Department stores are great places to do one-stop shopping because they carry such a variety of items. You can purchase a new spring wardrobe, a kitchen blender, and a new comforter for your bed all in the same store. But sometimes you may be reluctant to do so because you might think that other stores have cheaper alternatives. These are some tips to help you save by shopping in department stores.
Timing your Shopping
When you are shopping to get the ultimate savings, timing is everything. An item that may have been full price yesterday could be 50 percent off tomorrow. To time your shopping, try to commit to never paying full price for any item that isn’t an absolute must-have. You’ll find that there aren’t many items that fall into that category. An upside to timing your purchases when they are made at department stores is that most major department stores have other branches and they have online stores, as well. This means that if you want to purchase an item but, by the time it goes on sale it has sold out, you still have the option to buy it from another branch, have your branch order it for you from another location and have it shipped to your home, or buy it from the department store’s online version. Another way to save money is to plan the time during which you buy items. If you know that next winter, you will need a new coat, try buying one this spring when the coats are on clearance. Pack it away carefully and by next winter, you’ll have a brand new coat for which you paid a fraction of the price. You can also time other items, like seasonal items. Buying holiday decorations after the New Year is a great way to get lots of new decorations, gift wrapping, and even holiday themed gifts at a small percentage of what they would have cost just a few weeks earlier. If you can afford the space to store these things until it’s time to use them, buying out of season is a great way to save money on department store items.
Finding Coupons
For the best department store deals, don’t rely on in-store sales alone. Whether you are shopping online or in the store, try to find some great coupons to help you save even more. For example, you might love to shop at the popular department store Macy’s. Macy’s carries clothing for women, men, and kids, and also carries home goods and appliances. Macy’s also has a program that allows you to sign up for text messages from the company to get details on deals and events. You can find many great deals for Macy’s by looking for an in-store coupon or an online promotion code. A great way to find these coupons is to visit a coupon gathering site and search for the store you want to shop. For example, if you know that you plan to buy some new spring wardrobe items from Macy’s, you could visit a site like MyCoupons and type in Macy’s to see what coupons are available. They’ll all be listed with the information you need, such as the expiration date, whether they are in-store or online coupons, which items are eligible for the discount, and whether there are any exclusions. Doing a quick coupon search like this only takes seconds and it can end up saving you a large amount of money. Many people are using online coupons now. In fact, it was estimated that more than half of American adult users of the Internet would redeem a digital coupon in 2013, according to eMarketer. Take advantage of this growing trend and start saving money whenever you shop in a department store.
Shopping in department stores doesn’t mean having to pay full price, and it doesn’t even have to mean waiting for a small sale. You can get everyday savings if you are diligent about checking coupon sites for savings and coupons, and you can stock up on items that you won’t need for a few months by buying them at a drastically reduced price in their off seasons. Always remember to check coupons for expiration dates and for exclusions. There is a lot to find in the small print sometimes, so to avoid disappointment or confusion during checkout, read the details to make sure that all the items you plan to purchase are eligible for the discount you’ve found. Once you know how to shop the sales, how to time your purchases, and how to find and use coupons online, you can shop the department stores for great deals. Department stores hold a wealth of potential savings, as long as you have the right tools to find them.
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