The Maven Who Saved P 3000

That sounds like a superhero or something. But it isn't. And I'm not. Well, occasionally maybe, to my parents or my sibs or whoever wants me to be their hero. That aside, I got that from Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point". (He is one of my favorite authors but "Outliers" still hands down wins as my favorite book of his.)



I first read that about five years ago so my memory is kind of rusty. However, there were three types of people he pointed out who were responsible for Epidemiology: Mavens, Connectors, and the Salesmen. If you want to learn more about Epidemiology, just read about the revival of the previously flailing Hush Puppies brand.

I don't want to elaborate on the other personalities but let's just say it's the Maven I can relate to the most. Although I'd like to point out that without the other two, I cannot start an Epidemic (a non-harmful one that is). The Maven is the one who scours the cheapest, the best value for your buck, the one who sees a discount, is great at computing prices mentally, is willing to do legwork, brainwork just to make sure every peso you earn and spent will give make you happy.



I get a kick out of getting a good buy. Like seriously. I'm a happy cat when I know my money is well spent. Not that I have a lot to spend but you get the point. It's a hard earned penny so I gotta make sure it is utilized to its maximum.


Let me hastily add that it is not easy to be a Maven. Unless you derive pure genuine pleasure from getting a bargain, the search process can be daunting for the majority. In fact, the faint-hearted would probably be annoyed and just say, "I'll just buy the first thing I see" after he/she sees the Maven in action.



Let me share one of my good buys recently: used law books. I've been using borrowed law books from the library and from friends since I started studying eons ago. (Haha). I figured out that if I buy law books at that point in time, the jurisprudence might be outdated and the laws might have been repealed or amended by the time I'll be taking the Bar so except for the Codals and the occasional required references, I didn't buy books.


On my (almost) penultimate year of my colorful (and drawn-out) legal education, I decided that it was time to buy review textbooks. One problem: they weren't cheap. And I was reluctant to use my plastic. So I prayed about it. (I believe a good Maven doesn't come by things by chance. ;) ) I then had an inspired idea to google for used law books.


Lo and behold, just a few hours prior to my decision, somebody had posted a set of law books for sale. What I did was to look at the year of the latest published edition in an online store (for brand new books) and then compared it with the used law books set. The ones for sale were the latest ones available! Yay!


So I contacted the seller and told her that I was interested in buying two books from the set. She replied immediately and said that they were available. I haggled (another Maven trait). And got a sweet deal. Two books for P 1,500.00. Plus free shipping. The brand new books would have cost me P2,200 something each plus P 200 for shipping. That was at least P 3,100 savings. (High five to fellow mavens out there!)


                         New: (P 2,200 x 2)      4,400.00
                                    Shipping              200.00        4,600
                         Pre-loved (with free shipping)          1,500
                          Savings                                             3,100


Let me just add these tips to the Mavens doing their shopping online though:

1. Buy from a trusted source and know the seller.

It was my first time to buy via OLX.com.ph. I usually buy from online stores such as Lazada, Zalora, Groupon. Why? Because in those stores, the stocks are actually on hand. Unlike in olx where there are individual sellers whose reputation can be dubious. Plus the site doesn't guarantee your purchases. Caveat emptor or buyer beware indeed.

2. Pay through a bank account. Not thru pera padala (cash remittance).

This is a rule I firmly abide with in my online purchases. I remember once when I saw a phone that I reaaalllly wanted. It was being sold for an unbelievably lower price. I texted the seller and asked her if it was available. She immediately replied that it was. I then asked her for pictures. She sent me grainy pictures of the phone. (I was by this time getting suspicious. The maven nose is known for being sensitive.) What confirmed my suspicions was when I asked her how I could pay and she said that she can only receive via money transfer and that ATM's where offline from where she lived. It also helped that I had a friend who had a bad experience with paying through money transfer outlets.


But I surprisingly broke this rule with this purchase. Why? Because she appeared authentic. I saw her Facebook account. We chatted a bit. She showed me pictures of the books which where good quality pictures. Well the subject of the sale also helped. It's kinda hard to be illegal if your selling law books. Haha. So yes, I sent the payment thru pera padala on this purchase.

3. Do your research.

Go to the store if you must. But of course, do your cost-benefit analysis first. Like how much you're going to spend on transportation compared to shipping costs online. Time spent, traffic, parking fees, costs of returning the items, customer service, warranties etc.


4. Pray before you purchase.


It will set your priorities straight. Is this really necessary? Will it be something that will enrich my knowledge for the better? Will this be beneficial in building up people and the kingdom? You might think these are pretty big questions for a seemingly trivial purchase such as a shoe perhaps but the things you spend your money on speaks highly of what you treasure in your heart.


Hope those tips help. Share your Maven purchases below! :)