By Jennifer Seaman | Photographed by David Osswald
A couple years ago I found a pair of Naturalizer boots I desperately wanted at Dillard’s in Little Rock. I tried them on, strutted around the shoe department, argued with myself, and ultimately left the boots with the disappointed sales clerk. I had a mission. Those boots were meant to be mine, but the $199 price tag was not something I could accept. I could not wait for the boots to go out of season. I needed them for the upcoming cool weather. Out of desperation, I figured out a few tactics to help me procure those gorgeous boots at an affordable price, and I am happy to say they’re still a staple in my fall wardrobe.
1 Do your research
When you decide you are interested in a particular product, check it out online. If it is a product that is sold by multiple retailers, check competing websites to look for the best deal. Do not buy the product yet. Just get familiar with the product and then move on to Tip #2.
2 Sign up for emails
When you sign up for emails from various retailers, those emails will alert you to sales. Throughout the year, specific retailers offer sales of 40% or more off the original price. Others never offer more than 15% discounts, but if you do your research, you will save a significant amount of money by waiting for a store-wide sale.
3 Put items in your cart online
I have accounts at a variety of online retail stores. I log in to those accounts, read product reviews, put items I want to purchase in my carts, and then leave them there. I leave the products there for two reasons: 1) If I still want the product the next few times I log in to the site, then I know it’s worth purchasing. After leaving the items in the cart for a few days, sometimes I decide I can live without them, and that saves me money. 2) I wait for a sale. Unless the item is something need immediately, I leave it in my cart and wait for it to go on sale. My email subscriptions notify me when store-wide sales occur, and I also check back often to see if that particular item has been placed on clearance.
4 Visit coupon/discount websites
RetailMeNot.com is a fabulous website that helps shoppers find coupon codes or printable coupons for a variety of retailers. This website specializes in cataloging available coupon codes, sales circulars, and printable coupons for in-store purchases. Some online stores accept multiple coupon codes, so there have been times when I have used several at once – multiplying my savings!
5Avoid paying for shipping
There are so many coupon codes out there for free shipping, but sometimes it takes patience and work to track them down. I try to avoid paying for shipping unless I have already gotten a deep discount on the item I want to order. Some retailers, like Amazon.com, offer free shipping for select shoppers. For $79 per year, you can become an Amazon Prime member. Benefits include free 2-day shipping on a variety of Prime-eligible items, free instant video rental, and membership to the Kindle lender’s library, which allows the reader to download one eligible book per month for free. Amazon’s prices are often the lowest online, and the free 2-day shipping perk makes the $79 annual fee totally worth it – especially if you are an avid online shopper. Amazon has lots of household items for excellent prices and free shipping, which means you could order a 12-pack of paper towels and have them delivered to your door in two days for the same (or sometimes lower) price you could buy them in the store.
6 Print coupons before shopping trips
If you know where you like to shop when you go out of town, it is always smart to print or download some store coupons before you go. Make a list of the stores you generally visit on a shopping trip, and seek out online coupons for those retailers. Besides RetailMeNot.com, there are other websites that offer catalogs of printable coupons. Printable-coupons.blogspot.com is a favorite of mine because it includes in-store coupons for outlet stores, as well as for regular retailers. Before you head to Branson for a day at Tanger Outlets, you should always print some coupons to save additional money.
My boots were $199 at most retailers online. I put them in my cart on several sites and then started the search for coupon codes. I found a coupon code for Macy’s that offered 30% off site-wide and free shipping. I also set up a Macy’s online account, which gave me an additional 15% off my first online purchase. Those discounts saved me more than $80 on the boots, and the shipping was free. Those boots were on my feet in just a few days, and I had some cash to spare for some new fall accessories. This system proves that if you are willing to do a little work, you can save some real money without having to give up something you really want. M! December 2013/January 2014
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