Today, Brie takes a look at Port Macquarie’s man vs woman spending habits and finds out the the resurgence of the bargain-hunting male has made a comeback just in time for the Christmas shopping sales season.
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SINCE the dawn of time, men have been hunters.
From tracking large beasts and spearing them with meticulously sharpened rocks to gallivanting about on horseback following a pack of English Setter Hunting dogs hot on the tail of foxes or rabbits, the thrill of the chase has been predominantly a man’s domain.
New research suggests bargain hunting is a growing trend among Aussie blokes.
About 40 per cent of fellas reckon they can sniff out a bargain with the best of them.
One in five would happily spend a whole day perusing shops to compare costs in a bid to snag a savvy buy.
More than one in 10 Aussie lads plan to leave their Christmas shopping to the last minute, to take advantage of Christmas sales.
Despite close to 50 per cent of men regarding themselves as ‘convenience shoppers’, slightly more guys than girls will research online to compare costs before purchase, 67 per cent of men compared to 64 per cent of women.
Hastings gents live up to these statistical expectations.
Bonny Hills bargain hunter John Sargeant will barter with just about anyone in a bid to score the best deal.
His wife Bronwyn leaves John to it when he’s on the savvy shopping war path.
“If there’s 20 per cent off women’s clothing he’ll say to staff ‘that’s discrimination, what about us?’,” Bronwyn says.
“I get embarrassed and walk away.”
Bronwyn shares her husband’s shopping prowess to a degree, checking prices at each store on an item before buying.
The latest bargain John has nabbed is an outdoor umbrella from Harvey Norman.
He managed to barter the salesman down from an already reduced $600 to $500.
Cash prices at the Good Guys are a great way to go, John reckons.
He deals with a regular saleswoman because he knows he will get a good deal.
“I’m a sucker for a bargain,” John says.
Car salesmen can be notorious for “playing games” when it comes to sealing a deal.
“I tell them my price and walk away if they play the ‘I’ll talk to my manager’ card,” John says.
Port Macquarie’s Wayne Nelson considers himself a quality hunter when it comes money well spent.
He researches products online, reading blogs to figure out which item rates best.
With four children, Wayne and his wife Sue agree they need to buy things that last.
The latest deal Wayne was pretty chuffed with was a Barracuda pool cleaner he bought from a local store after conducting online research.
“The shop matched online prices,” he said.
“We’ve got to keep local people employed.”
Laurieton’s Joe Walsh is a regular bargain hunter, particularly when it comes to shopping for building supplies.
The construction worker will occasionally do some online research and ask local suppliers to match the price.
“I don’t like to do it but I will sometimes if there’s a huge price difference,” he said.
National retailer Supercheap Auto commissioned the research in August, releasing the findings this week.
