first go find a DIY type website that shows how to fix the issue that you are having and get the terminology straight. For instance, before I called the A/C installer, I found that I was going to need some freon to fill the line from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit, that I would need a concrete pad (which I happened to have), and that I needed someone certified with the EPA in order for my 20-year warranty to be valid. I went ahead and checked to see if I could find any difficulties with the old units being taken out (which might have taken more time); I decided it would likely be a pretty quick job for both the indoor unit and the condenser--and, armed with that knowledge, I was able to inform the installer.
Where I live it isn't going to pay me back to put a lot of money into my house, so every penny counts when it comes to hiring a professional for less.
In another case I might have gotten a quote and then shopped several other companies until I was comfortable that I was getting the best deal.
If you need an electrician, plumber or A/C repair guy, Service Magic is a website that will allow you to have qualified technicians call you and offer their services. The reason this is very helpful when it comes to getting your services for less is that whoever calls you knows that there are going to be at least 4 or 5 more calls coming in as well and that more than likely, you're going to pick one of them. I was able to talk $250 off the installation price of my Air Conditioning unit, simply by telling the first person that called that if they wanted the job, then they would have to give me a price so good, that I wasn't tempted to call around on it. He ended up installing the entire unit for $200 including freon.
Another great thing about Service Magic is that you get the most motivated people calling you first, and the most motivated people generally make the hardest workers. When I received another call after the first person I spoke with, they said that they could not match their price, and questioned whether the person that I was going with was qualified or not. That is always a great sign that you got a great service deal.
The main thing to know before you go to Service Magic what you are going to need to be done. It's hard to get a quote on something you are clueless about! So, first go find a DIY type website that shows how to fix the issue that you are having and get the terminology straight. For instance, before I called the A/C installer, I found that I was going to need some freon to fill the line from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit, that I would need a concrete pad (which I happened to have), and that I needed someone certified with the EPA in order for my 20-year warranty to be valid. I went ahead and checked to see if I could find any difficulties with the old units being taken out (which might have taken more time); I decided it would likely be a pretty quick job for both the indoor unit and the condenser--and, armed with that knowledge, I was able to inform the installer.
Where I live it isn't going to pay me back to put a lot of money into my house, so every penny counts when it comes to hiring a professional for less.
In another case I might have gotten a quote and then shopped several other companies until I was comfortable that I was getting the best deal.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
How to Save Thousands by buying on eBay, part four
Another Tip that could get you a BIG SCORE
Do you like playing the lottery, but don't like having to buy a ticket? Then this tip could work out great for you.
When an item is listed on eBay, it generally takes over an hour for that item to be included in search results, which means that if you browse the whole category (or all of eBay) you can sometimes get an incredible steal.
For instance, I know about gemstones, especially exotic and rare gems that most people have never heard of. I was looking for my favorite gemstone, Benitoite, and I came across a 4 carat Benitoite in an 18k gold ring, with a "Buy-It-Now" of $800 which seems reasonable for many gemstones--unless you realize that a Benitoite over 3 carats has not been sold in the public for over 10 years, period. Also you would need to know that there is only one mine for that gem, which at that point had been shut down. I came across this gem when I did not have $800 to my name, and my parents would not lend me the $800 I needed to make the purchase (despite it being worth at least $40,000) so I was flat out of luck. I decided to contact the seller who was completely clueless about this gemstone. He immediately took down the listing, and told me the story. Apparently his mother had dated the owner of the mine when it was in peak production and he saved one of the 100 largest stones to ever come out of the mine for her as a present. The seller's mother went on to marry someone else, and the ring sat in the jewelry box for over 15 years, collecting dust until it was time to eBay some items.
It is possible to still get deals like this, especially if you have a particular area of interest that would allow you to identify an item that is worth many times the Buy-It-Now price.
If you have a wide area of expertise, or a lot of time on your hands, you can actually make money on eBay without having any item to sell, technically legally.
It's what I call eBay double-closing.
What you do is find the 3 Stooges Cookie Jar (or whatever) for $50 and buy it now. If the seller does not need immediate payment, then you put the same picture or a stock photo up in your own listing and sell it on a 1 day auction with immediate payment required. Then as soon as your auction closes, you give the shipping information of your buyer, to the seller of the original auction, and keep the profit of $200.
It's probably somehow against the eBay terms of service, though I don't know for sure, of course. I know it's not against eBay terms to sell it again as soon as you receive the item.
For instance, I was doing research on eBay because I was going to a video store closing several years back and I learned that there were several titles that go for quite a pretty penny. One of them is called Rad and it's about trick bike riding or skateboarding or something like that. Average sales price was $45 and I saw one for $5, so I bought it and immediately relisted it with a combination of pictures and information gleaned from other auctions. It went for $40 and after eBay fees of about $8 I took home a little over $25 for doing nothing other than knowing more than other sellers and typing a bit.
Quality!
eBay is NOT the best place if you demand the highest quality. If you do, you probably aren't going to save a whole lot, but if you are willing to get a great deal for a slightly lower quality item, chances are you can do the exact same things with it, and have saved way more than you thought you could.
Right now, I am about to purchase a Flat Screen TV, as the prices may be possibly have dropped enough to put one in my price range. I will not reveal anything else about it until the auction closes. But once it does, I will reveal another trick that can work well for certain items.
Do you like playing the lottery, but don't like having to buy a ticket? Then this tip could work out great for you.
When an item is listed on eBay, it generally takes over an hour for that item to be included in search results, which means that if you browse the whole category (or all of eBay) you can sometimes get an incredible steal.
For instance, I know about gemstones, especially exotic and rare gems that most people have never heard of. I was looking for my favorite gemstone, Benitoite, and I came across a 4 carat Benitoite in an 18k gold ring, with a "Buy-It-Now" of $800 which seems reasonable for many gemstones--unless you realize that a Benitoite over 3 carats has not been sold in the public for over 10 years, period. Also you would need to know that there is only one mine for that gem, which at that point had been shut down. I came across this gem when I did not have $800 to my name, and my parents would not lend me the $800 I needed to make the purchase (despite it being worth at least $40,000) so I was flat out of luck. I decided to contact the seller who was completely clueless about this gemstone. He immediately took down the listing, and told me the story. Apparently his mother had dated the owner of the mine when it was in peak production and he saved one of the 100 largest stones to ever come out of the mine for her as a present. The seller's mother went on to marry someone else, and the ring sat in the jewelry box for over 15 years, collecting dust until it was time to eBay some items.
It is possible to still get deals like this, especially if you have a particular area of interest that would allow you to identify an item that is worth many times the Buy-It-Now price.
If you have a wide area of expertise, or a lot of time on your hands, you can actually make money on eBay without having any item to sell, technically legally.
It's what I call eBay double-closing.
What you do is find the 3 Stooges Cookie Jar (or whatever) for $50 and buy it now. If the seller does not need immediate payment, then you put the same picture or a stock photo up in your own listing and sell it on a 1 day auction with immediate payment required. Then as soon as your auction closes, you give the shipping information of your buyer, to the seller of the original auction, and keep the profit of $200.
It's probably somehow against the eBay terms of service, though I don't know for sure, of course. I know it's not against eBay terms to sell it again as soon as you receive the item.
For instance, I was doing research on eBay because I was going to a video store closing several years back and I learned that there were several titles that go for quite a pretty penny. One of them is called Rad and it's about trick bike riding or skateboarding or something like that. Average sales price was $45 and I saw one for $5, so I bought it and immediately relisted it with a combination of pictures and information gleaned from other auctions. It went for $40 and after eBay fees of about $8 I took home a little over $25 for doing nothing other than knowing more than other sellers and typing a bit.
Quality!
eBay is NOT the best place if you demand the highest quality. If you do, you probably aren't going to save a whole lot, but if you are willing to get a great deal for a slightly lower quality item, chances are you can do the exact same things with it, and have saved way more than you thought you could.
Right now, I am about to purchase a Flat Screen TV, as the prices may be possibly have dropped enough to put one in my price range. I will not reveal anything else about it until the auction closes. But once it does, I will reveal another trick that can work well for certain items.
How to Save Thousands by buying on eBay, part three
Looking for a good deal that may seem suspicious?
When looking on eBay, you may think that the Wii going for $150 being sold by a person with 4 feedback, no picture, and a trite description may be fraudulent, but if they are from the US, then don't worry about it--because if it is a scam, PayPal will protect you. Sellers on eBay are much more likely to get hit with scams than buyers, but please note that if you are buying a Coach purse from China, or "sterling silver" from China (or pretty much anything valuable from China), they are more than likely completely fake. If you are buying anything from China and the price is really really good (including the shipping price...you have to pay that and sometimes it's more than the item itself is going for), please be aware that they are cheap there, they will find a way to make it for less and sell it for less, so when buying, think about that. That said, you can get great quality from China, but the prices won't be even 1/3rd of the regular price, and they will generally have a customer service number or a US representative when they are selling high quality goods (but not always).
For instance, I wanted a good a quality, automatic Skeleton dress watch (yeah, back to watches); not an easy thing to find for under $200, but what I did find was a "Sea-Gull" brand watch (a national Chinese brand name). This watch had the same movement as some Staur watches that sell for about $300. When I finally found the exact watch I wanted, I had a difficult time finding comparison prices--until I found that at that time, new Sea-Gull watches were officially banned from being sold in the U.S. outside of their official website, which was not up. Now I can see that I got a great deal: http://www.usseagull.com/m182sk.htm shows $185 for my watch and I got it for $155. However, at the time, the the seller was selling only two types of watches and vacuum tubes, which threw a red flag in my mind.
After a long wait, the watch finally arrived, but it was a risk that paid off, as I had a watch to wear with my tux for my wedding, and a great quality timepiece that will not go out of style. That was a risk that I would not take again if I wanted another item, because with the lack of having a watch store, the fact that they were from China, and the fact that there was no competition, pointed to something being wrong--and there was: the watches were being sold on the "grey" market. But it could have easily been something else, such as a fake watch (if there were such a thing...but there isn't because fake Swiss watches with Skeleton movements generally have the Sea-Gull movement).
I was able to find out all of that before I purchased the watch, and now I am glad I did, even though it was a risk.
Be Open
When you are looking for a fantastic price on something, it is often best to keep an open mind. If you only want Banana Republic pants, you might miss out on the equally great ones from Aeropostale.
When you are open to what brand or whether it is new or slightly used, then you are generally going to be faced with a large amount of items...pages upon pages of items, many of which are similar, clogging up the screen.
This is where being good with searching pays off.
For instance, try this eBay search with me.
"Leather Jacket XL (or your size if you prefer)" Search!
Wow, there are sure a lot of jackets out there... now, go over to the left and pick your gender in the categories offered.
Still a lot eh? And some really cheap prices: wonder why all the leather jackets seem to be $30? Click one at random (one without a big embroidered skull or heart) and you will likely see "Italian Stone" which is just a fancy way of saying "scraps of leather sewn together."
Now, you need to exclude all of those jackets, unless you are only planning on wearing it for a month and don't mind looking like you can't afford a real leather jacket. Put "leather jacket" YOURSIZE -(stone) (with the "leather Jacket in quotations, and the word stone in parenthesis just as it is written. Now you will have mostly real leather jackets, and you can decide if you want one over another based on your research and how they represent the quality.
When looking on eBay, you may think that the Wii going for $150 being sold by a person with 4 feedback, no picture, and a trite description may be fraudulent, but if they are from the US, then don't worry about it--because if it is a scam, PayPal will protect you. Sellers on eBay are much more likely to get hit with scams than buyers, but please note that if you are buying a Coach purse from China, or "sterling silver" from China (or pretty much anything valuable from China), they are more than likely completely fake. If you are buying anything from China and the price is really really good (including the shipping price...you have to pay that and sometimes it's more than the item itself is going for), please be aware that they are cheap there, they will find a way to make it for less and sell it for less, so when buying, think about that. That said, you can get great quality from China, but the prices won't be even 1/3rd of the regular price, and they will generally have a customer service number or a US representative when they are selling high quality goods (but not always).
For instance, I wanted a good a quality, automatic Skeleton dress watch (yeah, back to watches); not an easy thing to find for under $200, but what I did find was a "Sea-Gull" brand watch (a national Chinese brand name). This watch had the same movement as some Staur watches that sell for about $300. When I finally found the exact watch I wanted, I had a difficult time finding comparison prices--until I found that at that time, new Sea-Gull watches were officially banned from being sold in the U.S. outside of their official website, which was not up. Now I can see that I got a great deal: http://www.usseagull.com/m182sk.htm shows $185 for my watch and I got it for $155. However, at the time, the the seller was selling only two types of watches and vacuum tubes, which threw a red flag in my mind.
After a long wait, the watch finally arrived, but it was a risk that paid off, as I had a watch to wear with my tux for my wedding, and a great quality timepiece that will not go out of style. That was a risk that I would not take again if I wanted another item, because with the lack of having a watch store, the fact that they were from China, and the fact that there was no competition, pointed to something being wrong--and there was: the watches were being sold on the "grey" market. But it could have easily been something else, such as a fake watch (if there were such a thing...but there isn't because fake Swiss watches with Skeleton movements generally have the Sea-Gull movement).
I was able to find out all of that before I purchased the watch, and now I am glad I did, even though it was a risk.
Be Open
When you are looking for a fantastic price on something, it is often best to keep an open mind. If you only want Banana Republic pants, you might miss out on the equally great ones from Aeropostale.
When you are open to what brand or whether it is new or slightly used, then you are generally going to be faced with a large amount of items...pages upon pages of items, many of which are similar, clogging up the screen.
This is where being good with searching pays off.
For instance, try this eBay search with me.
"Leather Jacket XL (or your size if you prefer)" Search!
Wow, there are sure a lot of jackets out there... now, go over to the left and pick your gender in the categories offered.
Still a lot eh? And some really cheap prices: wonder why all the leather jackets seem to be $30? Click one at random (one without a big embroidered skull or heart) and you will likely see "Italian Stone" which is just a fancy way of saying "scraps of leather sewn together."
Now, you need to exclude all of those jackets, unless you are only planning on wearing it for a month and don't mind looking like you can't afford a real leather jacket. Put "leather jacket" YOURSIZE -(stone) (with the "leather Jacket in quotations, and the word stone in parenthesis just as it is written. Now you will have mostly real leather jackets, and you can decide if you want one over another based on your research and how they represent the quality.
How to Save Thousands by buying on eBay, part two
Gixen is a free service that allows you to save about 5% or more on items, and if you use it enough, you will find it's a fantastic service.
Gixen will bid for you--in the last 10 seconds of the auction. This may seem kind of silly, after all, it doesn't matter who bids first or last, as long as your bid is highest (in all cases but a tied bid).
But if you have found an item you want and it's currently under what you figure it will sell for, then what you can do is put a Gixen bid on it (remember to bid absolutely as much as you are willing to pay). This will: 1)Keep it more of a secret if it currently does not have any bids, and 2) If it does have a bid, it will take a chance away from that seller to top your bid. In rare items, this is absolutely neccesary, and doesn't hurt 99.999% of the time. The only time that putting a Gixen bid on an item might hurt you is if there is already a bid on the item (you can't see the max bid of other bidders) and that bid is the most the other bidder is willing to spend to the penny, and you Gixen it for that same amount, the other person will win.
I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of silver jewelry on eBay and I have saved about 30-80% over traditional wholesale, which allows me to sell my jewelry at about or slightly above traditional wholesale.
Whatever you buy, get it on eBay for less. There is a really good reason to buy on eBay, even if it's going to be the same price as a retail store. First off, you don't have to drive to the electronics store, you get to keep the time you save and the gas and wear and tear on your vehicle, but also you can get eBay on your side.
Long ago, eBay had one of the worst customer service reputations on the planet (other than some third-world dictatorships). You literally had to show up inSan Jose in California
Now, eBay has fantastic customer service, short hold times, and competent people that can actually DO something about an issue, instead of simply TELL you about it, like they used to do before. But there is more...
By purchasing a decent amount from eBay, You can be eligible to accumulate eBay Bucks!
eBay Bucks sends you a rebate equal to 2% of the purchase price of each item you buy (not including shipping) every 3 months which you can spend on ANYTHING on eBay!
And by purchasing A LOT from eBay, you can get to be a VIP member.
SHH... this is a secret and I don't want you to spread it around, so listen close: I not only get kickbacks from eBay, but I get special treatment from eBay, a secret phone number to talk to my eBay representative team (I have tested this, it's 100% true). Also, sometimes they will just give you a certificate for $5 or $10 off any item, or double or triple eBay bucks! Right now I am about to get $70 in items for FREE, which I might be able to resell for more at the store.
By purchasing a lot from eBay I have been able to avoid taking losses from misrepresented items, as eBay will stand behind me as a VIP.
Gixen will bid for you--in the last 10 seconds of the auction. This may seem kind of silly, after all, it doesn't matter who bids first or last, as long as your bid is highest (in all cases but a tied bid).
But if you have found an item you want and it's currently under what you figure it will sell for, then what you can do is put a Gixen bid on it (remember to bid absolutely as much as you are willing to pay). This will: 1)Keep it more of a secret if it currently does not have any bids, and 2) If it does have a bid, it will take a chance away from that seller to top your bid. In rare items, this is absolutely neccesary, and doesn't hurt 99.999% of the time. The only time that putting a Gixen bid on an item might hurt you is if there is already a bid on the item (you can't see the max bid of other bidders) and that bid is the most the other bidder is willing to spend to the penny, and you Gixen it for that same amount, the other person will win.
I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of silver jewelry on eBay and I have saved about 30-80% over traditional wholesale, which allows me to sell my jewelry at about or slightly above traditional wholesale.
Whatever you buy, get it on eBay for less. There is a really good reason to buy on eBay, even if it's going to be the same price as a retail store. First off, you don't have to drive to the electronics store, you get to keep the time you save and the gas and wear and tear on your vehicle, but also you can get eBay on your side.
Long ago, eBay had one of the worst customer service reputations on the planet (other than some third-world dictatorships). You literally had to show up in
Now, eBay has fantastic customer service, short hold times, and competent people that can actually DO something about an issue, instead of simply TELL you about it, like they used to do before. But there is more...
By purchasing a decent amount from eBay, You can be eligible to accumulate eBay Bucks!
eBay Bucks sends you a rebate equal to 2% of the purchase price of each item you buy (not including shipping) every 3 months which you can spend on ANYTHING on eBay!
And by purchasing A LOT from eBay, you can get to be a VIP member.
SHH... this is a secret and I don't want you to spread it around, so listen close: I not only get kickbacks from eBay, but I get special treatment from eBay, a secret phone number to talk to my eBay representative team (I have tested this, it's 100% true). Also, sometimes they will just give you a certificate for $5 or $10 off any item, or double or triple eBay bucks! Right now I am about to get $70 in items for FREE, which I might be able to resell for more at the store.
By purchasing a lot from eBay I have been able to avoid taking losses from misrepresented items, as eBay will stand behind me as a VIP.
How to Save Thousands by buying on eBay, part one
All rights reserved: you may not copy this or in any other way use this content for your own website or blog, but you may link to it.
If you want to save serious cash, this is what you need to know. I have saved literally thousands of dollars every year by buying on eBay, and you can too.
What can you buy?
Well, pretty much anything. There are of course items that eBay does not allow to be sold, but that doesn't mean you can't sometimes find them. Pretty much everything you could want you can find on eBay for less, often MUCH less.
Here is a partial list of things that I have purchased on eBay:
Vehicles
Computers
Food
Spices
Rings
Jewelry displays
Clothing
Bed
Gemological equipment
Shoes
Car parts
Pearls
Gemstones
Scales (large and small)
Computer accessories
Testing equipment
Gold Bullion
Silver Bullion
There are several strategies when it comes to buying items on eBay, and they all involve research. Just because you don't know what you are looking at when you see it, doesn't mean you cannot know everything there is to know about the item within minutes.
For instance:
I purchased a Homedics scale on eBay two days ago. The wife wanted to go to Bed Bath and Beyond and get the one they had on sale with the coupon she has. With tax, it would have come out to $34.89 (I did the math). Now that I knew what I wanted and the features, I searched eBay for a scale, and found one that had about 3X as many features and glowing reviews on it (Amazon.com reviews). I also found out that it was featured in a large fitness magazine and got glowing reviews. Currently the item sells on some websites for $60 + shipping and originally it sold for $89 plus tax. I found that the item is no longer selling in stores and a newer, fancier looking machine had now replaced it. I was able to purchase the scale for $15.00 after shipping.
Another instance:
A Wilson's Leather Lamb Skin Jacket that sells new for $200 (originally $450) I got in near-new condition for $35 shipped.
In almost every case I find that laziness on the part of the seller results in a lower purchase price. If you don't put the model number, the gender that the clothes are meant for, the color, etc., you are generally going to see a lower price.
Also, there are times that putting an item in the wrong category can prevent it from selling at a good price.
First Step: What do you want?
For the sake of argument, lets say that you are looking for an Oris Titan Chronograph with the rubber strap (Swiss diver's watch). You went to a high-end jewelry store and found one that you love; only problem is that it's $3,050 (the store probably would give you 15% off, so the actual cost would be $2,800 after taxes). So, how do you find it for less? You go to eBay. On the home page, I typed in "oris titan" and left off the chronograph; hopefully someone emitted it or misspelled it, and also, by not going directly to the watches category and doing my search there, perhaps I will find one that was mis-categorized.
I find Item# 350260225408 at $1,495.00 Looks fantastic, amazing price. Then I see the seller's feedback which numbers over 1000, and 100% positive. I also find that the seller is based in the US. Fantastic. No worries there. He did make a mistake, however, by not including the word Chronograph (which adds about $1000 to the price vs the non-chronograph model).
Do I want it? WAIT! I still don't know enough yet. Next I go back to the search results, select "ended items only" and see what the watch sold for in the past, if possible. It prompts me for my username and password and then shows me 15 days or so of completed items, usually most of which are not what I am looking for.
If you are looking for a main item (computer, watch, tv, etc.) and not an accessory, search by high price first. I see that one with a metal strap went without a bidder for $1,235.00. It's not technically new, but comes with box and papers. Now, if I decided I wanted this one instead, I would click on the link "see other items" and check to see if the seller has relisted it. In this case, he has not. But that does not mean I cannot still get it. Send the seller a question, using a link from one of their other auctions, or better yet, track down their contact info.
I will do that for this seller to I can see what I can find. He gives us great info to track him down. He has his business name as his eBay store name, and I can see that name of the city he lives in. Bingo! After entering that info into Google, I now have his phone number so I can call him up and offer 3% under the listing's end price. Chances are I will be able to get it without a problem.
But say I didn't want the one with the metal strap (they can catch arm hairs sometimes). The other one that was up at $1495.00 is a great deal--it has sold before at that price and also at a little higher price. Either way, on that one purchase you save at least $1,300.00 Not so hard.
The things that you are going to be able to get the best deals on are high quality items in near new condition, like my shoes that I purchased for $15.00: Nike Air Monarch III's (had it listed without the "III"). I am wearing them now and I can tell that the most wear these received was a walk around the block perhaps twice. If I had gone into a retail store, I would have not been able to get away without spending $60 for the same pair, even if I had a coupon.
Generally super-hot items are going to be difficult to get for too much under the retail price. For items like the Wii, Iphone, and certain designer brands, eBay will still get you the best price, but not a huge amount off.
Everything else, however, you can get for 50% off at least...did you know you can buy honey on eBay? You can get specialty candies, neon signs...pretty much everything that can be shipped easily you can get on eBay for a small amount.
If you want to save serious cash, this is what you need to know. I have saved literally thousands of dollars every year by buying on eBay, and you can too.
What can you buy?
Well, pretty much anything. There are of course items that eBay does not allow to be sold, but that doesn't mean you can't sometimes find them. Pretty much everything you could want you can find on eBay for less, often MUCH less.
Here is a partial list of things that I have purchased on eBay:
Vehicles
Computers
Food
Spices
Rings
Jewelry displays
Clothing
Bed
Gemological equipment
Shoes
Car parts
Pearls
Gemstones
Scales (large and small)
Computer accessories
Testing equipment
Gold Bullion
Silver Bullion
There are several strategies when it comes to buying items on eBay, and they all involve research. Just because you don't know what you are looking at when you see it, doesn't mean you cannot know everything there is to know about the item within minutes.
For instance:
I purchased a Homedics scale on eBay two days ago. The wife wanted to go to Bed Bath and Beyond and get the one they had on sale with the coupon she has. With tax, it would have come out to $34.89 (I did the math). Now that I knew what I wanted and the features, I searched eBay for a scale, and found one that had about 3X as many features and glowing reviews on it (Amazon.com reviews). I also found out that it was featured in a large fitness magazine and got glowing reviews. Currently the item sells on some websites for $60 + shipping and originally it sold for $89 plus tax. I found that the item is no longer selling in stores and a newer, fancier looking machine had now replaced it. I was able to purchase the scale for $15.00 after shipping.
Another instance:
A Wilson's Leather Lamb Skin Jacket that sells new for $200 (originally $450) I got in near-new condition for $35 shipped.
In almost every case I find that laziness on the part of the seller results in a lower purchase price. If you don't put the model number, the gender that the clothes are meant for, the color, etc., you are generally going to see a lower price.
Also, there are times that putting an item in the wrong category can prevent it from selling at a good price.
First Step: What do you want?
For the sake of argument, lets say that you are looking for an Oris Titan Chronograph with the rubber strap (Swiss diver's watch). You went to a high-end jewelry store and found one that you love; only problem is that it's $3,050 (the store probably would give you 15% off, so the actual cost would be $2,800 after taxes). So, how do you find it for less? You go to eBay. On the home page, I typed in "oris titan" and left off the chronograph; hopefully someone emitted it or misspelled it, and also, by not going directly to the watches category and doing my search there, perhaps I will find one that was mis-categorized.
I find Item# 350260225408 at $1,495.00 Looks fantastic, amazing price. Then I see the seller's feedback which numbers over 1000, and 100% positive. I also find that the seller is based in the US. Fantastic. No worries there. He did make a mistake, however, by not including the word Chronograph (which adds about $1000 to the price vs the non-chronograph model).
Do I want it? WAIT! I still don't know enough yet. Next I go back to the search results, select "ended items only" and see what the watch sold for in the past, if possible. It prompts me for my username and password and then shows me 15 days or so of completed items, usually most of which are not what I am looking for.
If you are looking for a main item (computer, watch, tv, etc.) and not an accessory, search by high price first. I see that one with a metal strap went without a bidder for $1,235.00. It's not technically new, but comes with box and papers. Now, if I decided I wanted this one instead, I would click on the link "see other items" and check to see if the seller has relisted it. In this case, he has not. But that does not mean I cannot still get it. Send the seller a question, using a link from one of their other auctions, or better yet, track down their contact info.
I will do that for this seller to I can see what I can find. He gives us great info to track him down. He has his business name as his eBay store name, and I can see that name of the city he lives in. Bingo! After entering that info into Google, I now have his phone number so I can call him up and offer 3% under the listing's end price. Chances are I will be able to get it without a problem.
But say I didn't want the one with the metal strap (they can catch arm hairs sometimes). The other one that was up at $1495.00 is a great deal--it has sold before at that price and also at a little higher price. Either way, on that one purchase you save at least $1,300.00 Not so hard.
The things that you are going to be able to get the best deals on are high quality items in near new condition, like my shoes that I purchased for $15.00: Nike Air Monarch III's (had it listed without the "III"). I am wearing them now and I can tell that the most wear these received was a walk around the block perhaps twice. If I had gone into a retail store, I would have not been able to get away without spending $60 for the same pair, even if I had a coupon.
Generally super-hot items are going to be difficult to get for too much under the retail price. For items like the Wii, Iphone, and certain designer brands, eBay will still get you the best price, but not a huge amount off.
Everything else, however, you can get for 50% off at least...did you know you can buy honey on eBay? You can get specialty candies, neon signs...pretty much everything that can be shipped easily you can get on eBay for a small amount.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Latest Deal
So, I just got another steal from one of my favorite places on the Internet.
eBay!
Here is the bargain:
A super high quality lambskin leather jacket made by Pelle Studio.
This ONE sold by Wilson's leather.
While you can see it on eBay, HERE
If not, let's point out what made it go for so little, despite a seemingly well written auction.
Title: Wilson's leather jacket black size 3X
Catagories: Men's outerwear; Women's outerwear
Description:
This is an absolutely beautiful Wilson's leather jacket in mint condition. The color is black, it has a zipper up the front and snaps on the sleeves. It, also, has a removable lining so it can be worn all winter. It has pockets on each side in the front and two pockets inside. It is from Pelle Studio, made of Italian leather. The size is 3X. This is indeed a jacket to wear with pride and prestige.
Measurements: length 31 ins. back 22 ins. sleeves 31 ins.
Bidding starts at just $ 24.99 plus shipping.
They had a really nice picture using eBay's picture service.
It was a bad listing if they wanted to make money or at least get a decent amount back. A great price for this jacket on eBay would be $120 shipped. Here is why I got it for so low.
They put it both men's and women's categories! HUUUGE mistake. Guys don't want a women's jacket even if it did fit them in places. True or not guys have the idea that women's clothes are cut differently, which is true for pants but may or may not be for leather jackets. Also, Men's 3X is 100% different than women's 3x.
Now, if you're not too lazy, you will hunt down a tape measure and measure yourself. I did. This is a men's jacket. But most people will not do this, and MOST of the "leather jackets" on eBay are around the $25 start price of this auction. The reason for this is that they are scrap leather jackets. They are cheaply made jackets made out of the scraps from car leather, upholstery leather, other full leather jackets, etc. Then those jackets are sprayed black, so they can bleed badly. About 90% of the "leather jackets" on eBay are this type, and if you are going to sell a jacket that is actually really good quality, you need to set yourself apart.
Description problems:
Why on earth would you say it's black, when you have a freaking photo? I have no idea either. They did not mention the gender, which is really bad, but then in the title they call it "Wilson's leather" jacket, but in the description it says it is from Pelle Studio, well, technically, it's true, they are both, but they should have put "Pelle Studio Black Men's Lamb Leather Jacket 3x 3XL"
This would grab all the keywords and set them apart from the other auctions, people searching for black would get this auction, for lamb, etc. Also you get both versions of the size; 3x and 3XL.
Also, they did not put a larger picture in the description by hosting the picture themselves. This auction was put up by someone who knows nothing of sales-they DO know that they were impressed by the quality and prominence of this jacket, but fall short in transferring that belief to others. If you want to sell that aspect of it, you need to talk about Wilson's leather (the company that sells this jacket), the brand Pelle Studio, and you need to mention the retail price, where their stores are, etc.
They didn't, so this jacket went for a sick low price. The price I wanted to pay.
Thing is, though, most eBayers are lazy, and because of that, they did not get one other bid. Other than mine, that is. I actually bid over $100 for this jacket, as this one would fit me perfectly and last me quite some time. Over all I saved myself about $20 over a similar jacket that was also selling at the time, but the one I got is clearly better quality.
So, folks, if you're selling something expensive on eBay, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
Think about what made YOU buy it, then show those things to the customer, and you will get tons more money.
Next, the hard part.
Finding these bargains and grabbing them (note, any tips here will become more useless when more people start taking advantage of them; i.e., looking for misspellings. Misspelling "diamond" will actually get you more bids than spelling it normally).
NEXT POST the $1000 post. THIS NEXT POST WILL SAVE YOU $1000 over the course of a year if you do it right.
eBay!
Here is the bargain:
A super high quality lambskin leather jacket made by Pelle Studio.
This ONE sold by Wilson's leather.
While you can see it on eBay, HERE
If not, let's point out what made it go for so little, despite a seemingly well written auction.
Title: Wilson's leather jacket black size 3X
Catagories: Men's outerwear; Women's outerwear
Description:
This is an absolutely beautiful Wilson's leather jacket in mint condition. The color is black, it has a zipper up the front and snaps on the sleeves. It, also, has a removable lining so it can be worn all winter. It has pockets on each side in the front and two pockets inside. It is from Pelle Studio, made of Italian leather. The size is 3X. This is indeed a jacket to wear with pride and prestige.
Measurements: length 31 ins. back 22 ins. sleeves 31 ins.
Bidding starts at just $ 24.99 plus shipping.
They had a really nice picture using eBay's picture service.
It was a bad listing if they wanted to make money or at least get a decent amount back. A great price for this jacket on eBay would be $120 shipped. Here is why I got it for so low.
They put it both men's and women's categories! HUUUGE mistake. Guys don't want a women's jacket even if it did fit them in places. True or not guys have the idea that women's clothes are cut differently, which is true for pants but may or may not be for leather jackets. Also, Men's 3X is 100% different than women's 3x.
Now, if you're not too lazy, you will hunt down a tape measure and measure yourself. I did. This is a men's jacket. But most people will not do this, and MOST of the "leather jackets" on eBay are around the $25 start price of this auction. The reason for this is that they are scrap leather jackets. They are cheaply made jackets made out of the scraps from car leather, upholstery leather, other full leather jackets, etc. Then those jackets are sprayed black, so they can bleed badly. About 90% of the "leather jackets" on eBay are this type, and if you are going to sell a jacket that is actually really good quality, you need to set yourself apart.
Description problems:
Why on earth would you say it's black, when you have a freaking photo? I have no idea either. They did not mention the gender, which is really bad, but then in the title they call it "Wilson's leather" jacket, but in the description it says it is from Pelle Studio, well, technically, it's true, they are both, but they should have put "Pelle Studio Black Men's Lamb Leather Jacket 3x 3XL"
This would grab all the keywords and set them apart from the other auctions, people searching for black would get this auction, for lamb, etc. Also you get both versions of the size; 3x and 3XL.
Also, they did not put a larger picture in the description by hosting the picture themselves. This auction was put up by someone who knows nothing of sales-they DO know that they were impressed by the quality and prominence of this jacket, but fall short in transferring that belief to others. If you want to sell that aspect of it, you need to talk about Wilson's leather (the company that sells this jacket), the brand Pelle Studio, and you need to mention the retail price, where their stores are, etc.
They didn't, so this jacket went for a sick low price. The price I wanted to pay.
Thing is, though, most eBayers are lazy, and because of that, they did not get one other bid. Other than mine, that is. I actually bid over $100 for this jacket, as this one would fit me perfectly and last me quite some time. Over all I saved myself about $20 over a similar jacket that was also selling at the time, but the one I got is clearly better quality.
So, folks, if you're selling something expensive on eBay, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
Think about what made YOU buy it, then show those things to the customer, and you will get tons more money.
Next, the hard part.
Finding these bargains and grabbing them (note, any tips here will become more useless when more people start taking advantage of them; i.e., looking for misspellings. Misspelling "diamond" will actually get you more bids than spelling it normally).
NEXT POST the $1000 post. THIS NEXT POST WILL SAVE YOU $1000 over the course of a year if you do it right.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Vacation Time, part one: Hotels
Time to toot my own horn. I get fantastic deals on vacations, I don't mind saying. I have been pretty much anywhere in the U.S. worth visiting with the exception of Seattle. Anchorage to Alabama (you can miss AL), Texas to California, Hawaii, New York, Virginia Beach...you get the idea. I travel mostly for business, but I do a lot of travelling for fun as well, and you can have more fun in places than you ever thought possible with just a little research. I can save you a ton per year by having an adventurous spirit and a willingness to get a deal.
Timing.
Every summer people from hot areas go to cold ones, every winter, people from cold areas go to hot ones.
Pretty much a no-duh, right? I thought so too. By avoiding areas that have a special event going on at the time you book, or if you are planning on going to that special event, take a decent sized trip to get there from where you are staying, this can add up to tremendous savings.
Wanna get the best deals? Pick your vacation based on the deal, not on where you would really like to go. You probably have never thought of a trip to Arkansas, but if you do it right, you can have a blast for cheap. (Crater of Diamonds National Park near Murfesboro is a ton of fun.) Or pretty much anywhere. You might be surprised on what you can find within driving distance
Got a place in mind for your travels and are flexible about what kind of place you want to sleep at? Then Priceline is best for you. Pick 2 star and try $31 ($53 in CA, $112 in HI) per night and make sure you're choosing all the ares near where you want to be. You will more than likely get an Extended Stay America. These are places that come with a kitchen complete with plates and pots, a full sized fridge, possibly a pool, and a sparse breakfast on Mon-Fri. Depending on where you book, you can get a higher end ESA brand, such as Extended Stay Deluxe or Studio Suites.
Priceline would probably like to kill me for telling you this; I learned these numbers only after years of buying hotels, and with a few exceptions like resort towns in the summer or special events, you're going to get what I described about 80% of the time. The rest of the time is going to be split between places like La Quinta.
Another great idea when it comes to finding killer deals on lodging is actually calling the places. If you can't find get the prices mentioned when you name your own price, Google motel and the name of the city where you are going, then call the places and try to hammer out a similar price. You can get $30 a night in many places that Priceline won't partner with, but you have to actually get on the phone. I did that when going to Saginaw, MI over the Thanksgiving holiday. Priceline wasn't handing out the deals, so I got a place with comfortable and outdated furniture and a small fridge for about half of what Priceline or similar places wanted to give me.
Picky?
Well even if you are picky there are ways to get what you want for a little less. Picky people will almost never have the best deals, or the most interesting adventures, and take it from me, running the risk of getting a cheesy motel is completely outweighed by the fun you can have getting there. Anyway, if you want to go to a convention, book first. Many hotel websites will have specials for joining their mailing list or simply booking on their site. So, if you want a specific hotel at a specific time, you should probably get the booking done as soon as possible. Also, if you have AAA or are a senior, or have to stop on the way somewhere because of bad weather, illness, etc, many places have a distressed traveller discount.
Places to avoid.
America's Best Value
Under no circumstances accept a deal at this place. They have had their chance to reform and after staying at three of them in different places I can tell you that it's the only place I have stayed at that had roaches (and I Priceline EVERYTHING). The only places that Priceline will give you ABV (in Texas) is in San Antonio, Waco, and possibly New Braunfels.
You can actually call and cancel your reservation with Priceline when you name your own price. You do have to be persistent and insistent when calling, but the threat of having the credit card deny payment usually does the trick if it comes to that.
I once went to Ocala, FL and found that the room I had booked was actually cheaper if I booked direct (ValuePlace. Thin walls, no dishes or cookware, but a place to cook things and a full-sized fridge, never a pool and you can bet on begrudging service and hard beds).
Next time I visit Hotels, I am going to give you some great pointers on bed and breakfasts and cabins.
Timing.
Every summer people from hot areas go to cold ones, every winter, people from cold areas go to hot ones.
Pretty much a no-duh, right? I thought so too. By avoiding areas that have a special event going on at the time you book, or if you are planning on going to that special event, take a decent sized trip to get there from where you are staying, this can add up to tremendous savings.
Wanna get the best deals? Pick your vacation based on the deal, not on where you would really like to go. You probably have never thought of a trip to Arkansas, but if you do it right, you can have a blast for cheap. (Crater of Diamonds National Park near Murfesboro is a ton of fun.) Or pretty much anywhere. You might be surprised on what you can find within driving distance
Got a place in mind for your travels and are flexible about what kind of place you want to sleep at? Then Priceline is best for you. Pick 2 star and try $31 ($53 in CA, $112 in HI) per night and make sure you're choosing all the ares near where you want to be. You will more than likely get an Extended Stay America. These are places that come with a kitchen complete with plates and pots, a full sized fridge, possibly a pool, and a sparse breakfast on Mon-Fri. Depending on where you book, you can get a higher end ESA brand, such as Extended Stay Deluxe or Studio Suites.
Priceline would probably like to kill me for telling you this; I learned these numbers only after years of buying hotels, and with a few exceptions like resort towns in the summer or special events, you're going to get what I described about 80% of the time. The rest of the time is going to be split between places like La Quinta.
Another great idea when it comes to finding killer deals on lodging is actually calling the places. If you can't find get the prices mentioned when you name your own price, Google motel and the name of the city where you are going, then call the places and try to hammer out a similar price. You can get $30 a night in many places that Priceline won't partner with, but you have to actually get on the phone. I did that when going to Saginaw, MI over the Thanksgiving holiday. Priceline wasn't handing out the deals, so I got a place with comfortable and outdated furniture and a small fridge for about half of what Priceline or similar places wanted to give me.
Picky?
Well even if you are picky there are ways to get what you want for a little less. Picky people will almost never have the best deals, or the most interesting adventures, and take it from me, running the risk of getting a cheesy motel is completely outweighed by the fun you can have getting there. Anyway, if you want to go to a convention, book first. Many hotel websites will have specials for joining their mailing list or simply booking on their site. So, if you want a specific hotel at a specific time, you should probably get the booking done as soon as possible. Also, if you have AAA or are a senior, or have to stop on the way somewhere because of bad weather, illness, etc, many places have a distressed traveller discount.
Places to avoid.
America's Best Value
Under no circumstances accept a deal at this place. They have had their chance to reform and after staying at three of them in different places I can tell you that it's the only place I have stayed at that had roaches (and I Priceline EVERYTHING). The only places that Priceline will give you ABV (in Texas) is in San Antonio, Waco, and possibly New Braunfels.
You can actually call and cancel your reservation with Priceline when you name your own price. You do have to be persistent and insistent when calling, but the threat of having the credit card deny payment usually does the trick if it comes to that.
I once went to Ocala, FL and found that the room I had booked was actually cheaper if I booked direct (ValuePlace. Thin walls, no dishes or cookware, but a place to cook things and a full-sized fridge, never a pool and you can bet on begrudging service and hard beds).
Next time I visit Hotels, I am going to give you some great pointers on bed and breakfasts and cabins.
Gas Buying
You could always pick the place that is on your way home from work, or you could do it the way I do.
Say you're going downtown to watch a movie, or heading to a baseball game across town, and your about at a half of a tank of gas, before you leave go to gasbuddy.com and check first. On your way back, you can stop off at a place that is near your route and get the lowest gas prices.
For some reason, sometimes you will find that your favorite station is a little high or a little lower than the competition. It doesn't really matter that the reason is, but customer loyalty is silly because you can get the same gas from anywhere. The only difference from one station to the next is the slight possibility that you have more or less detergents in the gasoline. They all burn the same because they all come from the same refinery, the only difference is the amount of cleaners they put in there. The type of detergent (from what I understand) is generally standardized, so there really isn't going to be any difference from one gas to another.
When you go on gasbuddy, you can pick specific areas that you are going to be driving through anyway; this gives you the best chance at saving some dough. Of course if you do happen to see a lower price while on your way to the gas station you mapped out, then please do everyone a favor and report it on gasbuddy so others can share in your good fortune.
You will be able to save anywhere from $17 to $35 per year in gas by adding a 2 minute search to your trip across town.
Remember, it's great to get a great deal, but don't go more than a mile or two out of your way for gas savings, the trip there might actually cost you more than you're saving.
Say you're going downtown to watch a movie, or heading to a baseball game across town, and your about at a half of a tank of gas, before you leave go to gasbuddy.com and check first. On your way back, you can stop off at a place that is near your route and get the lowest gas prices.
For some reason, sometimes you will find that your favorite station is a little high or a little lower than the competition. It doesn't really matter that the reason is, but customer loyalty is silly because you can get the same gas from anywhere. The only difference from one station to the next is the slight possibility that you have more or less detergents in the gasoline. They all burn the same because they all come from the same refinery, the only difference is the amount of cleaners they put in there. The type of detergent (from what I understand) is generally standardized, so there really isn't going to be any difference from one gas to another.
When you go on gasbuddy, you can pick specific areas that you are going to be driving through anyway; this gives you the best chance at saving some dough. Of course if you do happen to see a lower price while on your way to the gas station you mapped out, then please do everyone a favor and report it on gasbuddy so others can share in your good fortune.
You will be able to save anywhere from $17 to $35 per year in gas by adding a 2 minute search to your trip across town.
Remember, it's great to get a great deal, but don't go more than a mile or two out of your way for gas savings, the trip there might actually cost you more than you're saving.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tires
So, I just got finished buying tires for my truck.
Tires sales are in its own little world. But when you need tires, you gotta have them--so price fixing is the norm. My tires had plugs, slow leaks, gashes and extreme wear... but I was holding out till I saw a great sale with the type of tire I need.
My wife e-mailed me earlier today and told me about Obama's newest international doing, apparently he has taken a little time off from snubbing England to impose a new tariff on tires, 35% on all tires from Our Supplier (China). So, my normal "wait till I can steal it" technique is out the door, because as soon as the chains realize that their least expensive tires are going to be 35% more, they are going to tack on their additional profit and pass the prices on down the line. But I was still confident that I could get a deal.
Problem is, it's for my truck, and they take nice big tires and there is simply no way to get those for $25 apiece like I usually got on my Toyota Tercel. The best price I could find was $65 apiece (youch!) but if I had gone to the first place that crossed my mind I would only be able to get used tires for that price.
So, after several calls, I find that $110 per tire is about the norm. But I didn't stop there, I went online, where I found tires for about $90 apiece (including tax and shipping); but then I would need to get them balanced and put on. I have a place that will do this for $10 a tire, but I didn't want to order online and have to wait for a month till they arrived. I found a place nearby that had some good ones for $85 a tire, and I just about gave up, but I called some more.
Finally I found a place that had a tire sale going on, and after all the taxes and balancing, it came to $330.40--which I normally would have scoffed at, but since a killer deal will soon be that price or worse in the very near future, and the fact that I had a tire constantly losing air, it became the right time to buy.
There is only one way to get a great deal on tires: with a phone, a phonebook, and pen and paper. Compare away, as long as you know what is written on your tires, you can compare prices from 20 or more tire places, and chances are one of them is going to be having a sale on the tires you need.
Once you have found the price you want, you can go back and call the places with the better quality tires; for instance, if you know a shop that only uses Goodyear or Goodyear off brand (manufactured by Goodyear with a different brand name) you can call them back and have them match your lowest price. That way you get the quality you want, and the price you want. Just remember to get over there quick (as in now folks!) and you have scored.
Wal-Mart will match prices on the same brands that they carry if they know about the sale, so if you're in a pinch, go to wally-world, they will take care of you for very close to the best price about 80% of the time.
With my vehicle, there is pretty much no way that the transmission is going to last for more than 60K miles, so getting good quality tires really doesn't figure into things all that much, and the place I finally landed on was literally walking distance from where I was located (I just walked back).
So, if the Obama Tire Tariff has you thinking that it's Tire Time, with these tips you can get a great deal.
Tires sales are in its own little world. But when you need tires, you gotta have them--so price fixing is the norm. My tires had plugs, slow leaks, gashes and extreme wear... but I was holding out till I saw a great sale with the type of tire I need.
My wife e-mailed me earlier today and told me about Obama's newest international doing, apparently he has taken a little time off from snubbing England to impose a new tariff on tires, 35% on all tires from Our Supplier (China). So, my normal "wait till I can steal it" technique is out the door, because as soon as the chains realize that their least expensive tires are going to be 35% more, they are going to tack on their additional profit and pass the prices on down the line. But I was still confident that I could get a deal.
Problem is, it's for my truck, and they take nice big tires and there is simply no way to get those for $25 apiece like I usually got on my Toyota Tercel. The best price I could find was $65 apiece (youch!) but if I had gone to the first place that crossed my mind I would only be able to get used tires for that price.
So, after several calls, I find that $110 per tire is about the norm. But I didn't stop there, I went online, where I found tires for about $90 apiece (including tax and shipping); but then I would need to get them balanced and put on. I have a place that will do this for $10 a tire, but I didn't want to order online and have to wait for a month till they arrived. I found a place nearby that had some good ones for $85 a tire, and I just about gave up, but I called some more.
Finally I found a place that had a tire sale going on, and after all the taxes and balancing, it came to $330.40--which I normally would have scoffed at, but since a killer deal will soon be that price or worse in the very near future, and the fact that I had a tire constantly losing air, it became the right time to buy.
There is only one way to get a great deal on tires: with a phone, a phonebook, and pen and paper. Compare away, as long as you know what is written on your tires, you can compare prices from 20 or more tire places, and chances are one of them is going to be having a sale on the tires you need.
Once you have found the price you want, you can go back and call the places with the better quality tires; for instance, if you know a shop that only uses Goodyear or Goodyear off brand (manufactured by Goodyear with a different brand name) you can call them back and have them match your lowest price. That way you get the quality you want, and the price you want. Just remember to get over there quick (as in now folks!) and you have scored.
Wal-Mart will match prices on the same brands that they carry if they know about the sale, so if you're in a pinch, go to wally-world, they will take care of you for very close to the best price about 80% of the time.
With my vehicle, there is pretty much no way that the transmission is going to last for more than 60K miles, so getting good quality tires really doesn't figure into things all that much, and the place I finally landed on was literally walking distance from where I was located (I just walked back).
So, if the Obama Tire Tariff has you thinking that it's Tire Time, with these tips you can get a great deal.
Google tells all
The best way to get your best price on pretty much anything is going to rely on research in one form or another. Either it is research you have already done, or are doing as you search.
Google will tell you what you want to know 9 times out of 10, so it's a good go-to.
Running a Google search properly can take some time. It is important not to get frustrated quickly.
For instance, I am right now looking at a microphone for my laptop. Well, I want something that isn't gonna sound like poo, and at the same time, I want to spend a very small amount on it. I know when it comes to microphones, quality is everything. One time I purchased a stage mic for a demonstration I was doing. I bought a wireless set off eBay, and it was terrible, no sound definition. So, I simply took my current mic from radio shack and spliced the better mic into where the original mic was and presto, a great quality wireless mic for under $60 (they can get really pricey) But right now, I want one to mess around with doing some recording on the compie. In this case I am going to trust what other people have to say over the best price, because when it comes to items like this, you simply must pay a little more.
So, I am looking at a Sony f-v100; its a cheap looking omnidirectional mic...the brand is good.
Ah, but when you look at reviews, apparently it puts out volume so low that it simply won't work for me. After a little research, I came across the NADY SP-4C which is also well-priced for a mic, good reviews, but I want it for under $20.00 shipped. The best price around is from http://www.electronics-expo.com/ and their lowest price is $20.22 including shipping... So I wait for a little while till I can get it to me for less.
Google told me all I needed to know, but I had to keep searching. I searched for "Sony f-v100 reviews" and the top listing showed no reviews; but I went to Amazon.com, and there were the reviews, all bad. Then I saw a link to the different mic. Now that I have done the research, I add this to my occasional search list for eBay and when I see it on auction, I will use my online magic to get it for under $20.
Often, you will need to redo your search 3 or 4 times before you get the answers you need. For instance, I wanted to set up my laptop so it wouldn't "hibernate" when the screen was shut, it took me several tries "lid closed", "VAIO hibernate", "top closed", "case closed", etc., till I came up with the correct terminology, and then it was easy to find out what to do. so, when you are looking for something, and it doesn't come up, think about the possibility that you aren't doing something right.
For instance, I was looking up a home gym I was thinking about purchasing, and when I entered the model name into Google, every picture, every review and every site was showing a plain weight bench with that model name...hmm...so, I ran an eBay ended auction search, and bingo, one came up, and I looked at the picture of the box that the home gym came in, and it said model # spc-1000 (or something like that) and then I was able to take that info back to Google and find reviews, original prices, the manual, etc. I decided that it was an awesome deal, a used but completely functional home gym with dozens of separate workouts, originally sold for around $300 and I got it nearby with Craigslist for only $50, and now it is at my house where I try to use it every day.
Google will tell you what you want to know 9 times out of 10, so it's a good go-to.
Running a Google search properly can take some time. It is important not to get frustrated quickly.
For instance, I am right now looking at a microphone for my laptop. Well, I want something that isn't gonna sound like poo, and at the same time, I want to spend a very small amount on it. I know when it comes to microphones, quality is everything. One time I purchased a stage mic for a demonstration I was doing. I bought a wireless set off eBay, and it was terrible, no sound definition. So, I simply took my current mic from radio shack and spliced the better mic into where the original mic was and presto, a great quality wireless mic for under $60 (they can get really pricey) But right now, I want one to mess around with doing some recording on the compie. In this case I am going to trust what other people have to say over the best price, because when it comes to items like this, you simply must pay a little more.
So, I am looking at a Sony f-v100; its a cheap looking omnidirectional mic...the brand is good.
Ah, but when you look at reviews, apparently it puts out volume so low that it simply won't work for me. After a little research, I came across the NADY SP-4C which is also well-priced for a mic, good reviews, but I want it for under $20.00 shipped. The best price around is from http://www.electronics-expo.com/ and their lowest price is $20.22 including shipping... So I wait for a little while till I can get it to me for less.
Google told me all I needed to know, but I had to keep searching. I searched for "Sony f-v100 reviews" and the top listing showed no reviews; but I went to Amazon.com, and there were the reviews, all bad. Then I saw a link to the different mic. Now that I have done the research, I add this to my occasional search list for eBay and when I see it on auction, I will use my online magic to get it for under $20.
Often, you will need to redo your search 3 or 4 times before you get the answers you need. For instance, I wanted to set up my laptop so it wouldn't "hibernate" when the screen was shut, it took me several tries "lid closed", "VAIO hibernate", "top closed", "case closed", etc., till I came up with the correct terminology, and then it was easy to find out what to do. so, when you are looking for something, and it doesn't come up, think about the possibility that you aren't doing something right.
For instance, I was looking up a home gym I was thinking about purchasing, and when I entered the model name into Google, every picture, every review and every site was showing a plain weight bench with that model name...hmm...so, I ran an eBay ended auction search, and bingo, one came up, and I looked at the picture of the box that the home gym came in, and it said model # spc-1000 (or something like that) and then I was able to take that info back to Google and find reviews, original prices, the manual, etc. I decided that it was an awesome deal, a used but completely functional home gym with dozens of separate workouts, originally sold for around $300 and I got it nearby with Craigslist for only $50, and now it is at my house where I try to use it every day.
$10,000 off a new car.
When it comes to new car shopping, most people who have done it two or three times think they have it down, they know how to do it, and telling them the actual best way isn't going to help.
But if you are planning on purchasing an American made vehicle that generally costs $50k, I can save you around $10k. On smaller vehicles, I can save you a proportionate amount. And believe it or not, it has nothing to do with beating up the salesman, or talking to the sales manager, or even showing the dealership you know how much they pay for them (except in the case of high demand vehicles). If you do want one of these, you need to know what someone else recently paid for their's, contact the internet salesperson and ask for a slightly better deal, and send the same e-mail to all the dealerships in the area, with the same email, saying the first person who matches or beats your price gets your business. You can try this trick several times to find the lowest price, by simply changing your name and email address and raising the price, after waiting a week. It's not easy, but if you want the convertable, the high end caddi, newest hybrid or similar vehicle, that's your best bet.
Now, you need to decide what vehicle you want to buy. Before you start your search, figure it out, read reviews, look at resale value, initial quality, etc. Finding your target vehicle is a great way to go. If you want to drive a couple, I suggest renting a car. There are two reasons behind this: One, you're going to be driving a car with a few miles on it, and they will be miles that are hard miles. Nothing is a better test of a vehicle than a rental vehicle. And, two, the stupid salesperson that you use isn't going to appreciate it and you're not going to be buying from him anyway.
Time.
You need to wait until the optimum moment to purchase a new vehicle. If you just simply decide that the road noise in your 4 year old car is not something you want to live with for another six months, you probably won't be able to get a killer deal--a good deal perhaps, but not better.
Buying this year's model is what comes naturally, but it may be a great deal to get the old stock from last year, check the rebates and make sure. Dealerships have actually sold the last year's model for more than the newer year because of rebates, so check and see. It will likely have 300-500 more miles on it than the typical 5-180, but that really isnt that big of a deal in the long run. This works especially well if the dealerships don't like doing rebates on that model.
A little about rebates.
Factory rebates are cash off given by the factory to encourage the sales of certian models throughout the year. they generally start off small, and can actually end pretty small if the demand for the vehicle is high, so don't expect a rebate for a corvette, you're not going to find it unless chevy does something really dumb like produce 3X as many of them as they do now. One of the ideal vehicles for getting huge rebates is the Chevy Suburban. But more on that later.
Research is going to play a large part in knowing when the time is right to even start looking for your car, but generally speaking, you need to stay away from any dealership until you are ready to buy. Some salespeople are really good, and besides, when you show up and you are completely not ready to buy you mess-over the salesperson, who may only get to talk to 2 or 3 people all day.
Rebates under $1000 (wait)
Rebates over $4000 (no matter what vehicle, the time is right)
If you live in a small city, town, or out in the country, this blog may not be the best one for cheap living/money saving, but if you live close to a very large city, you will likely have to go on into town, that is where the competition is.
Once you have researched and found out that the rebates are as high as they will likely get (generally at the end of the model year, or into the next), start looking. I can tell you where you are going to find the best price. It's the big one: on the advertisement. Make sure you are seeing all the ads, get hold of every local paper and spread them all out before you leave. You will be buying the car on a Sunday, by the way, so get that Sunday paper early (the ad cars are done with the largest paper edition, the Sunday edition).
Yes, seriously, the huge Suburban in the picture with the large price is your absolutely best price, and you never going to be able to haggle down that low. Chances are, it's a smaller dealership, and chances are, there is only one or two in stock.
Did you need the metallic grey one? No, sorry but you really don't. You want that color, and that color that you and everyone else on the planet also wants, is going to cost you an extra $3000. If that seems like a decent deal to you, then why are you reading this blog?
Options.
Look closely at the options, and know what each one costs the dealership. This is all part of research. Generally speaking, no two dealerships will put the same ad car on sale, there is always going to be some sort of difference, sunroof, 6-disk cd player, nav system, dvd player...
Chances are, that even with all the discounts you are going to get, you are still better off with a more bare-bones vehicle, the exception being automatic door locks, power windows and an alarm system. all of those three will likely eventually cost you more in the long run (trust me on this, I could tell you some stories!)
Financing.
Get your own financing first, get a credit union, you can belong to a credit union and a bank, and generally the credit unions will be more lenient with lending you cash, and will also have better rates. And go get pre-approved for the vehicle--your interest rate will be much lower than the dealership and you will now be paying the vehicle off on a 30 day option, so when the dealership says, "OK Bob, you're approved," and you notice that the interest rate is 26.95% percent, you can smile and say, "I have a 30 day, cash option here Fred."
You are also going to get financing from the dealership in most cases, that is, unless you can get the money into your account simultaneously with the transaction, in which case you are pretty good with your banker at the CU.
Once you have found the car, and you know your credit score is over 650 (720+ will get you top-tier credit) Now, head on over to the dealership, at 10:30 AM Sunday morning, tell him you want the ad car, drive it around the block, and if it whines or squeaks, they will fix that for you, you just have to make them. Get on in and do the paperwork, don't forget to mention the 30 day option, and he will say "Yeah sure, you can iron all that our with finance." This is when the salesperson will hand you off to the real slime ball, the finance manager, and they will try to get you the worst rate imaginable, TAKE IT. You're not going to be paying that rate, you have your financing already with the credit union.
Add-ons.
Somewhere along the way, you're going to get hit with add-ons.
Anything that you do not HAVE to have by law or already comes on the vehicle and is included in the price, is going to be a rip off, they have this great "system" they want to apply to the interior that repels stains, and this amazing UV protecting coating that will shield your clear-coat. And if you just get the interior for 20% off, we will do the exterior coat for free...
NO.. it's Scotch-Guard and a good quality wax, you can do it yourself for less than $50. Seriously, they have a little spray bottle, and they spray that on. I know, I used to be the one doing it.
Well, you want to protect your car, right? If you extend your warranty a little, this will...
RIP YOU OFF. Remember, you are buying a car from them that costs you less than it cost them. Now, they know they were going to lose some on the vehicle, but they perhaps thought they could get you in one way or another. So, no extra warranties, no coatings, pinstripes, tinting, rubber treatments, sealers, stain guards, side steps, brush guards, bed liners, car covers, NOTHING!
You can get everything else in the same quality for less.
And now you are driving off the lot in a vehicle for a price that can't be beat.
Any sales managers here want to add anything I missed?
But if you are planning on purchasing an American made vehicle that generally costs $50k, I can save you around $10k. On smaller vehicles, I can save you a proportionate amount. And believe it or not, it has nothing to do with beating up the salesman, or talking to the sales manager, or even showing the dealership you know how much they pay for them (except in the case of high demand vehicles). If you do want one of these, you need to know what someone else recently paid for their's, contact the internet salesperson and ask for a slightly better deal, and send the same e-mail to all the dealerships in the area, with the same email, saying the first person who matches or beats your price gets your business. You can try this trick several times to find the lowest price, by simply changing your name and email address and raising the price, after waiting a week. It's not easy, but if you want the convertable, the high end caddi, newest hybrid or similar vehicle, that's your best bet.
Now, you need to decide what vehicle you want to buy. Before you start your search, figure it out, read reviews, look at resale value, initial quality, etc. Finding your target vehicle is a great way to go. If you want to drive a couple, I suggest renting a car. There are two reasons behind this: One, you're going to be driving a car with a few miles on it, and they will be miles that are hard miles. Nothing is a better test of a vehicle than a rental vehicle. And, two, the stupid salesperson that you use isn't going to appreciate it and you're not going to be buying from him anyway.
Time.
You need to wait until the optimum moment to purchase a new vehicle. If you just simply decide that the road noise in your 4 year old car is not something you want to live with for another six months, you probably won't be able to get a killer deal--a good deal perhaps, but not better.
Buying this year's model is what comes naturally, but it may be a great deal to get the old stock from last year, check the rebates and make sure. Dealerships have actually sold the last year's model for more than the newer year because of rebates, so check and see. It will likely have 300-500 more miles on it than the typical 5-180, but that really isnt that big of a deal in the long run. This works especially well if the dealerships don't like doing rebates on that model.
A little about rebates.
Factory rebates are cash off given by the factory to encourage the sales of certian models throughout the year. they generally start off small, and can actually end pretty small if the demand for the vehicle is high, so don't expect a rebate for a corvette, you're not going to find it unless chevy does something really dumb like produce 3X as many of them as they do now. One of the ideal vehicles for getting huge rebates is the Chevy Suburban. But more on that later.
Research is going to play a large part in knowing when the time is right to even start looking for your car, but generally speaking, you need to stay away from any dealership until you are ready to buy. Some salespeople are really good, and besides, when you show up and you are completely not ready to buy you mess-over the salesperson, who may only get to talk to 2 or 3 people all day.
Rebates under $1000 (wait)
Rebates over $4000 (no matter what vehicle, the time is right)
If you live in a small city, town, or out in the country, this blog may not be the best one for cheap living/money saving, but if you live close to a very large city, you will likely have to go on into town, that is where the competition is.
Once you have researched and found out that the rebates are as high as they will likely get (generally at the end of the model year, or into the next), start looking. I can tell you where you are going to find the best price. It's the big one: on the advertisement. Make sure you are seeing all the ads, get hold of every local paper and spread them all out before you leave. You will be buying the car on a Sunday, by the way, so get that Sunday paper early (the ad cars are done with the largest paper edition, the Sunday edition).
Yes, seriously, the huge Suburban in the picture with the large price is your absolutely best price, and you never going to be able to haggle down that low. Chances are, it's a smaller dealership, and chances are, there is only one or two in stock.
Did you need the metallic grey one? No, sorry but you really don't. You want that color, and that color that you and everyone else on the planet also wants, is going to cost you an extra $3000. If that seems like a decent deal to you, then why are you reading this blog?
Options.
Look closely at the options, and know what each one costs the dealership. This is all part of research. Generally speaking, no two dealerships will put the same ad car on sale, there is always going to be some sort of difference, sunroof, 6-disk cd player, nav system, dvd player...
Chances are, that even with all the discounts you are going to get, you are still better off with a more bare-bones vehicle, the exception being automatic door locks, power windows and an alarm system. all of those three will likely eventually cost you more in the long run (trust me on this, I could tell you some stories!)
Financing.
Get your own financing first, get a credit union, you can belong to a credit union and a bank, and generally the credit unions will be more lenient with lending you cash, and will also have better rates. And go get pre-approved for the vehicle--your interest rate will be much lower than the dealership and you will now be paying the vehicle off on a 30 day option, so when the dealership says, "OK Bob, you're approved," and you notice that the interest rate is 26.95% percent, you can smile and say, "I have a 30 day, cash option here Fred."
You are also going to get financing from the dealership in most cases, that is, unless you can get the money into your account simultaneously with the transaction, in which case you are pretty good with your banker at the CU.
Once you have found the car, and you know your credit score is over 650 (720+ will get you top-tier credit) Now, head on over to the dealership, at 10:30 AM Sunday morning, tell him you want the ad car, drive it around the block, and if it whines or squeaks, they will fix that for you, you just have to make them. Get on in and do the paperwork, don't forget to mention the 30 day option, and he will say "Yeah sure, you can iron all that our with finance." This is when the salesperson will hand you off to the real slime ball, the finance manager, and they will try to get you the worst rate imaginable, TAKE IT. You're not going to be paying that rate, you have your financing already with the credit union.
Add-ons.
Somewhere along the way, you're going to get hit with add-ons.
Anything that you do not HAVE to have by law or already comes on the vehicle and is included in the price, is going to be a rip off, they have this great "system" they want to apply to the interior that repels stains, and this amazing UV protecting coating that will shield your clear-coat. And if you just get the interior for 20% off, we will do the exterior coat for free...
NO.. it's Scotch-Guard and a good quality wax, you can do it yourself for less than $50. Seriously, they have a little spray bottle, and they spray that on. I know, I used to be the one doing it.
Well, you want to protect your car, right? If you extend your warranty a little, this will...
RIP YOU OFF. Remember, you are buying a car from them that costs you less than it cost them. Now, they know they were going to lose some on the vehicle, but they perhaps thought they could get you in one way or another. So, no extra warranties, no coatings, pinstripes, tinting, rubber treatments, sealers, stain guards, side steps, brush guards, bed liners, car covers, NOTHING!
You can get everything else in the same quality for less.
And now you are driving off the lot in a vehicle for a price that can't be beat.
Any sales managers here want to add anything I missed?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Knowing Prices
When it comes to getting great deals, you have to be able to spot them.
This means you are going to need to know what a good deal is when you see it. Whether it's on eBay, at a flea market or in a grocery ad, unless you know what a good deal is, you're not going to recognize a good deal when you see one.
For getting the most amazing deals around, you are going to want to research, research, research.
For instance, I was at a garage sale a couple years back and I saw a plastic piece of equipment in a case, and I recognized it as a sextant, which is a nautical tool used to find certain aspects of a ship's position. The person selling it did not have a clue as to what is was and offered it to me for $5.00. I took it, and as it turns out it sold new for over $200.00. I was able to put it up on eBay and it sold within a day at $86.00, leaving me a nice $72.00 profit (after all fees). It sold to a person in Hawaii.
If you have very specific knowledge about certain collectibles or specialty electronics, you are going to eventually find great deals in flea markets or at garage sales, but it is generally best to have a wide range of knowledge, even if that knowledge is not very specific.
For instance, I know that original Star Trek toys can go for a quite a pretty penny, so finding a play set at a garage sale for $20 may not seem like a great deal, but with a little research, it might prove to be.
When it comes to grocery shopping, your research is going to be the shopping itself. Start paying attention to what things are prices at and then you will have something to compare it to.
For instance, I just put a bid out on some razor heads on eBay. The price was very high on eBay, but when I did the breakdown, I found that I was going to get a great deal pretty much no matter how high the auction went. WM price $2.50 per head. High eBay price for identical product in bulk $1.70 And since I don't think that my wife is going to suddenly decide that hairy is "in" I can purchase away, as all the heads are completely sealed.
Buying in bulk can be a great idea on items that don't go bad and are always eventually needed (as long as you have the room to store them). The things I have purchased in large bulk are:
Toilet paper, paper towels, razors, stamps, packaging supplies (for my pearl website).
Some food items are good for bulk buying, but it always depends on how much you are going to use, and whether you might change to using something else more later.
For instance, I buy sour cream in large portions, my wife and I LOVE Mexican food and Indian food with "a dollop of Daisy." But now that I am on a diet, I have switched to a smaller container of Daisy light, because I can't have nearly as much as I used to.
Another item we purchase in bulk is one many people have not heard of or seen, it's called Heat-N-Eat Indian food. They are pouches of complete entrees, cooked and sealed in plasticated aluminum pouches, which you can heat by adding the package to boiling water for 3 minutes, and we serve over Calrose rice (I am still looking for a deal on Calrose; it is a special short-grain rice with an amazing texture and flavor, usually used with sushi). The Heat-N-Eat meals come in a myriad of flavors, almost none of which I have heard of before, but they are generally excellent, and with our rice maker, it's the ideal quick easy gourmet meal. The food can be stored unrefrigerated and last well over a year. Many of the meals could use a little meat, so a quickly grilled chicken breast does the trick nicely, as most of the Heat-N-Eat meals are vegetarian. We checked online to find the prices, and then used that information to decide on what a good price is.
A good price to Heat-N-Eat entree is $1.00 and when we find it in that price range we generally get 10 or 15 of them, depending on the selection.
One of the most powerful tools online in determining the average sale price for just about any non-food item is eBay. By searching in the "ended auctions" section, you can see the actual sale price along with the shipping for the items that sold.
Unfortunately several years ago eBay cut back the usefulness of this tool by making the searching only show results that ended within the last 2 weeks (it used to be 3 months)
If you're planning on selling an item on eBay, it's always best to check the completed auctions out first, as many people have inflated expectations of what their items will sell for, and are going to throw their money away by starting the bid too high and will never get a single bidder.
When it comes to buying or selling a house, zillow.com is a decent resource, as it will show the actual sales prices of houses in your area, but beware about trusting the price it shows your house at, as your specific neighborhood demographics are not taken into account and the price can be off drastically (it shows my house value at about 2X actual value)
The best resource for getting home values in your area is an insider, a Realtor, and there isn't another great resource out there that I know of for that.
When it comes to knowing your home's value, it allows you to decide what types (if any) of improvements your likely to see a return on.
For instance, My house is worth approximately $45,000.00 and is more than likely the only house on the street with granite counter tops. If you bought them from a professional, and had them professionally installed in my neighborhood, you're going to lose 50-80% of the amount you spent. However, if you are able to buy them used and install them yourself (like I did) you can actually make money on the investment. I spent $2500 for counter tops, stainless sink, ISE, cabinets, dishwasher, ice maker, convection range, and microwave with hood and installed with the help of my parents.
There is no way I would have spent more than $3200 for all of it, because in my area, you don't get a huge premium for a great kitchen, the area depresses a lot of the prices in that way, but doing projects that are mostly labor and doing it yourself can pay off.
On the other hand, if you live in a very nice area with a homeowner's association, clean sidewalks, rising home values, etc. doing things yourself will actually lower the values unless you can make it look just like a pro would.
When it comes to buying a vehicle, your best friend is going to be your research. If you know what dealerships get the biggest volume discounts, and buy at a time that rebates are good, you stand a great chance at getting a good deal on a new vehicle. (more on car buying later)
One more thing. If you see someone demonstrating something DO NOT BUY IT unless you can make sure you cannot get it for less somewhere else. I purchased a set of Miracle Blade III perfection series online after watching the infomercial, and with the savings I got online, I was very pleased with the purchase.
This means you are going to need to know what a good deal is when you see it. Whether it's on eBay, at a flea market or in a grocery ad, unless you know what a good deal is, you're not going to recognize a good deal when you see one.
For getting the most amazing deals around, you are going to want to research, research, research.
For instance, I was at a garage sale a couple years back and I saw a plastic piece of equipment in a case, and I recognized it as a sextant, which is a nautical tool used to find certain aspects of a ship's position. The person selling it did not have a clue as to what is was and offered it to me for $5.00. I took it, and as it turns out it sold new for over $200.00. I was able to put it up on eBay and it sold within a day at $86.00, leaving me a nice $72.00 profit (after all fees). It sold to a person in Hawaii.
If you have very specific knowledge about certain collectibles or specialty electronics, you are going to eventually find great deals in flea markets or at garage sales, but it is generally best to have a wide range of knowledge, even if that knowledge is not very specific.
For instance, I know that original Star Trek toys can go for a quite a pretty penny, so finding a play set at a garage sale for $20 may not seem like a great deal, but with a little research, it might prove to be.
When it comes to grocery shopping, your research is going to be the shopping itself. Start paying attention to what things are prices at and then you will have something to compare it to.
For instance, I just put a bid out on some razor heads on eBay. The price was very high on eBay, but when I did the breakdown, I found that I was going to get a great deal pretty much no matter how high the auction went. WM price $2.50 per head. High eBay price for identical product in bulk $1.70 And since I don't think that my wife is going to suddenly decide that hairy is "in" I can purchase away, as all the heads are completely sealed.
Buying in bulk can be a great idea on items that don't go bad and are always eventually needed (as long as you have the room to store them). The things I have purchased in large bulk are:
Toilet paper, paper towels, razors, stamps, packaging supplies (for my pearl website).
Some food items are good for bulk buying, but it always depends on how much you are going to use, and whether you might change to using something else more later.
For instance, I buy sour cream in large portions, my wife and I LOVE Mexican food and Indian food with "a dollop of Daisy." But now that I am on a diet, I have switched to a smaller container of Daisy light, because I can't have nearly as much as I used to.
Another item we purchase in bulk is one many people have not heard of or seen, it's called Heat-N-Eat Indian food. They are pouches of complete entrees, cooked and sealed in plasticated aluminum pouches, which you can heat by adding the package to boiling water for 3 minutes, and we serve over Calrose rice (I am still looking for a deal on Calrose; it is a special short-grain rice with an amazing texture and flavor, usually used with sushi). The Heat-N-Eat meals come in a myriad of flavors, almost none of which I have heard of before, but they are generally excellent, and with our rice maker, it's the ideal quick easy gourmet meal. The food can be stored unrefrigerated and last well over a year. Many of the meals could use a little meat, so a quickly grilled chicken breast does the trick nicely, as most of the Heat-N-Eat meals are vegetarian. We checked online to find the prices, and then used that information to decide on what a good price is.
A good price to Heat-N-Eat entree is $1.00 and when we find it in that price range we generally get 10 or 15 of them, depending on the selection.
One of the most powerful tools online in determining the average sale price for just about any non-food item is eBay. By searching in the "ended auctions" section, you can see the actual sale price along with the shipping for the items that sold.
Unfortunately several years ago eBay cut back the usefulness of this tool by making the searching only show results that ended within the last 2 weeks (it used to be 3 months)
If you're planning on selling an item on eBay, it's always best to check the completed auctions out first, as many people have inflated expectations of what their items will sell for, and are going to throw their money away by starting the bid too high and will never get a single bidder.
When it comes to buying or selling a house, zillow.com is a decent resource, as it will show the actual sales prices of houses in your area, but beware about trusting the price it shows your house at, as your specific neighborhood demographics are not taken into account and the price can be off drastically (it shows my house value at about 2X actual value)
The best resource for getting home values in your area is an insider, a Realtor, and there isn't another great resource out there that I know of for that.
When it comes to knowing your home's value, it allows you to decide what types (if any) of improvements your likely to see a return on.
For instance, My house is worth approximately $45,000.00 and is more than likely the only house on the street with granite counter tops. If you bought them from a professional, and had them professionally installed in my neighborhood, you're going to lose 50-80% of the amount you spent. However, if you are able to buy them used and install them yourself (like I did) you can actually make money on the investment. I spent $2500 for counter tops, stainless sink, ISE, cabinets, dishwasher, ice maker, convection range, and microwave with hood and installed with the help of my parents.
There is no way I would have spent more than $3200 for all of it, because in my area, you don't get a huge premium for a great kitchen, the area depresses a lot of the prices in that way, but doing projects that are mostly labor and doing it yourself can pay off.
On the other hand, if you live in a very nice area with a homeowner's association, clean sidewalks, rising home values, etc. doing things yourself will actually lower the values unless you can make it look just like a pro would.
When it comes to buying a vehicle, your best friend is going to be your research. If you know what dealerships get the biggest volume discounts, and buy at a time that rebates are good, you stand a great chance at getting a good deal on a new vehicle. (more on car buying later)
One more thing. If you see someone demonstrating something DO NOT BUY IT unless you can make sure you cannot get it for less somewhere else. I purchased a set of Miracle Blade III perfection series online after watching the infomercial, and with the savings I got online, I was very pleased with the purchase.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Retail Me Not
When shopping for clothes, electronics, bedding, specialty items and other easily shipped items, one gold mine is retailmenot.com
Retailmenot can also be used to get printable coupons for chain restaurants, and will often have BOGO (buy one get one) offers.
Before you go out to eat with your spouse or friend at Souplantation, TGI Fridays or Wendy's go to http://www.retailmenot.com/.
Many websites will have a field for a coupon code or a field for a "referred by" field, and if you have found the perfect swimsuit or special cord that you can't get on eBay, then open up a new browser (or tab) and check out retailmenot.com. You can get free shipping over $50 on many sites, or freebies such as on my website http://www.undrilledpearls.net/ where you can get a free gemstone with your order by telling a friend about the site.
We use them all the time, and especially if we are making a larger purchase online for something we can't get on eBay We have gotten free shipping, or better. One time we bought something that was on clearance, and got free shipping, it came out to about 1/5th of the regular brick and mortar retail store price.
Retailmenot can also be used to get printable coupons for chain restaurants, and will often have BOGO (buy one get one) offers.
Before you go out to eat with your spouse or friend at Souplantation, TGI Fridays or Wendy's go to http://www.retailmenot.com/.
Many websites will have a field for a coupon code or a field for a "referred by" field, and if you have found the perfect swimsuit or special cord that you can't get on eBay, then open up a new browser (or tab) and check out retailmenot.com. You can get free shipping over $50 on many sites, or freebies such as on my website http://www.undrilledpearls.net/ where you can get a free gemstone with your order by telling a friend about the site.
We use them all the time, and especially if we are making a larger purchase online for something we can't get on eBay We have gotten free shipping, or better. One time we bought something that was on clearance, and got free shipping, it came out to about 1/5th of the regular brick and mortar retail store price.
Shopping Day
I just went shopping, and I want to share a couple finds with you.
Sometimes a great deal on a certain item can be as little as 2% off, which would be true for things like stamps, but on most items it needs to be at least 25% off before I would consider it a good deal. When it comes to luxury items or higher end brand names, you will generally be very lucky with 20% off of the average sale price (notice I didn't say retail--just about nobody pays retail unless you're buying a brand name electronic item new).
Here is what I got today: Large King Crab legs. Average retail appx. $22.00 per pound, average low online price including shipping: $44.10 for one pound (yes seriously).
A good price would be $15.00 per pound, a great price would be $11.00 and a fantastic price would be $8.00
My price: $4.99 per pound.
You simply are never ever ever are going to see this unless you are really lucky, but it will happen that with patience and looking in the right places you are going to occasionally find similar deals on other products.
Sometimes a great deal on a certain item can be as little as 2% off, which would be true for things like stamps, but on most items it needs to be at least 25% off before I would consider it a good deal. When it comes to luxury items or higher end brand names, you will generally be very lucky with 20% off of the average sale price (notice I didn't say retail--just about nobody pays retail unless you're buying a brand name electronic item new).
Here is what I got today: Large King Crab legs. Average retail appx. $22.00 per pound, average low online price including shipping: $44.10 for one pound (yes seriously).
A good price would be $15.00 per pound, a great price would be $11.00 and a fantastic price would be $8.00
My price: $4.99 per pound.
You simply are never ever ever are going to see this unless you are really lucky, but it will happen that with patience and looking in the right places you are going to occasionally find similar deals on other products.
Who wants some crab now?
Anyway, I also got a good deal on sugar free Smuckers boysenberry jam MMMMMmmm...for $1.99. That would be about an average price if it were regular jam, a decent price for off-brand sugar free, but Smuckers is really tasty and I can't wait to try a little with some whole-wheat bread ($.88).
I was also able to score some hard-to-get sugar free Heinz ketchup. at $.79 /14 oz. Which appears to be a really great deal as it shows online at over $3.00. I am currently on a low calorie diet, and Wal-Mart here does not currently carry it, so actual price comparison is difficult.
If you are fortunate enough to live in Fort Worth or nearby then you need to check out Town Talk foods on Beach St. If you normally buy specialty foods or are into trying exotic dishes, this is the place for you. I shop there at least twice every month, and am in good with one of the stockers, she gives me the low-down on the hottest selling and newest products. If you live in the DFW, head on over there before noon on September 23rd 2009, as of posting they have 3 cases left and going fast (beware, they also have some snow crab mis-marked as king crab) Also, there was a smattering of snow crab for the equally crazy price of $2.50 per pound, but that will likely be sold out as I post this.
Wally-world
Many people don't think too much about saving money on groceries, they buy what they want, because it's time consuming to clip coupons. But I have a better way to get everything you want, Save some green in the mean-time and you never have to get your clippers out.
First things first.
Plan your meals. Even if you only make one meal a day (breakfast) at home, you can still plan your meals around the sales. Wait to make any decisions about what foods to buy or where to shop until you have the ads in front of you. Many times the ads for the nicer grocery stores come in the newspaper, but generally the Hispanic stores (fiesta, food land, etc.) will go directly to your home if you live in the area. The Hispanic stores will generally have the lowest prices, whereas the higher end stores have the best quality and largest produce.
When you have all the ads in front of you, consider that the front page or largest pictured items will generally be the loss-leaders, designed to bring you into the store so you can buy the more expensive items that you also need. Many non-staple items like razors can be purchased on eBay at a savings.
Once you have your meals planned, or at least an idea of what you are going to be making for the week (or two weeks, depending on how you shop) then look to make sure that the ads are not BOGO (buy one, two or 3 or 4 and get one free) Wal-Mart will not match those ads, and if you find that the bulk of your purchasing is going to be those items, then go to that store. Otherwise go to Wal-Mart. Wally-world will match the prices of everything on the ads, their produce is generally medium in grade, and their staple products are cheaper. Take your ads with you to the store and make the list based on those ads.
#1 Rule of Shopping
Most you already know this, especially if you have been shopping for a while, but the #1 rule of shopping is NEVER shop when you're hungry. Those instant dinner-for-4s and ice-cream sandwiches are going to find a home in your cart, and you not going to be able to think nearly as clearly about what you actually need vs. what you would really like to have.
Buying in bulk.
Buying bulk is best in most cases (remember that word "most") The price per gram/ounce/pound is generally less. If you have a large family, then Sam's club or Costco is where you will be wanting to go. but first check Wal-Mart's prices on the things you would be planning to buy there before you commit to a yearly fee. A little math now can save you a lot of time and money later. For instance, if you bake a lot of bread at home, you will likely want to go to Sam's to get flour, yeast, milk, baking powder, etc. But if you only bake a little bread, you could actually lose money in bulk buying. Here is how that works; you buy a 50 pound bag of flour, and the other items you need from Sam's, but after 6 months you have used 5 pounds, the bag is taking up way too much space, and now you're beginning to see little bugs in the flour (they WILL get in there eventually no matter how clean of a house you keep) or if you're lucky, it lasts a year and you have used half the flour, and now you get an off-taste to the flour. It happens, the oils in the flour will go rancid and you shouldn't eat it. Buy only things that you can use within a little more than the stated "best if used by" date.
Meats.
Meats can be confusing to all but the most seasoned butcher. You will very often see a cut of beef or pork mentioned in the ad and go to Wal-Mart only to find the same cut isn't represented...or at least it isn't calling itself the same thing. Don't fret, find the buzzer near the meat counter and wait for the under-appreciated meat stocker to show up. Ask him what would be the same cut. 9 times out of 10 you are going to find that they do have the same cut, but they just call it something else, and when you get up to the cash register, you can tell the uncaring cashier that they butcher told you it was the same cut, and you will see your price go to 3/4 or 1/2 of what it used to be most times.
One word about price matching: it cuts both ways.
Many higher end stores occasionally have loss-leaders are actually More than Wal-Mart's everyday prices, so LOOK to make sure. I can remember one time I thought I was getting a deal on tomatoes only to find that Wally-world already had the competition beat.
Quality vs. Price.
I have found that many items that LOOK better at the higher end stores just LOOK better and taste the same, sometimes this it true, sometimes it isn't. But when it comes to canned goods, I have found that there is generally a higher content of water than produce. so, be careful, if the off-brand is slightly cheaper than the brands you know, it is still generally better money-sense to buy the brands you know.
Produce.
When it comes to produce, look for items that are heaviest for their size, Guys, check the top of the pile; since most women do not reach as far as you might be able to, you're going to be able to find a better selection. Cantaloupes should have a slightly fragrant smell at where the stem connected, Don't worry about the occasional blemish on the tomatoes, melons, apples, or any other item that you are going to peel anyways, remember, the blemishes occur naturally and do not effect taste or nutrition, they just allow you to get it for less.
Staples.
Cereal, milk, eggs, flour, sugar, cool-aide, whatever you always are needing to buy, remember to look at the price per ounce/gram/pound and compare. For cool packaging or individual servings already split out, you are generally going to pay more, but there are exceptions to the rule. I have found that sometimes the largest containers of ranch dressing and my favorite, Pace salsa can be higher than a moderate size. Look first. And think about how much you are going to need.
Bowls, plates, linens, etc.
Wally-world can have fantastic prices on these types of items, but just look first, note their prices, and if need be, write them down. Generally the need for these items is not immediate, you can then go back home and see if eBay has a better price.
Wal-Mart can be a savings wonderland--in most places the Wal-Marts will beat the prices of the competition on a majority of the items. But there are going to be new and fun looking items that you are going to want to get right away, just try the new small Altoids, or pick up a fancy two-in-one washer/dryer sheet, but watch out. This is where Wally-world makes their money, along with the cold sodas near the registers, which are full price. Have a can of soda instead of a bottle and you have just saved at least $0.50 every time.
With these tips, you should be able to save $20-$40 per shopping trip, but come back for more because the Real Shopping secrets are still ahead.
First things first.
Plan your meals. Even if you only make one meal a day (breakfast) at home, you can still plan your meals around the sales. Wait to make any decisions about what foods to buy or where to shop until you have the ads in front of you. Many times the ads for the nicer grocery stores come in the newspaper, but generally the Hispanic stores (fiesta, food land, etc.) will go directly to your home if you live in the area. The Hispanic stores will generally have the lowest prices, whereas the higher end stores have the best quality and largest produce.
When you have all the ads in front of you, consider that the front page or largest pictured items will generally be the loss-leaders, designed to bring you into the store so you can buy the more expensive items that you also need. Many non-staple items like razors can be purchased on eBay at a savings.
Once you have your meals planned, or at least an idea of what you are going to be making for the week (or two weeks, depending on how you shop) then look to make sure that the ads are not BOGO (buy one, two or 3 or 4 and get one free) Wal-Mart will not match those ads, and if you find that the bulk of your purchasing is going to be those items, then go to that store. Otherwise go to Wal-Mart. Wally-world will match the prices of everything on the ads, their produce is generally medium in grade, and their staple products are cheaper. Take your ads with you to the store and make the list based on those ads.
#1 Rule of Shopping
Most you already know this, especially if you have been shopping for a while, but the #1 rule of shopping is NEVER shop when you're hungry. Those instant dinner-for-4s and ice-cream sandwiches are going to find a home in your cart, and you not going to be able to think nearly as clearly about what you actually need vs. what you would really like to have.
Buying in bulk.
Buying bulk is best in most cases (remember that word "most") The price per gram/ounce/pound is generally less. If you have a large family, then Sam's club or Costco is where you will be wanting to go. but first check Wal-Mart's prices on the things you would be planning to buy there before you commit to a yearly fee. A little math now can save you a lot of time and money later. For instance, if you bake a lot of bread at home, you will likely want to go to Sam's to get flour, yeast, milk, baking powder, etc. But if you only bake a little bread, you could actually lose money in bulk buying. Here is how that works; you buy a 50 pound bag of flour, and the other items you need from Sam's, but after 6 months you have used 5 pounds, the bag is taking up way too much space, and now you're beginning to see little bugs in the flour (they WILL get in there eventually no matter how clean of a house you keep) or if you're lucky, it lasts a year and you have used half the flour, and now you get an off-taste to the flour. It happens, the oils in the flour will go rancid and you shouldn't eat it. Buy only things that you can use within a little more than the stated "best if used by" date.
Meats.
Meats can be confusing to all but the most seasoned butcher. You will very often see a cut of beef or pork mentioned in the ad and go to Wal-Mart only to find the same cut isn't represented...or at least it isn't calling itself the same thing. Don't fret, find the buzzer near the meat counter and wait for the under-appreciated meat stocker to show up. Ask him what would be the same cut. 9 times out of 10 you are going to find that they do have the same cut, but they just call it something else, and when you get up to the cash register, you can tell the uncaring cashier that they butcher told you it was the same cut, and you will see your price go to 3/4 or 1/2 of what it used to be most times.
One word about price matching: it cuts both ways.
Many higher end stores occasionally have loss-leaders are actually More than Wal-Mart's everyday prices, so LOOK to make sure. I can remember one time I thought I was getting a deal on tomatoes only to find that Wally-world already had the competition beat.
Quality vs. Price.
I have found that many items that LOOK better at the higher end stores just LOOK better and taste the same, sometimes this it true, sometimes it isn't. But when it comes to canned goods, I have found that there is generally a higher content of water than produce. so, be careful, if the off-brand is slightly cheaper than the brands you know, it is still generally better money-sense to buy the brands you know.
Produce.
When it comes to produce, look for items that are heaviest for their size, Guys, check the top of the pile; since most women do not reach as far as you might be able to, you're going to be able to find a better selection. Cantaloupes should have a slightly fragrant smell at where the stem connected, Don't worry about the occasional blemish on the tomatoes, melons, apples, or any other item that you are going to peel anyways, remember, the blemishes occur naturally and do not effect taste or nutrition, they just allow you to get it for less.
Staples.
Cereal, milk, eggs, flour, sugar, cool-aide, whatever you always are needing to buy, remember to look at the price per ounce/gram/pound and compare. For cool packaging or individual servings already split out, you are generally going to pay more, but there are exceptions to the rule. I have found that sometimes the largest containers of ranch dressing and my favorite, Pace salsa can be higher than a moderate size. Look first. And think about how much you are going to need.
Bowls, plates, linens, etc.
Wally-world can have fantastic prices on these types of items, but just look first, note their prices, and if need be, write them down. Generally the need for these items is not immediate, you can then go back home and see if eBay has a better price.
Wal-Mart can be a savings wonderland--in most places the Wal-Marts will beat the prices of the competition on a majority of the items. But there are going to be new and fun looking items that you are going to want to get right away, just try the new small Altoids, or pick up a fancy two-in-one washer/dryer sheet, but watch out. This is where Wally-world makes their money, along with the cold sodas near the registers, which are full price. Have a can of soda instead of a bottle and you have just saved at least $0.50 every time.
With these tips, you should be able to save $20-$40 per shopping trip, but come back for more because the Real Shopping secrets are still ahead.
Monday, September 21, 2009
About Me...
Hi,
my name is James Van Daele,
And I get nearly everything for less$$$. Let me paint you a picture.
I own a 3 bedroom and 2 full bath house in Fort Worth, Texas which I purchased for $26,600, I am sitting in front of a 34" HDTV that I got for $50, it is sitting on a solid wood stand that I got for $25, and I am sitting on a large leather couch from Ikea that I spent $100 on. Everywhere in my house I are deals like this, and I mean everywhere. My house is full of solid wood furniture, and I spent less than $500 for all of it. And how about my king size, good quality memory-foam bed that I got for less than $800, including the bedding and down pillows. I spend around half as much on electricity as all my neighbors, and I have money for all the nice things in life, but my wife and I combined only make about 40k a year. She gets clothes from Ann Taylor, and I get the big and tall items I need, but we never spend anywhere close to retail.
I want to share the methods I use to get almost everything imaginable for less than those around me. Come and learn along with me, as I show you the ways to use companies like Wal-Mart and eBay to get everything you want but thought you couldn't afford for less. And other tips and tricks to keep the spending down forever.
In this Blog we are going to explore the two types of expenses:
#1 Fixed expenses
Mortgage/rent, insurance, gas, vehicle repairs, vehicle payments (car loans) electricity, food and clothing.
#2 Variable expenses
Entertainment, luxury items, vacations, and the like.
The things I want to focus on most are items that everyone HAS to use; I am talking about food, electricity, clothes, gas, vehicle repairs, and so forth. Everyone can benefit from the tips I have gained by talking to and being the industry insiders that have given me all this invaluable advice, and even some that I have come up with on my own.
If you want to know how to get a vehicle for the absolute lowest price, or want to take 10% off your food bill, then this blog is for you. I encourage you to add comments with tips that I don't have mentioned, chances are, in your job, you know of ways people can save money off of posted retail prices.
One of the things I will be talking about is being picky. It's the #1 way to lose all sorts of money. rich people do it every day, and it helps our economy keep going. But, if you want to save serious green, then set aside your brand envy, and thoughts about what stores you "simply aren't going to go to" and I will show you easy, practical ways to save at least $500 per year.
Here is my first tip, and it's a no-brainer, but you would be surprised to what extent you can take it to.
SHOP AROUND!!
Yeah, we know it, when we go to buy a vehicle, we don't show up at the first place we find and get whatever they have (those of you that do, tsk tsk) We shop around, and that's great! But you can do that with more things than you probably imagined.
Did you know that if you don't have health coverage with your job, you can generally shop around for non-emergency health care? It's true. When I was living back in Los Angeles, I broke my thumb, bad news. I didn't have any type of health care and I needed a cast. The cheapest place may not always be what you want, but for about $60 I was able to get x-rays and a cast, put on by a real doctor, without an appointment. Yes, there was a catch, 14 hours waiting (!!!). I went to the county hospital and paid up-front. Yeah, so when it was time to go get my cast replaced, I said "nuts with this" and I called around. Just got out the phone book and called places; I told them I would need an x-ray and a cast replaced on my hand, I was very specific. I got prices and asked then if it would be a little less for cash. Sure enough, after calling 5 or 6 places, I got one that would do everything for $50 A real doctor, in a high-rise office.
Now, I realize that this does not work with most types of illnesses or diseases, but I have taken an informal poll of actual doctors that I have spoken with in the last 5 years, and all of them agree that most of the time, if the patient knows what they have, the patient knows more about the disease or issue than the doctor does! Just because they are experts, doesn't mean they know everything, and with a little research you might be able to find out what you have and find home-remedies for it yourself. Of course if you cannot nail down what you have by checking the symptoms and time frames, don't try and guess at it, Doctors are your best bet. just make sure you don't get reamed if you don't have insurance.
If you do have insurance...
Insurance is GREAT for things like cancer and prolonged illness, if you have enough to cover everything, but if you break a leg, it's possible that you are actually paying more for your various co-pays and fees than it would actually cost to have a procedure done with cash, with a real doctor that might not be your normal doctor. you have to tally up the costs and do some figuring, but it's possible to save a decent amount by just doing a little shopping around. Remember, try not to be too picky! You might be pleasantly surprised HOW NICE the other doctor is. In every case of my shopping for a good price on medical care I have gotten a great, pleasant doctor, a short wait time and an overall great experience.
When it comes to saving money on medical expenses, it's going to be difficult, or even impossible in many cases, but if you keep your mind open to the cases where it is possible to save some green, then it's just like found money.
Here is something I would do; follow me at your own risk and don't sue me if it all goes awry:
I live within 4 minutes of a pretty dang decent hospital. If my wife for any reason needed emergency care (other than something that would need her to be professionally stabilized before moving) I would simply carry her to my car, strap her in and gun it to the hospital myself. Dropping her off at the ambulance entrance. This may seem risky to some, insane to others and common sense to people like myself, but I will tell you this, it's generally over $1000 for a 5 minute ambulance ride and if you aren't making very much money then $1000 can be a mountain that will slowly eat away at your credit until your purchasing power is very limited.
If you have medical bills:
Say you have had an expensive procedure done and simply can't pay for it all. You have a couple of choices, one, you can ignore it and kiss goodbye the chances of EVER having a 700 credit score...
Or you can get a charge-off.
People in medical billing would rather get a little than nothing at all, and this holds true especially if you haven't paid on the bill in over a year or two. Call them up when you have a $1000 or $1500 squirrelled away and be upfront and honest with them when you CALL and talk to someone who can negotiate. Tell them that your simply not going to pay it all and they can either take $1000 or keep sending you letters because that is all your ever going to be able to save up at one time, and let them know that you aren't able to save ANY more money because your income matches your expenses. At this point, you will be in a great bargaining position. You may not get away with a complete charge-off (dismissal of all debt for a lower amount) but you might be able to lower the amount owed.
Or you can make payments.
When you call "the powers that be" up on the phone, they are going to want to put you on payments. If you can afford this, then I would do it, but don't take the first number they throw at you. remember to get to someone who can actually do something about it, which is generally going to mean you have to talk to some sort of supervisor in order to get the best total price. Negotiate to have the largest amount paid every month, in return for a lowered balance. If they won't do a charge-off or a lowered balance (they don't have to by law, so you may run into a brick wall here), then tell them that you are going to pay $2.00 per month. and insist upon it. most states will require them to be flexible with their repayment, and you might get away with this if all else fails.
my name is James Van Daele,
And I get nearly everything for less$$$. Let me paint you a picture.
I own a 3 bedroom and 2 full bath house in Fort Worth, Texas which I purchased for $26,600, I am sitting in front of a 34" HDTV that I got for $50, it is sitting on a solid wood stand that I got for $25, and I am sitting on a large leather couch from Ikea that I spent $100 on. Everywhere in my house I are deals like this, and I mean everywhere. My house is full of solid wood furniture, and I spent less than $500 for all of it. And how about my king size, good quality memory-foam bed that I got for less than $800, including the bedding and down pillows. I spend around half as much on electricity as all my neighbors, and I have money for all the nice things in life, but my wife and I combined only make about 40k a year. She gets clothes from Ann Taylor, and I get the big and tall items I need, but we never spend anywhere close to retail.
I want to share the methods I use to get almost everything imaginable for less than those around me. Come and learn along with me, as I show you the ways to use companies like Wal-Mart and eBay to get everything you want but thought you couldn't afford for less. And other tips and tricks to keep the spending down forever.
In this Blog we are going to explore the two types of expenses:
#1 Fixed expenses
Mortgage/rent, insurance, gas, vehicle repairs, vehicle payments (car loans) electricity, food and clothing.
#2 Variable expenses
Entertainment, luxury items, vacations, and the like.
The things I want to focus on most are items that everyone HAS to use; I am talking about food, electricity, clothes, gas, vehicle repairs, and so forth. Everyone can benefit from the tips I have gained by talking to and being the industry insiders that have given me all this invaluable advice, and even some that I have come up with on my own.
If you want to know how to get a vehicle for the absolute lowest price, or want to take 10% off your food bill, then this blog is for you. I encourage you to add comments with tips that I don't have mentioned, chances are, in your job, you know of ways people can save money off of posted retail prices.
One of the things I will be talking about is being picky. It's the #1 way to lose all sorts of money. rich people do it every day, and it helps our economy keep going. But, if you want to save serious green, then set aside your brand envy, and thoughts about what stores you "simply aren't going to go to" and I will show you easy, practical ways to save at least $500 per year.
Here is my first tip, and it's a no-brainer, but you would be surprised to what extent you can take it to.
SHOP AROUND!!
Yeah, we know it, when we go to buy a vehicle, we don't show up at the first place we find and get whatever they have (those of you that do, tsk tsk) We shop around, and that's great! But you can do that with more things than you probably imagined.
Did you know that if you don't have health coverage with your job, you can generally shop around for non-emergency health care? It's true. When I was living back in Los Angeles, I broke my thumb, bad news. I didn't have any type of health care and I needed a cast. The cheapest place may not always be what you want, but for about $60 I was able to get x-rays and a cast, put on by a real doctor, without an appointment. Yes, there was a catch, 14 hours waiting (!!!). I went to the county hospital and paid up-front. Yeah, so when it was time to go get my cast replaced, I said "nuts with this" and I called around. Just got out the phone book and called places; I told them I would need an x-ray and a cast replaced on my hand, I was very specific. I got prices and asked then if it would be a little less for cash. Sure enough, after calling 5 or 6 places, I got one that would do everything for $50 A real doctor, in a high-rise office.
Now, I realize that this does not work with most types of illnesses or diseases, but I have taken an informal poll of actual doctors that I have spoken with in the last 5 years, and all of them agree that most of the time, if the patient knows what they have, the patient knows more about the disease or issue than the doctor does! Just because they are experts, doesn't mean they know everything, and with a little research you might be able to find out what you have and find home-remedies for it yourself. Of course if you cannot nail down what you have by checking the symptoms and time frames, don't try and guess at it, Doctors are your best bet. just make sure you don't get reamed if you don't have insurance.
If you do have insurance...
Insurance is GREAT for things like cancer and prolonged illness, if you have enough to cover everything, but if you break a leg, it's possible that you are actually paying more for your various co-pays and fees than it would actually cost to have a procedure done with cash, with a real doctor that might not be your normal doctor. you have to tally up the costs and do some figuring, but it's possible to save a decent amount by just doing a little shopping around. Remember, try not to be too picky! You might be pleasantly surprised HOW NICE the other doctor is. In every case of my shopping for a good price on medical care I have gotten a great, pleasant doctor, a short wait time and an overall great experience.
When it comes to saving money on medical expenses, it's going to be difficult, or even impossible in many cases, but if you keep your mind open to the cases where it is possible to save some green, then it's just like found money.
Here is something I would do; follow me at your own risk and don't sue me if it all goes awry:
I live within 4 minutes of a pretty dang decent hospital. If my wife for any reason needed emergency care (other than something that would need her to be professionally stabilized before moving) I would simply carry her to my car, strap her in and gun it to the hospital myself. Dropping her off at the ambulance entrance. This may seem risky to some, insane to others and common sense to people like myself, but I will tell you this, it's generally over $1000 for a 5 minute ambulance ride and if you aren't making very much money then $1000 can be a mountain that will slowly eat away at your credit until your purchasing power is very limited.
If you have medical bills:
Say you have had an expensive procedure done and simply can't pay for it all. You have a couple of choices, one, you can ignore it and kiss goodbye the chances of EVER having a 700 credit score...
Or you can get a charge-off.
People in medical billing would rather get a little than nothing at all, and this holds true especially if you haven't paid on the bill in over a year or two. Call them up when you have a $1000 or $1500 squirrelled away and be upfront and honest with them when you CALL and talk to someone who can negotiate. Tell them that your simply not going to pay it all and they can either take $1000 or keep sending you letters because that is all your ever going to be able to save up at one time, and let them know that you aren't able to save ANY more money because your income matches your expenses. At this point, you will be in a great bargaining position. You may not get away with a complete charge-off (dismissal of all debt for a lower amount) but you might be able to lower the amount owed.
Or you can make payments.
When you call "the powers that be" up on the phone, they are going to want to put you on payments. If you can afford this, then I would do it, but don't take the first number they throw at you. remember to get to someone who can actually do something about it, which is generally going to mean you have to talk to some sort of supervisor in order to get the best total price. Negotiate to have the largest amount paid every month, in return for a lowered balance. If they won't do a charge-off or a lowered balance (they don't have to by law, so you may run into a brick wall here), then tell them that you are going to pay $2.00 per month. and insist upon it. most states will require them to be flexible with their repayment, and you might get away with this if all else fails.
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