Ten Commandments On How to Shop

Draw up a well-planned list before going on a shopping trip to avoid impulse buying.

Prepare small change. These will come in handy for your bus or jeepney fares, for paying the kargador at the market, for giving tips to the cart boys at the supermarket, or for your parking fees if you drive your own vehicle.

Compare prices by looking at newspaper ads or by using the yellow pages of your telephone directory. Don't hop from one store to another. The few pesos you may save doing that may not equal your fare or gas expense and the time you'll use in going through traffic.

Try the merchandise -- appliances, shoes, clothes, etc. -- before buying them. This will save you from returning, explaining, and arguing with the salesperson later on.

Ask the salesperson if discounts are given on cash-purchase items.

Instead of rushing to buy that expensive item, wait until it's on sale -- unless it's a life-and-death matter for you to have it right now.

Be sure the thief doesn't help himself with your wallet before you reach the check-out counter. It's a waste of time for you to push your cart from aisle to aisle only to return what has taken you a long time to select.

Go slow in using your credit cards -- or, better yet, don't own one, if you've a difficult time resisting the temptation to spend. But if you feel it's a status symbol to have one, apply for it, but keep it under lock and key before you go shopping.

You may pinch the fruits or vegetables to see whether they're still fresh, but don't pinch the salesperson or this may get you into trouble.

Best of all, leave your purse or wallet at home before you go shopping. Window-shopping is the cheapest form of doing business these days if you need to watch your budget carefully. Here's a bit of good news during these days of bad news: High dollar exchange rate, recession, depression, the spiraling of prices, even the complete collapse of the economy--all these don't affect the price of window-shopping even a little bit!