Know the Brand
Okay, when it comes to clothing, it helps to know the brand. Here’s what I mean. If you already have a shirt from, say, Nordstrom and maybe it’s from their house brand Calibrate. If that shirt fits you well and you wear it pretty regular, you already know your size. So it’s a really safe bet that if you order another one online, it’ll fit the same. Now, because every brand uses a different sizing model, it can be a lot of guesswork and sometimes frustrating. But if you already own something from a specific brand that fits you well, it makes sense to get more of that.
Know your measurements
Next up is to know your measurements. Like I just mentioned, not all brands use the same sizing model, so not all size Medium will fit like someone else’s Medium. It’s frustrating, I know. But if you get yourself a soft tape measure, you can measure yourself and know what your accurate and specific measurements are. More and more brands display sizing charts on their websites because all these brands have variations. Some are cut a lot more slim and if that’s the case, they’ll tell you on their site. A lot of them will also indicate how tall the model is in the photo, and what size they’re wearing.
Make a list
Next, make a list of what you’re looking for. Let me tell you, it’s real easy to get side tracked when you’re surfing Nordstrom or Amazon because you’ll see all the suggested items they show you. If you’re shopping for shoes, stick to shoes. Otherwise you’ll end up down the rabbit hole and you’ll start looking at new bar stools and massage chairs and you’ll forget all about the shoes you needed. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but if you’re trying to replace a worn out pair of loafers, you can avoid wasting time and money by sticking to your list and just getting when you went in for. If you’re anything like me, the rabbit hole struggle is real.
Use tools like Shoptagr
Speaking of lists, one of the tools I use to keep lists and organize my online shopping is the Shoptagr extension. It’s an app that you can download to your computer and your phone. And it’s completely free. Shoptagr was nice enough to sponsor today’s video, so let me take a quick minute to show you how it works.
They work with over 4000 stores and brands and it’s not just clothing. You can shop items for your home like appliances, furniture, and electronics. You can set up and organize different items into wish-lists and also set up alerts. The alerts you select can notify you by email or mobile push when an item has a price drop or when it comes back in stock. Since I work from home and I’m on my computer all day, I personally like using the desktop version. But if you’re more of a mobile guy, the app works the exact same way. If you want a category for just shoes, you can do that. If you want a category for electronics, you can do that. You get the idea.
Use coupon codes
The next online shopping tip is to use coupon codes. Now, there’s a bunch of different websites and extensions you can use that scan the web to help you find relevant discount codes and coupons for what you’re buying. But again, another really cool thing about Shoptagr is it automatically scans the web for any coupon codes and applies them for you at checkout. Guys, it’s really simple to use so if you wanna go check it out for yourself, please use the link that I’ll leave for you right here. Full disclosure, I do not earn anything if you click that link. But it does let Shoptagr know you came from this video, and that helps my credibility.
Join the brand’s mailing list
The next tip I have for you is to join mailing lists. Yes, I know this can be somewhat annoying getting a lot of emails. But you can seriously save a lot of money because brands are always offering special discounts to their email list. Another trick you can do is after signing up for their emails, add some things to your cart then leave. They know you’re interested in those items because you added them and almost checked out. So within about 24 hours, chances are you’ll get an email from them with discounts on those specific items you added to the cart.
Beware of scam sites
Next is to watch out for scam sites. Read the copy on the site and if it reads funny, beware. Also pay attention to the URL. Make sure the web address has the padlock and the https signifier. The S means secure. Also check the photos they’re using to show off their items. Legitimate sites will have consistency in their photos. They’ll schedule a photo shoot and shoot a ton of items all in one day at the same location with the same models. If you’re seeing a bunch of super random photos with a ton of different people that look like they were shot on a cell phone, it’s possible that they’re stealing photos from someone else of from another brands site.
Speaking of stealing photos, if you guys follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen me share all the fake Instagram accounts people set up using my pictures. Not only that, but apparently, I’m also on a bunch of dating sites all over the world. Look, I’m a cargo ship captain! This means I can never meet in person because I’m at sea. How convenient. Crappy photoshop by the way. So look, if you ever see me on some weird international dating site or some other Instagram or Facebook page, I’m here to tell you it ain’t me.
Use ebay or Poshmark
Okay, moving on. Use ebay or Poshmark to find great deals on gently used items. Personally, I use Poshmark to sell stuff that I might have used in a video promotion. I can’t keep everything I get because it gets to be too much. Now, this isn’t a plug for my Poshmark, but if you wanna see what I have for sale, I’ll leave a link right here. Using platforms like this is a really great way to score incredible deals on some really nice things. Read the descriptions and then check out the brand’s website to see the sizing chart. If the item looks good, jump on it. If you don’t mind if something was worn once or twice, you can save a ton of money.
Join Amazon Prime
Lastly, consider joining Amazon Prime. Yes, there is an annual fee for this, but you get super fast shipping and better deals for Prime members. You can also set up reoccurring delivery schedules for the things you use all the time like laundry detergent, toothpaste, dog food or cat food, dish washer detergent, fabric softener sheets, you get the idea. It’s great to not have to worry about running out of stuff because it automatically shows up when you need it.
If you have some more online shopping tips, please let me know in the comments because I’d love to hear from you!
