13 best new Costco products in November, Cheapest way to replace a vehicle key fob

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November is full of discounts and sales. But sometimes a “sale” is a mirage – a trumped-up accounting trick to get you to buy. We’ll explain how to tell the difference later in this email.

💵 Today’s Top Stories

💵How To Avoid Getting Swindled By Holiday ‘Sales’

Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s are approaching.

For many of us, that means buying gifts for family members – or at least shopping for the many deals that retailers offer this time of year.

However, not everything is as it seems. Stores buy promotional merchandise for the holiday shopping season. Since these are not normal items they carry in stores, they can mark up the base price. And then offer it “on sale” for the normal price.

“The sale price that appears to be 50, 60, 70% off, it’s all made-up garbage. It’s all fake,” Clark says.

“A lot of us, maybe we know what’s going on. But we want to feel like we’re getting a deal and it says we’re getting 50% off. So yeah, we’ll throw those in our cart.”

If you’re shopping online, Clark recommends using third-party tools such as Honey that display pricing history. If an item at a popular store has zero pricing history, chances are it’s holiday promotional merchandise. And the store may be marking up the price in order to offer a “major discount.”

You also check pricing history on your smartphone if you’re shopping in-store. The only thing that matters, Clark says, is the typical retail price of the item you’re buying. Not the sale percentage that these stores trot out to play with your mind.

“Do not get sucked in by the supposed discounts that the items you’re seeing represent,” Clark says. “Please don’t play the retailer’s game of trying to convince you you’re getting a sale when something could be a non-sale sale.”

📊 Stat of the Day

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

🎙️ Podcast

As temperatures start to drop, will your heating bill go up? Clark has good news for our wallets this winter. Also, many big auto insurers are playing a bad game with low-ball estimates after an accident. Clark shares a personal experience and gives tips to help you fight for the money you’re owed.

☎️ Need Money Help?

The Team Clark Consumer Action Center is a free helpline that can help you navigate your money questions. Call 636-492-5275. Visit clark.com/cac for more information.

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