Shopping Tips Online

There are times when you really need some girl time and what better way to get that than shopping? The only problem is, we’re all so busy with kids, husbands, jobs and life in general, that we just don’t have the time to get together with our girlfriends! There is a way you can still get that girl time and it might not be quite as fun as the real thing, but you can stay in your pajamas and I promise your feet won’t hurt at the end of your shopping trip!

Grab your computer, your favorite instant messenger program(or email for those of you who don’t like to IM) and a cup of coffee or a glass of wine if you’re so inclined. Start surfing and share what you find with your friend. If she’s anything like my friends, she won’t be shy about her opinions! If you want to take it a degree of friendship farther, call your pal on the phone and talk about the things you’re looking at together. You can do this when the kids are in bed or the baby is napping. It’s much easier than trying to get together in person.

It might sound cheesy. It might sound geeky and no fun at all, but really, when you need to shop, you need to shop! I have one friend who shops with me all the time. We spent a lot of time at Nordstrom looking at Uggs this past winter!

It’s fun to do window shopping with your friend. There’s always Tiffany’s! Sephora is fun when you’re looking for girlie things. Of course, nothing beats going to Sephora in person to try out the make-up though!

See? Online shopping doesn’t have to be done alone. While nothing can be a day of power shopping with your best friend, you don’t always have to end the day with a blister on your foot!

Online Shopping, Nordstrom, Sephora

Have you visited Endless.com yet? It’s a shoe store with great prices and the kicker is that they will PAY you $5 for overnight shipping. It actually works out that they’ll give you $5 off your purchase and overnight shipping, so you can take $5 off the price of anything on their site.

I was browsing the kids sale department and came across these adorable Lady Bug Rubber Rain Clogs. Now, I’m not sure how clogs are going to keep her feet dry, but they sure are cute!

They were originally $19.98, but you can get them shipped to you–overnight, no less!–for under $10.

bargain, shoes, sale

Hello! I’m Lana aka “bargainhuntingmom” or bargainhntngmom to some! I’ll be sharing online shopping tips and deals with you here. I love to find a good deal and I love to share them with others. There’s just something about the thrill you get when you find a great deal!

If you’ve ever made an online purchase, you’ve most likely seen a box on the check-out screen for a coupon or promo code. Just like in real life, online coupons are available to save you money at the check out! The best tip for internet bargain shopping is to ALWAYS look for a coupon to put in that box! If you don’t know where to start, just go to Google and enter the name of the store and coupon. For example, if you’re looking for a coupon for Target, just type “Target.com Coupon.” Once you get in the habit of searching for coupons, you won’t want to buy anything online without using one. In fact, speaking from experience, sometimes the search for a coupon can become a quest.

It’s not just the discount stores that offer promotional coupon codes, stores like Macy’s, Bluefly, and other higher end stores also offer them to their customers. Sometimes the codes are only offered to a select group of customers, but there are sites that list all the codes they can find in a database to make it easier for the bargain hunters in us. Whether you use a coupon site or Google, you’ll save money when you shop with a coupon code!

online shopping, bargains, coupons

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451 Press, Shopping, Writers Needed

My latest addiction is shoes. It’s funny, when I worked outside of the home, I had a few requisite pairs. Black pumps, black flats, a pair of sandals and some sneakers. Oh yeah and a pair of dress boots too, but that was it. Now that I’m a work at home mom, I have shoes for every occasion. Perhaps it’s because I have more opportunity to shop? Mr. Ng does not approve, we’re supposed to be on a budget, after all.

One thing did happen that convinced me to stop buying so many pairs. Whenever I mail order shoes there are problems. Blisters, squooshed toes, or just an uncomfortable feeling are common place (for me) when I mail order shoes. Sometimes I’m a size 7, sometimes a 7 ½. On occasion, I’ve even gone 8. It’s impossible to buy shoes that are an exact, comfortable fit online.

Something else I noticed is that if you want comfortable, proper-fitting, long-lasting shoes, you don’t want to buy cheap shoes. As someone who is known for being frugal, I’m all for taking the inexpensive route, but with shoes, you really do get what you pay for. I’m not saying you need to go for the Jimmy Choos, but the $2 sandals are probably not your best bet for comfort and quality.

You know, I could spend hours on eBay. I sell old books or maternity clothes from time to time, but I really enjoy searching for bargains. I can buy craft supplies in bulk, find hard to locate items such as fireman birthday candles, and browse for cute clothes and shoes. While there’s some fun stuff for sure, I’m finding there are fewer bargains to be had.

I used to marvel at finding a blouse for .50 cents or a book for a quarter. After all, who wouldn’t want to pay that? Then I get to the part about shipping charges and I’m no longer feeling the love. A $7 shipping charge on a ten cent paperback? That’s not a bargain! Sending an average-sized paperback via Media Mail will cost perhaps $2, $4 if Stephen King wrote it.

Really, there’s nothing that turns me off to a seller than paying $8 for shipping and receiving the package to see it cost $1.75. I understand making a profit, but I also understand going too far. I’m getting better at telling who grossly overcharges for shipping and these are the sellers I avoid.

I’ll tell you what; these shipping overchargers are ruining it for the eBay junkie. We’re on a renovating the house budget at home. It’s getting harder and harder to justify purchases when the end result is paying more for them on eBay than I would if I shopped at the mall.

Thanks to Ben’s Bargains for this great sales notice. New York & Company is having a site sale, you can save 70% on all items! In fact, if you enter the coupon code 8838, the total discount is 76%!

Check out some of these great bargains:

For $5.99 you’ll find tees, camis, tanks and more. I’m really digging this City Fashion lace top and these track pants– both for less than six bucks each!

The $9.99 page is equally filled with bargains, jeans, skirts, and even a cute pair of flip flops for less than you’d find the same at Wal-Mart. There are some great career clothes here too.

If accessories are your thing, check out the $14.99 page. Hats, jewelry and shoes and even a wrap are on sale.

Finally, we come to the $19.99 and under page. This page isn’t as abundant as the others but there are some cute tote bags and some kicky skirts on sale.

You might even want to check out some of the non- sale items. Many of the prices are rather reasonable. Generally I wait for most items to go on sale before making a purchase, but with the coupon code you can do well.

This may be the Internet age, but there are still plenty of people who don’t want to take advantage of the convenience of online shopping because they’re not sure if they want to risk their personal information. While it’s true, you can never be too safe, it’s also good to know most online retailers offer secure, worry-free shopping. If you’re still hesitant, consider some of these online shopping tips:

• Always shop with a trusted merchant. Even though Joe’s Fly By Night Bargain Basement is selling that widget for $2.00 less, it might be worth it to you to shop at a well-known retailer. At the very least, you should research any unfamiliar merchants to be sure they’re who they claim to be and have no complaints against them. Online retailers should offer ways other than email to get in touch with them. You’ll want to know their address and phone number in case something happens to your order. 24 hour customer service is always a plus.
• Shop with security. There are two things you should look for when shopping online, both are located on pages asking for personal information. The first is to look for an “https” instead of http. The extra “s” means a secure, encrypted page. You should also see a padlock on the bottom of the page. This too ensure security. If you don’t see either of these on a page requiring information such as a credit card number or address, it makes the information isn’t encrypted before being sent to it’s final destination.
  
• Never shop from a public computer. Don’t order anything from the computers at the local coffee shop or public library. Your information might be picked up by the next user and can be used for identity theft.

Online shopping should be a pleasant, not worrisome, experience. Knowing what to look for means a secure purchase…and peace of mind.

This site is currently in need of a writer. If you have any interest in writing on the topic this site covers, feel free to submit an application at 451 Press. Thank you.

451 Press, Shopping Tips, Writers Needed

I love shoes. Some people might call it an obsession. Heels, flats, boots, thongs, mary janes, tennis shoes, hiking boots, ballerinas, mules, pumps, my awesome Chuck Taylor® Converse All Stars – you name them, I love them. I have quite a selection.

But here’s the thing:

I keep all my shoes in their original boxes.

Despite the ribbing I have taken about this over the years, I consider this one of my best time-, space- and money-saving tips.

• It saves time. Years ago, like a lot of people, I threw my shoes on the floor of my closet, and lost precious time every morning trying to locate two shoes that matched.
• It saves space. Boxes stack easily on a closet shelf or the floor if need be. You can also stack by style, color and season.
• It saves money. That may seem like a stretch, but think about it. Taking care of your shoes keeps them newer looking longer. They keep from getting scuffed because they are safe in their boxes. Stuffing the toes with tissue helps absorb any oils that can eventually cause the insoles to deteriorate.

If for some reason a box breaks down and I’m forced to throw it away, I replace it with a clear plastic shoe box with a lid. Although I usually remember what shoes came in what box, I try to stack the boxes with the label side out, which frequently has an illustration of the shoes, so that makes it easy for me to scan for the pair I want. I personally like the box system better than hanging shoe bags. I have tried them and find that they take up too much hanging space in my closet, and my shoes tended to get scuffed or squashed too easily.

I have a passion for my shoes, and I want to keep them looking good as long as I can. I encourage you to try this and see if it doesn’t help you save time, space and money in the long run!

Shopping, Shoes, Chuck Taylors, Money Savers, Time Savers

The weather here has been miserable. Gray skies. Frequent, persistent preciptation. Uncomfortable temps. These days I am struggling to really care what I put on my body, so I tend to reach for the same three or four sweaters and jeans as my standard “I’m sick of winter” uniform.

So, to fight the end of winter blues, I have been looking for a few things to add to my wardrobe for spring. My best source for seasonal trend information has always been Style Bakery, where they recently posted the top ten trends for Spring. This year, like last year, there is a nautical trend emerging.

I love this whole yacht club look, with nautical stripes on everything. So, although it was a bit of a splurge for me (on sale with an extra 20% off it was $23), I clicked up this little boatneck sweater from J.Crew. It is a cotton and cashmere blend, and it comes in three colors: red/white, navy/white and black/white. As opposed to the typical navy/white stripe, I went with the black/white, shown here. I also ordered it a size larger than normal, because I want that little bit of slouch that seems like I borrowed the sweater from my boyfriend who’s in the French navy.

I will probably wear this sweater with jeans while the weather is still cool-ish, and then with white jeans later on. It would also look cute with a little flippy white skirt. To avoid looking too costume-y, I would avoid doing all nautical head to toe.

Check out Style Bakery’s recommendations, then do a little clicking yourself. It will be Spring before we know it!

J.Crew, Nautical Trend, Sweater

I am very fortunate to be one of those people who never really has a lot of trouble sleeping. For whatever reason, I lay down, turn off the light and zzzz, I’m out. But, according to a National Sleep Foundation’s 2007 Sleep in America poll, over two-thirds of women frequently have sleeping problems.

As a response to this fact,
Simmons Beautyrest® has a couple of brochures designed to help women shop for and select the right mattress for them. They are available at their website as two downloadable PDFs. One is called “A Girl’s Guide to Mattress Shopping,” and the other is “A Woman’s Guide to Mattress Shopping.” The “Girl’s Guide” is intended for the first time mattress shopper, while the “Woman’s Guide” is more in-depth, and is for women who have experience shopping for sleep sets. I checked them both out, and I recommend the Woman’s Guide because it contains essentially the same information as the Girl’s Guide, but has a few extra tidbits of information that I think could help anyone. Both brochures have some generalized advice about getting a better night’s sleep, and suggestions and tips for shopping for mattresses.

Regardless of whether you do experience sleep problems, I think these two guides have some good advice for when it’s time to replace the old mattress and box springs, regardless of the brand name.

Mattress Shopping, Simmons, Beautyrest, Sleep Sets, Sleep Studies

I am a list person. I make grocery lists, even if it just contains a few items, because I have a tendency to forget even the simple stuff like milk if it’s not written down.

Now there is a new study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, that shows that making lists actually leads to more impulse buying. A Duke University study has shown that when we make lists based on memory, we tend to shop off the list, making less-than-great choices.

“We find that consumers who must generate options from memory are more likely to select fun, hedonistic, and sinful options over sensible options or ‘appropriate’ options,” Yuval Rottenstreich of Duke University said in a statement.

Here’s my take on this.

I have always told people that list-making is a good thing. It keeps us from forgetting, and is supposed to keep us from blowing the budget on unnecessary items. I will admit it, though. I do shop off the list frequently. I use both “memory-based” and “stimulus-based” decision-making – I buy both what I have on the list as well as things I see in the store. Is there anything wrong with that? Okay, if what you have on the list is milk, eggs and bread to feed your kids and you end up buying Kool-aid, cookies and potato chips instead, they may have a point. Like anything, I think it has more to do with the person making the list and their impulse control than the list-making itself.

Lists, Grocery Shopping, Making Grocery Lists

Macy’s recently announced that their associates will be required to wear basic black, and will be able to take advantage of additional discounts on black clothing. There will be opportunity to personalize the outfit with bits of color. Women can wear a colorful blouse or accessories, and men can wear a colored tie. Most articles I have read always follow that news with stories of employees of other companies who sued because they were “pressured” into buying and wearing the house brand. Most were settled, with employers giving employees a set amount of money to purchase clothing to wear to work.

Here’s my take on this.

Call me old fashioned, but I think a dress code is a good idea for a few reasons.

1. I have wandered around department stores searching for an associate and, except in the dead of winter, it’s tough to tell the shopppers from the workers. This makes it easier for me to find someone to help me, which could improve my shopping experience.

2. Professionally-dressed associates reflect well on the company as a whole. Think about the staff in an elegant restaurant – if they were wearing jeans and concert tees, would the atmosphere be reflective of the menu?

3. Some people need a little help. I am sure Macy’s staff are more aware of fashion and what looks good than some stores’ associates, but even then some people just need a bit of guidance. A dress code brings the not-so-fashionable up to the same level as the oh-so-fashionables.

Dress Code, Macy’s

Day to day frustrations are a common experience. I don’t know many people that don’t get fed up with hitting that particular red light or winding up trapped in the fast food drive through chute with no way out and only five minutes left to get back to the office. It’s normal. Shopping, of course, has its own set of frustrations. Here is one that I experienced just yesterday that I need to share.

An employee at a popular clothing retailer (Old Navy) rang up my sale and then literally WADDED my things up and SHOVED them in a bag. Hangers and all. Didn’t even TRY to fold them in any way, shape or form. This meant that everything in the bag was a rumpled mess by the time I got home. I don’t expect her to put on a show of folding the clothes and gently placing them in tissue or anything, but I guess I do expect her to realize that I have just spent my money on these items and I’m excited about them. In my mind that deserves a little respect.

So why am I bringing this up?

Retailers are all on a “customer experience” bandwagon. Creating positive relationship between the brand and the consumer at every touchpoint. That means everywhere I come into contact with their brand – TV, online, in-store, catalog, phone – they want me to walk away with a warm fuzzy feeling about them. If at any of those touchpoints the experience is not good, the relationship breaks down and they risk losing my dollars.

Once you start paying attention to the touchpoints, you can see for yourself where retailers are breaking down. And in my experience it is at the store level. For whatever reason, the lofty goals and initiatives of the corporate headquarters rarely trickle down to the employees standing at the registers making the sale.

Disappointing Interenet shopping experiences are usually overlooked (unless they are really bad) because there is no human interaction. It might be frustrating, but it’s not personal. When I am standing across a counter from an employee who clearly doesn’t give a damn, I walk away feeling like they don’t give a damn about me or my business. And it’s just a small step to believing that if she doesn’t care, then neither does the brand. It’s as simple as that.

Shopping Experience, Customer Experience, Old Navy