by: Jeffrey Strain

When people claim they have saved money or found a great deal, you usually hear about the time, effort and research they put into getting the bargain. This gives the impression that getting good deals takes a lot of work. While good research and organization can go a long way to getting you great deals, the truth is that doing nothing is often your best resource when getting a great deal. The personal quality of patience is rarely mentioned when reading about how to get the best deal, but if you are a person who can simply wait, you'll save yourself thousands of dollars a year.

In this instant gratification society, having the patience to wait even a short amount of time can cut expenses dramatically. While the Jones' are trading in for a new luxury car every 2 years and purchasing the latest and greatest gadgets as soon as they hit the retail stores, if you have the patience to wait, you can often get the same items at a fraction of the cost.

People who don't have patience end up paying premium prices. A recent example is Google Gmail email accounts. These are email accounts that are going to be free to anyone who wants them. When the trial for the accounts was first announced, however, you could only get them by an invitation from a friend. Many people considered them a must have item when they were first announced and paid as much as $100 for one less than a year ago. They now sell for less than a dollar on online auction sites and you can even find many places where the Gmail accounts are being given away for free.

Another good example of where patience pays is with cars. You're likely to pay near full price for a car when the new year model is released. If you have the patience to wait 9 months, you can get the same brand new car for a lot less as the dealer tries to sell out inventory for the next new car models coming in. If you have even more patience and can wait a couple of years (and don't mind a slightly used car) you can save yourself thousands more.

Patience can save is many small ways which together add up to a lot of money. You can pay $25 for the family to go to the movies to see the latest release or wait a few months and rent the movie for less than $5. That's a 500% savings. You can pay full retail price for the latest Harry Potter book, or wait less than a month and pick it up on an online auction or used bookstore for a fraction of the price. If you have a little more patience, you can borrow it for free from your local library.

While patience in combination with other traits like organization and research can multiply the saving benefits, those who have a hard time with those other skills can still save by merely being patient. All it takes sitting back, taking it easy and waiting a few months until all the hype around the product in question disappears.

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