my online shopping tips & tricks

Online shopping – it’s a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because you can browse whatever your heart desires whenever you want. A curse, because your wallet suffers from all those “Oh, I’ll just look at one more little thing” or “Ah! It’s gonna sell out!” moments. You know what I’m talking about.

After many a split-second, heart-beating-as-you-press “Confirm Order” decisions, I’ve learned a few things about online shopping. And today, I’m going to share with you some of my tips and tricks to become a better online shopper.

1. A great way to tell if you actually love something, or are just caught up in the moment, is to place it in your shopping cart and let it sit. I have tons of items saved on Zara, ASOS, Forever21, Urban Outfitters, you name it. And I let it sit there for a couple of weeks while I mull it over. If at the 2 week mark you’re not still head over heels in love, delete it and move on. (Side note: a lot of these stores have a “Save Item” option now too)
2. I also let a lot of items sit in my cart while I wait for them to go on sale. Most items will go on sale at one point, it’s just a matter of waiting (and hoping it doesn’t sell out in your size). The only time I buy something full price is if I simply can’t walk away and I’m willing to pay that price tag to have it in my closet right then and there.
3. If it’s not available in your size, wait! Most stores will assess their inventory and oftentimes something will be restocked online. There is nothing worse than loving a piece of clothing but never wearing it because it doesn’t fit you right.
4. I know it’s tempting to keep adding items until you hit that “Free Shipping if you spend over X” mark, but don’t add junk. Really think about the things you’re adding onto what you originally wanted to buy, and make sure you actually want those things too. Otherwise, you’re spending more money than you originally wanted to and you might never reach for those secondary items.
5. Don’t go online shopping when you’re sad. Just don’t. You’ll most likely make a purchase to make yourself feel better, when in reality, you should be getting to the root of the problem and trying to fix that. Shopping should not be treated like a bandaid.
6. Don’t fall prey to the “Over % off” marketing technique. A lot of stores will try to convince you that’s it’s a great deal because it’s X amount off, but in reality, you probably wouldn’t have spent that full price tag anyways. Those shoes might be $75 on sale, regular $200, but perhaps they’re not even worth the $75 to you. And they definitely aren’t worth $200, so ignore that number.
7. If the item comes and it doesn’t fit you right/has weird fabric/isn’t what you pictured, return it! A lot of stores have free returns and I promise you, you’d rather have that money back in your bank account than hanging in the depths of your closet, never to be worn again.

So those are a few of my tips and tricks for being a better online shopper! Let me know if you do any of these, or if you have any additions to add!