Shopping Tips and Hacks

Hello everyone! My name is Captain Couture! And pretty much anyone who loves fashion loves shopping so today I am going to share some shopping life hacks and tips! I hope you enjoy!

1.Before you buy, ask yourself: Would I buy this if it weren't on sale? Even something cheap is a waste of money if you're not going to wear it more than once. So make sure you'll actually rock those $9 chandelier earrings, before you swipe your card.

2.Still unsure? Sleep on it. Nothing haunts us like the things we didn't buy, so if you really want that leather midi skirt, you'll still be thinking about it tomorrow. If you're worried about someone else buying it in the meantime, put it on hold while you decide if you truly have to have it.. 

3.Try samples first. Stores like Sephora and Lush will let you test out samples before you buy the whole product. This will save you from spending money on something that smells great on the shelf but is super overpowering when you wear it. 

4.Try on everything before you buy. We all know that you're supposed to try stuff on before you buy it, but sometimes laziness wins and you end up swiping your debit card, hoping that the dress will hug your ~curves~ exactly the way you want. But that doesn't always happen. Then, you'll convince yourself that the dress isn't that bad just to avoid going all the way back to the store to return it. And six months later it will still be in your closet with the tags firmly on.

5. Start shopping early for the things you really need. Winter formal is coming up and you know you need a dress. The problem is if you wait until the week before, you're so much less likely to find one you actually like (or can afford!), or to find one you like only to discover they don't have it stocked in your size. Start shopping the month before, or even earlier to give yourself the most time to find something you love at the best possible price. Each time you're in the mall, search the sale sections and you might just find the perf formal dress on maj sale. So what if formal is three months away, how happy will you be when the dance rolls around and you already have the perf dress that you know no one else will have (plus money to spend on cute shoes and a limo with your friends!) while everyone else is stressing about finding something to wear. 

6. Don't carry a shopping basket. Yes, it's super annoying to carry around clothes in one hand and dig through racks with the other, but it's proven that carrying a shopping bag or basket will make you buy more. To avoid grabbing tons of impulse purchases, skip the shopping bag and stick to the things you really want. 

Now these are for online shopping...

7. Start your online shopping Wednesday for the best deals and the largest selections. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are the most popular days for retailers to roll out sales and discount codes.

8. Stick to sites that offer free shipping both ways and buy extras. You can buy the same piece in multiple sizes to ensure that you get an optimal fit. Yes, you will have to return the stuff you don't want to keep, but often you can return items bought online directly to the store if that is more convenient than dealing with shipping. Just make sure you read those return policies carefully before making your purchses.

9. Ask for discounts directly. The next time you see one of those little dialogue boxes asking if you would like to chat with someone at the company, don't just close it. Say hello and ask if they have any promo codes they can share with you. Often, they have access to deals that you might not find otherwise.

10. When shopping on Amazon.com, use the Amazon filler item finder to reach that all-important $35 minimum needed for free shipping if you don't have Amazon Prime. Just type in the amount needed to reach the minimum for free shipping and the filler finder will produce a list of items at or just slightly above that amount for you to choose from.