Overpaying is something everybody wants to avoid, but everybody ends up doing it at some point anyway. It’s easy to do, and sometimes it’s even done without realizing.
To be aware of this is the first step in overcoming the plight of overpaying, but to take action in avoiding it is the next. If you don’t want your hard-earned money to be taken from you when it really doesn’t have to be, then you need to avoid overpaying at all costs. To see how to do just that, make sure to read on.
Avoid ‘bumped up’ interest rates
Sometimes, retailers ‘bump up’ their interest rates, and they do so without even telling you. It means you end up paying far more for your purchase than you thought you were going to have to.
To avoid a ‘bumped up’ rate, you first have to make a decision to only ever shop at retailers that make their interest clear from the start. Doing so will help you to avoid any nasty surprises when you get to the checkout. What’s more, when you know the market you will be shopping in, you should also be looking around for a retailer that offers the best interest rates. Doing so will give you chance the come to a conscious decision about what is best for you, and doing that is important in your quest not to overpay.
Don’t rush into pre-ordering or buying new video games
If you’re a gamer, then you’ll know what the urge to pre-order or get a new game the second it comes out feels like. However, succumbing to this urge might be forcing you to overpay. This is because, within a few months of its release, somewhere in the retail gaming world, you will find that new game you wanted so bad on sale for a much lower price.
Although that game will now be ‘newish’ rather than new, you could still save yourself a lot of money by waiting for it. Plus, you’ll sidestep that awkward phase in a game’s life where it is full of bugs and glitches, so waiting is a win-win.
Don’t believe everything you see online
Today, many retailers prey on Internet users through advertisements posted on social media sites. Generally, these ads will show an item, say a dress, which looks like it is worth a three (or even four) figure sum, but is being sold for no more than $20. Of course, anybody who has not come across such phishing and scamming before will see this as the bargain of the century, but when they get the dress, they get the nasty surprise that it looks nothing like it did in the ad. Then, they realize the $20 they paid for it was $20 too much. They then realize that trying to get their money back is near impossible.
What is not impossible is avoiding such overpaying in the first place. It’s quite simple, if you can’t see a model’s face in the picture, don’t buy the dress. In fact, avoid social media ads altogether and, if you can, get rid of them.
Overpaying for an item is frustrating. You can avoid it, though. You can avoid this modern-day dilemma by remaining aware of any interest you’re paying. You can avoid this first-world problem by exercising a bit of patience. You can avoid this annoyance by seeing through bogus deals. You can beat the plight that is overpaying!
