I have to admit; I am a self-proclaimed compulsive online shopper. Ever since I got my first debit card at 16, I have loved finding online deals and then receiving a package in the mail. Its like sending myself a present!
I got the idea for the post when my best friend asked me to help her find some clothes online to buy. I’m constantly ridiculed for my constant online shopping by my friends. But-call me crazy- I much prefer ordering clothes online rather than buying them in store. My best friend and I are the same size in clothing so she loves to borrow my clothes whenever a new package comes in. But lately, she has the desire to update her closet. So who better to help her than me? Not to mention, when you’re busy with work all summer, I think the easiest method to do this is to online shop.
I know a lot of people don’t like online shopping because of shipping costs, not knowing if the clothes fit you and not being able to actually feel the clothing or try it on. But here are some tips I have for anyone who gets frustrated with online shopping or is hesitant to do it.
Size Chart and Reviews: If you don’t know what size to get or what will fit you, use the size chart. I’m really tall so I try to get pants that are long or x-long. I looked at the reviews of products to find out if pants ran long or short. When I was  buying a pair of jeans from American Eagle a few years back, I looked throw reviews of what people said their sizes were and if the jeans came long or short. After looking at what others said and comparing the size chart, I was able to find my perfect size and have continued to order pants from there.
Don’t be afraid to return items: If something doesn’t fit or the color isn’t right or you just don’t want it anymore, don’t be afraid to return it. A lot of online stores will send you free return labels. Even if they don’t, it usually isn’t much to send back something for the price of mailing it. I can’t tell you how many times I order something and then if I didn’t love it in person, I returned it. If there is a store near you as well, you can also return it there if you want.
Join Email lists: I have an email solely for the purpose of receiving emails from my favorite stores. This is super convenient to me because I can separate the clutter from the important emails I need for work and school. It can seem overwhelming, but before I even think about going online shopping, I will check my email first to see what sales are going on or what coupon codes I have. I rarely ever buy something online unless there is a sale or deal.
Use places that have free shipping: Shipping costs can really add up when you online shop. There are certain stores that guarantee free shipping and sometimes you don’t need a minimum spend number to get it. A store that comes to mind is Nordstrom. When I want a quality item that I can get from multiple stores (like White Converse Sneakers), I will order from here because I don’t have to pay for shipping. I also took advantage of Amazon Prime for students and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ll make another post about Amazon Prime later, but I literally order the most random junk from Amazon and I love the free 2-day shipping. Even though I pay a yearly fee to be part of the program, it is so worth it.
Think about it: One of the perks of online shopping is that for most stores, you can load up a shopping cart and then come back to it. This negates the problem of being placed on the spot when you’re in a store and need to make a split-second decision. I have a rule where if I can’t stop thinking about something for more than two days, then I’ll order it. Usually I can talk myself out of anything I really don’t need once it’s been sitting in the shopping cart for a while and I see the overall price.
Here is a list of some of my favorite online stores:
Hope you enjoyed this post! Comment below your favorite online stores and any tips you have for online shopping!