Although I would love to be able to just walk into an Anne
Taylor, Banana Republic, Coach, or Bebe store and just buy whatever I want – my paycheck
only stretches so far. I love fashion,
but I am on a budget. With time I have learned that deal shopping is all about
being informed and patient. Since I'm not rich I cannot have everything from
every deal I see, but I have to use my judgment to pick and choose which deals
are worth investing in depending on my current needs. I’m focusing more on
online shopping here, since that is where I tend to find the best deals, although you can find great deals in-store too....
1) Create an email address ONLY for store/vendor
newsletters/blasts/emails. The number of emails I get in one day is amazing.
Between the clothing stores/cosmetics/travel/restaurant/groupon/sweet jack/etc emails I get, I wouldn't be able to function
out of my personal email address - stuff would get lost! Also, when I feel like
browsing/shopping I just go to that specific emails address and see all the
current deals and offerings. With time you will learn what is the
"standard" deal for each store, so you know whether or not they're
really offering something special.
2) Do a lot of "window shopping". There are a lot
of times I will click on a deal and start shopping, adding stuff to my cart and
such. In the end I make sure that there's no coupon codes I'm missing (check my
email, the home page of the site, and do a quick google search (there are some
great coupon websites with codes). In the end I look at my basket and see my
total, tax plus shipping (if there is any). I will then literally walk away and
do something else for awhile and come back with a fresh mind. 9 times out of 10
I close the window and never buy anything because I'm out of the 'shopping
zone' and realize....'eh - I don't really need this, or need to spend the
money'. However, I'm learning about the pricing of items, how each store works
their site, the coupons out there and what types of merchandise each store
offers. Will there be times that you walk
away and when you come back an item will be sold out? Yes. This is especially
true with sale and clearance items. But that’s just a part of my strategy,
unless I really really love something and must have it, I need to clear my mind
before giving my card number.
3) End of Season sales are always best. This is the one that
hurts me because I know at the beginning of every season I check my closet and
realize I need more clothes, I definitely do not feel like buying for the
previous season, but the deals can be amazing. Boots that were originally $169
can be marked down to $69, a scarf that would’ve cost you $30 in December, is
now $9.99. Deals like that will start to pop up as the season draws to a close,
and it’s just too good to pass up. I know you will probably end up putting them
in a closet until next season, but trust me, when you will be so happy when you
get to pull out a brand new pair of boots, scarf, or sweater at the start of
winter!
4) Double check stores return policies. Most big clothing
stores have a risk-free return policy, which is what I require to make a
purchase. I’m not a perfect size 2 pants or 32B bra, so sometimes things don’t
fit the way they should. I remember trying 3 different pieces of clothing from
one online clothing store, but each one had something that didn’t work with my
body, I ended up settling for an accessory and a refund, and now know that
their clothing doesn’t work for me – but I didn’t lose out! Kinda sad because I
think their clothes are really cute! ;)
5) I am very anti-shipping charges. If I can help it I will
try to reach their minimum for free shipping. If they’re offering free shipping
on any purchase amount I love that. Almost 100% of the time if I’m window
shopping and I cannot get free shipping, or the cost is what I feel too high
for shipping, I usually pass it up. It would have to be a 70%+ off sale with
some amazing merchandise for me to consider paying exorbitant shipping costs.
6) My hot shopping spot – hello?! It’s the clearance! Do I
stop on the home page and ‘ohhh’ and ‘ahhhh’ at their beautiful new clothing
and shoes? Oh yes. But do I want to pay retail? Nope. So I do all my real hardcore shopping in
clearance. They don’t always have great
stuff in clearance – so this is just something you have to check periodically
to see the new stuff they’ve marked down. I will sometimes add items to my cart
that are not marked down for sale if I must absolutely have it and it’s
reasonably priced, but that’s not very often.
It’s really up to you what you want to spend on certain
items and what you consider a real deal. Everyone’s opinion, priorities and
paycheck are different. It takes time but it’s very worth it if you love
shopping like me, but can’t spend your entire paycheck on clothing, perfume and
all that other fun stuff! One thing that has really helped me develop my eye
for my style-preferences is Pinterest. As I’ve continued to collect my favorite
looks from Pinterest I’ve realized all the possibilities I have with certain
pieces of clothing, and what I should keep an eye out for because it’s not in
my closet. I’m more aware of my preferences rather just aimlessly shopping
around for random sale items. I hope
this helps, and have fun shopping! I love to hear about good deals people get!
