6 MISLEADING ADVERTISING PLOYS TO BEWARE OF THIS BLACK FRIDAYHere at Ingersoll-Rand FCU, we hate to see your money go to waste, so we’ve put together a list of misleading advertising schemes you may come across when hunting for deals this Black Friday.
Be an informed consumer and shop smartly! 1. Very limited quantities That $200-off supersized TV screen on the front page of the big-box circular that just landed in your mailbox looks like an incredible deal-until you show up at the store on Black Friday, only to find it’s sold out. Of course, no deal lasts forever, but when a store that has only been open for the day a few hours claims it’s already run out of an item, you can assume it only stocked a very limited quantity. The heavily marked-down and heavily advertised item was a ploy to get you into the store to shop. When checking out the ads for Black Friday, look for an “In-Stock Guarantee” or a “1-hour In-Stock Guarantee.” This will allow you to take a rain check for a sold-out item as long as you show up sometime on Black Friday, or in the case of the 1-hour guarantee, as long as you show up within the first hour of opening. 2. No discount This one is a bit harder to spot, but it’s no fun when it happens to you. In this ploy, retailers take advantage of the Black Friday craze to deceive shoppers into thinking a product is on sale. They’ll list an item in a Black Friday circular so you’ll assume it’s being offered at a discount when the it’s actually being sold at its regular retail price. You can easily outsmart the stores here by doing a quick check of an item’s standard selling price online or pricing app like Shopular or ShopSavvy before running out to buy it on Black Friday. 3. Full price with a store gift card A favorite Black Friday deal that may not be worth its hype is the item that sells at its regular price and comes along with a store gift card. For example, you might find a $699 laptop being sold at its full price at Best Buy, and rewarding buyers with a $100 store gift card. At first glance, this seems like a fantastic deal. However, some research might reveal that this same laptop is being sold elsewhere on Black Friday for just $550. Also, if you’re not a regular customer at Best Buy, you may end up blowing that $100 on stuff you don’t need just because the gift card is burning a hole in your wallet. While gift card deals may be a great way to save on your purchases, think twice before rushing to grab a “with gift card” item on Black Friday. 4. Sales based on a dishonest manufacturer’s price It’s easy for an item to appear to be significantly marked down when the manufacturer’s price is grossly inflated, but it’s also awfully unfair to the less-wise consumer. When retailers advertise their sales, they’ll often post the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or MSRP, for customers to compare. However, this number can be theoretical at best and simply dishonest at worst. If the item was never actually sold at the listed MSRP, the number is essentially meaningless. Kohl’s was actually sued for claiming items were being sold at discounted prices when they were never offered at a higher price to begin with. The retailer has since discontinued this practice, but many other stores continue to advertise inflated or irrelevant MSRPs along with their sale prices. Avoid getting pulled in by this deceptive advertising ploy by checking out an item’s retail price online. 5. Stripped-down or downgraded versions When shopping for new technological devices, especially computers and TVs, make sure to read up on every feature offered with the product. A common Black Friday ruse is to advertise a discounted item that offers the very minimum in features and accessories. While it’s great to walk away with a brand-new computer at $200 less than its usual selling price, it’s not exactly the deal you thought it was if you end up having to pay through the nose to buy all those features and accessories that weren’t included. These “add-ons” are often essential features whose lack can make the device almost useless until you buy them. Read through the listed features of every advertised computer and TV before running out to buy it this Black Friday. You deserve to find fantastic deals this Black Friday. Look out for these deceptive advertising techniques so that you only walk away with actual bargains. Your Turn: Have you ever been taken in by a misleading ad? Tell us about it in the comments.
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It’s the bargain-hunter’s favorite season-or is it? Before you brave the crowds this Black Friday, take a few minutes to read through our list of what to buy and what to skip so you come home only with true bargains.
Skip: Large home appliances While you may find markdowns on large household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators, on Black Friday, you’ll find even better deals on long holiday weekends throughout the year, including Memorial Day, Labor Day and President’s Day. If your appliance is still working well and you’re just looking for an upgrade, you’re better off saving your purchase for a later date. Buy: Small home appliances You can score fantastic Black Friday deals on small household appliances like coffee makers, toaster ovens and blenders, which may see discounts of up to 65%. Skip: Jewelry If you’re planning on buying a special someone a gift that truly sparkles, don’t buy it on Black Friday. While some jewelry companies will offer slight discounts on their merchandise after Thanksgiving, prices on jewelry will fall significantly in December and even further in January. If you’re not in any rush, you’re best off waiting until July, when jewelry prices are at their lowest point of the year, thanks to the usual summer slump. Buy: Electronics Crazy-low prices on electronics are a Black Friday basic. In recent years, supersized TVs were marked down by several hundred dollars by retailers like Walmart and Amazon. Discounted Apple products are another Black Friday favorite, with shoppers waiting for this day to buy their MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Apple TVs. While you might find fantastic bargains on electronics this Black Friday, be sure to read the fine print before finalizing purchases. Some deals may require you to sign up for a pricey phone plan to qualify for the purchase. Others may depend on a store gift card to net you the full bargain; if you don’t typically frequent this store, it may not be such a great bargain after all. Skip: Toys Don’t count on finishing up the gift-shopping for the little ones in your life this Black Friday. You’ll get much better prices on toys and children’s games in the weeks leading up to Christmas, when the shopping season is already winding down and retailers are looking to clear out inventory. Buy: Online doorbusters In an effort to attract customers, major retailers for years have been offering bargain Black Friday doorbusters. Many stores have recently started offering these deals online as well, so there’s no longer a need to camp out Thanksgiving night in Walmart’s parking lot to get the best picks, or to fight your way through crazed crowds. You can now shop at your leisure from the comfort of your home. The best items will still get grabbed quickly, so be sure to move fast! Skip: Fitness equipment It’s always a good season to stay fit, but in the world of retail, the prime season for fitness equipment is January, when New Year’s resolutions are still fresh and relevant. Push off the purchase of exercise gear until after the holidays for a better deal. You’ll score even steeper discounts if you wait until February, when the post-holiday inspiration for getting into shape starts wearing off and prices start falling. Buy: Travel deals If you plan on traveling for the holidays, or for a mid-winter getaway, look for markdowns on Black Friday and Cyber Monday on airfare, hotel reservations and car rentals. Make sure to check popular travel sites multiple times over the weekend, as the best travel deals are usually only live for a limited time. Skip: Bedding Is your bedroom in need of a facelift? You’ll have to wait for January’s legendary “white sales” for the year’s steepest discounts on bedding and linens. Buy: Video games If you’ve got a serious gamer on your holiday gift list, you’ll want to shop for discounted video games on Black Friday. You’ll find deals on the newest games at the big-box stores and online at Playstation.com, Nintendo.com and Xbox.com. Skip: Winter clothing You’ll always get more bang for your buck when you purchase clothing toward the end of the season or even mid-season, and winter is no exception. You’ll see lots of splashy sale ads from your favorite clothing stores in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, but these are typically modest markdowns of 30% or less. For the real steals on winter apparel, you’ll have to wait until the calendar hits January. Now that you know what to buy and what to skip this Black Friday, you can go ahead and hit the stores knowing you’ll walk away with the best deals. Your Turn: What do you shop for on Black Friday? Share your best buys with us in the comments! Thanksgiving prep stressing you out? Wondering how you’re going to get everything done in time for the big day and stick to your budget at the same time?
We’re here to help! Whether you’re travelling home for the holiday or hosting a houseful of guests, we’ve got you covered. Ingersoll-Rand FCU is proud to present 15 clever Thanksgiving hacks to save you time, stress and money as you prepare for Turkey Day. 1. Book your flight early If you’re flying home for Thanksgiving, book your flight as early as possible – preferably in September. According to travel app, SkyScanner, booking a Thanksgiving flight in September can save you 4 percent off the ticket price. (Remember this tip for next year!!) 2. Travel light You likely won’t be gone for long. Plus, if you’re going home, you can always dig up something to wear if you haven’t packed for every occasion. Why waste all that time packing and pay for extra bag-checking? 3. Get an accurate guest count as early as possible If you’re hosting, this should be your first step – even before you start thinking menus and recipes. Find out exactly how many guests you’re expecting for Thanksgiving dinner so you don’t overcook or need to run out at the last minute for more groceries. 4. Plan your menu early Draw up an exact menu as early as possible before you start stocking up on ingredients. This way, you won’t pick up random food items just in case you may end up needing them. 5. Take stock of your pantry and fridge before shopping Don’t buy a thing until you know what you already have at home, this way you won’t be unpacking three cans of pumpkin filling from your grocery bag only to find you already have four cans sitting in your pantry. 6. Shop early and shop the sales Most supermarkets spread their sales weeks before the big day.. Save big by picking up what you need, as it gets marked down in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. As always, be sure to monitor coupon sites like Coupon.com, Flipp.com and RetailMeNot, as well as local circulars, to see what’s on sale before hitting the stores. 7. Use a cooler as a fridge As you cook your way through your menu, refrigerator space will become a precious commodity. Make room by using a cooler to store bottles of salad dressing and condiments you don’t need for Thanksgiving. Fill the cooler two-thirds of the way with ice so your banished foods don’t go bad, and keep it in the garage until your fridge is roomy once again. Use the space these items leave behind in your fridge to store the dishes you’ll need for the great feast. 8. Use pennies instead of pie weights You need to pre-bake your pie shells before filling them, but you don’t want the shells to puff up and crack. Professional bakers recommend using a pie weight to keep this from happening, but there’s no need to waste money on yet another kitchen gadget. Instead, line your pie shell with foil and then fill the center with pennies or dried beans to keep the dough weighed down as it bakes. 9. Keep your mashed potatoes in your slow cooker No one wants cold and lumpy mashed potatoes with their turkey, but how do you keep yours soft and smooth when every burner on your stove top is occupied in the hours leading up to Thanksgiving dinner? With this hack, of course! After preparing your potatoes, spread some butter on your slow-cooker insert, add some heavy cream or milk and then pour in the potatoes. Keep the temperature on low and stir occasionally to keep the spuds soft and creamy. 10. Use aluminum foil instead of a roasting rack There’s no need to rush out and buy a pricey roasting rack so your turkey can cook evenly. You can get the same results by fashioning a rack out of aluminum foil. Twist some foil into thick ropes and weave them across the bottom of your roasting pan until they’re strong enough to hold your bird. 11. Spray-paint plastic fruit instead of springing on expensive décor You can find fake fruit for super-cheap at dollar stores-or you may already have some at home. Spray-paint the fruit in gold, silver or any colors that match your décor for a festive look that doesn’t break the budget. 12. Buy a frozen turkey Frozen turkeys are a lot cheaper than their fresh counterparts, and if you prepare it well, no one will be able to tell the difference. 13. Buy in bulk You can save a ton on your ingredients by buying in bulk. If you can’t see yourself using up a mammoth sack of potatoes or an enormous amount of cranberry sauce, find a friend who is also hosting Thanksgiving dinner and ask about splitting the cost and the item. You’ll still save a ton off the regular price. 14. Skip the appetizer Appetizers can take a ridiculous amount of time to prepare, and you don’t want your guests filling up on miniature fried wontons before you bring out your turkey with all the trimmings. Consider skipping the appetizer this year and just starting with a tossed salad. 15. Cook most things from scratch Convenience is important, especially when your to-do list outpaces your available time, but some shortcuts are just not worth the cost. Instant mashed potatoes and store-bought gravy don’t come close to the authentic version and can be a real waste of money. Sometimes, though, if preparing something yourself means purchasing a pricey item for a small end-product, like pumpkin pie filling or cranberry sauce, you’re better off going with the premade stuff. If you don’t think you can possibly do it all without buying as much premade as you can, split the smaller items on your to-do list with a neighbor or a friend who is also hosting dinner, and share the goods. We promise not to tell your guests. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday from all of us here at Ingersoll-Rand FCU. Your Turn: Do you have any genius Thanksgiving hacks? Share them with us in the comments. |
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