It's true, we all love to get a deal. In fact, I'm pretty certain that if your married, your wife your husband came home one night and said, "Don't you just love this new (insert word) that I bought today. Even better, I got it on SALE!" Why is it that the word SALE or DEAL puts into a hypnotic state reminding me of how Fred Flintstone looked in that one episode where he turned into a zombie every time he heard the word bet? There's just something so juicy about thinking that you got something for nothing. Or at least that you got something for something less than you thought you were going to pay for it when the buying process started.
Gary Lipovetsky, CEO of DealFind (www.dealfind.com) says, "Everybody wants a great deal and a cool way to save money." With the proliferation of different coupon and deal sites, it can often be hard to figure out whether or not you are getting a legitimate site. Before you take that deal, you may want to look on the website to see if there is a real physical address. Then, use something like Google maps the check it out and see what the location looks like. You may also want to use a website like www.alexa.com to check the overall traffic rank of the site. In general, quality deal sites will show an Alexa ranking of fewer than 50,000.
People love these sites today even more because of the tight economy which has families trying to tighten at the belt any way that they can to increase their bottom line. With deal sites offering more than just a 2 for 1 dinner special, you can take an adventure or even a vacation by finding the right deal that fits your budget. Like reading the old Sunday Parade magazines, it may take some scouring to find the right coupon which is why getting the right deal site is important. You may also want to look at what kind of buying power and media coverage your deal site has across the country. If there is a deal to be found with a national chain, the coupon site that is in more markets will be able to command betting buying power for the consumer.
I think deep down inside everyone thinks it is a little bit cool to save money. Even those that purchase luxury items like deal although it may carry a few more zeroes. As DealFind's CEO Gary Lipovetsky told me, "A deal is only a deal if you need it." So, when you find yourself looking on in the internet and the world SALE sends you into a Jerry Lewis type conniption for buying something new, just look yourself in the mirror (or the reflection on your computer screen) and ask the question, "Do I really need to buy this now or do I want it now?"
And Yes, Couponing is cool . . . you just tell them Your Smart Money Moves said so!
Written by:
Ted Jenkin, CFP®, AAMS®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CMFC®, CRPS®
Co-CEO and Founder of oXYGen Financial, Inc - The Leaders in Gen X & Y Financial Advice and Services
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