It’s Labor Day, which means it’s the perfect day for sales! Hannah is joining us today to share some tips and her favorite sales with you!
Hi everyone! I want to go ahead and introduce myself… my name is Hannah and I am the author of the affordable fashion blog Artfully Chic. I am so excited to team up with Pam for this piece and share some tips and tricks to help you survive all of the sales this Labor Day weekend.
Unfortunately for us, Labor Day means shorter days and cooler weather. However, for retailers it means that they have another excuse to promote major sales and get us into their stores.
Shopping these sales can be tricky and sometimes get you into trouble. S-A-L-E is a four-letter word, but if you know how to shop it right, you will be the one benefiting! I have had a lot of experience shopping sales (at EVERY holiday) so I have learned a lot of lessons along with a lot of tricks that I plan to share with all of you!
Clean out that closet
If it’s been a couple of years since you went through your closet, now is the perfect time. I have four questions that you need to ask yourself when cleaning out your wardrobe: 1. Is it in good condition? 2. Is this in style? 3. Is this applicable to your daily life? 4. Does it fit? If the answer to any of these questions is “no” –straight out the door it goes. For more info on cleaning out your closet, view this previous post.
Create a list
After going through your closet you should have a pretty good idea of what you have and what you need. Create a list of what you need, along with some other staple pieces that will be in style this fall. Lists CAN be tricky…. If you are like me and an OCD over-achiever, you obsess with finishing your to-do lists and crossing everything off. I am here to tell you… practice patience! Checking things off my lists gives me a sense of relief, but don’t just buy something you aren’t in LOVE with so you can check it off. Trust me, I did this with a pair of navy sandals that were on sale and I NEVER wore them.
These are some of my favorite trends that I can’t wait to wear this fall: Olive (dresses and shirts), Burgundy accessories (shoes and bags), Knee length sweaters, Lace up flats/pumps, Over the knee boots, Cargo jackets and Bucket bags.
Do your research
Reference your list to plan out which stores you need to go to. Research online to see if they are having sales and which items are included and/or excluded. This will keep you from going into stores that aren’t having sales and stores where you don’t need anything. HINT: if there are certain summer items that you need, now is the BEST time to shop for them (end of season). I like to cross-reference my list and browse stores online to see what merchandise they have. It’s nice to get a good idea of what you want and what you plan to buy ahead of time without a salesperson looking over your shoulder and trying to convince you to buy something you don’t need. If you plan to shop online, make sure to Google search coupons before buying. My favorite coupon sites are Coupon Cabin and Retail Me Not.
Stick to your Budget
Ok, I’m sorry, I said it: budget. It is never a bad thing to set a budget! After reviewing your list and doing your research, set a realistic budget for yourself. Your budget should be comfortable and realistic to your lifestyle. Now stick to it! If you have to take out that amount of money in cash in order to stick to your budget, DO IT! When in doubt on the price of an item and whether or not to purchase is, I always default to my $10 rule. Take the price of an item and divide it by the number of times you KNOW you will wear it. If it’s less than $10, it’s a good buy!
Go with a close friend or family member –DISCLAIMER*
Sometimes it’s good to go with a TRUSTED friend or family member. For the disclaimer: Make them aware of the budget you set BEFORE you go anywhere. Also let them know what you have on your list. Sometimes shopping with friends can lead us to purchase more and more expensive things we don’t really need. They make us feel good by LOVING everything we try on. Set some ground rules and make sure that you are close enough to the person where they will be honest and mindful of your best interests.
Check the Return Policy
This is so important! Because every store is different, it is important to ask about their return policy. A lot of times stores even have different return policies for sale items, some of which won’t even take returns for those items. Most jewelry stores don’t take returns at all and only offer store credit. Make sure you are aware of the policy in case something doesn’t work out. Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale. A lot of times we will even purchase something if it’s a little too big or slightly tight because of the deal we THINK we are getting. In reality, if something doesn’t fit properly, you are less likely to wear it. This is a waste of money –don’t focus on the discount and buy something because you think you are scoring brand names for less.
Hopefully these guidelines will have you shopping smarter and saving more money! I want to give a HUGE thank you to Pam for allowing me to share my knowledge with all of her wonderful followers! Be sure to check out my blog Artfully Chic this weekend where I will be posting links to all of my favorite stores that are having major Labor Day sales!
Until then…
Hi there! I would like to introduce myself –my name is Hannah and I am a graphic designer, decorater, DIY-er and stylist. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, attended college at Clemson University and I am now a fashion blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. For as long as I can remember, I have always been passionate about fashion and beauty. I love trying new styles and trends and offering fashion advice. I now own my affordable fashion blog Artfully Chic, which I initially started as a creative outlet. This is my passion and I am dedicated to turning this into a full time career. I love experimenting with my style and I strive to empower other women to do the same while still looking their best and staying true to themselves.
