The silly season is fast approaching and with it come the post Christmas sales. I’ve never been one to hit the shops during these times; they do my head in. Too many people, too much pushing and shoving and too much temptation to buy stuff just because it’s heavily discounted.
But I know that many people love this time of year, and love to score a bargain. If you’re planning to hit the Boxing Day and New Year sales, here are some tips to help you choose wisely.
Do your homework:
1. Make a list of what you NEED. Look through your wardrobe and decide what needs updating, what needs replacing or what items are missing.
2. Find out the RRP (recommended retail price) Whether it’s a pair of designer jeans or shoes, or just a basic t-shirt, make note of the price in store, i.e. David Jones, but also check for it online. How much can you buy them for online, locally or overseas? When you go shopping for your jeans, you’ll know a bargain when you see it.
3. Know your size. Make sure you know your size so you don’t have to try it on on sales day. You can grab and go, no waiting for change rooms and no missing out on another bargain while you do so.
4. Dress for success. The change rooms are likely to be bursting with shoppers wanting to try before they buy, so make it easy to try things on in the middle of the store. By wearing a dress that’s easy to throw off, and underneath a slip that means your modesty stays intact, you can try on your items in front of a store mirror, no queuing required.
5. Check the returns policy. Most items, particularly those purchased outside of the big department stores, have strict return policies on sale items. It’s no longer a bargain if you can’t return it and you never wear it.
6. Avoid label envy. Don’t buy something just because it’s a ‘label’. Its easy to get excited about a heavily marked down designer dress, but not exciting to find it sitting in your wardrobe with the tags still attached 3 years later because it never fitted you very well in the first place. Apply the ‘if it doesn’t look great on me, flatter my shape, make me feel wonderful’ mantra, then regardless of its ‘bargain’ factor, don’t buy it.
7. Revisit your list. Keep focused on what you actually came to buy. Yes you might find something completely unexpected on the day, an item that is utterly fabulous, but if you turn up just expecting to score a bargain then you’re more likely to buy things you don’t really need or want.
For those of you planning to hit the sales this season, good luck, and please share!
I look forward to hearing about and seeing your carefully selected bargains and I promise to comment on them all whilst enjoying a glass of wine on my deck.
Cheers, Sally
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