I love buying things but I hate spending money. Perfect logic. I think it's more evident than the sky is blue, but I'm a student with a bad shopping problem. As a student, I'm definitely going to have periodical stress - you know, exams, essays, course selection and so forth. Some people binge eat, some people stress shop. Me? I do both. But as I said, I hate spending money so I've developed an online shopping process that has somewhat saved me a couple bucks here and there.
1) Target the website
I'm quite the habitual creature when it comes to spending money - there are brands that I'll stick to because I know they'll be reliable. I mean, I don't want to spend money on something that looks fantastic on the website only to have it come and realize it was no better than something I made with my sewing techniques (which definitely isn't fantastic),
2) Open the target page and click 'show all' or the most they'll allow shown on one page
I'm not a person that has immense patience. In fact, if I can cut a corner to speed things up, chances are I'll make a corner in a circle to cut. So knowing that there's no way I'll have the patience and attention span to scroll through more than two pages that have 200 items on each, I won't be able to spend money on what I don't see in the next five pages. That's the ostrich attitude right there - if I don't see it, it'll be fineeeeeee.
3) shopping basket/wishlist everything
Shopping baskets or the wish list sections are your best friend when it comes to curbing impulse buys. No seriously. Unless it's something I'm in urgent need of, I rarely click the 'payment' button right away. I usually let everything sit in the corner for a good week or so, contemplating if this is something I really want before that determinate nod of the head as I mutter sweet apologies to my bank balance.
4) WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO PAY FOR SHIPPING????
I'll pay for a lot of things but shipping is not one of them. I've been known to try and talk my friend into buying £34 worth of tea just because I didn't want to pay the £2.50 shipping fee. It lasted a week and he started avoiding me whenever I started offering him tea those days. I still ended up paying for shipping. If it's a new website that I've never bought from before, I always make sure that they'll offer free shipping and returns. If they don't, there's a 96.8% chance I'll be put off from buying the basket all together.
5) So you don't have free shipping BUT you have promo codes. I'll take that.
I love it when websites offer discounts if you order from them the first time or sign up to their newsletter. I also flippin' love student discounts. I always make sure that I do a complete google search of promo codes for the website I'm trying to buy from. The best ones are the websites that compile together the sales and offer codes together in one place. I've recently been introduced to Cuponation - it's a lazy shopper's paradise. It doesn't only contain some of my favourite brands fashion and beauty-wise, but I've found some nice offers for other things, such as domain deals for sites like GoDaddy.com (I know, it sounds so sketchy but that's where I got my domain name, FYI)
6) HOLD ON. I remember a friend that has a premier membership.
I exploit my friends. I remember borrowing my friend's premier account just before I had to go on vacation several months back as I was in a time crunch to buy all the swimwear and other necessities. Free next day shipping? Yes, please. I can't be the only one that expects my online order to be delivered five minutes after confirmation, right??????
7) "OH MAN. I'M DEFINITELY TOO POOR TO BE ONLINE SHOPPING" I think as I type down my card number from memory.
Is it sad that I type down my card number faster than I type my phone number? Probably.
8) Last chance to turn back.
Just before I hit that confirmation button...do I really need want th - YES I DO.
9) OH YOU BEAUTIFUL CONFIRMATION EMAIL.
casually ignoring the price tag at the end of that email.
10) WHY ISNT MY ORDER HERE YET???????
Seriously, it's 2014, how has five minute delivery not been invented yet?
11) ......FRICK. I forgot to use that cashback account.
I can't be the only one that has a cashback account that always forgets to exploit it, right? If you don't know, sites like Quidco offer a certain percentage of cash back when you go to the website via their page so they can track the payment. I'm not entirely sure how or why it works, but hey, definitely create an account. It'll generate some money to save up for the next purchase on the times you remember you have a cashback account BEFORE a purchase, that is.
I'm pretty much a creature of habit and this is pretty much the standard process. Even the whole 'forgetting I have a cashback account' thing. I should really just have a post-it stuck to my computer with caps lock letters reminding me that I should go through that extra portal....
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