Do’s & Dont’s: Shopping Wrong Place Wrong Time Grad Gifts & more

Today we are looking to consider whether or not in  the Age of Social Distancing and the Coronavirus Pandemic, is there a wrong place and wrong time to shop?   And what is the best way to re-open the economy and all the businesses and restaurants where we all used to love to shop and eat? As far as dressing for your own safety, it goes without say that you will always want to be dressed wearing your face masks when you are around people and practicing social distancing.

However, let’s consider for a moment that before the Covid-19 Pandemic ever even started  how you may have  experienced shopping at the wrong place, wrong time with regard to getting the right price for your budget. Unless, you are dealing with an unexpected, urgent shopping emergency, if you wanted to get the best  deal for yourself and your family then you likely discovered that it’s best to be a smart shopper and do a little homework and research the product you plan at least a couple days in advance if not even up to several weeks to several months in advance depending on what product or service you were planning to purchase.  Here is a quotation to help you consider carefully if you really need what you are looking to buy. Is buying toilet paper a necessity or is buying jewelry at a bargain a necessity?

 

“Buying something you do not need is a waste of money, even if it is a bargain.â€
  ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana 

 

Compare and contrast this the present times of today and think about  what you are seeing since the Covid-19 Pandemic began. Are you seeing  people hoarding food and supplies ranging from things like Hand Sanitizer to Toilet paper? What does this mean for your household? Does this change the shopping priorities for your household? What should you be buying? When is the best time for you to go and shop? If your family are not vegans or vegetarians, are you going to be able to get the meats you need due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our meat supply? Maybe you will need to reconsider your priorities when it comes to shopping after all, ask yourself a new set of questions for the new normal.

Is there a Right time to Shop?

#pricelinedeals,

We think the right timing is essential. However it also depends on what product or service you need to shop for.  For example, if you’re planning to shop for toilet paper or hand sanitizer, it is probably best that you shop bright and early in the morning when the stores first open when you have a greater chance of getting the products you need before they are out of stock.  If you are planning ahead for a family vacation when things are back to normal and the country and world is re-opened to some level of normalcy, it may still be best to shop off-season for the best prices but this may not always be the case since the impact of Covid-19 on the travel industry because you may find more travel incentives * deals being offered.  Formerly if you were looking to book a cruise for a family vacation or celebration, generally the best time to check for sales was very early in the year like January and February in order to get deals for the period of the most popular time to book like the upcoming Spring Break and the Summertime period. 

On the other hand, during in-Season periods or during popular Christmas & New Year Eve Holiday Breaks the prices will skyrocket not only for cruises but even for airline tickets. .We may just have to wait and see after we all get through the Covid-19 pandemic together to see what travel incentives and deals the travel industry will really offer us.  Overall, it’s a good idea to utilize popular apps for deals like ShopSavvy for androids or Pricechecker both for android devices or  ios devices like your iPads or iPhones.

Should I shop in advance & if so how far in advance for things like airline tickets?

#advancebookingbonuses, #airlinedeals

Again, before the Covid-19 Pandemic began  if you were looking to buy airline tickets, it was recommended that you buy them well in advance anywhere from 90 days in advance to get the best deals and it also depended on the Seasons like Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall.  For example, regarding Winter  it was formerly recommended to purchase  60-65 days in advance, Spring approximately 90-95 days in advance and  Summer approximately 45-50 days in advance  and Fall approximately 65-70 days in advance give or take. Hopefully as our country and the world gets back to normal all of these shopping strategies will work best again but we may just have to wait and see exactly what kind of impact Covid-19 has had not only for the short-term but long-term as well. You can expect to see travelling looking very different since most airlines are requesting that all passengers wear face masks and middle seats will no longer be utilized in order to create social distancing. This means passengers will have to pack their own masks  since the airlines may not be providing masks for passengers.  In addition, for people who have reward points,  as you are aware you can use them towards your flights and hotel accommodations. No matter what, it’s always best to do your homework to see if there are any additional incentives for booking in advance like advance booking bonuses or price point promotions on different days of the week or different times of the day. For instance, some airlines will offer the best deals mid-week and early in the morning .

Now as we are still living in the midst of the Pandemic, we must look at the significant changes in the reduction in people traveling on airlines these days and consider if or how this changes the the incentives and deals that will be out there or if this reduction in people travelling will change the way you and your household  will go about looking for the best discounts for travel even before, during and after things return to the new normal with the Covid-19 Pandemic. Overall, it is always best to look around at all possible deals and options before you decide to go with anyone deal.

How should I shop for Graduations, Family Reunions & Bridal Showers or Baby Showers?

#Graudations, #Family Reunions,#Bridal Showers, #Baby Showers

Plus if  you are planning  Graduation, Family Reunion, Bridal Shower or Baby Shower you will have to find the best way to mark these occasions during this pandemic while we are all still abiding by social distancing and quarantine advisories and guidelines. You may find that you are not in a  position to be able to  look out for deals several months in advance because we never expected the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on all of our lives. You will likely have to go online remotely and look for deals to get the gifts and supplies you need remotely to be able to celebrate by remote methods. Whether this means via teleconfercing and videoconferencing with adorned with special decorations for the occasion or driving by your friends and family’s home and being able to leave gifts and celebrate from a safe distance. You may even quietly  simply decorate the frontsteps of the home of your family member you plan to honor for a graduation, bridal shower or baby shower. Still no matter what we are dealing with in our lives with the impact of the pandemic,  its generally best to wait and consider all options before you pounce on any deal.

Should you Shop Like a Risk Taker:

#Off-SeasonDeals, #BigDiscounts

Yes sometimes it may pay off to shop like a risk taker.  For example if you are looking to shop for a new look or the latest clothes to get the best deals, then be prepared to shop like a Risk Taker and wait for the item you want to get big discounts on the clearance racks but you have to be prepared to take the chance that it may get sold out or end up out of stock before you get a chance to purchase it.  But we are all in this together and if we can survive the Covid-19 Pandemic together, is it such a big deal to take a risk on that favorite pair of jeans or dress you wanted. Isn’t it better to take a gamble on getting that favorite outfits you want than to gamble on our life when it comes to Covid-19. Again, Shopping off-season is what always works to get the best discounts but we may just have to wait and see when the world returns to normal or the” new normal.”  It’s also good to remember the saying, “good things come to those who wait”

Look!

It’s Our Lookability Fashion & Money Saving Tips

1. Look at all options to get the best deals, affordable way to shop  when shopping online at home or in-person in the stores.

2. Use  the latest money-saving apps  and websites to shop. 

     If you are shopping for prescriptions, always check for discounts on websites like      
    Good Rx first. 

Our HomeBound HastagAbility Trivia of the Day

Solve the missing letters on the Hashtag below that captures the spirit of the featured photo that appears on top of this page.Answers are listed down below but there’s no peaking until you generate your own answers.

1. #S_________________

2. #S_____________

Bonus Trivia: Now create as many Hashtags you can think for the Hashtag theme, #BargainShopping & share them with your friends & family. 

To all our Subscribers & Everyone who reads our posts.Thank you for being the best part of our day!  Answers to our Homebound HastagAbility Trivia for the Day 

1. #ShopAtTheRightTime

2. #ShopEarlyDeals

Click to listen highlighted text!