My husband and I have discovered a great way to get the most value for our money when we shop. Although it takes a bit of our time, reading customer reviews on the Internet prior to making purchases has saved us a lot of money and frustration.
For instance, when we first bought our house we didn’t have a weed whacker. Without doing any research, we went and bought a fairly inexpensive no-name brand at Wal-Mart. It barely worked! We had to constantly reattach the plastic string in order for it to whip again. After a year of fighting with it, we decided to buy another one. But this time we decided to do it right.
My husband went online and read customer reviews. After comparing various types he found one suitable for and we went out and made our purchase. So far, this new one works like a charm and it didn’t cost much more than the first one we bought.
My husband did the same thing when he purchased our camera. He compared various brands and features to determine exactly what he wanted within our price range. Then he read customer reviews to make sure others were satisfied with their cameras. I’ve noticed that whenever he does the research first we never regret our purchases. The only purchases we ever regret are the ones we make spur of the moment or without any prior research.
Although it’s obviously not necessary to read reviews prior to making every kind of purchase, it certainly does come in handy for making bigger purchases or for buying items such as appliances, tools, electronics, and many other items. Believe me, it’s worth your time.
We watched the movie 
the other night and I found it quite amusing. The main character, Rebecca Bloomwood, is absolutely in love with shopping. She can’t pass by a store window without seeing something that she wants to buy – and she does – and ends up racking up $16,000 in credit card debt. She knows she gets a sense of satisfaction from shopping. She feels happy when she buys the items and then afterwards she is discontent again, until she goes on her next shopping spree.
Costco is a wholesale store providing all sorts of things from groceries to television sets to engine oil. When it comes to buying groceries, I find that I can often get better deals at my local grocery store. Costco doesn’t carry the cheaper generic food brands, and you have to be willing to buy food in large quantities. Although buying bulk is often cheaper, it can be more expensive at times, so you need to watch.
A pharmacist at our nearby drugstore is a really great guy and he swears by the generic brands. He said they contain the same ingredients so there’s no reason to buy the more expensive brand name products.