10 shopping tricks stores can't stand up

When shopping, stores aren't always looking out for your best interests. There are some things you can do that will help you save money and make sure that you always get the best possible deal. The stores probably would rather you not know about these tips, but we would rather you come out ahead! Here are 10 shopping tricks that stores don't want you to know.

1. Buy the Loss Leaders and Nothing Else A loss leader is a product that a store puts on sale for below cost to lure you into the store. They want you to come in for that item and buy additional items or accessories that are not on sale. Most of the time, there are limits to how many of each loss leader you can buy-- for example, the ad will say "limit 3 per customer". Buy only this item and get out!

2. Use the Credit and Pay it Off on Time Stores will sometimes offer a credit offer on big ticket items such as TVs or appliances. The offer will be something like "6 months, no interest, no payments." The stores are not to help you afford things, it's to trick you into paying more for the item than if you had paid cash. These offers are dangerous, because if you miss a payment or don't pay off the balance on time, you will get hit with interest retroactive to your date of purchase. However, if you are organized and pay off the balance on time, you will have used the store's money for free-- the value of the item can be sit in a high-yield savings account for the period of the interest free offer!

3. Say NO to the Extended Warranty Stores will try to make you think that electronics are a big investment to scare you into buying an extended warranty. Don't do it! This is another trick to get you to pay more for the item than you have to. The extended warranty business is a huge profit center for the stores. If you are worried about not having an extended warranty, purchase your electronics with a credit card that offers
extended protection.

4. Activate Your Own Phone Directly With the Cell Company You can buy a used or unlocked phone for full price and avoid signing a contract, then activate the phone directly with the cell company your self. Cell phone companies want you to sign a contract, most of the time, for a 2 year term. You can purchase your own phone elsewhere and contact the cell phone company to activate it with no contract!

5. Shop the Store, Buy Online

Do your shopping in the store-- you can try the product and ask questions. Then, go online to purchase it later for cheaper. Stores have overhead, such as employees, electric bills, and rent-- all of this is priced into your item. Most of the time, you can find the item you want online for cheaper because online stores may not have as much overhead.

6. Buy Only One When It's Two for $5

Most of the time, you don't have to buy 2 to take advantage of the "2 for" deals. Though laws may vary nationwide, you can usually buy just one at the unit price. The stores just want you to buy more than you need.

7. Open A Store Credit Card for the Discount, then Cut It Up. Many stores will offer a discount for signing up for the store credit card to make you purchase. Credit card companies make money from interest and fees. If you sign up for the card, get the discount on your purchase, then pay off the balance, you can take advantage of the discount without letting the credit card companies take advantage of you. As long as there is no further activity on the card, they cannot charge you!

8. Use Websites to Track 30 Day Price Guarantees Many stores have "30 day price guarantees" to make you think the price of your item will not go any lower. They may not, but they also know you're not going to keep watching the price of an item that you've already bought. If you do keep track of your purchase prices, you may take advantage of this rarely taken offer. There are even some websites that will watch prices for you and email you if your item drops in price during your guarantee period.

9. Buy Seasonal Items at Clearance Prices and Save Them For Next Year
Seasonal items are big deals for retail stores, and once the holiday is over they need to make room for the next one. You  can take advantage of their rush to switch inventory and buy now for next year. Stores want you to buy seasonal items at huge markups-- show them who's boss buy buying them at or below cost once the holiday is over.

10. Buy Accessories on eBay Rather Than Paying Huge Markups Stores will often discount big ticket items, usually electronics, only to charge insane prices for accessories. These include connectors, controllers, cables, cases, or storage/memory. Buy these things online later and don't let the store screw you. For example, Best Buy sells the Monster Ultra Series 8' HDMI cable for $119.99. On Ebay, the most expensive price for this cable is $75 + $10 shipping for the exact same thing. And that's if you go name brand-- you can get a generic 8' HDMI cable for $8 on eBay. If you got a good deal, don't let the store take your money back by pressuring you into buying high priced accessories!