I’m guilty of using retail therapy as real therapy. Whenever something doesn’t go my way, like if I got to Euclid/Adelbert just as the opposite direction started crossing, or if the Starbuck’s lady in the Village was in a sassy mood, or if the line to pick up my package at Wade was ridiculously long, I might go home, pop open my laptop, and put my credit card through the workout of its life. Because of this, I’ve learned some essential life skills, like which sites have the best deals so my parents won’t be too upset about my credit card statement, or how to take advantage of coupon codes as often as possible.
To start off, we’ll go back to basics: Forever 21 (www.forever21.com). If you ever need just some random item for Greek Week or a theme party, chances are Forever 21 will have something similar to what you need and it’ll be cheap to boot. Not to mention they offer free shipping on all orders $50 or more, and if you’re on their email list, they sometimes have free shipping with no minimum! One thing I’ve learned is that free shipping is the most important thing when it comes to online shopping. With free shipping, you’re basically shopping at the mall except you get to lie in bed with Cheez-Its instead of leaving your apartment.
ModCloth (www.modcloth.com) is a little more expensive, but if you live and breathe for the sale section like I do, it can be perfectly affordable. You need to sign up for a ModCloth account to access the sale section, but they don’t charge you or anything so it’s totally worth it! They also offer free shipping for orders $50 or more, and for orders $50 and less, they offer a flat rate of $4 for shipping. Finally, they have this section on their website called “Be the Buyer” where everyone gets to vote on the stuff they like, and then it might get sold at ModCloth! Exciting stuff.
Tobi (www.tobi.com) is another favorite. This place has free shipping on all orders, no minimum, and free returns! So if you get something that turns out to be the wrong size, or you just don’t like it, just slap on the return label they give you and drop it off at the UPS Store in the Triangle. So convenient! You have to register to shop at Tobi, just like with ModCloth, but again, they don’t charge you, so there’s nothing but benefits!
Finally, I had to mention my favorite place for online shoe shopping. JustFab (www.justfab.com) is a members only, subscription based online shoe store with basically anything you can imagine. They also have jewelry, handbags, and apparel (jeans and dresses), but the shoes are my favorite. Every pair of shoes is $39.95, and you get to tell them which kind of shoes you like, so they come out with new arrivals every month based on your tastes. Every month you have until the 5th to opt out, or else they automatically charge your credit card $39.95 and give you a member credit, worth one pair of shoes ($39.95). Most months I opt out, but if I forget, that just means I get a “free” pair of shoes whenever I feel like I need some. They also offer free shipping on orders over $39 (meaning you automatically get free shipping if you’re buying a pair of shoes) and free exchanges for any reason, even if you just don’t like it! JustFab has become my go-to whenever I need a new pair of shoes for formal, date party, or just because, and I usually have some member credit, so I almost never have to pay for them! (ahem, kind of).
Pro-tip: No matter where you’re shopping, always check RetailMeNot (www.retailmenot.com) for additional coupon codes!