sales

Christmas is a time for giving. Boxing day is a time for recovery. The day after is a time to be selfish a buy all the things on your Christmas list you didn’t get two days earlier in a hot frenzy of sales. If you’re lucky the shops are also open on boxing day Boxing day (Unfortunately this only applies to certain shops in Adelaide).

While I am thankful it’s never anything like the scenes you see on Black Friday in America, sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming and I walk out of the shops with items of clothing I will never wear and I know it. To help you (and admittedly myself) win at shopping, here are five points to go by:

1. Buy pieces that will fit with your style

One year I bought a pair of burgundy corduroy pants because they were heavily discounted and I thought that I would wear the heck out of them. I was very very wrong. They sat in my drawers and I never thought about them again. Use my mistake as a lesson and don’t buy things on a whim. Look for pieces that fit perfectly with your personal style and can wear with clothes you already own.

2. Use the wishlist button on websites you visit the most

This device is an amazing little tool which needs more praise in my books. Websites like The Iconic send emails when items in your wishlist are on sale, out of stock or back in stock. I also find them really handy when websites have good sales but only on some items, such as end of season sales. This way I can see clearly what I want and see how much its discounted to.

3. Research who stocks the brands you love

Not all sales are created equal. This is a fact. Therefore it literally pays to shop around. Say for example you want a dress from C/MEO Collective, its not just BNKR who stock it. David Jones do, so do The Iconic as well as smaller boutique stores. Get on their mailing list! You never know who has the best deal (or who might stock the “sold-out” dress of your dreams) All that research will be worth it in the end when you get the dress for the best price.

4. Don’t ignore your spam folder

This leads me to my next tip, don’t leave any email unread. Your inbox is a treasure trove of great emails, but so is your junk folder. If not for the fact you could find a really good deal in there, then do it so you have zero notifications. We all know one person who has 4,897 unread emails. Not to mention, at Christmas time, I am overloaded by emails, and the best sale could be in the email I didn’t read.

5. Invest in high quality items

While many link quality pieces with expensive price tags, I like to see them as investment pieces. The core pieces in a wardrobe should be the best quality as they are the foundation of your outfit. Your go-to items like straight jeans, a white shirt, a great blazer and stylish shoes are things you shouldn’t skimp on. You know that you will always come back to these items so ensure you have the best you can get (within your budget of course).

Remember, its only a bargain if you were already going to buy it!

P.S if you’re a university student don’t forget to check out my previous post about all the cool discounts you can get through Unidays for places like Forever New, Asos, The Iconic, Shopbop and waay more

Let me know what you think, and what your tips are for winning at sales in the comments below. Happy Holidays!

Laura

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all had a great day and ate your weight in food.

Boxing Day is one of the most biggest shopping days of the year, and also one of the most cutthroat and stressful days. I love the crazy atmosphere, rushing to get the good stuff first, and saving some money along the way.

Hopefully, your Boxing Day shopping is successful this year, and to make it better, I’m sharing some of my tips to make it even better!

Know What you Want- Make a Wishlist

Boxing Day shopping is a time to go crazy in the shops and rush around look for the best bargains. However, most of the time, they put out the crappy stuff they want to get rid of, last seasons collections, and low stock items.

Try looking past the things you can normally buy, like makeup, bathers, shoes; and look towards grabbing a deal on big ticket items and investment pieces. That bag you always wanted, those expensive jeans or a dress for a special occasion. Even now is a great time to buy luxury kitchen appliances, or even a car! (Nows a great time because they have to get rid of the 2016 models, and people are more interested in buying presents than cars)

Making wish lists on websites you know are going to have sales is a perfect way to save time looking through dozens of pages.

Research Who’s got What Sales

By now you might have already gotten emails or seen on social media places who have already started their Boxing Day sales, or have a preview of whats to come. So make sure you scroll through your emails, Instagram, or Facebook for the best sales. I’m quite partial to David jones, as they have a wide variety of brands and all in one convenient place with great sales.

Get in early

Ongoing from the last tip, make sure you hop online or get to your favourite stores super early to get a good spot in line. It might be a horde of people, but some of the smaller stores have line ups to get in. So don’t go to bed too late! At least they open at 11 here in Adelaide.

Keep to your Budget

This can really kill anybody’s good mood, spending too much money. Those pants you’ve just spotted are spectacular and you don’t have a pair like them, but can you afford that extra 50 bucks? It might become overwhelming and you might go crazy, but you will feel better if you stick to your budget. Trust me, I bought ‘those pants’ at a boxing day sale once and I’ve never worn them.

Eye on the prize

I’ll be running straight to the clothing section, looking for summer pieces to add. But will I stop at the shoes, or the luggage section? Well, I hope not! If you have your heart set on something, you need to get to it as quick as possible, because 20 other girls probably want it too.

Know your refund rights

A lot of stores are extending their time to exchange or refund gifts to about half way through January. So don’t worry if you don’t like the present that much or it doesn’t fit well, you can always get something better.

My Boxing Day Picks