Evening star., 1961-07-24

plan to purchase.
We start out for bread and
milk at the delicatessen, but
the fragrance Of other foods
proves overwhelming. We leave
with exotic-and expensive
delicacieS.
How can you put firm con-
trols over this kind Of buying?
Here are three suggestions BY
economists:
. Before YOU leave home on a
shopping expedition, list the
things you intend to buy. Dc
not buy other items unless YOU
Will need them within the next
few days and you have forgot
ten to include them in your list
Items like bread, soap and
butter.
. Before leaving home. also
decide how much you will
spend at each shop for each
particular purpose-so much
Tor groceries, so much for
shoes, etc. These figures should
be based upon past experience
and should be realistic. Do moi
exceed them for any reason.
. II you spot a bargain sale
OF something you have moi
planned to buy, resist the inn.
pulse, no matter how low the
price. Go home and consider
the matter calmly. In most
cases you will have plenty Of
time to take advantage of the
sale If you finally decide tc
buy the bargain"
Double Check
Many corporations require a
top executive to approve a pur-
chase order for goods exceed
ing a certain amount. Since
ne often has a different view
point from the one doing the
buying, this rule makes it more
likely that the firms money
will be well spent.
Many experts have told me
that families can use this
method to good effect.
A husband and wife decide
that neither would spend more
than $50 at any time without
consulting the other. Before
they had been impulse spend
erS. Once this couple began to
doublecheck. however, their
purchases Of items over $50
dropped sharply, but their
living standards remained vir-
tually unaffected. They built
a respectable bank balance for
the first time. And their major
purchases were make with in
telligence, not emotions.
Comparison Helps
Another procedure of COR
porations can make your own
shopping more effective: Never
buy any item over q certain
amount unless you first get
prices from three stores.
Obviously, comparison
shopping" is undesirable when
small amounts are involved
But on major items, those
costing $25 or more, for in
stance, 1t can be a big money
saver.
Comparison shoppers fire.
quently find almost unbeliev-
able, differences in prices. One
store has excellent values in
clothing, but prices household
appliances at. or close to, the
manufacturers list prices. A
competitive store offers inferior
clothing at high costs, but Of
fers big savings in its ap-
pliance department.
Wait for Sales
Many stores regularly an
nounce in your newspaper
sales of various kinds at which
genuine bargains are available.
Clearance Sales" usually
offer the greatest price cuts.
These also may be advertised
as close-out sales, end-of-sea-
son sales, inventory sales and
sample sales. They consist of
stocks, generally left at the
end Of a selling season, which
the store wishes to dispose of
to make way for new mer-
chandise.
Special Purchase Sales"
frequently provide spectacular
opportunities. Perhaps a mer-
chant goes out of business and
sells his stock to a going con-
Germ. Or q manufacturer of
television sets plans to intro
duce a new model, but first
wishes to dispose Of his old
sets. These typical conditions
all set the stage for special
purchase sales.
Annual Sales" and IAN
nual events" consist Of a
stores regular goods especially
marked down for the occasion.
After the sale, the unsold mer-
chandiSe is generally offered
again at its regular price.
Be q Label Reader
Government agencies re-
quire manufacturers and proc
essors of food, drugs, clothing,
furniture and other products
to indicate their contents on
the label. You often can learn
more from these labels than
from television commercials.
Il