While going shopping for clothes is something a lot of people enjoy, others do it because they have to. Everyone shops differently. With the average person being busier than ever (as the average 25-54 year old works more than 40 hours a week), finding the time can be hard.
In addition to that, shopping can very quickly become an addiction which has the potential to not only destroy your bank account, but also your life. Whether you are shopping for a new shirt, a watch at Watchshopping or looking for a fresh new pair of shoes, shopping smart is a good idea.
In an effort to help you shop for clothes better and more intelligently, this article is going to go over a few different tips to help you shop for clothes in a more efficient manner.
Have a Clear Mission or Goal
If you haven’t properly prepared for your shopping trip, the chances of you overspending or buying things you don’t need goes way up. As a result, you need to not only create a shopping list before heading out, but also be sure you use it. When you head into the store, head right for the things you need and try not to window shop.
Before making a list, you need to take inventory of what you have and what you need. Go through your laundry, dresser drawers and closet to see what sorts of things you should be looking to buy, and add them to your list.
Consider Looking Online
No longer do you have to drive down to the mall and spend hours shopping for the things you want. Thanks to online stores and their explosion in popularity in recent years, you can buy almost anything online, including clothes. You can quickly and easily browse a variety of clothes form a variety of retailers, such as The Karma Factory, from the comfort of your own home.
While online shopping is great, there are also some things to watch out for. First and foremost, you need to look at their shipping costs and time. Some retailers have large shipping fees and long wait times, which hardly make it worth it to shop. Also, if you are shopping at an international online store, you need to be aware if they charge a duty fee or something similar.
Also, some items of clothing need to be tried on or you need to know how they look on you. If you are worried the item online might not look great on you or you are unsure if it will fit, it is best to stick to physical stores where you can try it on and see.
Stay Within Your Budget
Just like you have a budget when you shop for a car or shop for a house, you should have a budget in mind when shopping for clothes. You should have an amount you are comfortable with paying for certain things such as how much you would pay for a shirt, pair of pants, jacket or hoodie.
Spending far above and beyond your budget is a great way to get in major financial trouble. It is unfortunately very common for people to max out their credit cards on things they don’t really need. Clothing and accessories is definitely among the largest culprits of this debt. Most people don’t even realize how much they are buying.
While setting a budget is one thing, you need to be sure to have the willpower to stick to it. If you find yourself struggling to stick within your budget, it could be a good idea to become a cash shopper. Instead of bringing credit and debit cards when you shop, only bring a small amount of cash. Once that is spent, you’re done.
Don’t Buy Only Because It’s On Sale
There are very few things that are more responsible for overspending and impulse spending than sales. Sure, sales can be great if the item you are looking for is actually on sale, but most of the time, they just lead you to make purchases that you wouldn’t have made otherwise. If you don’t particularly want or need the clothing or it doesn’t suit your style, don’t just buy it because it’s on sale.
In a similar vein, sales hardly actually save you money. If you are going to buy shirts and see pants on sale for $30 (half price off, you may think you saved $30 but in reality, you actually just spent $30. Shopping for sales is one of the most common ways for those with a shopping addiction to explain it away. While you might be spending “less” money buying sale items, the costs will still add up over time.
Hopefully the tips included in this article can help you be a better clothing shopper and shop more efficiently.
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