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Top 5 Ways to Take Advantage of Sale-Time

You can save a lot on the sales right now, or you can save even more by shopping smart! Read on for a 5 tips on making the most of all the 50% percent off, buy-one-get-one, and free shipping deals we've been seeing online.

Make a list-- even before you shop online. While you might write an in-depth list before you go to the mall and hit the sales, online shopping can get a little more haphazard. Instead of randomly whizzing around the internet and hitting up sales as you find them, try to get a plan of attack to best take advantage of sales. Make a list of basics that you need to stock up on, like plain white a-shirts and t-shirts, jeans, and cute sneakers from pounding the pavement post-work.

(Old Navy's Drop-Needle Hoodie, $14.70, was one basic that I needed to get, and it was on sale!)

Eschew seasonality. While buying things out of season is a perfect way to save, it can be also be a way to restrict your attire to half the year. Who wants to switch their entire closet back and forth as the weather changes, when you can keep a closet of essentials year round, and save on them, too? Look for medium-weight trousers in cotton or a natural blend, cotton wrap tops, and slip-on shoes that you can wear any time with the right accessories.

Tip: Aim for colors like navy, cream, green, medium blue, and some reds for a “season neutral” appeal.

(This Cotton Leaf-Print Scarf, $38, from Banana Republic, is a fresh piece that can be worn year-round.)

Know your size in the brand you're buying. This is often overlooked, but it's super important. When you're taking advantage of major sales and the like, you'll find that return and exchange rules can differ pretty significantly and might not allow you to exchange your deeply discounted pieces with ease. As boring as it can be for hardcore internet shoppers, get yourself to a department store, mall, or an outlet shop to note how each brand fits before you buy. If you've ever ordered Calvin Klein lingerie, you'll know what I mean!

Buy out of season for the basics. Yes-- I know I told you to ignore seasonal pieces, but if you live in the Northeast, travel to Europe, or spend time in the Caribbean, you know that you'll need a few pairs of Bermuda shorts, a fuzzy cashmere scarf, or a pair of snowboots. If you can possibly buy out of season, you will save. My tip? If you have trouble shopping for summer things in the winter, or vice versa, aim to buy pieces for next year at the end of each season when they go on sale.

Don't get frantic. There are so many sales to take advantage of, and there's no need to get everything in one day. Shop around and compare to find the right deal for you.

Meieli Sawyer Detoni

The Perils of Returning Gifts Made Easy

Now that the holidays are wrapping up, it’s time to redeem all those gift cards and burn through the new cash. But what do you do about all those reindeer sweaters and gold-toed tube socks? Should you return them or shove them unused in the back of your drawer, only to be pulled out when the grandmother or aunt shows up for the next family gathering?

Returning gifts can be a tricky path to navigate. But in my experience, despite any trepidation about hurt feelings, it’s always better to just return the item.

First and foremost, the person got you a gift because he/she was thinking of you. They didn’t deliberately give you something you wouldn’t like. So my policy is firm—always return for something I will enjoy.

Therefore, the tact doesn’t lie in whether to return or not. Rather, it lies in how you respond when the giver excitedly asks where the offending sweater is. For clothes, saying it didn’t quite fit right is always a great out. For other items, I like to pull the “I already have something so similar” excuse. Chances are the person knows you’re fibbing, but you get what you really want and the person’s feelings are left intact.

Secondly, if you do choose to keep the gift, it’s just going to go to waste. Keeping something hanging in your closet to collect dust is not what the person had in mind. I’m sure they would be much more upset to find their money and efforts gone to waste than finding out you returned the gift.

There is one snag, though, that “returners” commonly run into. Depending on the item and the store, you might only be able to redeem store credit rather than straight cash. This is fine in and of itself, but you often get credit in the amount of the current worth of the item. Since many things go on sale directly after the holidays, you probably won’t get the full value the person paid. Either wait until the item is back to full price or take the credit while everything else is on sale!

While returning can feel like dangerous ground sometimes, try to put yourself in the giver’s shoes. Would you really be that offended if somebody returned your gift?

by Liz Herrin

To Give or not to Give? The Gift Certificate Dilemma

Everybody wants to give the perfect gift. And most of the time, we can convince ourselves it’s possible.

“I can find it!” you tell yourself. “If I just shop a little bit more,” you say.

This has become the mantra of frazzled shoppers. Think of it like the holiday lie all shoppers must tell themselves to survive the season.

But face it—there are some people on your list that are just downright impossible to shop for.
Maybe they’re picky. Maybe you don’t know them all that well. Maybe they already own everything under the sun.

Whatever the problem, what do you get that person who’s always at the return counter on December 26th?

The immediate reaction is to go to that magic 3 inch by 2 inch piece of plastic known as…the gift certificate. But is this as perfect of a solution as it seems?

Some people answer with a resounding “yes!” It takes all the guesswork out, and the person is guaranteed to go home happy.
But there are a few words of caution that go with these seemingly infallible gifts.

First and foremost, make sure the person you’re buying for isn’t too good of a friend. This seems strange, but gift certificates can come off as impersonal.
It’s an appropriate gift for, say, an aunt to her many nieces and nephews but maybe not such a great gift for a husband to give his wife.

Secondly, make sure the person you give it to will not be put off by knowing how much you spent on them. For some people this isn’t an issue, but for some it’s huge.
If you know you’re shopping for someone that really cares about price, maybe a gift certificate’s not the best route.

And lastly, read the fine print. With some gift certificates, the balance expires after a set amount of time. (It’s not too common, but it happens.)
The last thing you want is your friend to make a special trip to the mall only to find his/her gift certificate is no longer valid.

So before you blindly grab for those alluring gift certificates, give these points some thought. And happy shopping!

by Liz Herrin