Is BOGO a Good Deal or a Scam?

Putting together a stockpile of survival items is not easy. In addition to the time it takes, money is a big factor.

That’s why many people look for the best possible deals they can get that will increase their stockpile without sacrificing their finances. 

One of the best ways to do that is to watch for BOGO deals. Buy One Get One free is an economical way to double what you acquire for your survival stash. I’m sure you’ve seen BOGO offerings from 4Patriots and I hope you’ve taken advantage of some of them.

Today I want to explain why BOGO deals can be a very good way to up your preparedness game. But I also want to make you aware of some of the red flags you should watch out for. 

Say ‘yes’ to that

The positives of BOGO deals are pretty obvious. They help you stock up on items you need without breaking the bank.

Anytime you can get two items for the price of one, it’s worth considering. But only if it’s an item you know you’ll use before its expiration date.

A survival food BOGO is almost always worth looking into and purchasing because you never know how much survival food you’ll need someday.

Assuming you store it in a cool, dark place where it will not lose its nutritional value or taste, it’s hard to go wrong with a BOGO survival food deal. 

When ‘free’ ain’t really free 

But it’s important to examine the BOGO deal you’re being offered. Some of them are not as good as they sound.

Yes, “free” sounds great. And it often is. But there are some things you need to watch out for. For example, if the price of the original item is jacked up for this type of deal, then “free” really becomes merely “cheaper.” 

Another way retailers hide the consumer’s actual cost is by increasing the charge for shipping BOGO items. Again, “free” loses its meaning. 

Sometimes consumers are so taken in by the word “free” that they don’t stop to think that the item being offered is something they would not normally buy. And they only use the original item and end up tossing out the “freebie” when it expires. 

A good deal… for the seller

Some BOGO deals do not offer two of the same product for the price of one. They offer one product at its regular (or jacked up) price along with another product of lesser value for free.

This may just be a way of getting you to try out the lesser value product (which they’re having trouble selling) in hopes you’ll like it and want to buy it again. 

Or the company may merely be trying to free up space in their warehouse because it’s costing them money to keep things there. 

Either way, a BOGO deal should not be as appealing to a consumer if the “free” item is not something they really need.

Save those coupons

Some consumers learn about BOGO deals through emails they receive. Others see them in store flyers or coupons. 

These BOGO deals are sometimes offered by the manufacturer of the products and sometimes by the store itself. When the deals are from manufacturers, they reimburse the stores for the purchase price.

When the store offers this kind of deal, they absorb the loss. But that’s because they believe it’s worth it to get the consumer in the store, where they will presumably spend money on other items.

On rare occasions, a store will allow a customer to use both a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon to save even more money. But usually they will only allow one coupon per sale.

Not quite as sweet 

There are other “BOGO” deals that do not offer the same value as Buy One Get One free. Such as Buy One Get One half-off or Buy Two Get One free.

Those types of deals may be worth your dollars; just know that the deal is not nearly as sweet as the true Buy One Get One free.

With any kind of BOGO deal, when you hand your coupon to the worker at the register, make sure it is being processed. Examine your receipt carefully. 

If you’re not careful, you might end up getting charged full price for two items when you really only wanted to spend enough for one of them.

To sum up, BOGO deals can be a great way to increase your stockpile for a good price. Or they can be something that sounds better than it really is. Do your homework and you won’t go wrong.