Spring Shopping: Steals & Deals

When people see my wardrobe or all the pet supplies in my home they sometimes get the wrong idea of our spending habits. I’m one of those people that stopped growing when I was around 14 and haven’t fluctuated much since. There are items I’ve had in my closet for years because they haven’t fallen apart yet and I still love to wear them. It’s also about finding the balance of trendy pieces and classic pieces and knowing what to save on and what to splurge on. I have to add that I have a mom who gifts me with clothing items just because she’s that awesome. I actually don’t shop that often and when I do I try to be smart about it. 

 Body wash / Self Tanner / Make-up Palette / Tank / Candle / Shorts / Bowl / Jacket / Backpack / Bone

There are deals to be had all over the internet (if you don’t make it out to store very often like me) but you won’t know about them unless you sign up for the e-mails. I know it’s a pain in the butt to get hundreds of e-mails a day but if you only sign up for websites you will actually make purchases from it’s not a big deal to delete unwanted promos a few times a day. Another trick I learned is to go ahead and place items you like in a cart in the color and size you want. Even if you don’t plan to buy the items right away they will stay in your cart unless something goes out of stock or is no longer available in the size or color you selected. When that site has a sale you will get an e-mail to let you know and then all you have to do is enter the code to check out and you’ve saved on everything you wanted. Filling a cart and leaving the site also sometimes has the added bonus of the site offering you a discount just to get you to make the purchase.

Learn which places continue to carry your favorite styles and fit you well and just pop over in your free time to see if there’s anything new you like. Splurge on things you know you’ll wear a hundred times over, are classic enough to last a couple years or can transition through several seasons. Save on items you aren’t sure about yet, like a new style, something super trendy that likely won’t be “in” next year or something from a site you don’t have ordering experience with. 

If you’re shopping for your furbabies, apply the same principles. Try not to buy too much if you’ve got a puppy or kitten. I know the teeny tiny things are cuter than hell but they grow so fast they won’t last long. If you can’t resist, definitely do your best to save on those items. Once the furball is full grown it’s safer to splurge since your purchases

(except food) should last longer. Dishing out the dough for pricier coats or chew toys might hurt a little but I can tell you from experience it’s in your best interest to go with tried and true brands that cost extra. You will save money in the long run because you won’t be replacing them nearly as often. Use wesbites like Baxterboo and Amazon to get deals and look for e-mails with big savings on end of season items. You can almost steal dog coats this time of year. When you find a brand you like, don’t be tempted to keep trying out more. We have and love Ruffwear and Nylabone products and continue to shop these brands because we know they are worth the money. Food is something we splurge on because we are very conscious of what we are putting in the 4 furry bodies in our home. Saving on other necessities and fun stuff allows us to keep spending more on what we think is most important. 

There were (and still are) some fantastic deals to be had for the holiday weekend and I jumped on the band wagon. 50% + free shipping at JCrew, BOGO half off at ae.com, 40% off rain jackets for the pups, sign me up! I’m trying out Candelles soy wax mason minis for the time after reading countless of outstanding reviews. I wanted to try a few scents so it’s really nice that they offer the mini option and they are well priced to boot. American Eagle has been a favorite since I was probably 12 because I always find something I like, the prices are good and the clothes fit my body type well. J. Crew has great classics like the chino shorts that come in a variety of colors and a few different in seams. The Urban Decay Naked Palette is probably something every make up wearing girl should have. The colors are amazing and I’m fairly certain one palette could last years. I will be honest, I’m not a Kardashian fan but I bought the self tanner last summer on a recommendation from an Ulta employee. I was looking for another product (which was more expensive) but she pulled the pink and purple bottle down and told me it was awesome for the price and wouldn’t overwhelm my fair skin. She was right. I often use just a squirt of foam in the morning on my face after I moisturize and let it darken under my makeup. I get compliments all the time. I’ve used Philosophy body washes before but I’m usually not a super floral scent kind of gal. The packaging sucked me in on this one though and my weakness for all things seasonal. Nylabone is our favorite for pretty much anything the dogs put in their mouths other than food. Clearly Chaos isn’t complaining. Ruffwear makes fantastic long lasting products across the board. Take my word for it, you won’t be disappointed. 

 

Happy shopping!