Storage bin shopping tip

One reason I haven't been posting quite as often this week is because I am frantically working on organizing and rearranging to make room for some long-term house guests. I know it is time to celebrate the end of the old year and beginning of the new one and I will be doing that (on a small scale), but this morning I am working on filling these bins. I hope I won't need them all!

The comment and "tip" I want to share is more about shopping for bins rather than anything else.

I received an online "ad" from Lowe's that these great slate blue bins were $2.50 each through January 3rd. They are regularly $4.99. I thought it was such a great price and I had an immediate need for them, so I sent my very nice husband out for some. 

When he arrived at the store, they were priced at $3.50 each and he called me to ask if I was sure they were on sale. I double-checked my Lowe's email and sure enough, the price (not an online price only) was $2.50. By the time I called him back to give him the model and item numbers, they had already checked it out and the price was indeed $2.50 and he purchased 20 of the bins you see above.

I guess my tip is be sure to check online prices and make sure the people at the stores give you the price they advertise. (I wasn't the first customer who asked for the $2.50 bin, by the way but the $3.50 price was not changed. Hmmm.) I can't imagine why the "memo" didn't get to the people at the store but I can just see many really nice customers going to the store because of a great sale and then paying one dollar more than they should pay because they don't want to cause problems. It is OK to nicely ask them to check the website or bring your phone or a printed copy with the ad price.

It is hard to imagine that the corporate offices would send out an email with a price and then not change it at the store, but I know it's hard times and maybe they would do that. That is why you really have to check the prices carefully and then stick up for yourself at the store. Let the buyer beware is an old legal term that we need to remember while shopping because companies can resort to trickery -- and get away with it -- unless we hold them to their word.