Buying more online to qualify for free shipping is one way to save money, however consumers do have to be careful of overspending. There are other ways as well to save money. Let’s assume that you need to buy a large item that cannot be picked up. You will need to have it delivered to your home or rent a truck to pick up the item. Either way there is a shipping cost of some kind to be considered. There are multiple ways to deal with this and we will cover some of them in the following paragraphs.
Qualify for free shipping – Negotiate
If you find the best price at a regular store, but need delivery, most stores are going to charge a fee for delivery. The fee can range from $50 to $100 or even more depending on the size of the item and how far they have to travel. However your options include negotiating before you finalize the purchase for free shipping! Sometimes to close the deal a store will throw in free shipping! Otherwise you need to rely on a friend or rent a truck to pick up and bring your item home.
Many online stores allow their customers to qualify for free shipping if they spend over a specified amount. This is a great deal in most situations provided you are getting a good deal on the purchase price.
When comparing options, don’t forget to include the full price you are paying, plus fees, plus taxes and whatever your shipping cost will be including the free pizza and beer you may have to provide to your friends for their help. Comparing apples to apples is the only way to make sure that you really do get the best price overall.
One last point to consider is your time. You may not save any real dollars, if you spend a lot less time driving to the store. Buying something online may be the deciding factor. For money saving ideas, click here.