There I was, a spring in my step as I went to get the mail. Little did I know another Transaction Cleanse lesson awaited. (They seem to lurk everywhere.) There, tucked in amongst the bills, magazines, and useless solicitations, lie a deal that was actually worth something. Fresh off my "50% off Easter candy" Personal Finance for Dumb Bunnies experience, my initial plan had been to toss out all the sales flyers lock, stock, and barrel.
But something caught my eye: a flyer for a new player in the online grocery/household goods space was offering 15% off my first 3 orders. I am a pretty satisfied longtime user of the big dog in this market and an avid subscriber of frequently used, heavy, and/or difficult-to-find items such as almond milk, cat litter, and wide-width shoes. But not so satisfied that I can resist the lure of a bargain. Plus, my usual vendor has discontinued some of the items I want. So I decided to take a peek.
At least on first blush, I liked what I found. The new vendor offered many of the same items at similar prices, the site was well-organized, and additional savings seemed to amass as I shopped. For the particular higher cost items I needed right then (including ink for the printer), they were more than competitive, especially with the 15% off deal. I wasn’t too keen on the $35 minimum for free shipping, but easily met that hurdle with this order. To my astonishment, my items arrived the very next day, at least a day or two ahead of schedule. So I was impressed with this first transaction. But I’m also a member of the “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” club, so I’ll be watching like a hawk to ensure they stick the landing, so to speak.
In the meantime, the unexpected lesson for the day: Not all junk mail is junk. And not all “% off” deals are for dumb bunnies.