Online Stores You Should Be Using To Save Money
I’ve recently been doing an overhaul of my wardrobe. It’s been a slow process but one that has been a long time coming. I simply want less items of clothing overall. My goal is to replace pieces that are old or simply not very well made with higher quality items. I am not a minimalist and you will probably never see me become one of the normcore or capsule wardrobe gang but I am finding myself focusing more and more on quality vs quantity. Instead of having 3 pairs of so-so quality brown boots I would like to just have one really well made pair of brown boots.
An off shoot of this new way of thinking is that I am more willing to spend money on pieces that will not only fill a practical place in my wardrobe but will stand the test of time. This desire to spend a bit more doesn’t mean that I am willing to break the bank or go over my budget. Instead I have searched for ways to get what I want and still save a few bucks. I have found a few sites that have allowed me to do just that.
I discovered The Real Real earlier this year and it has quickly become my go-to not only for staples but for hard to find pieces. The price range here is huge and you can find designer items for less than $100. Some of my most recent fines have been a Michael Kors coat, a pair of Alaia heels, and a fantastic pair of Charlotte Olympia loafers. And if you are looking to splurge within reason this is the perfect site to do so on. You can buy a beautiful designer item and not feel too bad about how much you’re spending. Also the items you are purchasing are guaranteed authentic. And The Real Real takes a lot of care in curating pieces in good to pristine condition.
Another recent find, Tradesy functions a bit like eBay but for higher end items. Sellers post their items for sale at a fraction of the retail price. The big difference here is that there is no bidding involved. You can purchase the item immediately or if you have concerns or questions you can send the question to the seller. What I like about Tradesy is the ability to price compare. Often you will find the same item listed by various sellers at varying prices. My one piece of advice is to research the retail price of the item to make sure you are getting the best deal possible.
ThredUp has become a favorite for items at a mid-range price point. Last year I lucked up on not one but two designer bags - a See by Chloe bag and a Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hillier Bag - for less than a $100 each. Both were used but in great condition. I also found two great pairs of Sam Edelman shoes brand new for less than $30 each. Items on ThredUp are used or new and are priced well below retail. They always have sales and promo codes and options to buy in bulk. I like to think of ThredUp as a thrifter’s dream site. I used to LOVE thrift shopping and that’s how I feel shopping on ThredUp. Great finds and great deals.
If you are looking for options outside of just clothing, Gilt is a fantastic option. Their site operates almost like an online marketplace. Sales go up for 2-4 days for various brands and/or items. For example: two current sales are for designer handbags featuring brands like Phillip Lim and Furla, while another is on Nespresso items. Items go from anywhere from 20-50% off. There are also sales featuring bedding, sunglasses, skincare and even furniture. All at a significant discount.
Hautelook functions much like Gilt does. New sales go up everyday and last for an average of four days. The difference between Hautelook and Gilt is Hautelook’s parent company - Nordstrom. You can often find items from Nordstrom on sale at Hautelook at a deep discount. And Hautelook has deals with various brands to sell items you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. I recently purchased the Urban Decay Beached Palette which was limited edition and not available for purchase on Urban Decay’s site or any other retailers. And I got it for 50% off the original retail price. Hautelook is my favorite place to hunt for makeup at a deep discount. It’s an affordable way to try a brand you’ve been wanting to try or get your hands on hard to find items. Just sign up for their newsletter and you will get an email everyday letting you know what sales are coming up.
I hope you all found this helpful. One of the recurring themes on this post is buying second hand. I used to do this all the time in my teens and early twenties and for some unknown reason stopped. But I have gotten back into it recently and I am enjoying it. Buying second hand is not only a great way to save money while not skimping on quality but it also does a bit to help with our environment. Fast fashion has a huge negative impact on our environment due to emitting greenhouse gases and using large amounts of non-renewable energy. I didn’t start buying second hand again because of this - I did it to save money. But this is a nice side effect that got me thinking about how much I spent on fast fashion overall. I am not anti- fast fashion. I still love brands like H&M, Zara, Mango and Forever 21. Fast fashion has it’s place not only due to accessibility but because of price point. It would be naive and short-sighted to say that we should all stop shopping at stores and sites like the ones mentioned. But if we can simply cut back on how much we shop there it’s worth giving a shot. I don’t look at being environmentally aware as a zero sum or all or nothing game. Every little bit helps.
What are some of your favorite online stores and sites that are great for saving money? Let us know in the comments!
