What Is a Bargain?
September 15th 2006 03:15
Many people talk about wanting a “good bargain,” but how many understand what a good bargain is?
Dictionary.com defines it this way:
“An advantageous purchase, esp. one acquired at less than the usual cost.”
That word “advantageous” is an important one. There are three ways people think they are getting bargains when they really aren’t.
First, there are illusionary bargains. I’ve been in a grocery story where they have a Candy Bar on special for $1.49 that I know I can get for $0.99 at another store. Yet, people grab the candy bar to get “a bargain,” never having a clue that they’re being overcharged.
Second, there’s the “bargain” one gets on a hugely discounted item that doesn’t work well or suit your needs. If you spend $300 on a car, and a month later, it’s dead, you’ve not really gotten a bargain. If you’re interested in becoming a computer graphic artist and buy a computer with slow processor speed, on-board video, and low memory you didn’t get a bargain, because you’ve purchased a tool that won’t do what you need it to do. It’s not an advantageous purchase, so it’s not a bargain.
Third, is the inexpensive novelty. My dad purchased a donut maker, which we used twice in all the years he had it. Given the space it took up, even though it was inexpensive, it wasn’t an advantageous purchase, so it wasn’t a bargain.
Our focus on this blog is hunting for bargains: advantageous purchases at a low price. Where do you find them? How can you harness Internet technologies to get the best bargains? These are great questions and we’re going to provide answers. I’ll also invite your participation, as I’ll illustrate how you find the best deal by finding your best bargain. Also, expect to learn more about the philosophy of getting a good bargain, because thinking like a bargain hunter is the key.
Dictionary.com defines it this way:
“An advantageous purchase, esp. one acquired at less than the usual cost.”
That word “advantageous” is an important one. There are three ways people think they are getting bargains when they really aren’t.
First, there are illusionary bargains. I’ve been in a grocery story where they have a Candy Bar on special for $1.49 that I know I can get for $0.99 at another store. Yet, people grab the candy bar to get “a bargain,” never having a clue that they’re being overcharged.
Second, there’s the “bargain” one gets on a hugely discounted item that doesn’t work well or suit your needs. If you spend $300 on a car, and a month later, it’s dead, you’ve not really gotten a bargain. If you’re interested in becoming a computer graphic artist and buy a computer with slow processor speed, on-board video, and low memory you didn’t get a bargain, because you’ve purchased a tool that won’t do what you need it to do. It’s not an advantageous purchase, so it’s not a bargain.
Third, is the inexpensive novelty. My dad purchased a donut maker, which we used twice in all the years he had it. Given the space it took up, even though it was inexpensive, it wasn’t an advantageous purchase, so it wasn’t a bargain.
Our focus on this blog is hunting for bargains: advantageous purchases at a low price. Where do you find them? How can you harness Internet technologies to get the best bargains? These are great questions and we’re going to provide answers. I’ll also invite your participation, as I’ll illustrate how you find the best deal by finding your best bargain. Also, expect to learn more about the philosophy of getting a good bargain, because thinking like a bargain hunter is the key.
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