I mean, we all know what kind of shopper I am. The cheap kind.
Okay, the “frugal” kind.
I come by it honestly– my mom trained me up from toddlerhood in the art and science of bargain hunting. It honestly didn’t occur to me until I was well into my teens that you could buy the clothes at the front of the store. You know, the ones not on the clearance rack? The ones without orange stickers or big red signs hanging overhead?
I mean, I guess I knew they were for sale, but I didn’t believe that anyone actually bought them. To me, everything not on sale was kind of like a museum display. Nice to look at, but not to touch. Mom and I always made a beeline for the back of the store and did all our shopping there. Unless we had a coupon– but really, even then. (I mean, why not take AN ADDITIONAL 25% off your ALREADY MARKED DOWN item?)
This is still pretty much my M.O., though I admit there’s a bit of illogic to it at times. I am that girl who will buy a dress marked down to $40 from $200, but probably wouldn’t buy the exact same dress if it were listed at $40, full price.
In my defense, I just don’t think I should have to pay more for the same item if I can get it cheaper elsewhere, or later. A $40 dress carries the promise of being marked down to $30, or even $20. A $40 dress that was originally $200 probably won’t get any cheaper.
Of course, there are exceptions. H&M is already pretty cheap, and the way they handle their inventory, if you don’t snap it up now, it’s not likely to be there tomorrow. Forget about waiting for a sale if you really like it.
But in general, I am all about the sale rack, the Insiders Reward Card, the coupon, the mailing list.
As I get older and a little savvier, I find that I am modifying my madness to include a little more method. Now– especially for higher-ticket items– I’m into what I call “clothes stalking.” Clothes stalking involves actual interaction with those front-of-store racks. Heck– with the CS system, you even get to try on full-price merchandise at Bloomie’s and Neiman Marcus (where I was shocked to discover COMPLIMENTARY BOTTLED WATER in the dressing rooms, no lie). You take a photo of your favorites (and maybe the attached tag with the style number, etc.) and then you do a little online comparison shopping, eBay surfing, etc. You get yourself on the email list for the stores that carry That Dress and wait for sales and coupons. Then? You pounce!
It’s how I got a green version of the purple “Janis” La Rok dress on our current masthead (second from the left). Original price at Cusp? $378. My price, during a crazy shopbop.com sale-plus-coupon? $75.60.
Of course, it’s always gamble. I snoozed on this black sheath dress from ATL and now I can’t even find it on eBay.
It was a black sheath dress. A sheath dress. That fit me (almost). That never happens. Oh, well.
But, hey– I’m still at it. I haven’t spent my $50 Banana Republic gift card, but while I was waiting for it in the mail, I visited a local BR and tried on this number.
Hello.
It’s already been marked down to $89.99 from $132, and they have my size at a local store. That Dress might just be in my future.
And what about you? If you read The Pretty Year, I know you hunt at least the occasional bargain, but how serious is that extra $2 discount? Do you wake up at 4 am on Black Friday to catch the sales, or do you prefer to let your fingers do the online walking? Are you willing to pay a little extra for convenience and personal shopping services, or is it all about the grimy thrift store with the $15 YSL suit waaaaaaaay in the back? Do you bring friends, or shop alone? Are you willing to take chances on catalogs and eBusinesses, or does your size-chart-shyness relegate you to brick-and-mortars?
How do you fill your closet?
Related posts:
- Pretty Savvy Friday: The Best Deal Ever
- Pretty Savvy Friday: Where Do You Get Your Best Bargains?
- Pretty Savvy Friday: Hey, Big Spender!
- Pretty Savvy Friday: Tell Me About the One That Got Away
- 150 of 250– And a Pretty Savvy Friday Question
I am also a bargain hunter, except I probably do buy a decent amount of full priced clothes. But the bargain piece comes into play in that I have a tipping point (ranging from $30-$50, depending on how broke/flush I am) at which point I pause and think twice or three times before buying it, weighing the same factors that you mentioned above.
I used to be an even more compulsive shopper than I am now, but I’m much much better at stepping away from the dress and thinking about it for another week before I make the decision to buy.
Also, that Banana Republic dress is the SHIT. Please buy it! And now I’m wondering if I could squeeze into their largest size. Hot damn!
Wow, you need to buy that dress! I am deeply saddened that not only does it not come in my size online, they don’t ship internationally anyway.
I guess I’d say I’m the “Buy One In Every Color” shopper – I do sometimes splurge on nice pieces (especially if they’re marked down! Myshape.com is horrible for this, because they’ll list a dress at $145 marked down to $49.99 and I can’t pass that up can I???) but most of my wardrobe is Target or LB basics bought in at least 3 different colors. Or, like, the same pair of Levi’s straight-legged jeans in 3 different washes.
Tara, I have price points, too, which I’m actually trying to get over. Like I’ll pay $40 for a dress, but not for a top that I adore and will probably get a million times as much use out of? That doesn’t make sense.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if you could fit into one of their sizes. This dress was a 6 and it fit me pretty perfectly at ~39-30-44.
Sarah TX– I never used to do this– I guess I figured if I had a purple shirt, it should be different from my green shirt, etc., but I am starting to. Because when something really fits you– how rare is that?
I’m the picky window shopper. I shop best alone even though I like to think I like company. I just need a second opinion for checkout time. But generally I walk into a real store in my price range and usually walk out with nothing because I’m VERY picky about colors, details, and fit. I window shop online a lot outside of my price range. Full price or clearance doesn’t matter to me even though I like a good deal like anyone else. If my bank account gives me the green light and I love it, I’m taking it cuz love is rare. I’ll gamble and order pretty much everything except pants and non-sneaker shoes online.
I love my bargain hunting, but I will also gladly pay full price for something I NEED. Like a nice pencil skirt that I’ve been looking for forever, or the fabulous sweaterdress I got at Express a few months ago.
I spent a year working at The Limited, and bought a lot of nice pieces there with my employee discount, or waited until I knew we would be marking things down. I have a nice selection of slacks and jeans that I adore.
I shop best alone, but occasionally will convince a good friend to go with. Again, working at LTD was great because I had my co-workers to help me choose pieces.
I do a lot of shopping online these days, and am happy to send things back. I also get some basics (tights, shirts, tank-tops) at Target. And I ADORE H&M. I am on a lot of stores’ email lists as well, so I keep an eye out for sales on things I need.
Getting on the email list is key! I just helped my friend M shop yesterday and we saved her at least $15 (about 10% of her total spend) just ’cause I had printed out a few Columbus Day coupons.
[...] camera or camera-phone for documenting pieces I want to stalk or think about while I put them on [...]
[...] **Currently 5′2″, 39-29-44, typically wearing a size 4-8 in stretchy dresses. [...]