You have had your eye on that new car, gadget, dress or whatever it may be for a while now.

Knowing that it will soon be in your hands has kept you motivated during those long days at work.

The time has finally come where you have enough money to buy it and you are filled with excitement just thinking about it.

But wait a second.

You are just about to part with a lot of money. You want to make sure that you don’t make a mistake.

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to make sure you won’t regret your purchase.

1. Will it make me happy?

This is the most important question to ask yourself. You don’t want to part with hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars if what you buy will not add any value or happiness to your life.

If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, then maybe it would be better to hold off on the purchase until something that will really make you happy comes along.

2. Can I buy it used?

Buying something used rather than brand new can save you a considerable amount of money. For example, buying a used car instead of new one can often save you thousands of dollars. Does it really matter that it is used?

If it still looks the same, has passed all the checks and drives the same then why not buy the used version?

Every time the opportunity to buy something used instead of new presents itself, ask yourself, Is my ego the only thing making me spend more money?

3. Is now the best time to buy?

Depending on the time of year, you can pay much more for something than you would normally have to. During Christmas, for example, prices are inflated. Therefore, it is better to wait until after Christmas, when there will be numerous sales on.

Is what you are looking to buy brand new? When something has just been released, you will have to pay a premium for it. This is often the case with technologoical products. Consumers have to pay more because they want to be among the first to have the new gadget.

When it comes to property, is it a seller’s or buyers market? You certainly don’t want to be looking to buy property in a seller’s market. Can you wait a year or two for the market to change?

Timing is everything when it comes to getting the best bang for your buck.

 

Buying beauty products for most women is like buying golf clubs for some men; they are expensive, they aren’t necessary to our survival, but they sure make you feel a whole lot better about life. Whether you are just trying to save some money in the family budget, or trying to cut back on expenses to start a business or take a trip, here are seven ways to save big on beauty products and supplies.

Buy from a retail store that has an excellent return policy for beauty items.
For instance, for drugstore buys Rite Aid has a 100% return policy on all beauty supplies with the receipt. You can take it home, try it out for a day or a week, and bring it back if you don’t love it. Sephora stores also have such a policy for more expensive brands. I would not want to take a calculator into my make up and hair product cupboard and add up the cost of things I have bought that I should have returned… if I could have! Find your store with a good return policy, and make it your policy to only buy from them. You could save hundreds a year.

Find beauty sample sites online to help you try out new products before you buy.
WomensFreebies.com is a good free site and has a broad listing of samples. At NewBeauty.com you can sign up for their program and receive full size samples and a magazine every three months. Its a great way to try out the hottest products for a low fee.

Use review sites to check up on what others are saying about a beauty product.
There are many independent sites that have hundreds of reviews from women just like you. TotalBeauty.com or MakeUpAlley.com are two of the top review sites. Learning about how other women use particular products can help guide you to the right ones for your hair, skin and face. Remember to reciprocate! Join a site and leave reviews for products you try to help others along their way.

Find double duty items to stretch your beauty dollar.
Many beauty products can have more than one use in your beauty routine. A bronzer can be used on face and as eyeshadow, and some lip crayons or tints can be used as blusher on the cheeks. Use hair gel or hair spray and an old toothbrush to brush eyebrows into place. Instead of buying a lip liner, use a lip brush and your lipcolor to line the lips.

Make natural homemade beauty treatments at home.
There are whole books and websites with recipes for creating your own homemade beauty products, just do a quick search to find excellent ideas for using ingredients from your frig. Also, consider less expensive alternatives. Witch hazel or lemon juice makes a great skin toner, and olive oil is a perfect moisturizer for skin and hair.

Simply use less and use up what you have before snagging the latest color or hair treatment.
Most of us use more of our beauty products than is necessary to get a day spa look. Try shampooing every other day, and use less when you do. Hair conditioner only needs to be applied on the ends of your hair. Blend your face foundation with a little of your face lotion to make it stretch farther and give you a more natural look. Whatever you do, don’t develop the “grass is always greener” attitude. If a product is reasonably acceptable to you, use it up before you go out searching for that next great product to try. Otherwise, the temptation will just be too great to use the new product, and the old one will just get…well, old! One item you don’t want to use less of? Sunscreen! It’s your best anti aging treatment!

Use dollar stores for basics such as cotton balls, make up pads, bath oil or even brand name shampoos.
Dollar shops may not be the place you want to purchase your make up and skin care, but they often have good deals on brand name items, such as shampoo, basic essentials, and even manicure supplies.

Most of us feel that beauty is a need, not a want. Our beauty routine gives us polish in the workplace and confidence in our social lives. However, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune, despite what Hollywood might have us believe. You can save big on beauty products, and still look beautiful!

 

Buyers beware – a guide on how to avoid being cheated.

A $50,000 bank robbery grabs the headlines, but it is more than likely that you have been “relieved” of this amount, and often a lot more, during your working life. You could be paying too much for goods and services, and be the victim of exorbitant interest charges, shoddy merchandise, poor service and fraudulent schemes in everyday consumer transactions.

A small percentage of the business communities are cheats, but these cheats are very costly.

The following guide will avoid you being cheated:-

Read and understand everything before you sign!

Is the guarantee specific?

Are all the blank spaces filled in?

Are all the charges itemized?

Are all the promises in writing? “Read all the small print”.

Beware of “legal double talk”. Remember “as is” means no warranty.

Do you have a copy of the document?

Be skeptical, pay cash if you can also buy from legitimate merchants.

Do not pay until you are sure, do not sign anything until you have “slept on it”, and do not buy without comparing prices.

Watch out for high interest rates.

The cost of credit can more than double the total cost of the things you buy. Compare the “Cash” price and the “Total” cost.

Pay the highest deposit you can afford.

Know the nominal annual interest rate.

Shop around for financing.

Vanity can cost you money and health

No known product, or service, can restore hair, make you taller, remove wrinkles, or lower your weight by massages, creams, belts, girdles or sweat baths.

Avoid “bait and switch” advertisements

Such deals are often known as “come ons”.

Salesmen may try to get you to switch to overpriced items. Also watch out for fake measurements and inferior grades of merchandise.

Avoid “unclaimed” or “repossessed” goods.

Unless you personally know the dealer.

There is no easy way to earn money.

Most schemes, ask you to buy something in order to earn. You later find there is no market for what you have made, or your all your efforts are “not up to standards”.

Be careful with “freezer food” plans.

Beware those that promise a “free freezer”, “wholesale” food, or to “pay for itself” out of savings.

If you should win a prize, it should never cost you money to collect.

A store credit “good for $50″ is often “good for nothing”, because you may have to buy $200 worth of overpriced goods to collect your $50.

Obituary ghouls.

Swindlers sometimes read obituary notices and send widows bills for non – existent debts such as a gift that the “dearly departed” ordered just before he died. Do not pay until you have 110% comfort that such a debt exists

Suspect cheap mail goods. Such as, radios, cameras, watches and magazines. Remember, you are paying before seeing what you are buying. When you receive the product and find the quality poor, it is difficult, if not impossible, to get your money back.

Suspect those offers of “free inspection”.

Stoves, chimneys, roofs, trees – are all subject to “cons” – “free inspection” deals that cost you money.

Do not pay for a neighbor’s package, unless the neighbor asks you.

Because the package you have just signed for could possibly turn out to be a package of “junk” that was never ordered.

Carefully watch “selling” sales.

Some stores have fake “selling out” sales just to get you into the store. Be sure the merchant is really selling out.

Be wary of some “private” sales.

Such advertisements are often run by “dealers”. They “at home” selling furs, jewellery and furniture. The prices are often high. The goods are often misrepresented.

Resist tempting “deals for your car”.

The salesman’s boss may change the offer after you are “hooked”. The price of a used car is often inflated so that the dealer appears to give you a “real good deal” on your car.

Don’t fail for the sympathy approach.

It is often a “sales line” put across to get you to sign up. Organized sales teams have been trained to tell such sob stories.

Beware of false economy devices.

Fuel-saving devices for your car care; they are often fakes, similarly with “radar” warning devices and other gadgets.

Beware of leads to unexpected inheritance.

Swindlers have collected millions of dollars of fake “expenses” by leading people to believe they can inherit money from estates of distant relatives.

These are only some of the more than hundreds of known confidence tricks. “Learn to protect yourself by recognizing these signs”.

An offer of something for nothing.

A salesperson who runs down his own an oppositions product.

Any contract with vague or tricky wording.

Pressure to sign – right now.

The offer of a kickback payment to you for referring friends to the salesperson.

If you think you have been “ripped-off”, it is possible that it is too late to do something about it; but in most countries you are able to get free advice from their “Consumer affairs ministry”.