3 Things You Haven’t Tried, But You Should

moneyincartOnline grocery shopping

If you enjoy strolling the supermarket aisles, this one won’t be for you – for the rest of us who put grocery shopping on the list of adult chores we’d like to cross off for good, keep reading.

Hannaford is now offering “online shopping, curbside pick-up.” hannafordtogoAs a YouTube ad explains, It’s an awesome service from Hannaford that lets you pick-up groceries without ever leaving your car.

Hannaford To Go is now available in North Yarmouth and Windham. I haven’t tried this yet, but I will soon – especially since the first order is FREE. After that, the fee is waived for orders over $125; otherwise, you’ll pay a $5 service fee. So while you likely won’t save any money, perhaps you’ll make up for it in the convenience department.

Haggle Online

Next time you’re shopping online, think twice before you close that pop-up window asking if you’d like to “chat with an expert” or a “sales representative.”

livechatThe new issue of Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart says calling customer service or using live chat to haggle online is “actually a great way to get a deal!”

However, the magazine reports only 7% of shoppers surveyed have tried this. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Sometimes you ask and still don’t get, but it’s worth a try.

Car Buying Apps

Maybe it’s because they enjoy my company, or maybe it’s the consumer reporter thing – either way, I often get asked by friends and family to tag along for the car shopping adventure.

If you have the right information at your fingertips, the buying experience isn’t as intimidating or scary as it used to be. I like the TrueCar app.app Let’s use a 2015 Honda Civic Sedan LX as an example. The app gives you all this pricing information:

  • Average Paid: $18,081
  • Factory Invoice: $18,185
  • MSRP: $19,310
  • Estimated TrueCar Dealer Price: $17,285 – some dealers work directly with TrueCar to lock in the price you see on the app. Car buying, without the need to negotiate.

Be sure to price all the options for the vehicle you’re considering purchasing; dealers want a fair price, too.

What’s the best thing you’ve tried that hasn’t reached mainstream popularity yet? Comment below, and I’ll combine them all in a future blog post.

Jon Chrisos

About Jon Chrisos

Award-winning journalist Jon Chrisos is the investigative and consumer reporter at CBS 13 in Portland. He also anchors weeknights at 5:30. Chrisos is “On Your Side” investigating the stories that make a difference in your life. He’s passionate about helping those who’ve been wronged, exposing government waste, asking tough questions, and uncovering the truth.