Money Saving Tip: Pay Attention to Price Stickers and Watch the Register Readout

Here's a simple money saving tip that works every once in awhile (and when it does, it can work BIG):

Pay attention to the price stickered on every item you buy. Even if it's incorrectly marked, most retailers will honor it (and some have to by law).

This money saving tip has paid off for us off and on throughout the years, but the one time I paid off for me personally was a great deal.

I was looking for a new basketball hoop (rim) for our outdoor court (aka, the side of our driveway). So we went shopping and I found one I liked. The store had two in stock and the one on the front of the shelf was marked $22.95. I happened to look at the one behind it (for whatever reason) and it was marked $2.29 (the clerk had dropped the "5" and moved all the other numbers over one space).

I took the $2.29 box and almost ran across the store where my wife was shopping for clothes. When I showed he the box and said I thought the store would honor it, she seemed doubtful. "It's clearly a mistake," she said. "No one would price a hoop that's $22.95 for $2.29." But we agreed to point it out to the cashier and see what would happen.

When we got to the line, we mentioned to the cashier (as she was ready to scan the item -- which I'm sure would have come up at $22.95) that the hoop was marked as $2.29. She looked at the sticker, recognized that some clerk had made an error, and said, "Yep, you're right." She charged us $2.29 for it!

It was like I had won the lottery! We got it at 90% off! Brand new! I loved that hoop like a long lost friend (until I had to install it, but that's a different story).

This has worked for us on numerous other occasions, though not to this level of savings. That's why you should always look at the price tags on items (where they are marked) to see if you have just found an "instant bargain".

By the way, this works on items that are just marked on the shelf (not the item) too. Note the shelf price and watch the register readout at the checkout lane. My wife is a hawk on prices and quite often she'll catch something that said one thing at the shelf and another at the register. She always gets the better price. ;-)

Comments

[Blaine Moore (Run to Win)]

I always watch the price at the register because quite often something is out of sync or it can accidently get rung up twice or the cashier might have their hand on the scale by accident when weighing the fruit...it's good to know you are paying what you are supposed to.

[Neo's Nest Egg]

I am sorry for the delay in getting this released. Your submission has been included in this week's Festival of Frugality at the following URL:

http://neos-nest-egg.blogspot.com/2006/03/festival-of-frugality-14.html

Neo

[Holly]

This way of shopping does not seem very honorable. I support making sure the correct prices are charged-- but to take advantage of a store on what is obviously a mistake seems to be unethical. After all, the store absorbs the cost that you didn't pay (a fair price, by the way) and can either raise prices as a whole to make up for them, or lay off workers to compensate the loss.

Look for deals at yard sales, or eBay, where people want less for items. Be ethical in your purchases- perhaps the retailer would be willing to take off 10% due to their mistake, but don't rob them blind.

[FMF]

Holly --

Maybe, but it's the law here in Michigan. If an item is priced at any price (and the tag isn't tampered with -- isn't a fake), they have to honor the price marked.

In the opposite circumstance, do you think the store would notice/tell you if you accidently over-paid for an item?

[Ed]

so let say that your shopping online for a car, and IN ERROR the price was off by a "zero".

Orig price 13,990.00
and now is 1,390.00

is this to be honored?
are there legal issues?