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Why Buying Things on Sale is an Awful Way to Save
Trent Hamm – Founder & ColumnistLast Updated: April 9, 2020
For years, I’ve been on a closed email list with a group of like-minded people who enjoy sharing internet links with amusing comments (think of an email version of
fark or
reddit). Lately, though, the list has been completely overrun by a group of about two or three people who have become completely obsessed with bargain hunting for
stuff.
On an individual basis, the messages are innocuous. For example, one recent email was for
Heroes: Season 1 on DVD for $29.95, a pretty strong price. Given the people on the list, of which a large number are lifelong comic book fans, this seems like a worthwhile thing to mention since
many of them are either fans of
Heroes or are potential fans of the show. If you make a splurge purchase like this once a month, it’s not that big of a deal, and it’s something that many people on that list might enjoy.
The problem comes in when you read ten or more of these messages a day.
The Watchmen for $8.99!
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for $19.99! A 50″ LED TV for $799! People were even linking to cheap eBay auctions.
It culminated (for me) with a recent email to the list (emphasis added):
Thanks for the emails guys! I saved so much money this week!
I realized, right then, that this had turned into a “deals” list, so I unsubscribed.
A Look at Bargain Hunting
What’s Wrong With Finding Bargains?
A lot of people might read through those prices and think, “Wow! Nice deals!” For the most part, they
are solid discounts on what you’d normally pay, and if you were already thinking of buying one of those items, it’s probably not a bad time to go ahead and pull the trigger.