Few people find it easy to refuse a bargain (a product sold at lower price).  But bargains are not always what they seem.  Some sales and bargains are good deals, but not all are.  Here are some pointers to help you tell the difference between real bargains and bad deals.    Sometimes a product is on sale for "below producer's cost".  Watch out for this kind of "bargain".  Why would anyone want to sell a product for less than it cost to make it?  Before buying, you should find out why it is being sold at a loss to the producer.  Is it damaged?  Is it out of style?  Does it come with any guarantee ?    Another pointer is to read price tags on sale items carefully.  For example, a price tag in a store may say " regular price $16".  The regular price is the price of the item before the sales started and after the sale ends.  The regular price is only for that store, however.  In another store, the price could be lower.    A price tag may also say "original  price $ 16".  That means at one time the item sold for $16 ------even as much as five years earlier!  For example, the original price of pocket calculators was high when they were introduced.  Now the price is much lower.  Showing the original price would be misleading.    Finally, be careful how you use cents-off coupons .  A coupon can save you money only if you intend to use the item.  The price of an item may not be the same at different stores. So use the coupon at the store with the lowest price.  Don't forget to add any sales tax to the item before you figure out the "cents-off' price. The purpose of the author to write this article is   _  .
to show that there are no real bargains to warn readers that some sales are not bargains to sell a certain product to warn readers not to spend money on bargains