Jewelry
Have a taste for things that go bling?
Jewelry can be extremely expensive but if you buy the right items, it can actually be considered an investment.
Saving money on jewelry is all about maximizing your dollar. With precious stones, you should know that the most important thing is not the size of the stone but its cut.
You can save a lot of money on jewelry choosing stones by the way they look. With a proper cut, a 1/4 karat stone can look as big as one that is 1/3 karat. The cut can make a stone look bigger and reflect more light, causing it to sparkle more.
Besides cut, also pay attention to the setting. The way a stone is set can make it look bigger than it is or on the flip side, smaller than it really is.
Finally, consider shopping with a local jeweler rather than a big chain. You will usually get a better price, better service and they will be more likely to haggle on price. Just make sure that you check out reviews online to make sure that you are dealing with an honest jeweler.
Sporting Goods
If you are looking to buy a big recreational item as a reward, there are lots of ways to save. Perhaps you want to treat yourself to a new pair of skis, a fishing kayak or even a new mountain bike.
The key to saving with sporting goods is to buy out of season. Stores stock up items designed to be enjoyed during the season that they are sold in. When the season is over, these things take up a lot of room. They need them out to make room for the next seasons items and they usually do not want to store them a whole year. Next year will have new models anyway so the old models need to be cleared. This means end of season discounts.
If you want to take advantage of end of season savings, you need to be patient. Keep an eye on the item or items that you want and window shop them often. The store will not necessarily run a big clearance sale. Often they will just mark the items down one day, just out of the blue. Be in a position to be able to spot the savings quickly and pounce on them.
Home Improvement Items
There are several ways to save with high ticket home improvement items.
One way is by shopping end of season clearance. Just like sporting goods, certain items are sold more during certain times of the year. Shop end of season and you could score a great deal.
Need a patio set, a new smoker or a nice zero turn mower? Shop for them at the end of the Summer and save big. Maybe you want to put on a show next year at Christmas. Buy up all of the extra lights and decorations at the end of the winter and be ready for next year.
Another way to save on home improvement items is by shopping the holidays. There are usually big sales during holidays like Memorial day, Presidents day and of course the biggest of all shopping days, Black Friday.
Holiday sales are great times to pick up items like power tools, ladders, etc.
Finally, don’t forget about all of the dinged and damaged items. If you are looking for a new major appliance, you can save hundreds of dollars by shopping slightly damaged items. Often, the damage might not even be noticeable in your installation. A refrigerator, for example, might have a scrape along the side. If it is the side that would be against a wall in your home, you have the perfect fit.
Pets
Yes, pets really can be a luxury item. This is especially true if you want a pure bred dog. If you are looking for a pure breed but do not want to spend thousands or worse yet take out a pet loan, you do have a few outlets that you can use to save.
Perhaps the best way to save on a pure breed dog is with a rescue. Just about every breed out there has a rescue designed to help dogs that need homes. Most will charge a 200 dollars or so but this is not much money and goes towards a good cause. For just a little bit of money, you get the pet you want, you help further a good cause and you will probably even get an animal that is already house trained. Avoid that whole mess altogether.
Another great source for dogs is a website like PetFinder.Com. It allows you to search for breeds in a certain mile radius of your home. You can often find puppies, young adults and some mild mannered older dogs looking for homes. You might have to pay an adoption fee, but it is better than the thousands of dollars that you would otherwise pay to a breeder.
Televisions
Everyone loves a big TV, well almost everyone at least.
A large, high definition comes with a steep price tag but there are ways to save.
The best way to save money is to shop big savings days such as Black Friday or even Cyber Monday. Retailers cut prices to the bone on these epic shopping days.If you can manage to wait, these are probably the two best days to buy a television.
Another way to save is to wait. Wait until the next model comes out. It never pays to have the latest and greatest. If you need to be that person, it is going to cost you. Simply stay one model behind and save a fortune. It is all going to be out of date soon anyway, why pay a premium.
