It’s happened to even the best bargain hunters. You watch the sales for weeks, use coupons, find free shipping offers, and then you finally make your purchase.

Two days later, the item you bought goes on sale for less than what you paid.

Ugh.

So what should you do when you find a great deal on an item you’ve already purchased?

You can try to return the item. If it’s still brand new in the package with tags and you still have the receipt, you can try to return the item and get a refund. If the item went on sale at the same store you purchased it originally….

You can see if the store will give you the difference. Many stores will give you the difference if an item you bought at their store goes on sale within 14 days of your purchase. You’ll need to bring a receipt to prove your case, and be polite!  Friendly customers usually leave as happy ones!

You can accept that you can’t always get every great deal. Sometimes this is a hard one for us deal hunters to do, but you have to consider what your time is worth. Is the amount of money you would save worth fighting the busy holiday crowds, the gas to put in the car, and the temptation of buying more things you don’t need?  You may find it is easier to live with the slightly higher purchase price.

I will admit, that I sometimes just let the price difference go for the sake of time if it’s only a few dollars.  But if I am buying a big ticket item, I try to use PriceProtectr to watch the sales prices. PriceProtectr is a free service that will send you an e-mail alert when an item you’ve bought goes on sale. You can then decide if you want to attempt to get a refund, or just live with the price you paid.