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a few ways to save when shopping online

27 September 2016




hmmm shall I take a sip of my coffee or take a bite of my hair first? decisions galore.



denim (lucky thredUP find)
shirt - thrift store (similar here)
purse - c/o

yikes, Grace -- why don't you just hand us a pillow and tuck us in for a nice long nap with a post title like THAT?

I know! I know.

It's not sexy (although are things ever at the Camp? no) or wildly exciting BUT I've been rolling these around in my head for a few weeks and wanted to share my vast and expansive wealthy of knowledge. Lies. Nothing is vast or expansive in any of my knowledge banks but maybe a few of these little tips will help you - MAYBE. Frugal fingers crossed.

And my post title says a few but I came up with seven. Fluff those pillows. 

1. Secondhand - A lot fashion bloggers have blogged about how amazing these jeans are but the price? Not so amazing. I stalked thredUP for a week or two and watched the new arrivals like a hawk and found a pair for 90% off the original price. Yee Haw.

2. cart campers - okay so this doesn't work with every store but it does work with MANY stores. Make sure you're "signed in" to said store (my favorites are: ASOS, Old Navy, Anthropologie, Madewell, I'm blanking but there are more!) and put things in your cart (duh) and unless your size sells out (a risk you take) the item is bound to eventually go on permanent or temporary sale and you can snatch it up. This works especially well on Anthro's home items because they don't seem to sell out quickly and they mark them way, way down toward the end of the season. I love that ASOS puts things in a special little saved section after an hour of being in your cart and that J.Crew factory emails when something in my cart is about to sell out so I can decide if the price is finally right.

3. eBates - my brother tipped me off about eBates a couple years ago and going through your eBates link really adds up - especially around Christmas when (if you're like me) you buy almost everything online.

4. phone - I have a little rule for myself that I don't buy things on my phone. It's too easy and convenient to impulsively snag something. Plus, then I'm sure to go through my eBates link once I'm on my laptop. And now we're veering into budget territory which isn't a bad territory but it's not the point of the post. Back on track, Patton.

5. check Amazon - it's not always the case but sometimes (especially with shoes, especially especially with tennis shoes) things can be found for MUCH cheaper on Amazon. I remember when I was looking at this Maggie London dress at Nordstrom - certain colors were selling for a fraction of the price over on Amazon.

6. J.Crew/J.Crew factory - I know you know but but lots of classic J.Crew styles can be found over at J.Crew factory. For example ... this $350 dollar coat can be found over on Jcrew factory for $160 (and they have frequent sales).

7. Returns matter - again, another no-brainer but free and easy returns are key. Nordstrom, ASOS, Zara, and Madewell's denim (why not everything, Madewell?!) all include the return label in their packages. Amazon Prime does not but they refund your shipping if you send it yourself and you can print a label easily (if you have a printer, otherwise! you might have trouble) and I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting or just don't know about -- YET. Zappos gives you an entire year to return your (unworn) purchase as does Online Shoes.

Now that I've typed all these out I'm scratching my brow and wondering if they are even helpful but I can't let seven typed out points go to waste now, can I?

Don't answer that.

I didn't include the obvious like: never pay full price at Old Navy because if you wait a day or two - it WILL go on sale and it's smart to stock up when they are giving out super cash. And of course lots of places occasionally mark their clearance an additional 30/40/50% off and you can find some serious steals. And of course I hate to admit how much free shipping can make or break a purchase for me but it can. Listen up, retailers!

Simon just peeked over my shoulder and his eyes immediately glazed over so that's my CUE. Off to more exciting pastures - like bedtime routines. Party emojis forever and ever.

18 comments:

  1. I am obsessed with everything about these pictures, your hair (loving that length on you), the outfit, everything is so so good! And I do the cart thing all the time. Just wait for the email. Or if you "like" it on ShopStyle they send you an email as well. And I need to stop shopping on my phone!! Zara gets me every time..

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  2. SAME (about free shipping). Why don't they just offer it all the time?? I'd buy so much more stuff! Ha!

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  3. Not to ruin your no buying from the phone mantra buuuuuut eBates has an app and *sometimes* the cash back is more than on the laptop. Just in case you are ever away from the laptop and need to snag a deal ;)

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  4. Amazon Warehouse is a great place to check first for just about anything! We got all of our hardware for a quarter of the price! Also found a stroller that should have been $80-90 for $30!

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    1. ????? How have I never heard of this? I'm an Amazon fanatic and I had no idea. Checking it out now for sure, thanks!

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  6. Thanks for the tip on ebates. We live remote so I shop almost exclusively online. Why haven't I been using it before!?!? I was always freaked out it was some sort of scam. This blog post helped me understand better in case anyone else is wondering:
    https://allpowermoves.com/ebates-review/

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  7. This may be a glitch, and I usually do it inadvertently, but at old navy/gap/etc., you get free shipping over $50. But, if you have >50, then "checkout," then edit your cart and remove something (and go under $50), it USUALLY keeps the free shipping on there. Hopefully I'm not tipping them off ;)

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  8. This is where I thought you were going in #2 - Many times I add something to my cart and then close the window and later that day or the next I get an email saying, "You left something in your cart, here's a 16% off coupon code, come back and buy it". Not so much with larger retailers, but with smaller ones I've had that happen numerous times.

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  9. You look so sharp! Love the pop color with your shoes.

    Ebates is great. I'll also subscribe to emails before splurge purchases (like I recently got a mirror from Urban Outfitters and hair extensions both one time purchases) to get coupons. Only thing is it usually takes 1-2 days after subscribing to get the coupon.

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  10. OMG! I clicked on the dress at Nordstrom and the model started moving. It scared the crap out of me. Very Harry Potter. LOL

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  11. I love tips like these! Thanks for sharing! I always forget to use ebates. :/

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  12. I am in love with ThredUP especially for maternity clothes

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  13. I am in love with ThredUP especially for maternity clothes

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  14. Have you checked out camelcamelcamel.com? It's an Amazon price tracker, so you can see if what you want is at a lower price than usual, as well as see how often it hits a low price. It's a pretty nifty tool!

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  15. Saw your Amazon dress at TJ Maxx today for $49.99. You will have to come to Charleston SC for it though.

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  16. I love ThredUp and Ebates! I also always check retailmenot.com before purchasing anything online.

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  17. Fantastic way for shopping online to save money, Your idea is good I will use it in my next shopping. Find the location based mobile app for finding the nearby deals and coupons. Best Coupon Apps USA

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