Save the Money, Honey

Ever wondered how people can have so much clothes, so many accessories, and more shoes than they can go through in a year without wearing any twice? We are secretly envious of them and at the same time, we wonder what their secret is.

Their clothes are clearly in great condition, no sign of wear and tear anywhere. You can’t label them as an “outfit repeater” because as much as you try, you can’t think of one time when you have seen them wear the same outfit twice. HOW do they do it?

The truth is, with the exception of some, they probably did not inherit a large chunk of money and they probably work a mediocre job like you and I. Bills? They have those too, I’m sure. Again, HOW do they do it?

With a little time invested rather than cash, you can be looking stylish with money in the pocket just like these people that we often envy. Whenever we need (or convince ourselves that we need) something, we rush to the mall with the mentality of buy, purchase, buy. We don’t think twice and the thought of saving a couple of dollars rarely (if ever) crosses our mind because we have already determined that we NEED to buy whatever we find and can afford (at the moment).

What most people do not know is that stores are always offering some sort of discount or savings towards the item that you were so willing to pay full price for. Seeing a sale for a discounted five percent is not so appealing because that doesn’t even cover the cost of tax you would pay for the item. Ten percent is a little but more, but still not enough for us to go out of our way to grasp that saving, is it?

As the old saying goes, a little really does go along way! In Seattle, the sales tax is outrageously nine percent. Looking at my receipt from a purchase the other day, I was charged $3.32 in sales tax for a $36.94 purchase. That is the cost of a grande vanilla latte at Starbucks that I had to give up just to cover the cost of tax! Imagine making purchases like this every day for a week. If you only took advantage of those ten percent savings, you could have saved yourself $25.86… and that is only within a week with a ten percent off sale! Imagine the twenty, thirty, fifty, or seventy five percent off sales. Just imagine!

The next time you decide to rush out to your nearest mall, do a quick three minute search to find the latest sales, discounts, and coupons. There are SO many out there that most people are not aware of. And if they are aware of the savings, they just don’t take the time to bother with it because they see it as, “its not worth it”. For those of us who hold more value for a dollar, it is definitely worth it. You would be surprised by what you can find! You don’t even have to give up your love for designer labels or the latest fashion trends because these savings are everywhere and for everything!

Plenty of America’s favorite stores have coupons that you can print off the internet and use at the stores. Most other stores have promotional coupons and codes that can be used online. Some have chosen to hold online only sales, but do not be discouraged by shipping charges because seventy percent of the time, stores offer free shipments with purchases… and you would not even have to spend your time and money on driving and gas to get to them. They bring your savings to you!

After doing constant research for extra coupons and sales, I am very impressed and amazed by some of the deals that I have found. Shirts starting at only a couple of bucks each… and they have not even been worn yet. Most of the things I have found are better deals than can be found at second hand stores, and you can be the first and original owner of those items.

So the next time you see a non-outfit repeater or someone with so much clothes that you secretly admire, stop the envy and do what they probably do. Do the research and find out how you can save forty dollars on the designer jeans that you want and use that money towards a fancy top to go with it for your date on Friday evening. Watch how fast your wardrobe can expand!

Shopping is happy and guilt free shopping when you’re saving!