Shopping involves having to spend money. However, there are ways for you to spend less. If you, like may these days, choose to makes purchases online, here are some apps and ideas that can help you save money.
Apps for Helping You Save Money When Shopping
One of the greatest things about apps is that they can be accessed with just a few taps. Even better, you can use them even while on commute or on a lunch break. While most of the apps you probably know have something to do with social media or games, there are those that help you save money on retail purchases. Here are some examples:
- RetailMeNot: You can get great deals from more than 1000 stores and restaurants with this app. A lot of clothing stores offer impressive discounts and all you have to do is find one that is in your location. That said, finding them isn’t even require an onerous amount of effort; you only have to set your location (your zip code) to discover savings located near you.
When you activate the feature, you’ll get a notification for deals that you’re interested in. Or, you can just tap on the specific retailer you’re interested in to know what they have to offer. This is compatible with devices running on iOS or Android.
- PriceGrab: Let’s say you’re watching your favorite television series. The lead actress comes on and she’s dressed in a beautiful black dress. You’re interested in wearing one yourself – if not the exact one then at least something similar.
So you do a little search on the web and find something that is somewhat close. The current listing price is one that you can’t quite afford at the moment. With this app, you can save that item then be alerted whenever it is available for a discount. You can do the same for shoes with this app. While you can’t technically shop for shoes here the app at least allows you to “bookmark” the one you’re interested in for the future. When that time comes, you probably already can afford the item at a discounted rate. You can get this app if you have either an Android or an iOS phone.
- Ebates Rakuten: How would you like to earn rewards for shopping? With this app, you not only get cash back in return for spending, you can also get coupons, deals, and promo codes. Like the other apps listed above, you can opt to receive notifications for the latest sales and coupons.
Ideas that Help You Save Money When Shopping
While using apps to spend less on clothing when shopping online is certainly helpful, you must do more in order to really save big. For example, there’s this button-down blouse that you want from a certain store that you’re not quite familiar with. You decide to purchase the item in a Size 8 since that’s what you’ve been doing for the rest of your clothes, which is from another brand.
There is a good chance that your item will definitely fit once it gets shipped but that isn’t always a guarantee. Why? The answer is simple: there is no uniform sizing across retailers. You may be a size 8 in one store but you’ll find that you can either be a size smaller or one size larger in another. Here are some ideas to help you avoid such scenarios:
- Have your measurements taken: You can do this by yourself, have someone help you, or ask a tailor to do it for you. Having this information on hand can help you compare your measurements to those specified in the retailer’s size chart. Doing so lessens the chances of wasting money on a wrong size or having to return the item.
- Have a list of favorite retailers: If you find that a certain retailer carries your size and that the product that gets delivered actually fits well, put that retailer on a list of favorites. You can use another app to keep track of your favorites. To make things more organized, you can categorize your retailers. For instance, you can have a list of retailers that sell blouses in your size. Doing so helps you save not just time but also money.
- Check size charts: In case you encounter a retailer you’re not familiar with, make sure to check on their size chart (if it is available). If they don’t provide any, you might as well skip this one for online purchases; you can go to the physical store if you wish. In case you’re not too sure about their sizes, you can order in a bigger size then have the item tailored to your liking once you receive it.
Shopping will most definitely require you to spend money. However, you can spend less on clothes if you keep these apps and ideas in mind.
