The Best Way to Save Money on Back to School Sales
Summer is barely halfway over, but retailers are already trying to turn our attention - and our dollars - to back to school shopping.
Coming off a couple years of dismal sales, stores are desperate to pep up their bottom lines. And they're using the fall season as an excuse to launch an all-out attack on our wallets. So how are they convincing even the most frugal of shoppers to part with money we don't have to buy things we don't need?
Sales - and lots of them, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.
At first glance, a sale seems like a good thing. After all, you're getting the same product for a lower price, right? But there's a method behind the marked-down madness. Stores know we're looking for a bargain, so they're holding an increasing number of short-lived sales and one-time-only deals. As we rush to make purchases before prices go back up, we often don't take the time to think said purchases through carefully. Retailers are using the distraction of sales to get our minds off our budgets. And it's not just in our favorite stores. Retailers are using the same "last chance to save" strategy in their e-mail advertisements and on shopping networks like QVC and HSN.
But there's a way to fight back - be prepared. Just like when you go to the supermarket, make a shopping list of items you're looking for, and don't stray from it. Tell sales associates that you need time to think about a purchase first, and then walk away for a minute to clear your head. Ask yourself if you'd buy the item even if you weren't under pressure. If you don't buy it today, the worst case scenario is that you'll have to wait for it to go on sale again. But if you do, you might end up with something you didn't really want or need, and may not be able to afford. If you do cave and buy something you don't want, don't be afraid to return it later.
In the end, a sale is only a good deal if you're buying something you were planning to purchase anyway. Your best bet to save money is to stick to a budget. If too much debt is making that difficult to do, a bankruptcy plan might be a solution. Learn how bankruptcy can provide a fresh financial start when you sign up for a free personal debt analysis with an Atlanta bankruptcy attorney.