The Information Magazine

Hello readers. I’m finally back after being missing in action for some weeks. I do miss writing and now my hands are itching to write and share some budgeting tips with my loyal readers.

Been to the sales lately? Now is the time as stock clearance takes place. Make a list of the things you need and find out which stores are offering what you need on sale. I needed a pair of good leather boots for the winter so I headed for Myers. The good ones had been snapped up, so I checked out David Jones instead. The boots were arranged according to sizes and were piled up high on top of one another on white-topped tables. It was a chore to shop and select. After a while, I spotted part of a pair of boots that looked attractive. I took a look at the price on its sole and couldn’t believe what I saw. The original price of $200 was slashed to $82. I knew it was for me as it was not only a good find but fitted my feet so comfortably. I hope it lasts a long time before I get another pair.

Aren’t these gorgeous? They will be useful for sloshing in the puddles of water on pavements on wet wintry days.

Here are shopping tips at clearance sales:

1)      Take time to look at the products carefully. Some goods may not be properly arranged so you need to be patient in rummaging through the piles of bags or shoes until you dig out the right one.

2)      Try to visit the store at the beginning of the sale before the good products are gone. I was lucky to get hold of the pair of boots at a good bargain. It was the cheapest pair so far on sale at the time of my visit.

3)      Expect different goods to be on sale at major stores in different locations. For example, you may find that awesome Guess bag you have been looking for at Myers in Chatswood but not in the same store in the CBD area.

4)      Be strong and stick to what you need on your shopping list. There is a tendency to be side-tracked during a sale so much so you’d end up with something you don’t really need but like instead just because the product on sale is irresistable and is sold at 50% off its original price.

It is worth buying essentials at stock clearance sales such as mattresses, towels, bed spreads, crockery and winter wear. Goods of superior quality bought at such a good price are deemed to be long-term investments. You won’t need to buy them every year as they can be made to last for many years to come. So make a list of your essentials and look out for sales at this time of the year. Make it a point to rush to the store at the beginning of the sale to avoid disappointment. The downside is that you have to be prepared to battle with the crowds without a proper shopping plan. 

Hello there! I’m back again with a new post on beauty pooling. I came across this concept in a current affairs programme on television and find it an interesting way to share and save in the name of beauty. So what is beauty pooling? It refers to a group of people who share high-end beauty equipment instead of going for treatments in the salon or spa. Such treatment includes the use of hair removal device, sauna equipment or tan spray machine.

This may be one way to save thousands of dollars as a package at a spa definitely costs over a thousand dollars. So chipping in to buy beauty equipment and taking turns to use the machine in the privacy of your home may be your solution to beautify yourself while saving you lots of money.

Here are the pros and cons of beauty pooling:

Pros

1.       It saves you money.  So let’s say, E-one, a medically approved hair removal equipment that has been certified for personal home-use, that costs about AU $2000 is shared amongst four women. Each one forks out just $500 and takes turns to use it in the comfort of her home for life. Now, isn’t it worth the money? 

2.       It saves you time. If your friends or relatives that you share the beauty equipment with live near to each other or away from the city area, you save travel and waiting time. You also save on parking fees by not having to deal with high hourly parking rates in the city centre or pay toll fees to the city.

Cons

  1. You miss out on the frills that come with salon or spa treatment and the feeling of being pampered by considering the spa as a respite from your hectic schedule.  

2. You have to be totally confident in operating the machine yourself and ensure it is fool-proof to make the most out of the machine. If  you face a problem, would you know how to trouble shoot it? Or can you be bothered to rectify it at all at the time when you expect to take a break from your routine?   

3. A proper roster of machine ownership has to be devised to avoid tiffs and misunderstandings. Hoarding the machine for too long will result in uncalled for squabbles and ill feelings amongst parties involved.

4.   If the equipment is bulky and heavy and needs to be transferred from one home to another, this will be cumbersome and pose added burden after the novelty of the machine is gone.

5.  If parties involved decide to place the machine in one home while others can come by to use it on a rotational basis, this may pose a certain degree of inconvenience to the host as there will be invasion of privacy or may result in having her to accommodate to the schedule to ensure availability.

Beauty pooling is indeed a novel way to save on high-end beauty treatments but is it worth the effort?  What is your view?

This post is dedicated to all movie-buffs out there. If you love going to the movies because of the powerful visual and sound effects the gigantic screen offers but can’t visit the theatres much because of the atrocious price of money tickets these days, don’t fret. You can scope out ways in which you can enjoy screenings of your favourite movies and save your dollars at the same time.

Two weekends ago, I went to see the movie ‘Valentine’s Day’ with a few friends. One of them managed to get discounted tickets for just $7.50. This is possible when bought in batches of 10 from selected cinemas. Check with your local cinema for the latest offers.

The following are some ways movie lovers can watch their favorite shows on a budget:

·        Constantly check cinema websites for special events. Currently, Hoyts is offering a free ticket on your birthday month. All you need to do is to provide details online and claim your ticket.   AMC sometimes offers half-price movies on weekdays at select theaters. 

·        Some cinemas offer discounted tickets on Tuesdays. You can save up to $4 per ticket. There are good deals for seniors too on Tuesday specials.

·        See a movie before 5 pm to get the matinee price. After 5 pm the demand for tickets increases, and theaters can get away with charging much higher prices. At matinees, a $9 or $10 ticket may be discounted to $5 or $6.

·        Avoid buying online as you will end up paying extra for your ticket. After checking with several cinemas, I realise that patrons pay up to a dollar extra for making online bookings. It is best to visit the cinema a little bit early and purchase your tickets at the ticketing booth.

·      Check to see if the cinema offers discounts when purchased with the credit card you have subscribed to. A friend of mine always uses hers to purchase tickets and enjoys up to 20% discount. How cool is that?

 ·     It pays to be a member. Membership has many benefits such as buying discounted tickets as well as having access to advanced screenings. Dendy Cinema offers the fifth ticket free to its patron card member along with other privileges. Village Cinema is offering Member Month Special when you can bring along a friend for just $5.   

·      Buy in bulk for great savings. A bulk of 10 tickets gives you about 20% discount. The price for bulk screen savers differ from cinema to cinema so it’s best for you to check out individual websites.

And if you can wait to watch your favourite shows, the alternative money-savvy way is to swap DVDs or rent them from your local DVD library.  

Do you know of any other ways to purchase discounted cinema tickets?  

You open your mail box one day and are greeted with countless catalogues or leaflet promotions. McDonald’s, Burger King’s, Gloria Jeans, The Good Guys, Target are just some of the participating merchants in the promotion strategy.  Sounds familiar? Many of us throw these catalogues or leaflets hoping that we don’t get tempted by the irresistable offers in the junk mail heap in our hands. Ironically, catalogues can actually help us to save.  

I receive letterbox deals once every two months and the weekly neighbourhood paper that comes with merchandise promotions in the mail. A close look at the promotions reveals how we can actually save by taking advantage of such deals. Here’s how:

1. Save on meals 

The meal discount coupons from fast food outlets are great for cutting down on your meal expenses for the whole family. You can save about $10 for a family of five this way. Meal catalogues are a great way to find out promotions available in your area.  For example, I discovered that Michel Patisserie offers a good ‘coffee with hot cross bun’ deal for $3.90 from the promotion leaflet chucked in my letterbox. Such a good treat if you happen to want a pick-me-up feeling after a hectic morning at work or catch up with a friend over coffee. My favourite restaurant, Oporto has a New Grilled Wings promotion for $2.98 for a pack of 3 wings. 

2. Save on merchandise

Advertising leaflets offer good bargains for items such as vitamin supplement, baby wipes, cosmetics, apparels and services such as hair treatment and insulation for energy efficiency. Special discounts are offered if you present the leaflet or if you buy in bulk to stockpile. Big local department stores often advertise their monthly or seasonal offers via mail. If you don’t happen to receive them, check them out at the following sites:

Target USA 

Wallmart USA

Target Australia

Kmart Australia  

The next time you receive such catalogues take time to leaf through them carefully to see if there is something you actually need or may need for a good price. Bookmark the item and get back to it again after some research.   

Strategies to adopt:

1.             Wise decision-making

If you don’t need anything at the moment or for the next season, probably it is best to recycle the catalogues. Catalogues come in handy if you find items that you really need for a good price. For example, if you have just moved in to a new place, catalogues are useful in helping you source out the best deals in household appliance available. This also applies to certain items of clothing or foot ware that you need. Quality vitamin supplements or toiletries on offer are also items that are worth sourcing out.   

2.             Comparison shopping 

Avoid buying on impulse just because the item is supposedly cheap and on offer. Check out the prices of the same item online or at your local department store and compare prices before you decide to purchase the item advertised in your catalogue. Don’t end up paying for more than you should. Offers are meant to save you some cash, not lose.     

3.             Organised Filing  

File up your catalogues systematically by dates. If you happen to need something relevant, sieve through them again. Discard the ones that are at least two months or two issues old or those whose expiry dates are long due. The latter applies to meal coupons.  

Catalogue shopping avoids the hassle of going to the mall and physically finding for the item you need. Hence, a lot of time is saved. Once you know what is available from a certain store for a certain price, it is certainly worth travelling to the intended destination and department without having to spend precious time in futile. 

Were you ever enticed by newspaper advertisements that announce low prices for expensive beauty packages? Flip through the local newspaper and chances are you will come across several adverts that read: 20 slimming sessions for $189, Make-over session for half the original price – Just $49 Limited Period Only, Innovative Gold Mask Facial for $88- usual $200 etc.  

Like thousands of people out there, I was taken in by such gimmicks. Two years ago, I came across a tummy trimming advertisement that offered a trial price of just $88 for 20 sessions that covered 10 sessions of machine-enhanced massage threatment and 10 free sessions of Far Infrared Therapy on two areas of the lower body. Knowing that such treatments normally cost thousands of dollars, I took the opportunity to try the ‘oh so good to be true’ offer. During the cellulite assessment session, the consultant talked me into signing up for another treatment session called Fat Blaster costing $2200 for 20 sessions. I refused and stuck to the original deal.

That was not the end of my sales transaction with the beauty consultant. The free Far Infrared Therapy treatment did not well work on me as I felt an intense burning sensation on my tummy area hours after the session. I requested for a replacement and was recommended another treatment using a suction-pad like machine that facilitates in the draining of fatty deposits, leading to the eventual flattening of the tummy area. That cost me an additional $1500, a far cry from the original ‘sounds good’ offer of $88. The horror didn’t end there. I was constantly monitored by the same consultant who hovered around me like a hawk after each session and persistently tried to up sell the package claiming that a certain recommended treatment guaranteed more effective results. Another sales gimmick used is to get customers to try new treatments for free in the hope of selling upgraded packages to customers. Once you agree to try it, be prepared for a lengthy sales pitch by the consultant.  

      The following are gimmicks used by sales people in almost any industry:

1.       Buy one get one free 

Would you buy something just to get the same item for free? This makes sense if you use the item regularly. Such items include toiletries or household products. Beware of shelf life though. You don’t need a duplicate accessory or cosmetic item such as lip gloss or eye shadow unless you are planning to give away the free item. Would you even use the second item if you have never tried using the first? If this is the case, then forget about buying it.

2.       Buy a total of $50 and you will be entitled to a free gift

Do you want to fork out extra money just to get something free which you may not even use? Don’t be tempted by such gimmicks. It will be practical to get just get the item you need and forget about the free item and save the extra money.   

3.       Try a new treatment for a good recommended price  

If the price quoted for a package is too high for your budget, negotiate further if you are really interested in the product or treatment. Do not be trapped into being obliged to sign up or buy. This may happen if you are not interested in purchasing but mindlessly negotiate anyway, not realising that a deal may eventually have to be struck at your consultant’s persistent efforts to gain a commission. Don’t hesitate to probe your sales or beauty consultant further. If a particular slimming treatment costs an additional price of $2000 for 20 sessions, ask how long such a treatment per session will be. Would you pay $100 for a 10 minute session in the hope of flattening your tummy or getting a face lift? Do bear in mind that such a treatment will be ongoing as discontinuing it after the last session will mean getting back your bulge or sag if no alternative treatment is maintained. 

4.       Buy a product at an amazing low price while stocks last 

If you don’t need the product, be firm but polite about your stand. Don’t be pressured to purchase it after a trial treatment. If you think you don’t need the item or know where to get a better deal elsewhere, turn down the offer politely but firmly. Think of an excuse to get out of the situation if you feel harassed.  

5.       For a limited time only

This is a favourite sales gimmick used by every sales person or retailer. You will be told that the product is sold at such an affordable price just for that day.  Don’t be taken in and make an impulse purchase just because the price is supposedly low. Chances are that the same phrase will be quoted to someone else who comes in the very next day and the day after until the stock depletes.     

Beauty consultants can be persistent and annoying as they find all ways and means to strike a deal. This is understandable as part of their salary comes from commissions made per sale. Don’t get lured by those enticing advertisements as you now know that the sale does not end there. The reality is that you will be coerced into purchasing one product or treatment after another once you commit yourself to the initial bargain. Be aware of your budget and prioritise your needs before you commit into buying. If you are aware of having to spend beyond your limits, walk straight towards the door politely and tell your consultant that you will have to seriously consider signing up before parting with your hard earned cash!