In the Store or On-Line....Where Are The Best Deals?

Did you know that Amazon sells the same items you might find at your local Target or Walmart?  Yep!  You can find your groceries, toiletries and staples all at the touch of your fingers.  Now, th problem is, trying to figure out - who has the BEST deal?   This can be a daunting task.  When trying to determine the best deal,  there is more to take into consideration than just the price.  I always look at sales tax, shipping, travel costs and my personal time when it comes to REALLY determining the best deal.

One thing that you need to always remember when comparing costs is sales tax.  Sales tax is not charged on Amazon (in most areas), so that can be a way you can save on your purchase.  For instance, if you see Horizon Milk for $1 each at Target (assume no coupon available), but $1.05 each on Amazon, you may think Target is less expensive.  Is it?  Considering that my sales tax is 8.5%, that means I would pay $1.09 at Target, but only $1.05 at Amazon.  In this case, Amazon is less expensive.

Another great way that I find I save through Amazon is using the Subscribe & Save feature.   When you select to purchase something through Subscribe & Save, it means that you agree to have product shipments in select intervals (1, 2 or even 6 months).  When you use this feature, you get another 15% knocked off of the price.   Not only that - you will get your order shipped for free.  The beauty of Subscribe & Save is that you can cancel the service before they send it out to you again - so you don't end up paying a price that you don't want to.  Don't worry - you will get an email reminding you before the order ships!

I also always look at the cost for me to pick up my item    As mentioned above, you can get free shipping if you use Subscribe & Save, but you can also get any order shipped for free when you have an  Amazon Student or Amazon Mom Account. These two accounts get you a free trial membership to Amazon Prime, where any order will ship for free, regardless of size.   Remember that free shipping means that do you not only get it delivered to you on your front step, it also means that you didn't have to get into your car, and expel fuel to go and make your purchase.   Again - more saving in fuel costs!

I also always look at my personal time.  I have to remember that for me to get into the car, drive the store, make my purchase and drive home not only costs my gasoline and wear and tear on my vehicle, it also costs me time.  In most instances, I can make my on-line purchase in a matter of minutes, where as a "short trip" to the store usually takes more than 30 minutes of my time.  Time that I would much rather spend with my family than standing in the checkout line at my local store.

So, make sure that you do the math and compare your on-line prices with your actual prices.  You just might be surprised to learn that you really CAN save more by purchasing on-line.