5 Tips to be a Bargain Shopper

Have you ever seen that one piece of inviting clothing, folded neatly on the table, asking to be admired? You look up above your head and see a mannequin donning it. It's one of those "A-HA" moments! I sometimes see a burst of light around it like it's a sign from heaven- "Brittany, you need to purchase me!" 

Well, that leads me to the first tip in being a bargain shopper:

1. Full-Priced Merchandise is Dangerous

Usually, that piece you admire is at the front of the store, and is brand new. There's something about having something that most people might not have seen yet. But, trust me, it's worth it to wait to purchase.

• Retailers will mark items down when they are not selling as well as expected, or if they have an oversupply. Retail stores do a lot of floor sets, or re-organization of the visuals and merchandise on the sales floor, so things move around. In the process, items will be added to sale. So if you're lucky and wait it out, you could save some extra cash.

Fashionista Tip: If the store is sold out of the item when it hits the sale section, don't worry. Check their website. Nine times out of 10, the item will be available. But remember, don't pay for shipping. See if you can order in-store and if they can waive the shipping!

2. Price Adjustments

You're a weak link because you caved and listened to the heaven-sent message to buy the piece of clothing at full price. Now it's on sale.

The simple solution- go into the store and get a price adjustment.

Although most stores offer a 10-day period for price adjustments, try to talk to a manager.

I recently purchased a blouse when it was freshly marked down, and three days later, there was a special taking an extra 30 percent off. The manager kindly apologized for any inconveniences and gave me the deeper discount.

Just like Glamour's website mentioned in a section about tips on shopping- don't be afraid to be bold!

3. Saving Money While in the Fitting Room

Good news- If you've made it to the fitting room, you think you've found great pieces! Now, it's just time to make sure they fit well.

Lilliana Vazquez, a personal stylist and fashion author, recently did a segment on the "Rachael Ray" show about conquering department stores and keeping a positive attitude in the dressing rooms.

• Vazquez mentions that socks should be removed when trying on clothing- it's a distraction. 
• Taking your hair out of a ponytail can lessen the distortion of an outfit too. 
• Also, check the mobility of the given outfit. See if you can bend down, sit and stretch a bit while in the outfit.

Doing these simple steps can save you money because getting the full view of how an outfit will actually look, with hair styled down, socks removed and "living" in the outfit will assure that the outfit will not be returned.

4. Discover Deals in Discount Stores

I think that stores like Marshall's and T.J. Maxx can sometimes have a bad reputation. I'll even admit, I used to think that their quality was poor and their prices on clothing were too cheap to withstand washings. But, I have been proved wrong many times.

The Washington Post's website has an article called "10 Things You Didn't Know About T.J. Maxx."

• A shopper may realize that the store and Macy's may have the same merchandise at the same time, but with a huge price difference. That is possible because they look for merchandise they can sell at 60 percent less than what a department store can sell for.

• T.J. Maxx gets shipment three or four times a week with 10,000 new items each time. With this many options, you are bound to walk out a Maxxinista! From gold jewelry, to home furnishings and shoes, everyone can find a deal.

5. Shop Around for Savings

As the above section explained, discount stores and bigger department stores can actually have the same product at the same time. A big tip I have found useful is shopping around. Taking the extra time to comparison shop with prices really can save you big.

I find Amazon.com to be very reliable and they have a wide range of products available. From nail polish, to gardening tools, books and CDs, Amazon has relatively cheaper prices than a department store. 

In a previous post, I explained that I had my eyes on a Rebecca Minkoff handbag that runs about $200 in a department store like Bloomingdale's. I went online to Amazon out of curiosity and found the exact bag I wanted for $150, then I snagged an extra 20 percent off coupon code for signing up for Amazon emails.

Fashionista Tip: Make sure when you're online shopping, that you check around the website for hidden deals. Things like free shipping codes and footnotes about signing up for emails and getting 10 percent off your next order can save you even more money.

I hope that these tips will help you on your next shopping endeavor.

Your wallet will thank you!

HAPPY SHOPPING, BARGAIN-ISTAS!