How to be a smart consumer New ways of consumption as coupons, online group-buying, coupled with the rapid development of online shopping, has been permeating our daily life. As a college student who is not financially independent, we tend to pay special attention to these fancy marketing tracks to save money. However, this reduced price may be the trap set by retailers in order to deceive potential customers. For one thing, while the prices seem so attracted, the rules of using it are often complex and deceptive. Many reduced prices are hedged around with restrictions. Take an example on double 11. You can get a coupon worth 30 yuan, but it can only be used when the total consumption reaches 300 yuan, also limited in given shops. Consumers are inundated in the ceaseless flows of discount information and often give up after trying to calculate whether is economic or not. For another, chasing around discounts can also lead to a waste of money. It’s no wrong to be thrifty. But it’s not worth to put so much of your time to compare prices since time itself is money, and beyond. In conclusion, the price we pay for searching and understanding outweigh the benefit we got from the discount. To be a smart consumer, the best way is to think twice before clicking the buying button.