How the prices had escalated since a year ago was shocking!
Not only insurance is more expensive. So is everything else whether you're talking the price of gasoline or food. Everything costs so much more than a year ago.
I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for bargains and rather than giving "things" as gifts, I'm giving gift cards more frequently so the recipient can put the card to what they might really need.
I found a few bargains you might be interested in and thought I'd share, but first let me tell you...
What Not to Buy
This list is short, and the reason not to buy these things right now is that they usually go on sale in the next few months.
Major Appliances — on sale in September
Mattresses — September
New iPhone — sales start in September through November
Fall Clothing — sales start in November
Android Phone — sales start in November
TV — sales start in November
Amazing Bargains at Thrift and Recycle Stores
The first place I want to tell you to shop for bargains is your local Habitat for Humanity Recycle Store. I hope you're lucky enough to have one in your community. Often, stores like this may be called Recylce Stores or even Free-cycle Stores where things are free if you just go pick it up.
The Habitat for Humanity Recycle Store I visit whenever I have the chance has amazing bargains. Their inventory consists of everything from light fixtures, kithen cabinets, furniture, appliances, doors, windows, patio pavers, and art so many other things.
The stock comes from homeowners who are remodeling and donate their perfectly-good "old" items to contractors who overbuy quantities of building materials and businesses who have unsold stock but must make a place for new stock. We have a friend who flips houses, and he has bought entire kitchen essentials from cabinets, granite counters, and new appliances at stores like this.
The last time I was in there I saw a life-size 19th century Italian sculpture of the 3 Muses. Of course, the people who run the store aren't idiots. The price of this statue was $10K, but I could see a hotel, resort, museum, or millionaire buying it. I have to admit it was beautiful.
Below are the other August bargains you can find.
Bargains Available to Anyone
(1) Textbooks. This is for anyone with kids or grandkids going to college in the fall.
I didn't know you can buy used college texts on Amazon. It's a good idea to compare the prices at off-campus and local used bookstores with those offered by Amazon's Used Textbooks.
(2) Nutritional Supplements. It's no secret that Darling Hubby and I take a lot of supplements—everything from CoQ10 to NMN and Betaine. We take about a dozen various supplements on a daily basis. I think this is one reason we are seldom sick. Haven't had a cold in years.
The thing about supplements is you want to take a high-quality supplement. Once I shopped locally for the supplements, but it was difficult to find a non-GMO, GMP-facility manufactured supplement for all of them not to mention finding them at an affordable price. So I now order 99% of all supplements from Amazon.
It's easy to compare cost per unit and find them Vegan, non-GMO, and manufactured at a GMP (Good Manufacturing Process) facility. If you take supplements, comparison shop at Amazon to see if you're getting the best deal for your money. Enter the type of supplement in the search box and any other criteria that meets your need.
3. School supplies.
Check the price of laptops. These have become back to school items in today's world. Compare prices at your local stores and online.
If you miss out on something on your kid's school supply list because of limited stock, or you're just pressed for time, try Amazon Back to School Supplies and have them shipped to your home.
On the Amazon Back to School page, you can search for the list of supplies required from your local schools by grade and zip code.
Get free delivery if you're a Prime member. If you're not yet a Prime Member, sign up for Amazon's 30-day trial membership. If you don't think Prime Video, Music, and free delivery on most items are worth the annual cost, cancel before the trial membership is over. Be sure and read about what you must do before signing up.
(By the way, you can link your Amazon Prime Membership to Zappos if you like ordering shoes from that amazing company.)
(4) Tax Free Weekend. If your state offers a tax-free weekend for buying back to school clothes and shoes, find out when it is and take advantage of it. That's a big savings in most states especially when combined with sale prices on warm weather clothes. It's still hot here in Texas, but the stores are stocking fall and winter clothing. All summer clothing is discounted so add that to tax-free, and it's the lowest prices we see in a year.
(5) Big Sales on Patio Furniture, Garden Tools, Air Conditioners, etc. August is when all the stores start clearing out the summer items like BBQ grills, window air conditioners, garden tools, lawn mowers, edgers, patio furnishings, nursery plants, and other similar type items. Check the garden centers at the big box stores as well as the local nurseries if you need to spruce up your outdoor entertainment area and refresh your landscaping.
(6) Luggage. With vacations winding down, stores locally and online are putting their luggage on sale. Check locally and online to get the best deals.
The Student Membership offers special benefits to college students including: Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping (with no minimum order size), exclusive deals and promotions for college students.
You can also send them an Amazon Gift Card or a gift card for their favorite shopping destination—most kids have a favorite shopping place whether online or in a brick and mortar store.
Takeaway Truth
I've always been a bargain shopper, and I think more people are seeing the benefits of comparisin shopping as they try to make their money stretch farther.
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