The Urge to Splurge

Welcome to the world of savings and discounts. For many like Broker,living a life on the college campus means managing money well. And quite smartly,many cash in on discounts available both online and offline to comfortably manage college life pressures. Right from attractive online deals to bulk shopping during the sales period,smart money management is the new funda for supporting a ‘happening’ college life.

“It saves a lot when you get a coffee voucher along with a recharge coupon,” says Amit Bora,a 23-year-old MBA student from Rajasthan. Bora often gets his phone recharged from either rechargeitnow.com or freecharge.in. “The website offers several freebies if you recharge your phone through them. It lets me save a bit too.” While some go the website way,some opt for bulk shopping. “I spend on denims and tees once a year. It is not before Diwali but during the end of season sale,” adds Bora. Stores like Megamart and The Loot target such student customers. Says Anil Lakhani,manager,The Loot,Kothrud,“We have students pouring in round the year just to avail the discounted prices we offer.”

But a lot of scrutiny goes in getting the best deals. Broker in fact spends quite some time hunting and following several websites and offline discounts to time her shopping well. Once you register online,the website keeps you updated with the day’s offers. Nevertheless,the recent Internet deals are not about deals alone. The youngsters are involved in comprehensive research before opting out for them. Twenty-four-year old MBA student Abhishek Chowgule recently got a tattoo from a website offer. “Before availing the offer,I went about exploring extensively and confirming the authenticity of the deal,” he says,adding,“Tattoos are permanent investments on the body,so I made sure about the artist who was doing it. I also went and interacted with them before getting my tattoo done.” The tattoo which was originally for Rs 4,500 was given to him for an easy Rs 400.

Not only are the Internet deals subject to prior inspection,but also to the post-delivery concerns. Broker and Chowgule strictly pay only after Cash on Delivery or COD. “For proper deals,I only order from trusted websites now,” says Nayan Chauhan,a Pune University student.