It’s tough not to feel the pinch of these tough economic times lately, even for those of us who have a paycheck coming in twice monthy. After all, you cant go anywhere these days without being bombarded with news of foreclosures, lay-offs, and sky-rocketing unemployment numbers. But seriously, with all this bad news, like all the time, who wouldn’t want to head straight to the mall for a little retail therapy. That being said, I thought I’d put together a list of a few shopping tips for those who aren’t willing to shell out the kind of cash they used to. And of course, if anyone else has ideas, please share. Afterall, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping....

Tip #1: Browse Online, Buy In-Store for Additional Savings 

If you are anything like me, you love to shop online, but are unsure about buying, because just because something looks great on a model or mannequin, doesn’t mean it will look great on you. I love to scour my favorite shopping websites and then head to the store for the real thing. That way I can try it on and make sure it fits before I buy, which is itself a money saving tip since many stores won’t refund your money when you return and often only offer store credit or exchange offers. But here is another tip: lots of websites have a great selection of sale items, and if you find something you love on sale on the site, chances are its even cheaper in the store. (Of course that means you have to find it first.) Here’s why: A ton of stores tend to offer an extra percentage off sale items in store, which isn’t always available on their websites. Take it from the professional shopper, I know.  Let me give you a for instance: go to a website like bebe.com and find an item you love on sale. I guarantee you if you walk into the store and find that same sale item, its usually 50% - 65% off the sale price and the bottom line price ends up being much cheaper than the price you will find on the internet.

Tip #2: Check your E-mail, Seriously....

Ok, so I know we all hate junk e-mail, but if you have ADD like me, you might actually find yourself checking your junk e-mail inbox during moments of complete and utter boredom at work.  And here is something I’ve discovered...When you purchase clothing online or give your e-mail to a sales associate in store, your e-mail often gets added to the stores e-mail list, which means e-mails almost daily. And while I’m absolutely sick and tired of my daily e-mails from Macy’s and Bloomingdales (ok, seriously, when is Macy’s not having a sale? Everyday is a sale, I mean who are they fooling trying to front like today is an extra special day with an extra special sale), every now and then I get an e-mail from one of my favorite stores or online shops about specials or sales. For instance, just today I got an e-mail from BCBG about a “spend $300 this weekend, get $100 off” sale, which in my mind is pretty freakin' awesome. (If you are reading this now, head to BCBG, you can thank me later.) So kids, sometimes what looks like junk at first glance, can really be a secret little treasure....

Tip #3: A Little Research Never Killed Anyone

Sometimes when I find something amazing that I absolutely have to have and can’t live without, but is way too expensive for me, I find out what the exact name of the product is. Then I google it. That way I can search other online sites or stores that carry the product and compare prices. Last summer, I found an amazing Sky maxi dress at Barneys for $395. I fell in love, but couldn’t justify spending that much money on a dress that I probably would only wear three times, at most. So I went home and googled it, and found at least three online sites that were selling the same exact Sky dress for $100 less. I couldn’t believe the mark-up at Barneys. And it worked out great, because since I already tried it on in the store, I knew what size I was and knew it was a flattering fit. And I saved myself $100. Cha-ching. 

On that same note, I’ve discovered many websites that compare prices of an item. Shopstyle.com is one of those sites. If you find something you love, but want to make sure you are getting a good deal on it, it doesn’t hurt to take a trip online to find out if you can get it somewhere else for cheaper. Just because it's full price at one store, doesn't mean it's not on sale somewhere else. These days retailers are offering all kinds of perks. It's not a rare occurrence to find new merchandise at 10% to 20% off. 

Tip #4: The Price Adjustment

I’m sure many of you know this, but for those of you who don’t, a ton of stores offer price adjustments. Thus, if you buy an item and come back two weeks later and see it on sale, the store will give you a price adjustment and refund you the difference between the price you paid and the sale price. If you are buying something full price, it never hurts to ask a sales associate if they do price adjustments. Just know that the price adjustment has a time limit, and you can't run into the store three months later and expect to get a refund on the difference. But honestly, who hasn't had one of those moments where discover an item you purchased just a week earlier at full price on sale for half off. Enter: the price adjustment. 

Tip #5: Price Matching (And a Salute to Nordstrom)

Price matching. I’m not sure how many stores actually price match, but its definitely worth it to ask. I know Nordstrom does, and if you are anything like me, you love to buy from Nordstrom, because if anything ever goes wrong with your purchase, you can return it with no hassle. Ladies, this can be a life-saver when it comes to shoe shopping, because I know you have all had those experiences where you buy a fabulous pair of shoes and then wear them once and realize they are absolutely unbearable. Well, if you bought them from Nordstrom, you can return them after wearing them. God bless Nordy’s! So if you find a pair of Steve Maddens or something on sale elsewhere and you know Nordstrom price matches, it never hurts to check to see if Nordstrom has the shoe, because you can get it from Nordstrom for the lower price and have the comfort of knowing that you can return it if it’s leaves your feet looking a hot mess after just one wear.