5 Things You Should Re-Shop To Save Money

A big part of saving money comes down to knowing how to comparison shop. But to find the best deal, you may need to re-shop.

When money expert Clark Howard buys travel, he takes advantage of several re-shop opportunities for his car rental, hotel and more. But his strategy extends beyond travel: Anything that he can buy and hold in hopes of the price dropping, he's all for re-shopping it.

Want To Get the Best Deal? Re-Shop These Things

In this article, we’ll go over some things that Clark re-shops and wants you to as well so that you can save more money.

1. Car Insurance

Shopping around for car insurance is a must to find the best coverage for your vehicle.

Clark says the reason why it’s beneficial to shop around is that “the way you’re rated by one insurer, or the way premiums are set for your driving profile with one insurer could be very different — will be very different — from another insurer, and another, another, like that.”

How To Re-Shop Your Car Insurance

While price should be a major factor, you should also consider the insurance company’s reputation, Clark says.

“Sometimes you’re better off paying a little more to be with a quality insurer who will be there when the chips are down,” Clark says.

To get started, check out our list of the best and worst car insurance companies.

• Read reviews on different insurers, paying special attention to how they handle claims.
• Make a list of insurers and contact them, getting quotes on each company that interests you — but be sure to compare quotes for the same types and amounts of coverage so that you get a true apples-to-apples comparison.
• Select the best car insurer for you based on price, quality and reputation.

You may have been with the same car insurance company for years now, but re-shopping your rates, especially as you age, is as important as ever.

2. Cruises

Clark purchased a cruise that had a “Best Price Guarantee,” meaning that if he was able to find a better deal later on, he could get the price difference back.

When he re-shopped the cruise sometime later, he found a better deal.

“In the case of this cruise line, if you’ve made the final payment, they give you credit for a future cruise or they give you back the money,” Clark says. “So, I contacted the travel agency that has the booking. and sure enough, we got the 22% discount simply by asking.”

How To Re-Shop a Cruise

• Book your cruise as far in advance as you can.
• Use a cruise line or travel company that offers a low-price guarantee (and read the fine print!).
• Re-shop your cruise as the travel date draws near.
• If you find a lower price, cash in on the low price guarantee.

Read more on how Clark saved by re-shopping a cruise.

3. Car Rentals

When you shop for a car rental and find one you want to book, make sure you don’t pre-pay.

“I never prepay for a car rental. Never,” Clark says.

If you prepay for a car rental, it becomes much more difficult to get your money back if you change your mind or find a better deal. Additionally, many car rental companies charge a cancellation fee to get out of your agreement.

How To Re-Shop Your Car Rental

• Book a free cancellation car rental far in advance.
• Make sure you don't pre-pay.
• As the travel date draws near, re-shop the rate for a better deal.

Because you didn’t pre-pay, you can simply cancel the reservation by using the confirmation number assigned to you during the original booking.

Read our guide on the cheapest way to rent a car.

4. Hotels

When he travels, Clark loves to stay in hotels that are 4-star and above – and it's always a refundable room.

The beauty of booking a refundable hotel room weeks and months ahead is that you always have the flexibility to shop for a better rate as your check-in date draws near. In most cases, you should be able to cancel your original refundable booking up to 24 or 48 hours in advance of your check-in date.

How To Re-Shop Your Hotel Room

• Book a refundable room weeks or months in advance.
• Re-shop the rate two weeks out to see if it's cheaper.
• If the new rate is lower, cancel your existing reservation and rebook at the lower rate.

Read our comprehensive guide on how to get hotel deals.

5. Cell Phone Plans

No matter what you’re paying every month to use your cell phone, it’s always a good idea to comparison shop your data plan to see if you can find a better deal.

The big three cell phone providers – AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile – not only run sales and promotions all of the time, but their respective discount brands – Cricket Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile and Visible – offer cheaper rates on the same networks.

If you’ve been with your carrier for a year or more, it may be time to do some re-shopping to see how it compares.

How To Re-Shop Your Cell Phone Plan

The first thing you want to do is comparison shop. At Clark.com, we’ve tested some of the top cell phone plans in an effort to provide you with some valuable insights if you’re thinking about potentially switching carriers:

• Read our Cricket review.
• Read our Metro by T-Mobile.
• Read our Mint Mobile review.
• Read our Visible review.

Other things you'll want to keep in mind are coverage maps and prices for new and refurbished models. Also, Clark wants you to avoid the #1 mistake people make when switching cell phone carriers.

Read our step-by-step guide on how to switch cell phone carriers.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to travel, the key to a successful re-shopping strategy is two-fold for the initial purchase:

• Buy far in advance.
• Make sure your purchase is fully refundable.

Then, if you find a lower rate closer to the time of travel, simply cancel your initial reservation and rebook at the lower rate.

For non-travel things, you’ll want to keep up with promotions, holiday sales and similar deals.

To save on your cell phone bill no matter your carrier, check out our guide on how to lower your cell phone bill. If you're 55+, you might also want to check out our best cell phone plans for seniors.

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