When shopping on the net or buying Thur catalog, only those that actually shop smart will reap the rewards. To do that, you most anticipate your needs. That simply means if you are the type that only buys tires or accessories when you need them, you will not do very well. To take full advantage of the awesome specials offered, you have to be willing and able to buy when the time is right, not just when you need something.
I started late fall, looking and planing for my spring projects. Buy doing this I give myself a large window of opportunity to work in, plus I have plenty of time to research and comparison shop. Many will think this is strictly bull****, but the truth is, if you are willing to do alittle work you can DOUBLE, yes I said DOUBLE your money on the web.
To do this, you just have to make a detailed list of what you want, research all the manufacturers web sites. You should be looking for your particular needs, part numbers for your vehicles, colors offered, size, type, what ever is important to the fit and use of the product. This is very important, you need to know as much as you can, this way you will end up with the parts and results you wanted. After you are armed with the necessary particulars of the parts and pieces needed, you can how start the searching. I always have my "Core" places I go. These are businesses I have Delta with in the past, know how they work and are very comfortable with buying from them. You will need to start a spread sheet, list the parts wanted, you will have to list each and every part. Then list your businesses, start with listing your "core" businesses first, and enter there prices. Now do your searches, remember when you add new businesses to the list, get the price but also any additional info such as shipping handling, minimum order amounts, etc. I like to get a feel for the place, hows the web site layout? Is it easy to use? If it is not user friendly, or not very informative, I usually skip it. As your spread sheet grows you will start to get a feeling of what is a good price, and what isn't. There are a few rules, one is try not to buy any single items, this make shipping to costly. The more items you can purchase from a single source the better. Also you will have to visit the sites on a weekly basis, you will be looking for Internet Specials, Weekly Specials, Mark downs, clearance and close outs. Also look for shipping specials, discounts, and bonus offerings.
I know this sounds like alot to do..... but it is worth it. You have to work very hard to get "fun money", so why not make it go as far as possible? Hear are a few examples of what I got this winter.
1. I wanted to get some new wheels and tires for my wifes car. I had decided on a few styles and brands of wheels and tires, and keep looking and waiting for the right sale. I ended up ordering in January, I got 4 17" aluminum wheels w/215-45-17 Kumo tires. Mounted and balanced for free/shipped for free and they included the lug nuts covers and road hazard all for 650 bucks. Same wheels local would have been 925. 00, tires local 720. 00. It would have cost me $1,743. 70 to buy the same wheel/tires, mount balance and tax locally. That means I saved 995. 00 on just one purchase, also no tax on the web!
2. I needed (wanted) some different tires and wheels for my Dodge. I ordered the Trxus tires from 4 Wheel Parts while they were on sale, also on sale was a Mile Marker 12000 winch. The winch was 599. 00, tires were 684. 00 (6x114), and the shipping was free also no tax total order delivered to my door $1,283. 00. Now, locally the 4x4 shop wanted 799. 00 for the winch, and tires were 174. 00 ea or $1,044. 00 plus I had to pay a 45. 00 special order fee, and 66. 00 for tax, total order locally is $1,935. 94. Which means I saved $652. 94
These two orders saved me $1,647. 00! That was on two orders, Since planing my projects last fall, I have made 47 orders. Not all were for as much, but one was for just over 2700. 00. Point is you can make your money go much further then you think, bottom line is if you manage your funds wisely you will be able to do more for less. Also I know there are many out there that are frightened and uncertain about mail order or web ordering. I can understand your concerns, but I have never had a bad experience with any order I have placed. Like I said earlier, I have my CORE stores, these are the stores that have fair prices, good quantity, some are very popular (Jegs, Summit, 4 Wheel Parts, NTW, ) and all are very good places to deal from. These CORE stores are places I know I am going to get what I ordered, fast, in great shape, on time, have E-mail notification, issue tracking numbers, and will most of the time have a competitive price. So it there is nothing to be gained elsewhere, I will always support the CORE stores. Also, I will often call them up and ask if they can match a competitors price? They usually will, and I order it thru them. I have not totaled my savings for the year, but I suspect it will be over $6,000. 00, I will as soon as all my orders are in. I just wanted everyone to know, that with a little effort you can save money too. Good luck.
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