Savy Shopping

Now let’s be honest, I’m a girl who likes a good deal. Who doesn’t really? But let me tell you about a little secret you my may already know about. Store rewards programs. Sure they seem gimmicky, and they are, but if you make them work for you, they are really wonderful. 

How they work: You get the store card, you buy things, you get rewards. 

I personally am I fan of this concept, because I’m buying things I normally would buy, but then getting benefits. To go into better details, let me tell you about mine. I’m part of the rewards program through the Gap brand umbrella (Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime (online only designer apparel), and Athleta (online athletic gear)). So the rewards program works at not only their bricks & mortar stores, but also at their outlets, as well as their online stores. Every time I shop there, each dollar equals five points. You get 100 points (or spend $200) you get $10 to spend with their brands. So, you essentially get free money to spend at a place you would normally shop at anyway. Not to over endorse (but I will anyway), I signed up for a visa card through them, and so with ever dollar I spend on regular purchases, I get one point, additionally. It adds up so fast. Then my favorite thing to do is keep the for a little while and then once they’ve added up to a lot, I go to Piperlime, their online designer store and buy myself a pair of nice jeans, a great purse, or fabulous shoes – normally a bit out of my budget, but with all my little $10 coupons, the price drops astronomically. 

Most stores have programs like this, and it’s something to absolutely consider. My recommendations for finding your own rewards program:

- A store you love shopping at season after season

-Do your research: figure out how the rewards are calculated and make sure it seems fair. Also make sure the rewards seem obtainable.

- Aim for a brand that has more than one store under its umbrella (maximize places to shop)

- Aim for a store that has many stores nearby you, or where you travel (if you don’t do a lot of your shopping at home)

- Figure out how to maximize the rewards, sometimes that’s by signing up for a credit card… though if you have multiple credit cards, I really don’t recommend extending your credit further.

- Once you have your card, make sure to understand the perks (there are generally a ton). Mine gets free shipping online, free alterations, card member only sales, additional discounts on sales, and free concierge service to find any piece of clothing at any of the brand’s stores and have is shipped to me (because when you need that one perfect pair of pants, that are not only on sale, but in the perfect glen plaid – but they aren’t in your size. Done and Done). 

So now you know the secret of the universe, or at least one of them. Do you use a rewards program? Which one? I’m always looking to hear about a good deal!