Thank you for a very instructive article - more often I will go
templerel
of AL
@
Nov 13, 2009 03:00:09 AM
Farmers' markets
The vendors at farmers' markets are good at this. Just last week, when I was eyeing a table with a bunch of kinds of apples, the guy who was selling them handed me samples of each of them, while keeping up a patter of how their flavors compared ("this one is our tartest apple, this one is a little bit sweeter, and this one is the closest we have to a Winesap...") Now, I'll often take a sample (or two or three) from a table at a grocery store and then decline to buy the product without shame, but in the case of a personalized face-to-face schpiel, it takes more determination than I've got to turn around and say "No thanks, I don't think I'll buy any apples today." So I bought more apples than I otherwise would have, and probably more than I needed. Fortunately, apples stay fresh for a long time, so buying more last week means I can buy fewer this week. And thanks to the free samples, I know I bought the variety that I liked the best.
Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about how to save money, avoid scams, manage debt, and be a savvy shopper. Send your personal finance questions to her for expert money advice.
donagorr of AL @ Dec 26, 2009 11:03:58 AM
templerel of AL @ Nov 13, 2009 03:00:09 AM
Johanna of MD @ Sep 18, 2009 12:21:07 PM
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