Deal Of The Week: Restaurant.com: Before heading back to school, take 80% off $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com with Consumer United's special code BIG though Monday, Aug. 16 here.
Other Weekly Deals: OnSale: Save $149 on HP Smart Buy Elitebook 2540p Intel Core i5-540M 2.53GHz Notebook - 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 12.1" WXGA, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/n, 6-cell Li-ion - ships with Windows XP Pro downgraded from Windows 7 Pro here for $929.99.
GiftCards.com: With students heading back to school, save 25 percent on a slew of gift cards here.
Deal Of The Week: Best Buy: Create lasting college memories with a stylish new digital camera from Best Buy. Save big this week with 5-20 percent off select digital cameras, plus free shipping here until Saturday, Aug. 7.
Other Weekly Deals: Restaurant.com: Before heading back to school, take 80% off $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com with Consumer United's special code PLATE though Thursday, Aug. 5 here.
Best Deal Magazines: Heading back to school? Take an additional 15 percent off of magazine subscriptions using the Consumer United coupon code PXCJ88 during checkout here until Sunday, Aug. 8.
GiftCards.com: With students heading back to school, save 25 percent on a slew of gift cards here.
Our lesson of the day? Savings is never too cool for school.
Back-to-school shopping season is approaching fast and we've learned a thing or two on how not to burn a hole in your wallet. Time to whip out that No. 2 pencil. We've compiled a few ways to save without sacrificing the fun of the shopping season.
Buy used books Don't judge a book by its cover. Instead, save the criticism for the hefty sticker price traditional campus books stores charge for required texts. On a budget? No problem. With college students shelling out hundreds--sometimes thousands--of dollars on textbooks each year, check out used books stores and online shops like half.com and amazon.com as a viable way for frugal-minded collegians to save a few bucks.
Organize before shopping Make a list of the back-to-school supplies you need ... and don't shop without the list. This will eliminate over spending on items that are unnecessary. If you're not sure of the supples needed, e-mail the teacher or instructor. Maybe you don't really need that expensive calculator after all. One thing you will need to put on your list? An alarm. Check out iHome's bluetooth clock radio/alarm and speakerphone for iPhone and iPod only $89.99 after mail-in rebate
Procrastinate Wait to shop. The longer you wait, the better the sales. Putting a hold on back to school shopping may increase your anxiety, but in the end the savings are very rewarding. Kelli Grant, Sr. Consumer Reporter for SmartMoney.com says "buying basic items now while they're on sale, but wait until after school starts to buy the rest. Once the back-to-school rush has calmed down, retailers will often put traditional back-to-school items on clearance."
Ask for adjustments If a purchased item goes on sale around two weeks after you bought it, bring it back with the receipt for a price adjustment. The store will refund or credit you the difference, which may end up being really helpful.
Save with large retailers Don't rule out Target, Walmart and Costco. Big retailers such as these usually offer many discounts, especially for back-to-school shoppers looking to save on basic supplies. Best Buy offers great values on computers and electronics perfect for homework and play. Check out their helpful back-to-school checklist here.
Our lesson of the day? Savings is never too cool for school.
It's back-to-school shopping season and we've learned a thing or two on how not to burn a hole in your wallet. Time to whip out that No. 2 pencil. We've compiled a few ways to save without sacrificing the fun of the shopping season.
Organize Make a list of the back-to-school supplies you need ... and don't shop without the list. This will eliminate over spending on items that are unnecessary. If you're not sure of the supples needed, e-mail the teacher or instructor. Maybe you don't really need that expensive calculator after all. One thing you will need to put on your list? An alarm. Check out iHome's bluetooth clock radio/alarm and speakerphone for iPhone and iPod only $89.99 after mail-in rebate
Avoid chain electronic stores Avoid large chain electronic stores for computers, a CBS news article reports. Instead shop around online for a better deal. Check out these sites for great deals on computers: CompUSA.com: Great selection of laptops for school starting at $299 OnSale.com: $200 off Toshiba Satellite L355-S7905 Celeron only $399.99
Procrastinate Wait to shop. The longer you wait, the better the sales. Putting a hold on back to school shopping may increase your anxiety, but in the end the savings are very rewarding. Kelli Grant, Sr. Consumer Reporter for SmartMoney.com says "buying basic items now while they're on sale, but wait until after school starts to buy the rest. Once the back-to-school rush has calmed down, retailers will often put traditional back-to-school items on clearance."
Ask for adjustments If a purchased item goes on sale around two weeks after you bought it, bring it back with the receipt for a price adjustment. The store will refund or credit you the difference, which may end up being really helpful.
Don't forget Target Don't rule out Target, Walmart and Costco. Big retailers such as these usually offer many discounts, especially for back to school shoppers. "Costco, right now, is offering up to $400 off Dell computers," says Grant. Walmart offers desks from $49, and Dell computers from $498.
As food and fuel prices reach record highs, it comes as no surprise that consumers are cutting back on their discretionary spending. The back-to-school season, typically an important time for retailers, is expected to be relatively flat this year, according to an article in the Boston Herald.
“It appears that the current economic situation has dampened back-to-school share-of-wallet,” Robert Passikoff, president of the customer loyalty research firm Brand Keys, says to the Herald. “Which retailer is going to offer the best prices for the things they need most is how consumers are entering the back-to-school marketplace.”
As parents struggle with the increasing cost of living and record setting price of tuition, many students are also sufferring from what was a weak job market this summer. Teenagers, especially high school students, found themselves competing with older, more experienced workers who may have needed a part-time job or may have been out of their regular employment.
Consequently, parents and students alike headed to discount based retailers such as Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and BJ’s Wholesale Club in order to do their back to school shopping.
The article reports that spending is expected to remain flat in most retail cateories except for electronics. Many families have chosen to put aside some of their stimulus checks for electronic items such as computers or cell phones. Sales of clothing and other school items, however, are expected to experience little growth.
Deal Of The Week:
