Who loves shopping for shoes? Or clothes? Or just going to the mall? Anyone that shops with me knows that I am always hunting for good deals! I have a few secrets to share on getting the best bang for your buck. You CAN have name brand for less, without having to dig through a TJ Maxx or Ross.
1. Be patient. That means just because you love that new $60 cashmere sweater that just came out for fall, does NOT mean you should buy it! If you love it that much, you will love it even more if you buy it at a discount!
2. When at the mall, head to the clearance rack 1st! There is a reason that stores put their clearance racks at the very back of the store! They know you’ll get suckered into the full price stuff at the front.
3. There are strategic times that stores clearance their merchadise, usually 50-75% off the retail price. Stores need to clear out the old stuff to make room for the new. And the easiest way to do this is to give you deep discounts. Spring/summer clearance at it’s lowest usually occurs during August. Best time to buy winter clearance is at the end of December/beginning of January. Holidays are also a good time to shop (if you’re willing to deal with the crowds). For example, Gap Outlet just had their summer clearance sale. They were promoting an extra 30% off their clearance. I also had an extra 15% off coupon. So my $25 shirt I bought ended up being $3.59. Well worth the wait 🙂 Gymboree just had their summer clearance sale, with an extra 30% off their clearance. I snagged my son 5 pairs of shorts and 2 tees for $24 (about $3.42 per item!).
4. “Like” your favorite brands on Facebook. They reward their fans with special coupons and codes. For example, Old Navy has a coupon on their facebook page right now for $5 off $25. Gap Florida Mall today has 25% off your entire purchase!
5. Sign up for your favorite brands’ emails. I use a separate email for just my “junk” mail to avoid getting these emails to my personal email. Stores will send you special email-only coupons/early notifications of their sales. Some of my favorite stores include Kohls, Old Navy, Gap, Gymboree, Childrens Place, Bath and Body Works and American Eagle. These brands frequently send me coupons via email.
6. My coupon blogs always update me of a future sale. Facebook and emails keep me in the loop of a good upcoming sale. They even share their buys and what coupons they used.
7. My super extra special secret, you ready? Mommy Saves Big is my favorite retail coupon source. She is constantly updating her database with the coupons that you can quickly print and use NOW. Go ahead and bookmark this site as one of your favorites. I’ll wait 🙂 Even if you do not complete any other step, it is worth the few minutes to check this site out before heading to the mall. You can easily scroll for the particular stores you are shopping to see if there’s a coupon to print. And there’s a never ending limit to how many coupons you can print.
My husband pointed out how nice my outfit looked today. After a quick look, I realized that my entire outfit was bought on sale! After totaling everything together, my whole outfit (including jewerly and shoes) cost me a whopping $12!! And that’s a little retail therapy worth smiling about!
Next week…online shopping! Coupon codes, E-bates (what’s that?), free shipping and getting deals BETTER than the mall!
Was that Saving Said Simply? I’d love to know what you think! Drop me a note!
Christie
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