讀書筆記
讀書心得
I read the article “ Moneysaving Do’s and Don’t s” on “Reader Digesr” November 2024, Written by Lisa Lee Freeman. Ruth gave me the Magazine.
(A) ’Tis the season for … spending, as we look ahead to the end-of-year holidays and start shelling out money left and right for decorations, presents, food, and on and on. Follow these do’s and don’t . Starting some good habits now can take you into the new year without the holiday spending hangovers.
Do-Clean up during seasonal sales
You’ll want to start with a plan. Black Friday isn’t the only bargain-shopping day around anymore, but it is when lots of brands start to get serious about moving their holiday stock.
Tip: Make a list, including models and features you want. Keep in mind that on Black Friday, the models on sale might not have all the features you want, so determine which are important to you.
Don’t—Be blinded by big markdowns
Just because the sign on the rack says “50% off” doesn’t mean it’s a bargain. Verify that it’s actually a good deal by checking prices online.
Tip: A quick way to find the same product online so you can compare prices is to use the visual search feature on Google, Amazon, eBay and other sites.
Do—Follow your favorites
Download retailer apps. Most major retailers have their own special deal days during the holidays and throughout the year. You can often get special discounts and coupons.
Tip: Set up a separate email account (and don’t give out your mobile phone number) to avoid spam, and read the fine print if you download an app so you understand how it uses your private data.
Don’t— Be swayed by store credit card perks
Yes, you can get generous sign-up bonuses and discounts when you sign up for a store credit card, but they come with hefty interest rates.
Tip: If you are a very frequent shopper and you don’t plan on carrying a balance, store cards can pay off.
Do—Consider joining a membership program
Amazon recently launched an unlimited grocery delivery program for orders over $35. Prime members pay an additional $9.99 a month on top of Prime’s $139 annual fee, which might be worth it if you regularly shop online at Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods ,you can save on delivery fees by signing up.
Tip: A Prime membership gets you free music, movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime; Walmart+ includes free shows on Paramount+.，
Don’t— fall for fake reviews
Review fraud is rampant. The risk is that fake raves could steer you toward shoddy products, counterfeits and shifty vendors. Two tools that can help you shop smarter with user reviews are Fakespot and ReviewMeta, which rate product ratings.
Tip: For trustworthy product performance and reliability ratings, check long-standing consumer testing programs such as Consumer Reports and Wirecutter. Also know that RD.com product roundups are backed by testing.
Do—Buy low
Price trackers help you time your purchases so you can pounce when prices hit rock bottom or close to it.
If you’re an Amazon shopper, two price trackers you’ve got to try are the CamelCamelCamel website and the BigBangPrice.
Tip: Keep tracking prices even after you’ve made your purchase—you might be eligible for money back if the price drops.
Don’t —get burned by return-policy gotchas
During the holidays, the time limits for returns are often extended. Some retailers are adding fees and tightening deadlines.
Tip: When buying clearance items, make sure you notice whether they’re marked “final sale.”
Do—Go for pre-owned
Buying like-new electronics, appliances, books, clothing and many other products is a great way to save money and can help save the planet by reducing waste.
Tip: Popular for used clothing, shoes and accessories, Poshmark and ThredUp can be one-stop shopping destinations for thrifters.
Don’t— trust ads on social media
Ads may impersonate legit retailers or include bogus descriptions. If you see something you want to buy in a post, check to make sure the company has a website with contact information, a physical address and a return policy.
Tip: Always pay with a credit card, which lets you dispute charges and get money back if you run into problems with a seller.
Do—Automate your savings
If you haven’t already downloaded browser extensions like BeFrugal, Honey, RetailMeNot’s Deal Finder and Rakuten on your computer, now is a smart time. They automatically apply coupons and cash back of up to 10% or more to your online order when you’re checking out.
Tip: For groceries, check out Ibotta, Fetch and Checkout51. For these apps, you submit pictures of your receipts, then get cash back.
Don’t—put off those payments
“Buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options from companies like Affirm, Afterpay and Klarna are a modern take on the old layaway programs. You can pay in installments over weeks or months, and you don’t have to wait to get your goodies.
Tip: If you choose to try BNPL, set up automatic payments, if payments aren’t already deducted automatically.
Do—Look for hidden outlet deals
If you love bargains. To quickly find the online outlets of your favorite brands and stores, search the name plus the word outlet.
For example, I found loads of great bags at coachoutlet.com for as much as 60% off—but as we all know, styles often change with the seasons.
Tip: Be sure to stock up when you find great deals because they may be discontinued or past-season merchandise—and once they’re gone, they might never come back!
Don’—waste money on unneeded warranties
Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and other retailers offer extended warranties as purchase add-ons for even cheap stuff like $40 coffee makers. The cost for these policies can range from a few bucks to thousands of dollars for big-ticket purchases such as cars. But many products already come with a manufacturer’s warranty;
Tip: If you’re concerned about a product breaking down after you buy it, set aside some money in a bank account for emergency repairs instead of shelling out for extended warranties.
(B)I think: During my time living in China, China was basically a planned economy. Commodity prices are stipulated by the state. At that time, the supply of goods was tight and people's incomes were low, so they generally only bought some daily necessities. Back then, there were no discounts or promotions, and very few product advertisements.
After coming to the United States, every Thursday, I always receive many advertisements for the next week's product discounts from supermarkets and stores in my mailbox. My neighbors usually don't even take a look and just throw into the trash can.
These are two different social cultures.
