There's nothing like the feeling of knowing you're getting a great deal! I've come up with a list of things you can do to save some money when you shop:
1. Talk to the associates. It's our job to help you! Don't be afraid to ask where the clearance section is or if we know of any amazing deals going on. It's called clearance for a reason; the stores want this stuff gone; they will help you find cheap things!
2. Find out the markdown schedule. Got a favorite store? Ask one of the workers when they normally have their markdowns. I am almost certain they will let you know. And, at least at Pier 1, if you ask we will tell you if something will be going on sale or clearance any time soon!
3. Shop at the right times. Once you know the markdown schedule, you can obviously go the day prices are lowered, but keep in mind that at certain times throughout the year, more things will be going on clearance than others. For example, (most) stores do transitions for every season. That means that near the end of each season, they will be trying to get rid of most of their merchandise to make room for new things! For Pier 1, I'd say the best sale months are July, October, January, and April. I imagine other stores have pretty similar dates.
4. Double-check prices. A lot of bigger stores now will have those price-checking machines (Target and Walmart do, at least). I know from experience that many things get missed when tagging clearance items. Be sure to check the prices to see if they've been discounted any more since the last markdown. Again, don't be afraid to ask the associates!
5. Two words: Price Adjustments. Almost every store I know of will do price adjustments up to 2 weeks after your purchase, so keep track of your receipts and check back with the store/website to see if the things you bought got any cheaper!
6. Don't spam every e-mail. And give associates your e-mail address when they ask! I know a lot of stores like to bombard you with junk, but once in awhile they send information about great promotions, free shipping, and my favorite: new markdowns! (I've noticed American Eagle sends particularly good offers!!)
7. 'Like' your favorite places on Facebook. A lot of stores and restaurants have coupons available for those who 'like' their Facebook page. Ex. Pier 1 is offering one coupon every day for the next two weeks if you give us a thumbs up! (check it out!) Some of them are really good deals! Better than our employee discount!
As far as grocery shopping goes, I would just say to do the obvious: keep an eye out for clearance and "closeout items", check for coupons in the Sunday newspaper, and shop by the catalogs! You may want to check out multiple stores to find the best deals at each and save the most cash! Stock up on things at particularly good prices that can be stored or frozen so that you won't have to buy them later when they're no longer on sale.
And to save a little bit of money at the gas pump, I would recommend getting the GasBuddy app if you have a smartphone. It's free and it's great! It'll tell you where the cheapest gas is in your area so you can plan ahead! Also, I've started playing a little game with myself haha; I reset my odometer every time I get gas and see how many miles I drive until I need to fill up again. Then I calculate how many mpgs I've used by dividing the total miles by the gallons I needed. Then I try to change my driving habits a little (don't accelerate so fast, use cruise control as often as possible, slow down more before stopping, etc.) to see if I can get a few more miles to the gallon! It almost makes buying gas fun hahaha!
By the way, if there are any ULTA shoppers out there, they're having a great sale going on; the entire Ulta collection is cheap, cheap cheap! Plus there are two coupons you can print or redeem online available on their website! And free shipping on orders over $25 if you're not near a store! I think I'm gonna head over there Sunday and see what kind of deals I can find!
I think that's all I've got right now! Hope this helped! Happy shopping!
- Jamie
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