The dish on daily deals
True confession time. I am completely hooked on the adrenaline of scoring a good deal- which is why I subscribe to numerous daily deal sites and offers (second only to my real guilty pleasure-silent auctions, but that is another story).
Truthfully though, those daily deals are more often temptation than cost-saving, with big savings (but more spending) delivered into your inbox daily.
Are daily deals worth the hype, or should you junk them straight away?
Can you Afford not to Buy?
Yes. You can. This is when you’ve got to have needs and wants sorted into iron-clad categories. And a word to the wise- daily deals are almost exclusively appealing to the want category.
Planned spending
Chances are, you’ve not earmarked your spending for item XYZ that is on sale. Don’t be fooled. Even if the prices are low, if you’ve not planned to spend it (as in it’s not an item that you need), these daily deals can be a bit of budget wrecking ball.
However, if you have the serendipitous experience of needing something specifically, and then receiving a deal that will add discounts- then you’ve scored doubly. The key is to resist the temptation presented by all the other ones in the meantime.
You’re probably familiar with some of the deals that surface frequently. Jot a note down with some items that you need that match up with some of these deals. When one appears- then snap it up.
Read the Fine Print
If something seems too good to be true- it probably is. These products or services are discounted for one of a few reasons. Either a business is trying to score new clientele, and is offering a sweet deal to get them in the door- or the deal in question is very time-limited or is in off-peak times, as businesses try to fill empty spots or get rid of extra stock.
For instance, if you see an unbelievable deal for a hotel stay, it may only be valid from Sun-Thurs with about a million blackout dates. You often pay in full for these things when you purchase, so make sure you understand what you are buying.