Shop till you drop - but only for enjoyment (Offline Shopping - hints and tips)

Member Name: CAFCGirl

Product:	Offline Shopping - hints and tips
Date:	27/12/08 (149 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: All these lovely new things

Disadvantages: Avoid peak times

So you want to go shopping do you?

My hints and tips are as follows:

Write a list
This can be a vague list or a specific list of the exact item.
This saves you from wandering aimlessly around the shops, picking up things that you dont want or need.
So you can write down that you need new work clothes, or you can write down that you need the original version of Fame on dvd with the song word booklet, and poster special....

Basically whatever gives you an aim....

Secondly give yourself a budget.
Either a rounded budget for your day, so £100 to spend, or a specific budget for each item.
This too serves to give you an aim with product, and can also help to narrow down your scope of what shops to try.
For example if you want a pair of smart black trousers for under £30, then you wont be trying Coast....

Then..... plan your visit.
If you're taking your car, make sure you retain enough change for your parking ticket.
Pack your list in your purse.
Pack your purse in your handbag.....
Take re-usable shopper bags if you're that way inclined.
Wear comfortable clothes and good shoes, there is nothing worse than trailing round shops looking for something that you're not quite sure what it is when your feet hurt.

If you can, take along a good friend if you feel you need someone to give you direction or opinions.
Personally for me I am much happier shopping for clothes with a good friend, but household stuff and shoes (weirdly!) I am better off on my own.

So you know what you want, and how much you want to spend.
When you arrive at your high street/shopping centre, pick an item to start with and name three places in your head that are likely to stock it, do a research trip, scoping out prices. Write them down on your list with where they were, and then think about three other places which "might" stock it. Visit them, see if any of them stock it for cheaper than the previous. Whoever works out cheaper, and with the best offer, buy from them.

Move on to your second item.
If you're shopping for clothes, it comes in handy to visit places which are likely to stock more than one of the items you are looking for.
Do not get tempted by things that are not on your list!
Otherwise you will go home with bags of things, but nothing you needed, and then you stress out because you feel like you failed!

Should you see something you do like, then go back to it after you've worked through your list and if you still want it/can remember what it was, allow yourself to buy it, but only after you've done a serious search and buy operation for all the items on your list.

Dont carry too much, or heavy bags. Take them back to the car, or if you are buying on large item from a retailer ask to pay for it and collect it when you're shopping is complete.
Many retailers are happy to oblige you with this, rather than have you not buy from them simply because you cant carry it.
In the current economic climate consumers now hold more cards with retailers.

Store all your receipts together in your handbag/purse in case you need to take things back. Putting them in the bags is easy at the time, and easier for the cashier too, but when you get outside, stop for two seconds and collect your receipts together, and this will save you stress later when you're fumbling about trying to find it to take things back.

And then.... stop.
Every once in a while just stop, sit down on a bench, in a coffee shop, wherever, but just take a few minutes to take stock, see where you are on your list, and update yourself on your progress, (especially if gift shopping!).

Drink plenty of fluids, and have a nice lunch to keep your energy level going so you dont have a sugar low, get crabby and lose your direction.

Lastly though, and this to me is the most important.
Have fun..... shopping is NOT the be all and end all of life. If you dont find it today, there is always tomorrow and there is always the internet to help you too!

Summary: Take it easy and remember to smile through the blisters!