Save $20 in 5 minutes

Comparison shopping really can be worth the time. Today when looking for an airline ticket, I recalled a website I read about in a newspaper article sometime last year, Kayak.com. The site allows you to see what the price would be from different vendors, such as Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, etc., as well as the best price that other users have found. So spending less than 5 minutes on the Internet saved me $20. That’s equivalent to $240 an hour, I think the average American would see value in $240 an hour.

An issue we seem to consistently have is not seeing the big picture, not understanding or the very least admitting that little things can make a big difference. Don’t feel embarrassed, individuals are not the only ones, businesses and unfortunately our own government doesn’t always take the time to save money. Recently in my role as an elected official, I reported how I made a simple phone call, which too was less than 5 minutes, to inquire about the cost of a service. That phone call resulted in a savings of $39.21; this savings could be turned into 11,000 pounds of food for our local food pantry. Once again, little things can make a big difference.

So many feel that comparison shopping is not worth the time, I could probably see that point if we had to add in the cost to get all the information. But this day and age, when it is mostly a click or phone call away, there really is no cost. Years ago, the only option was to drive to different stores/vendors looking for the best deal on an item, but today we can use the Internet. That too many have found to be cumbersome, not knowing where to start, and spending time to just find that out. So when you do, make sure like me you share that information. There are many sites that allow for comparison shopping and utilizing them can be like getting paid $240 an hour.

So, in my case, Kayak.com, a travel search engine, showed me the airlines with the cheapest ticket that met my criteria, from there I went direct to that airlines site and saved $20. The purpose of this article is not to promote Kayak.com, which it must be noted I receive no compensation whatsoever in reporting this, but to show how it can be easy and convenient to shop for the best deal and well worth your time. Also important is that we stretch the dollar we have, we get more with less. Shopping around, especially when it’s only a click away should certainly be made a part of your purchasing process.