black friday shopping tips

hi, friends!

happy thanksgiving, y’all! i hope everyone had an enjoyable day with their family and/or friends, and i’m sure many of you are gearing up for a fun day of shopping and relaxing. some of you may be braving the lines, and some might be staying home in favor of some online shopping — which is definitely my own preference. i’ve actually never been out shopping on black friday, and see no reason to change my plan this year. between black friday promotions online and cyber monday, you can score a lot of great deals without every having to change out of your pajamas. in addition to your weekly outfit inspiration, i thought this week i could share with you some of my personal shopping techniques and tricks that help me score the items i want on sale.

shopping tips

while i do make purchases of items at full price, a lot of the items i love are priced in such a way that i have to wait until it goes on sale or the store runs a promotion so i can snag it at some savings. i am very much a brand-loyal shopper in that i like to buy items from the brands or stores i love without much variation. i tend to fixate on a specific item that i want and wait until i can buy it, rather than buying something else that’s less expensive to satisfy the craving. in those cases, i usually will still want the original item so i’ve learned my lesson that patience is key.

utilize wishlists
one of my very favorite online shopping techniques is to take advantage of the “wishlist” or “save for later” features that many online stores offer. this is a great way to keep track of all the items that i want but don’t plan to buy immediately, so that i can watch for the item to go on sale. many times when i learn that my favorite stores or brand are running a promotion (see more on this below), i can easily log into my account and check my cart and wishlist to see if my favorite items are reduced. then, i can decide if i am ready to make the purchase. many retailers also offer stock updates so you know if inventory is running low; if you really want something, and you see that there’s only one left, you can at least make a choice to either wait and risk it or to go ahead and make the purchase.

keep up with your favorite brands
one of the best ways to stay on top of your list is to follow your favorite brands and stores on social media as well as to sign up for their e-mail marketing. i understand we all get a lot of e-mails, so taking advantage of services like unroll.me or having a special e-mail address you use for the brands you care most about might be beneficial. for example, when i set up unroll.me for my own e-mail, i kept some of my favorite brands from going into the rollup by allowing them to continue to go to my inbox. this way i still get communication from the brands i am most likely to shop their new arrivals or promotions, and can peruse the other sites at my leisure. social media is a more direct way to stay in touch, so i make sure i am following all my favorites on instagram (my most frequented platform) as a means of staying aware of what they are up to. many will post multiple times before the sale or promotion goes live, so you stand a good chance of hearing about it before it’s too late.

don’t be a sucker
during this time of year, you are going to be bombarded with sales, promotions, and marketing from companies trying to get your hard-earned dollars. to this i say, keep your eye on the prize and focus on the items you truly love or need. there’s a lot of psychology that goes into the marketing for sales, and many people unfortunately fall for it. just because something is 20% off doesn’t mean it’s prudent to make the purchase, especially if it’s not something you really wanted at full price or if it’s not something you need — like a new coat or winter boots, for example. think about your wants and needs for the upcoming seasons, as well as gifts you’re looking to buy, and seek out the ones you want at full price. then use the tricks outlined above to keep track of those items to hopefully score them at a discount at just the right time! and, if you haven’t fallen victim to purchasing 20 $5 dvd’s simply because they’re cheap, you may have found you have saved enough money to buy the items you want at full price if the promotion you’re hoping for doesn’t happen.

now for the outfit inspiration!

hat – free people; jacket – free people {on sale here!}; tee – current/elliott; jeans – rag & bone; bag – free people {similar here}; boots – free people {similar here, here, here}; belt – b-low the belt; choker – vanessa mooney; necklace – carden avenue; horseshoe cuff – horsethief silver; turquoise cuff – vintage; sandalwood and stone bracelets – judith bright; rings – vintage

this week’s outfit is an easy, causal look perfect for your shopping trips, get-togethers with friends, brunch, or family outings over the holiday weekend. after wanting it for months, i managed to score this free people jacket on sale using the tricks i outlined above. i love the satisfaction that comes from getting something i’m truly obsessed with at a great price, and it’s really not that difficult if you do a little bit of organization. you’ll be seeing a lot more of this jacket, as it’s really a great weight for layering and i’m totally in love with the detailing on the sleeve. this is a great example of a tee-shirt-and-jeans outfit jazzed up with a few key pieces that can be easily replicated or modified depending on your mood or the occasion.