The Extreme Deal Seeker, Part 2: Waiting and Praying!?

I'm going to type ideas as fast as I can, while my Coupon Buddy is busy trying to sort through my purse. Read: looking for money. :) I'm going to continue in the Q&A format.

What's your take on the discount/bargain/clearance bin?

My take is this: how could you NOT love it? :) But, it does take a little time and attention to really score in this situation.

I mentioned in my other post that I shop systematically through the same store every week. I have factored the bargain bins into my run so I do not make some bad choices. Oh, how I love the bargain bin at Kroger...it really could get me into trouble if I let it...but where else can you get an $80.00 toaster for $20.00 by simply using the wait-and-pray method?

First and foremost--have a solid idea of what you are looking for when you dive into the bins. This truly can be something short of an Olympic sport, so be prepared for:

-Items that others have thrown into the bin that are not on sale.

-Looking for a price checker to be nearby if it looks suspicious or has no tag.

-Other people. Sigh, those interlopers between me and my bliss. How dare they paw through the same bins as I, possibly finding the last industrial sized bag of almond M&M's for a nickel? :) All kidding aside, in actuality, 99% of the people I meet at bargain bins are people just like me, getting a kick out of cheap stuff; heck, many times we look for certain items for one another or chat while we breathlessly claw through...I mean, gently examine... the contents of the bin.

-Expired items.

-Getting ready to expire items. Okay if you want to use soon, not so much if it's your headache medicine. Example: had a bunch of cold medicine getting ready to expire this August in the bargain bins in late January. The medicine was normally $5-6.00 and clearanced out to $2.50. I had four $2.50 coupons so I got stocked up for the last of the winter sniffles for free. Any left over would need to be tossed, so more than four would be greedy and wasteful [Politeness tip: don't grab all of something if you can help it. Other people like bargains too!]. It ended up being really nice to have on hand, because who wants to drive to the store to get meds when they are already sick?? I'd rather just walk to my med cabinet. And then...back to bed. :)

-Dented cans. Don't take a chance.

-What you have a coupon for.

-Lastly, and this is the most important, be prepared to "wait and pray." if you don't have to have it.

Take, for example, my toaster. Our toaster was acting erratic, so it was time to buy a new one. Imagine my surprise when I saw a huge pile of kitchen appliances at my local Kroger's bargain bin: can openers, toasters, blenders, etc. However, I was a bit chagrined to see the $15.00 can opener was only clearanced down to $13.99. This isn't a clearance in my mind, but a marketing ploy. People see things in the bargain bin and pretty much automatically think: "oh my goodness, cheap cheap cheaaaaap!"

Not so. 10% off is not a clearance, that's a sale. Take into consideration that you are paying 6% sales tax, and you might as well not even bother. I must not have been alone in my thoughts, as the bin was still mostly full the next time I went into the store.

About 2 1/2 weeks later, a few items were left in the bin, and some of the toasters were still there. I had previously shied away from them, as they were originally $80.00, and were clearanced to $40.00 at week 2 (my second visit). While $40.00 was 50% off and a good price, it was beyond my price point that I wanted to pay; I do use my toaster often, but not enough to justify 40 bucks.

My wait and pray paid off at visit three, as there were two toasters left and they were now $20.00. As someone can buy the standard, nondigital, non-Cusinart, two-slot model for $11.88 at WalMart, this was indeed a good deal, and it ended up in my cart.

The Wait and Pray method:

-Involves NO actual prayers. Please, your diety of choice is busy enough with other prayers than to concern themselves with your bargain dilemmas. Thanking your diety of choice is okay, as compliments and gratitude go through the Holy Customer Service Department and reach your diety in the form of a summarized report.

-Involves knowing actual retail price (Yay, years of watching the Price is Right). That toaster is probably normally retail ~$70.00, so 50% off of an inflated price is an even worse deal. Be prepared for this in stores that are selling items that are beyond their norm. YES, grocery stores selling appliances to prepare the food you buy within IS out of the norm, that's why they charge you a small premium. See my last post's argument about "time is money" to figure if this convenience is worth it to you.

-Involves having the fortitude to walk away. If my toaster ended up pooping out totally, I would have just grabbed the $11.88 Black and Decker one at WalMart and been satisfied, never giving that *50% off!!!!, $40.00* toaster another thought. In this case, a little patience got me a 4-slot goodie for just a little more than that 12 bucks.

-Remember, again, that time is money, so paying a low price now for an inferior product will mean paying out more money overall in the end. Sometimes a few dollars difference really does end up being the cheapest deal. In my toaster example, Black and Decker is not an inferior brand, but when I think kitchen, I think of Cuisinart more than B&D. I also scored several settings beyond the norm (one sided bagel toasting, for example. No more burnt sesame seeds), a defrost function, 9 level settings, and 4 slots versus 2. Yeah, that thing is sitting on my counter and acting cocky as we speak. :)


Let me reiterate: a clearance is defined by the Retail Dictionary of NurseAdrie as "Something that is usable, highly desirable, and at a price that you are unlikely to ever see again, at least any time soon."