How to Comparison Shop for the Best Prices Locally

Save money when you shop locally.

Grab the local newspaper and a fountain pen and get ready to save time and money by comparison shopping locally. Find deals on groceries, big-ticket items, clothing, pet supplies and more by implementing 10 simple steps for saving. Consolidate your shopping trips and streamline your budget as you negotiate the lowest prices available in your area. Pennies will plead from the pinching as you negotiate the best deals around town on many needed items.

Instructions

1. Remove all of the advertisements, newspaper inserts and manufacturer's coupons from the most recent copy of your local newspaper and set aside.

2. Flip through the remainder of the newspaper looking for any additional sales or advertised specials and place any findings in the stack of inserts and advertisements you previously set aside.

3. Compare the sale ads for the lowest price on must-haves.

4. Circle the lowest ad price.

5. Write the name of the item, the advertised price, the store offering the advertised price and the date the ad expires on the notepad.

6. Make a list of all stores in your area along with their phone numbers. Include pharmacies, drug stores, discount stores and supermarkets. Don't forget to include wholesale warehouses.

7. Call each establishment and ask if the store will match a competitor's price. Also ask if the establishment accepts coupons and if coupons are ever doubled or tripled. Record the information on the notepad.

8. Take the notepad and manufacturer's coupons along with the newspaper advertisements and inserts to the store that offers to price-match the competitor's pricing.

9. Shop to gather the items recorded on the notepad.

10. Present the list and newspaper advertisements, along with the coupons, to the cashier for ultimate savings and discounts.

Tips & Warnings

• When calling the store for price-matching information, ask if there are any special rules or exclusions you should be aware of. An example would be that a store would allow a price-match of a competitor's item unless the item required a store-specific coupon or discount "plus" card.

• Handing the cashier the list allows for quick processing of sale transactions. Providing the newspaper inserts and ads allows the cashier to quickly verify any items on the list if needed.

• Place the manufacturer's coupons atop sale items and notify the cashier of additional savings to expedite the check-out process.

References

• Sacramento Business Journal: Many Consumers Depend on Newspapers When Comparison Shopping