Shopping Savvy

Shopping can be an addiction to say the least, so here are a few of my tips I [try to] use when shopping. Enjoy!

1) When you shop online, use ebates. You can earn back a small percentage of your order when you shop through their website. On their website you can also find coupon codes for your favorite websites. Note that not every shopping site under the sun is on ebates, but you're bound to find a few of your favorite e-tailers on ebates.

2) Price match before you buy. In the words of Cher Horowitz "Let's do a lap before we commit to a location." If you have the time, browse all the stores you want to go to before buying. You may think that the gray cardigan at H&M for $25 is a great deal, until you find one you like even better at Forever 21 for $15.

3) Set a budget for yourself at the beginning of every month. Plan out how much money you expect to take in and how much you plan to spend every month. Divide your budget into various sections ie. clothing, food, entertainment...etc. and set limits for each section. If you plan before you buy you will be less likely to come home with impulse purchases.

4) Buy what you need, not what you want. Of course, little impulse indulgences are ok every once and a while, but this should not make up a majority of your spending. Think of cost-per-wear. Which sounds more effective to you- a $200 dress you can wear once to a party, or a $200 "staple piece" you can wear multiple times?

5) Keep track of store sales. While the Lush holiday line may be tempting to scoop up, did you know they have a sale of buy 1 get 1 free of nearly their entire holiday line that starts the day after Christmas? Pay attention to when stores hold their semi-annual and annual sales and save your coupons until then for maximum savings!