10 Secrets To Shopping Sales
When I first started my fashion blog I knew that staying creative and trendy might become expensive over time. I thought I had a limited amount to write about based off of what was in my closet. It's been three years now of constantly brainstorming new ideas and writing diverse posts, and I haven't stumbled due to worry about cost. With the help of my mom and her years of shopping experience, I have found so many ways to take advantage of some great sales in every retail store. It's important that we have the opportunity to express who we are and show off our style in whichever way we want without having anything holding us back. If you want to start saving some money but never go out of style, these few tips and tricks should help you out...
Time Your Purchases:
Every time you are out shopping at any of your favorite stores, don't hesitate to stop by the summer section during the winter or vice versa. There's always last seasons items still hidden in the sale racks and for half the price they were originally. You will have to dig a little deeper when shopping around, they won't be right in front of you, but online returns and forgotten items from a few months ago will definitely be worth the find.
Thrifting:
I highly suggest you find a day to thrift if you haven't yet. It is so much fun regardless if you find something you love or not. San Francisco has tons of little thrift stores to check out that are pretty cool. Depending where you end up thrifting, prices will vary. Popular thrift stores may be more expensive but if you find an item you like, check its original price(either online or on the tag) and see if its worth the buy. If you don't have interest in thrifting, there are plenty of online thrift stores that set items to a great price like The Real Real and Mod Cloth.
Know the sales, get the emails:
Now this is important, so take notes! I know how annoying getting a million emails a day from random stores is, but hear me out. First, list the stores you actually shop at where you find things you love, plus the already cheaper stores like old navy or Macy's. Then, sign up for the emails...trust me you will know exactly when sales go crazy and be able to get some great stuff for way better prices. Ex: I found 5 pairs of jeans at old navy for $20!!
Always Check Clearance:
Now this I hope you already do every time you step into a store. If you really are trying to find cheap clothes, the first place you should look through is the sale section. Yes, it can be a mess sometimes, but if you stick with it you will find something you like, you just can't give up on the digging. I suggest that you always look through Macy's. They have a huge sale section with some pretty great stuff...I found my prom dress in there:)
Be Patient, set a reasonable spending price:
Patience is key! If you just have to have something but its at a super high price, just wait. I know its hard to do because it could disappear or it feels like forever for it to go on sale, but it will I promise. And if it disappears and it's not online anymore, then honey it wasn't meant to be. Don't waste your hard earned money on a $50 top its just not that worth it. But everything does eventually go on sale, so if you're patient enough you will feel a whole lot better buying it at a better price.
Be creative with what you have:
If you have an old T-shirt, ripped pants, or really anything you don't wear often, you can definitely make it trendy by getting a little crafty. You can crop or tie dye a T or put a cool sewing pattern or patch on ripped pants. Just pull up your Pinterest and start scrolling because this is free and a lot of fun.
Shop for a need not a want:
We all go shopping with maybe one or two items in mind that we need, but walk out with bags and bags of stuff we did not expect to buy. This is a bad habit many of us retail lovers have. If you are keeping yourself on a tight budget, the best tactic is really focusing on those items you need. Go to the stores that would have them and get the hell out of there!
Throw out old when in with the new:
There are great businesses out there that will take your worn clothes and donate them or re-sell them like Goodwill or Thred Up. If you come home with bags of new clothes, go through your closet and try to find some stuff you don't wear anymore that someone else could benefit from. It's a way better feeling to get rid of the old shirts and pants and add in you new stylish stuff. Also you feel like a much better person when you donate...it's worth it.
Price Adjustments!:
Sooooo many people do not know about this and it utterly shocks me. Heres how it works...if you go shopping and the next day or even week, you see that all the stuff you just bought went on major sale, bring the receipt back to the store and they will adjust your prices and give you the money back. This is another reason why you should keep checking those emails!
Make a pros and cons list:
Last but most certainly not least, when you are in line ready to purchase everything in your hands, take a second and ponder if your purchase is reasonable. Do you need these things, are they for a great price? Make a pros and cons list in your head and make sure you won't regret your buy, or at least make sure you can return those items if regret fills you the next day.