There are two things that I HATE when it comes to shopping........dealing w/ crowded stores and paying full price on an item! A couple of things that I do that help me prevent these two awful things are:
1) Make a list of things you want & need and then browse through the store's weekly add, and devise a plan of attack. This list will help you to stay on track, and not get distracted by all of the beautiful things that the stores are offering. Most stores now make their weekly adds available online. LOVE THIS! I am a huge price comparison shopper!
2) I wake up by 9am on Saturday if I NEED to shop during the weekend, as I have found stores to be less busy between 9am-Noon on the weekends. Store employees are also more helpful at the beginning of the day as the day is new, and stores are less busy.
3) I created an email address that I only use for signing up for stores mailing lists! Many stores will regularly email you with coupons, alerts, & discounts on their merchandise. I love the discounts, but I hate how they get lost within the real/important emails. This way I have all of my discounts in one email address, and then I sort by name of the store if I need to find a particular coupon/discount. I rarely if ever pay full price on furniture or clothing because of all of the discounts I receive!
4) I keep all of my store coupons in a envelope/ or atleast bundled up in my purse (or at least car) at all times! If I leave this envelope at home, then it is no good for me when I make a random trip to the store, or when I just plain forget. Right now I have coupons for Bed Bath & Beyond, Ann Taylor, The Limited, Express, Best Buy, Michaels, Ann Taylor Loft in my purse. I can see that my envelope has grown already as stores are sending out coupons more frequently for the holiday season.
5) If your bank offers cash back, or rewards.....utilize these!! I have a $100 cash back on the way to me right now, great timing as the holidays are upon us!
My favorite stores to shop at are below:
Furniture/Home Decorating
Home Goods: I love their ever changing selection & prices! I found two crystal bed side lamps for only $50 a piece!
Bed Bath & Beyond: Their never expiring coupons are golden tickets for saving 20% and $5 off!
Macys: Great quality items, and their savings passes always save me money! You can print these off online when they offer them.
Walmart: I know, it's WALMART, but their new Canopy line is wonderful! I ordered two bed side tables, and a entry way table all for less than $400. The quality of these pieces are fantastic, they were very easy to put together (only a couple f-bombs were dropped), and so far extremely durable. Their site to store shipping option is also very convenient, and even better FREE!
Clothing
Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft: I am always able to save 20% or 30% off on anything I buy. They either send me coupons online, in the mail, or give them to me at the store. Don't let them sucker you into signing up for their credit card, as I receive great discounts without it! P.S-Short ladies, they have Petite sizes!!!
Macys: Again, the savings pass is wonderful!
Lord & Taylor: They are always sending me a 15% savings pass on time of regular, sale, and clearance items!
Kate Spade: "Like" them on Facebook, and Kate offers AWESOME prices on insider sales! They also offer some great sales, but you have to keep your eyes open for them.
Coach: For all of you "C" lovers out there, Coach (full priced store) mails/emails me coupons around the big /gift giving holidays (Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc.) Right now I have a $50 off $150 coupon, as well as an email for 25% off in-store or online. The Coach outlet also seems to always offer 20%, you can either get the coupons emailed to you, or the store associates make sure to hand one to you as soon as you walk in the door.
J.Crew: 15% off if you can provide them with a student I.D! I heard however that you can no longer use this discount if you dial into the backoffice using their infamous red phone. :(
Club Monaco: 20% if you can provide them with a student I.D! Great quality clothes! They also have awesome season end sales!
I hope this helps, and happy holiday shopping!
