Good morning, friends! It has been a seriously busy week around here, and I've been itching to get back to blogging. First of all, thank you so much for all your love and support surrounding the new site! I'm so pumped about it and it seems to be getting a great reception and for that I thank you!

Sale shopping. Oof. If you're anything like me, you feel a little bit of panic when you see an email from your favorite retailer announcing a sale. Especially this time of year, when money has been blown on the holidays, it can sometimes be stressful to learn about a sale. For me, it's partly because I need to look; sales are so seductive! If there's one thing I've learned over the years, though, it's that shopping a sale takes a little pre-planning. Otherwise you end up with a size XL silk shirt that you have no idea what to do with but can't return because it was final sale (yup, I did that). Here are some tips on how to thoughtfully and carefully shop a sale ::

1. Only shop sales at your favorite retailers :: Wait, what? Hear me out. When you consider worst case scenarios like above (blindly shopping a sale and then regretting your purchase), you need to filter out temptation. So, start with what you know, right? Stores that you visit on the regular, because you know what size you take there, you know their return and exchange policy, and most importantly, you're familiar with their inventory. This leads me to number 2...

2. Make a wish list :: This is key, especially for retailers that only have a couple sales a year. You get the sale email, heart starts pounding, and you need to look at everything, yes? Well, no. If we stick to rule number one, and this is one of your favorite shops, go straight for your wish list. If you're not familiar with this feature, get into it. Sites will let you quickly bookmark your favorite pieces (and input your size and the color you want) so you can reference the pieces whenever: like during a sale. So, you get that sale email, you click through, and immediately go to your wish list. Boom, that blazer you've been after all season (remember, you know the store's inventory) is 40% off. Damn, you so fresh.

3. Filter sale by size :: Okay so number 2 is all well and fine, but sometimes, you go through your beloved wish list and nothing is on sale. You could just click hit that little red X at the top left of your browser, but what's the fun in that? So, be kind to yourself and filter out the sale. Filter by size, or filter by item (say you really want to scope out shoes for work), that way the volume of the sale isn't quite so overwhelming.

4. Double check :: This is always key, especially if you're buying a big ticket item. Before you go through with your purchase, copy the item name and paste it into your browser. A 2-second task that has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years. Just because something is on sale, doesn't mean you can't still pay less for it somewhere else, right? Google will let you know immediately if your item is less expensive elsewhere (a department store, Amazon, etc).

5. Wait (if you can) :: I definitely have a penchant for manically swooping through a sale and hitting purchase after about 90 seconds of searching. Sure, sale items move quickly, especially coveted pieces, and if you've made it through the first 4 steps here, you're probably good to go with your purchase. Sometimes, though, we need to think it through. Ask yourself why you're buying the item. Ask yourself how you'll wear the item (the rule of thumb is 3 different ways or you need to check yourself). Get up, get some water, take a pee break, I'm not kidding. Text your sister and see what she thinks (this is what I do). I'd say about half the time, if you give your brain a second to get past the high of I'M BUYING SOMETHING, you'll realize that you don't really need it in the first place.

Thoughts, questions, comments? Have a wonderful Thursday!

xoxo,

aok