Shopping School - How to save BIG bucks by shopping on the Internet

While perusing one of my computer magazines recently, I came across a comparison of several digital cameras. A friend (who fancies himself to be a gifted photographer) has a birthday coming soon, so I gave the article more attention than I otherwise would have. I sped through the prose and found my way to the comparison chart that is customarily at the end of such articles. I found the camera that seemed to best satisfy my needs, and then looked over at the pricing. $329.00. This was simply more than I was willing to spend. But that's okay, I shop the Internet — and I never pay the absurd prices I see listed. After a mere five minutes of research on the Internet, I found the camera for $193+$7 shipping. That was within my budget (barely) so I bought it.

Internet sales grow at an astounding rate! To maintain its unprecedented rate of growth, it must feed greedily on the dwindling profits of the brick and mortar businesses that don't go the way of the Internet. There's a reason for it. People are finally learning how to shop on the Internet. If you want to buy something, almost anything at all, the Internet is surely your best bet. The research is fast and easy, and the savings range from fantastic all the way to unbelievably great. Besides, think of the additional savings in fuel and time! And what you can't actually purchase over the Internet, you can research, and thereby make a better buying decision, as well as find the best price locally. Items in this category would include a whole-house heating or cooling system, a water purification system, or a yard watering system.

Here's how you apply this technique. First, find an item you like and get the exact name, and the name of the manufacturer. You can do all of this on the Internet. Second, go to the three free Internet pricing services at the end of this article. Third, put the name of the manufacturer followed by the exact name of the item into the search box and click 'go.' You'll get a list of all the places selling the item, and the price they are asking. They even give you a ranking of the seller (customer satisfaction rating) based on the experience of customers who have used the company – you can even read the customer's comments. Now just pick the lowest price from the best seller and save money! This is an excellent technique, and sure to save you an appreciable percentage of your annual expenditures.

We've already seen a camera's cost on the Internet, so let's put a couple more items in here to give you an idea of the depth and breadth of Internet shopping. I'll list the item, the retail cost, and the lowest price I could find on one of the three services.

Item: Tunturi C60 Elliptical Trainer
Retail Price: $2,050
Lowest Price: $1,199

Item: North Face Himalayan Parka
Retail Price: $499.00
Lowest Price: $279.00

Other things to price shop include: razors, hair dryers, clothing, massage oil, make-up, sports equipment, musical instruments, CDs, DVDs, TVs, telescopes, binoculars, car wax, clothing, shoes – and did I mention clothing?

Let me say a brief word about 'service.' There are some things, as noted previously, that you cannot purchase over the Internet. But people who've not shopped on the Internet, or who are new to shopping on the Internet include far too many items in that group. Their concern is about 'service.' They think that if they buy a TV or camera on the Internet, they won't be able to get the warranty honored or the item repaired locally. This is utterly inaccurate. If you buy a Mitsubishi TV in Tucson, Arizona, and move to Flagstaff, Arizona, any authorized Mitsubishi dealer must honor the warranty on, or repair your TV.

If you do need to make a purchase that is not suitable for the Internet, like a home heating and cooling unit, you should still do research on the Internet. Use the Internet to ensure that you make an informed decision about which unit to buy. Then, use the Internet to find the local dealer with the best price, and the best reputation for service.

Internet shopping is here to stay, and it will do nothing but continue to grow, and become better. Try it! You can do it whenever you want to because the stores never close, and you'll save lots of money on your necessary shopping – and that leaves more for 'unnecessary shopping.' Enjoy!

My favorite cost comparison research on sites:
www.Mysimon.com
www.Pricerunner.com
www.Pricegrabber.com
I also use eBay – for certain things. EBay can save you major money on some things, but if you want to learn about using it properly, you'll need to read another article or two about that. I find it's great for closeout items such as hardware, some garden items, etc.