I just now got around to changing the flat I acquired at Chidope. I bought some used tires with plenty of tread left from a guy who was cleaning out his garage. I called up places like Goodyear, Firestone, and Midas to find out how much they’d charge to take off the old tires and put the new/used ones on instead. The cheapest rate was $27/tire. I can live with that.
Then I remembered that, when I needed new tires on the other car, my mom suggested the automotive department at Sam’s Club, and I was impressed with their prices. I called them up and asked what they’d charge.
$9 per tire. Yes, good people, you heard right, just nine dollars for as many tires as I cared to bring on in. So I did that, and the nice fella even pointed out a potential flaw in one of the tires. Grand total: $19.01 for two tires, versus $54 that Goodyear wanted, and that included balancing. Yay for Sam’s automotive!
So, being the frugal (and destitute) fella that I am, I’m wondering what great good deals I’ve been missing out on. Lemme have 'em!
I buy all of my parts for my Triumph motorcycle from a place in New Zealand. I routinely get 50 - 70% off the prices that I pay at places in the U.S. The shipping is only slightly more and is more than offset by the reduced prices on the parts.
Of course this only helps people who buy parts for British motorcycles, but it’s a great deal nonetheless.
They have downloadable price lists and an online search feature which will give you the prices as well. The price list changes almost once per month.
Remember that the prices listed in their catalog are in New Zealand dollars, and if you are having it shipped overseas, you should refer to the Export price which does not include their taxes.
Well, I recently got a real steal on a fake mummy at a theatre company’s garage sale. The mannequin used for a base would normally have cost me about $200 (used), not to mention the labor in wrapping and staining it. They sold it to me for $25 and threw in the (equally fake) mummified cat for free. I also got a whole pile of nice costumes (wizard robes, noble’s outfits, and such) for about $2-$5 each. Sorry, it’s not a repeatable deal…but then, how many people really need cheap, used mummies?
I found a shop in downtown Tokyo that leases furniture to expat execs and embassy types, then sells them at the end of the lease for about one-tenth the original price. Found a nice leather sofa there for about $100.