Holiday season sale strategies
'Tis the season of sale after sale after sale... It's exhausting trying to keep up with all of the sales, amirite?!
I tend to go overboard around this time of year (I will try not to go overboard this year, but it's too soon to tell at this point if I will stick to that statement). There are SO many sales that it's easy to get caught up in the idea of getting a good deal, whether or not you need whatever you're buying. I've learned from my mistakes and now go into this season with a bit of a game plan. Here are my tips for coming out of the holiday sale season on top:
- Go into it with lists / Everyone says this, but it really does help. If you're shopping for yourself, make a list of everything you "need" versus the things you want. Focus on the needs first and wants second (perhaps ask for the wants for Christmas or Hannukah). If you're shopping for other people, jot down a few ideas, including where you can buy those items, and stick to looking at only the retailers you're interested in purchasing from.
- Make a budget and stick to it / It's easy to buy everything just because it's a good deal. Don't let yourself get sucked into that mindset; if you spend $100 more than you planned, it doesn't really matter if you saved $200! You still spent the $100 you weren't planning on spending.
- Read reviews / If I'm buying from a brand that I haven't had experience with, I do as much research as I can into sizing or quality prior to making the purchase in order to lessen or eliminate the possibility of making returns or just making bad purchases in general. On a related note, review retailers' return policies so you're not stuck with any bad purchases!
- Watch sales in advance (or search Google for previous sales) / If you receive promotional emails from the retailers on your list, keep track of the sales they've been running in the past couple of months to get an idea of what their "best" deal is. If you do not already receive promotional emails, find out as much as you can about their best sales. Search Google! Bloggers usually write about big sales if the retailer is well-known and those posts will come up in search results. Sometimes, Black Friday isn't when retailers have the best deals, so you can hold out until a bit later snag what you are looking for at the best price.
Note that in general, this is my strategy throughout the year as well when shopping for myself. I keep track of the clothing items I plan to buy in a note on my phone and then pay attention when those sale emails come around. Usually the best sales occur around holidays, i.e. Presidents Day in February. From watching sales, for example, I know to wait until J.Crew Factory is running at least 50% off before buying from them. I do the same thing with LOFT. If I find myself not shopping at a specific retailer as much, I'll unsubscribe from those emails so they don't clutter up my inbox. If you can cross people off your list before the holiday season hits by shopping throughout the year, that's even better!
Speaking of sales, the blazer I'm wearing in today's post is 40% off at Nordstrom and still available in other colors. I don't usually buy multiples anymore (I used to be terrible about collecting multiples!), but I caved and bought it in another color because I love this one so much. It's simple enough that I don't think it will be obvious that they are the same brand. ;)
The combination of this blue plaid shirt with the burgundy pants is an outfit I'd been wanting to wear and feature here for a while. I kept the look grounded and season-appropriate with the blazer and black tall boots, though I also think it would have worked with my brown tall boots and no blazer (or a different layer—maybe my army green utility jacket?) for a different vibe!
OUTFIT DETAILS
Olivia Moon blazer / exact (on sale!)
Madewell shirt / old; similar from Nordstrom or similar by Roxy (last seen here)
Madewell pants / old; similar by J Brand
Frye boots / new version (last seen here)
Dior Addict Lip Glow in pink / exact