Post-Holiday Shopping Tips

As the Holidays wind down you may find that you didn't get world peace, an end to hunger, or your Prince (or Princess) Charming let alone the virtual goods you wanted. Looks like you have to go shopping. Go armed with these tips and you should be able to make out pretty well.

First, look through your gift certificates. Make sure you know exactly how they need to be redeemed and when. I've seen some that expire and others that are good for only select lines of merchandise. And keep in mind that you will need to pay the difference if the item you want costs more than the value of the certificate. Or you might not get a refund if the item cost less.

Is the item you want from an affiliate vendor at a shop and not the shop owner? You might not be able use the certificate. If you don't see anything you want at the store, contact the owner about turning in the certificate for cash. Some merchants allow this, perhaps less a restocking fee. If you can't exchange for cash and the certificate is transferable, think about selling it to a friend.

Think about holding on to the gift certificate if you don't find anything you like. If there is no expiration date you need only worry about the store closing before you use it.

The best tip is to look for bargains like this Phat Pack at Solange (SLurl). Each outfit is L$300 but the set is L$600, That's a L$100 savings per outfit. Often items in sets like this can be mixed-matched so the number of outfits would increase. A better bargain would be if the outfits were transferable. Lessons here? Combos save money and watch the permissions.

Another tip is to look at the branch locations of a store. Sometimes they run sales that are not available in other locations. This could celebrate an opening or be part of a mall promotion. Sometimes you'll find different products at other locations, too, perhaps due to the maturity level of the land.

Lastly, think about your purchases for a day or two if you can. What looks good one day might not look good the next. You are coming off a high after all the freebies and hunts and sales. Don't let being wound up deplete your wallet.