Shopping Efficiently Part Four Shop!

By now you’ve got your list, you’re inspired, and you may even have an empty feeling closet that is just screaming to be full of amazing and beautiful options. Options being the key word here, you have to make sure that when you finally step out to shop that you keep your goals in front of you. Believe me, you will be tempted by new arrivals, great sale and clearance racks, not to mention upcoming collections that are beautifully laid out in stories and editorials of magazines and catalogs. Keep your head in the game and these tips on your mind and you will be just fine, ladies.

Plan and Prepare

Try to plan your shopping trips in advance as much as possible. If you aimlessly wander through shops with no intention or purpose you will be more likely to purchase items that you will never wear. Which is something you don’t need – unless you feel like going through step one all over again. Remember to keep your goals in front of you and always have that list handy in case you find yourself on an impromptu shopping trip during your lunch break.

Budget

Even if money is something you aren’t really interested in trying to save, space in your closet and efficiency in getting dressed are important to you otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Going in with a budget in mind will prevent over spending which in turn will save you time and space your wardrobe. Pick a number you aren’t willing to go over during your trip (whether it’s planned or not) and do not go over it.

A Good Deal

There are many more factors involved in getting a sweet deal on something than just the price tag. Consider the following:

• Is it versatile? Can I wear it more than 3 ways?
• What will I wear it with?
• Does it fit?
• Do I have to lost weight to wear this? (put it down, ladies)
• Is it in good shape/quality?
• Is it more than 20% off?

If more than three of these options are against you, I would veto it on the spot. You know how we love a good deal, but don’t buy something just because it is cheap. Remember that your closet is valuable real estate, and you only have space for the absolutely fabulous.

No More Retail Therapy

Although there are plenty of studies fighting for either side of the argument, in my opinion, shopping when you are sad is counterproductive. When you are in a bad mood you tend to spend more because you feel like you deserve it. You have had a terrible day and in the moment buying this pair of shoes, this handbag, or this dress will make you feel better. I won’t argue that it doesn’t make you feel better; it does. But only temporarily. You’re sad, you spend more, you feel temporarily better, and then you’re back at square one with a closet “full of nothing”.  If you must shop when you’re down, try something smaller scale like your favourite drink from Starbucks or a nail polish colour.

Eat and Be Merry

Low blood sugar levels are directly linked to symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, and bad decisions like over spending. Plan a lunch break, grab a smoothie, or bring a protein bar or trail mix to tide you over. A bottle of water is never a bad idea either. Plus, sales associates (or anyone else for that matter) don’t appreciate grumpy customers. Keep yourself fueled up.

Try it on

I have made this mistake myself so many times. Not trying something on and then buying it only to realize it doesn’t look like it did on the mannequin on you isn’t even the worst part. Not trying something on and not buying means you will never ever know how good something could potentially look on you. Often times a piece will or won’t have what we like to call “hanger appeal”. It can look way better on the hanger, or if can look way better on you. Either way you won’t know unless you try, so take the time. If you end up getting it, it is also a good idea to try it on again when you get home in different lighting and with other things in your closet.

Keep Your Receipts

This is a very important step of the process. Keeping your receipts and filing them by month will help you to have a better idea of how much you are spending. For some of us this might be a bit scary at first (trust me I’ve done the legwork), but you will feel infinitely better knowing how much you spend, on what, and where. It may seem a little old school but going through the process every month will sort of force you to be subjected to it, whereas when you leave it up to your credit card company to keep track you may have the option to coincidentally not look at your statement every month. Just try it out. You may be pleasantly surprised (no guarantees).