Discount Shopping

Most of us can't control our impulses when it comes to shopping. We are all impulsive shoppers in one way or another. But don't be afraid, there are ways to control those tempting urges to use the credit card. In order to save your money, you must think of what you need or want before going shopping. If you are in need of a scarf, try not to wonder around in the shoe section. With the holidays ahead of us, and BLACK FRIDAY, this is the best time to go shopping. Discounts are seen in almost every store and sales are flooding around us. Popularity is rising in discount stores and websites and outlet malls. There you can buy brand name clothing and accessories for a fraction of the list price.

Rules in Bargain Shopping:

1. Know what you want/need
2. Give yourself a price range so that you don't exceed your shopping budget
3. Don't fall for temptation. No, you don't need the pink stilettos!!!
4. Look for discounts and sales first, then go to new collections
5. Search for coupons online before going shopping
6. Think QUALITY over QUANTITY-you don't need 5 sweaters that will fade after the first wash when you can purchase a better quality one that will outlast its competitors.

Is it really worth that much? To find out how much an item is worth, I use an easy mathematical equation to find out the item's true value to me as a consumer.

( $ it cost/#of times worn=what it is worth TO YOU)

• First I think of the price
• Second I think how many times could I wear it? If it's a flashy color or full of sparkly designs I will not wear it too much
• Then I think if it matches my other clothing so that I know if I need to make future investments in other clothing to match the new item.

If a shirt cost $100 and it is of good quality and very simple and stylish then in my mind it is worth the money since I will probably wear it more than 10 times in its life- giving it a value of $10 a day... If I see a hot pink purse for $300 then I think of what I can wear it with and how many times I could wear it and I come up of a value of $50 a day or more, then to me that purse is not worth it. Same for shoes. When you find a great pair of boots for $400 that is super comfortable and matches everything you have, then it is OK to splurge, but for a pair of Metallic stiletto boots ($80) that you might wear once or twice, don't even think about it... They are not worth it! So to find out what it is worth I divide the number of times I will wear it by its retail price and come up with its actual value (What it is worth to me).

Discount Stores can be thought of in two ways : they can be jungles filled merchandise disorder and too much junk to even look at OR it can be a diamond mine full of hidden diamonds that the shopper has to find. You can find an impressing amount of designer clothing, shoes and accessories in such stores only if you have the time and patience to look for them. Such stores are:

• TJ Maxx, Ross, Stein Mart, Century 21
• Outlet malls such as Coach, Ralph Lauren, Escada, etc.
• Online sites http://overstock.com/ , http://bluefly.com/, http://ebay.com/