SHOPPING TIP #2: WAIT FOR IT…

Every shopaholic is familiar with the adrenaline rush when we see something that we want. It tells us to hit the BUY button right away. Take a deep breath, bookmark the page, and wait…

Good things take time. In this case there are at least 8 reasons why you shouldn’t jump on it just yet. And if you can think of more, please let me know in the comments.

1. Avoid an impulsive buy.
How many times have you regretted buying something? How many pairs of shoes do you own that you hardly ever use? Just sleep on it and see if you still want it in the morning.

2. You can probably score a better deal.

Don’t buy from the first store or website where you saw it, try copying the name of your item and searching for it on Google. Compare the prices on all websites, and look around the page for any special offers or promo codes. Keep in mind that some of them, e.g. Overstock and Macy’s will offer you 10-15% off just for signing up for the newsletter.

3. The price will drop.
Luckily for us consumers, the number of retailers is constantly growing, and the competition is fierce as never before. Sooner rather than later everything goes on discount.

I literally have hundreds of bookmarks that I go through daily as part of my price monitoring routine. Meanwhile, I can keep an eye on the stock. If there is something I absolutely have to have, I won’t let it sell out.

4. ALWAYS check Amazon.
If anyone else has it, Amazon probably will. Besides, Amazon is also unpredictable – don’t be surprised if your special dress in your particular size is for some reason 80% cheaper than other sizes.

Look how the price varies depending on the size and color. You’d expect more popular sizes to be more expensive, right? Wrong! The logic behind it is still a mystery to me. I will share some things that I scored in size M in my future posts.

5. You may find something better.
Have you noticed that every time you buy or just view something online, you get haunted by suggestions of similar products? This has happened to me at least three times in the past that I bought something and later saw something similar but better, and often in a better price. So what did I do? Of course I had to get it! And the first one, well … maybe some day I will wear it. Let’s not make this mistake again and do the homework on time. Most online stores will display suggested products on the right or bottom of the main product page. Take your time to look through them, and you will thank yourself later. I would normally bookmark all similar items that pass the quality check, and get back to it later to make the final decision. Now, the tricky part is to not get carried away – how many pairs are you planning on buying right now?

6. There will be a sale. And sooner than you think.
You have probably heard of Black Friday and Mid-Year Sale. But do you know that retailers have special offers on every public and not-so-public holiday? I would recommend signing up for the newsletters to get notified, not to mention all the promo codes you can receive by email. Bluefly offers 20% off sitewide five or six times a year, and the best thing is that you can apply it to any item, including those on final sale – you do the math. The best no-exclusion offer I haven seen so far is 30% off. You can definitely get a bigger discount by becoming a loyal shopper or applying for a store card, but in my opinion it’s a big stock-up trap that smart and picky consumers should never fall into.

7. Flash Sales and Lightning Deals.
Flash sale usually lasts between several hours and one day. It is hard to know when it will happen, usually on Monday or other week day, not around holiday or sale season. The best way to catch it is by signing up for the newsletter, unless you don’t mind going through your favorite websites daily – less reliable but easier on your inbox.

Lightning deal is specific to Amazon and is even harder to catch. It lasts no more than 4 hours, offers limited quantity, and is definitely worth the try. You just need to watch that special product more closely, as you won’t be notified. I was able to get something of a well-known brand for $40 off $140 – not bad at all!

As a bonus fact, there are also temporary discount coupons on Amazon that come and go as they please. All you need to do is tick to activate it.

8. You don’t want to be the first buyer.
New arrivals are tempting: they must have something to do with trend-setting. However, if that sweater was just released, no matter how good it looks in the picture, first – the price is the highest it will ever be, and second – you won’t find any reviews of it. Is the sizing accurate? Does it lose shape after washing? Will the color fade in no time? Let others test it for you, and learn from their mistakes. Besides, it won’t sell out any time soon, there is no rush.