If you’ve already downloaded my guide, “The 5 Biggest Mistakes We All Make When Arriving in Canada”, you already know which tip I consider the most important. Haven’t downloaded it yet? Here, I’ll write it in all caps for you:
NEVER PAY FULL PRICE!
Never Pay Full Price!!
But what does “full price” mean, anyway?
According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, full price means “sold at the normal price, not at a reduced price”. In other words, it’s the price you don’t want to pay. Right?
As I’ve mentioned before, commerce here in Canada is crazy. One week, a jacket is marked $179; the next, you get an e-mail saying it’s on sale for 30% off. Sometimes it’ll even drop to $70! Just think how stupid you’d feel if you bought it for $179 and a few weeks later you saw it on sale for $100! (Don’t panic, though; if an item goes on sale a few days after you pay full price, you can still ask for a refund. More about this in another post.)
The truth is almost everything goes on sale around here. You just need to be patient. Of course, if you’re in a hurry and need to buy something right away, chances are you’ll end up paying full price. The trick is to always ask yourself, “Do I really need this right now or can I wait a few days?” If you’re being honest with yourself, you’ll see that 90% of the time, you can wait.
I try to follow the rule of “waiting to see if something is necessary”. If I see something I want to buy, I ask myself, “Do I really need this?” Then I go home and do some research online to see if the price I saw is fair and if the reviews are good. Usually, I spend a couple of weeks debating with myself about whether I need the thing I want or if it’s worth the money. Most of the time, the answer is no. :)
You may think this only applies to lesser-known stores/brands and only to discontinued or open-box products. No, my dear friend! I’ve seen discounts and sales for almost every brand I know (the unfortunate exceptions being Canada Goose and Apple). It’s also not rare to find a summer sale in the middle of summer! A friend of mine once said, “Here they have sales when people really need their products.” Makes sense to me!
So in short, if there’s only one thing you should remember, it’s this mantra: “Never Pay Full Price!”
Do you have any tips or stories about “Never Pay Full Price”? Let me know in the comments below!
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