Shopping Tips

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  • #10461
    Financial Companion
    Participant

    Just a few simple tips that may be helpful to some people at this time of year! Firstly, with grocery shopping……it’s worth remembering that the world is not ending and shops are not closing for a month :wink: Plan meals ahead and make a list, that way you can avoid throwing out food that goes out of date or piling up tins that you already have plenty of (as well as saving money!). A "special offer" is only worthwhile if you intended to buy it anyway (and you are sure that the offer is actually a genuine reduction! Noticed last night prices in a certain large supermarked that were marked as reduced, have only been reduced from a price that had been increased in last few weeks, and they had actually been a lot cheaper a couple of months back!) Watch out for special "Christmas" packaged items. Sometimes they can be far more expensive than the normally packaged product. Use the "cost per kilo/litre/100g etc. for true value. Try and keep all of your receipts over the Christmas period (it may be necessary to write on back of receipts what they are for if it is not clear) as with the law of averages, some items may be faulty and proof of purchase required to return. If you have access to internet banking, keep a close eye on accounts and credit cards at this time of year, as account and card fraud can get easily missed within the higher volume of transactions. Finally, if you are going abroad and bringing presents, bring your wrapping paper and sellotape and wrap when you arrive as airport security may have to ask you to open packages to verify contents. Happy shopping! :wink:

    #106434
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    Great stuff FC, some very good points there.

    For me, I try to:

    Always keep receipts and when buying something for a present ask how long the receipt is valid for (some shops only give you 14 days, so be wary of that)

    Ask can the person get a refund with their receipt – some shops will only offer credit notes or another item and there may not be anything the person wants there. Its best to have the option of cash back.

    My top tip …. Make a list!! I am an awful person for picking up things I don’t need or had not intended to buy. We are doing our grocery shopping Thursday morning and I am determined to have a list and stick to it.

    And we also plan not to buy loads of stuff we don’t really need – going to be sensible this year (well, going to try!!!) 😳 😳

    #106459
    Financial Companion
    Participant

    Just a bit more about receipts, although many shops offer you the chance to return goods if you don’t like them withing 14 or 28 days, this is just their policy, you don’t automatically have the right to return goods just because you don’t like them (although many shops are flexible enough on presents.) However, if an item you buy is faulty (under the sale of goods act, this means that it is not suitable for the purpose that it was designed for) you do NOT have to accept a credit note. Depending on how long since you bought it, they are obliged to repair, replace or refund. For example, if you have a mobile phone for 7 months and something is not right with it, the shop would be reasonable in taking it in for repair (at no charge to you as long as it is a maunufacturing fault and not due to being dropped for example) whereas if you have it 2 days, you can insist on a replacement of a refund.

    If you are buying gift tokens as presents, make sure you find out how long they are valid for. Also, if you receive gift tokens, don’t leave it too long to use them, an unfortunate aspect of the current climate is people have held gift tokens for a few months only to find out that the business may be closed down!

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