Savvy Shopping Tips and Experiences

Dumb Customer? I Don't Think So!

This evening we went out to eat at a local ethnic restaurant. The food was great, but an attempt to try and pass one by on me wasn’t a good idea. I can’t be certain, of course, but the signs were all there that these guys had a plot to deceive and profit from such deception.

When I go into a restaurant with coupons, I lay them right on the table, not only to see if I can learn a few new tricks, but also to validate the integrity of the servers. In this case we brought in a coupon for $5 off $25 dollars or more. The receipt itemized with $13.25, $9.25 and $3.80. Do the math and you got a bill for $26.10, but the waiter wrote a total of $24.62 on the receipt. It just didn’t look right, as I had previously done the math before ordering. I immediately evaluated the receipt and my findings were certain.

Now some of us put a certain level of trust in others, but some others don’t think about the ramifications of getting busted. I can’t know for sure that their calculator was broken, but the chances for two calculators being broken don’t add up. We took our receipt to the counter to pay and I informed the cashier of the mistake. I understand that some mistakes happen, but this one didn’t seem like a mistake at all. The waiter was standing there as well. When I made mention, he looked at me first as if to conjure up an intelligent response but instead he gave me that dang-you-busted-me smirk. I returned the smirk with a wink and nod as if to nonverbally say, “Sure, buddy.”

After thinking about the whole experience, I did some thinking and ran some numbers. If this was a facetious ploy to dupe inattentive patrons, it didn’t work on me and it shouldn’t work on you, either. $26.10 minus $24.62 is $1.48, $3.52 away from $5.00. Although a few bucks isn’t too big of a deal, multiply that by 50 tables served in one day and you get $176 times 6 days worked equals $1056, a pretty decent chunk of change for an intelligent, yet dishonest server or even restaurant in a week’s time. The cashier seemed to be involved in the scheme, too; the signs were there. It was kind of amusing watching them scurry about with their calculators pretending to insinuate that it was a mistake. The cashier told the waiter he forgot to add taxes, but that really wasn’t the case and she knew it.

Got a story to tell about such an experience? Please enlighten us; we’re all ears!

This evening we went out to eat at a local ethnic restaurant. We brought a coupon for $5 off $25 dollars or more. The receipt itemized with $13.25, $9.25 and $3.80. Do the math and you got a bill for $26.10, but the waiter wrote a total of $24.62 on the receipt. It just didn’t look right, as I had previously done the math before ordering.

I understand that some mistakes happen, but this one didn’t seem like a mistake at all. When I made mention, he looked at me first as if to conjure up an intelligent response but instead he gave me that dang-you-busted-me smirk. I returned the smirk with a wink and nod as if to nonverbally say, “Sure, buddy.”

$26.10 minus $24.62 is $1.48, $3.52 away from $5.00 times 50 tables served is $176 times 6 days worked equals $1056, a pretty decent chunk of change for an intelligent, yet dishonest server or even restaurant in a week’s time.

Got a story to tell about such an experience? Please enlighten us; we’re all ears!

What You'll Find Here

I created this page for consumers and business owners and anyone else who takes their spending habits seriously
Consumer awareness, education, warnings and links to reliable and credible reports, guides and consumer related tips and pointers
Report, information and tips for adapting a Professional and Savvy Shopper mentality towards getting the most value for your money
Links to trusted, well known retail sites who have your best interests in mind

Why shop online?

Simply Convenience.

Unlimited Choices.

Rediculous Savings.

Bring out the Professional Shopper in you!

Money-Saving Tips to Shopping Online and to Becoming A Truly Savvy Shopper

leverage- noun 1. the use of a small initial investment, credit, or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment, to control a much larger investment, or to reduce one's own liability for any loss.

We all want to get the most value for the hard-earned money we spend. You're going to shop somewhere. If you think about, your spending habits are part of your diverse financial portfolio for life; you control it. To be a savvy shopper is to be a professional shopper. Face it, if you can find what you're looking for at the lowest price possible, you are making money. No matter how much you save, it is in fact tax-free part-time income. Multiply that everytime you shop and you are creating a surplus of spending dollars. That is called leverage. A surplus of spending dollars equals more for your money, you know, that stuff that grows on trees. Always start from the bottom up. Look for discounts on what you are looking for. Take the time to shop from the comfort of your own home or office.

Millionaire Spending Habits
Finding Good Deals and Making Them YOURS

Start with "OPEN BOX" finds. Companies get returns. Rather than tossing the items, items are evaluated and placed for sale, usually at deep discounts. Some items may not be complete, but a description of open box items should be included for you to decide whether to purchase.
ONLINE CLEARANCE- overstock, liquidation or whatever reason, great deals are to be had, especially if you find exactly what you are looking for. Clearances can range from 10-70% off.
BUILDER CLEARANCE- Larger companies may have bulk buying opportunities when you are shopping for large quantities of the same products.
IN-STORE CLEARANCE- Some companies have brick and mortar store websites that are serviced by the local stores showing clearance sales in the stores.
WAREHOUSE OUTLETS- Learn whether the sites you shop at online have local outlet stores where you can find more deals.
PRICE GUARANTEES- Look for stores that have price guarantees and find out what their guidelines and requirements are for getting the deals before you buy.
FREE SHIPPING- Many, many online stores offer free shipping after you reach a certain amount.

Shop around, do your research, ask questions, negotiate, get a deal.

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home improvements, remodeling, furniture, lighting, appliances, etc.

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Before you buy any electronics, check J&R first. They always have something going on. iPods, computers, cameras, audio, video, office, home, musical instruments, software, concole games, movies, music, boutiques and more. Check out the advertised specials while you are there.

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"To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people." What can I say to that?

Maybe you enjoy that, sometimes. Or maybe you enjoy having something to look forward to when the delivery driver rings your doorbell or you come home after a hard days work to find a package on your doorstep. Don't you just love that feeling? Sure you do. Conveniently pick your items in the comfort of your home while waiting for the bus to drop off the kids or while the water is boiling. Search the numerous discounts, buy more and save more, guaranteed. At least gas money and valuable time anyway.