How to Get the Best Prices: Use Gmail

What it comes down to is this:  When we go shopping we need to keep track of prices.  Though prices seem to be ever changing, my experience is that if I keep track of store prices, usually I can get the best prices by shopping around at a few different stores.

If you have difficulty remember all the prices of stuff at stores, then you are not alone.  Few people can do it.  However, most of us have portable cell phones with internet capability.  So here is the secret: Don’t rely on a paid 3^rd party.  Instead, sign up for a free Gmail.com account.  If you have a Gmail account, you can count on this fact.  Google free mobile site, m.gmail.com will allow you access to your Gmail account even if you have the simplest of cell phones.

So if you want the best prices, take the following steps to getting the best value.

1.       Get a cell phone.  My cell phone is from AT(and)T.  It is an older model (in case you are interested, it is the first phone I reviewed at my Amazon.com account).

2.       Buy a data package for your cell phone.  For my cell phone $5 a month buys me more than enough power for me to use a Gmail practically all day long every day.

3.       Sign up for a free Gmail.com account.

4.       When you see an item you want, send yourself an email from your own account of that items price.  For example, if coffee is $4 a pound at the Christmas Tree Shop, send yourself the following email: “ChristmasTreeShop Coffee  $4 per pound.”  Then, when you are at Wal-Mart, or some other store, send yourself the following email: “WalMart Coffee $6 per pound.”

5.       Gmail lets you search all of your email.  I literally have thousands of emails that I can search.  So, after you have emailed yourself item prices, search your Gmail account.  For example, type: “Coffee” and the search engine for your Gmail account will turn up all the emails of prices you have sent yourself, such that you can make the most informed decision about your coffee purchase (or any other item).  For example, if CVS sells a multi-vitamin for a certain price.  Email yourself at Gmail: CVS multivitamin $20/100count.  Then, when you are at Ocean State Job Lot for example, and you see a multivitamin you like, email yourself, “JobLot multivitamin $15/100count.  Then, you can make price comparisons between various stores through inputting “Multivitamin,” in the search bar of your Google account.

6.       So, when you want to compare prices for coffee, open your Gmail account.  Search it for “Coffee” and all the emails that you have sent yourself relative to coffee prices will show up.  You will then be able to know which store is the best store to buy your coffee at.

7.       The next time you go shopping, before you go to the store, use your old emails using your Gmail account search feature so you can plot your shopping trip.  That is, make a list of where you might buy the item for the best value, the item you want to buy.

8.       Lastly, only send yourself new emails when the price changes.

It may take some work at first.  However, if you are willing to put in a little extra effort, you will be able to make your money stretch much further!