Mistakes You Shouldn't Make When Bargain Hunting For Clothes

March 6, 2020

We all needs clothes and many of us love the process of shopping for them as much as we love wearing them. Especially when it comes to getting an excellent bargain on them. However, your hunt for the best deal on a new outfit can come to bite you on the butt if you’re not being a little objective and taking the time to really examine what’s being offered. Here are some of the mistakes you really want to avoid making.

Buying without looking online first
If you see something you want, or you want to go hunting through a designer’s collection or a particular store, stop and take a look at one of the many coupon-hunting websites online. If you’re shopping online, you can always ensure you find the best bargain with extensions like Honey. When you install it, it will automatically apply for or notify you of any coupons, promo codes or deals that it has found for that specific product.

Skipping the thrift stores
Know your priorities when you’re buying clothes. If you’re bargain hunting, is it really such a big deal if someone owned or wore something before you did? For one, the majority of thrift stores will not sell clothes that have some kind of damage or visible marks from their previous wearers. Secondly, it’s one of the easiest ways to find high-end designer brands at their lowest prices. Thrift shopping is often the more ethical choice, as well. For one, you’re reducing waste and pollution, stopping clothes from adding to your local landfill. Furthermore, most thrift stores support charity and nonprofit efforts, and you can probably ask to find out precisely where your money is going when you shop with them, so you know you’re doing some good.

Not having a sewing hobby
Okay, so it might sound like a relatively easy mistake to make, but it’s one that’s worth correcting. Want to save even more money and get access to a much broader world of fashion bargain hunting? Learning how to sew with a sewing machine means that you can very quickly alter and mend clothing. This means that even if a bargain item doesn’t immediately fit when you try it on, you might still be able to make it work. You might need the initial investment of getting a sewing machine and some materials, but if thrift shopping is a common hobby of yours, you will soon make up for it with the savings. Plus, as a hobby, sewing is an incredibly relaxing and rewarding skill to learn so it’s doubly worth it.

Know when a deal isn’t actually a deal
Big sales get us excited. From Labor Day sales to Black Friday, it’s easy to get pumped at the notion of making some very shrewd purchases. The shops selling us the goods know this too and will use it as marketing fuel. However, not every deal should be trusted at first glance. There are a few tricks that shops will use to make it look like there’s a great offer on, but really you’re not buying at much less than full price. For one, beware of any store that launches a product at a discounted rate, as often it happens before the price was about to drop, anyway. Furthermore, be wary of any seasonal sales, as sometimes it has been found that the items are actually cheaper during other times of the year.

Not knowing about fakes
There are all kinds of knockoff products to be aware of. There are plenty of clothing lines that mimic some of the most recognizable designs and change them by a degree that’s enough to make them distinct and legal. However, there are also fakes that are designed to confuse consumers, from producers to distributors and even retail sellers. Fakes are especially common in some of the more limited items, so know how to go about finding real Supreme shirts and similar exclusive brands, and know how to spot fakes. Know what the label actually looks like, where it’s supposed to be, and check parts like the seams to make sure they’re the kind of quality you expect from the real thing. Fakes often do not fool people beyond a little scrutiny.

Signing up to websites willy-nilly
Just as there are fake clothes, there are also plenty of fake deals and websites on the internet. Again, like fake clothes, sometimes these sites mimic well-known brands and offer deals that are too tantalizing to miss. Other times, the sites make themselves look like deal-finding sites, but are really there to get you to give your data to the site owner. Sometimes, this can leave you vulnerable to identity theft or it can get you to download or install malware on your own computer. Sitelock’s advice on how to tell if a website is safe is something that anyone who does their shopping on the internet should take the time to memorize. 

Not asking for a deal
Believe it or not, sometimes you can get a deal simply by asking for it. Just by asking for a discount and making it clear you can’t/won’t buy at full price, you may get store managers to lower the price enough to get a discount every time. In fact, some stores even have the policy to give 10% off if you just ask for a discount. Now, don’t go assuming that this is going to be successful every time. Be willing to give up on an item if you don’t get a discount on it, but don’t get snippy or rude with retail staff just because they don’t give you a discount. No-one likes an entitled shopper.

There are bargains out there and, sometimes, you can find real gems. However, if you’re not willing to put in a little work, you can pay more than you need to, miss some really good deals or even get well and truly swindled. Keep the tips above in mind and stay smart out there.

*contributed post*

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