Smart Cookies

Being a savvy shopper doesn’t mean descending on the bargain bin at the dollar store and loading up you cart just because something is on sale. After realizing some of us are inherently “Sale” shoppers we’re careful now  not to confuse “price” with “value”.

When we came across this article at Put This On, we had to share! We’ve pulled our favorite Smart Cookie bites that Jesse writes as lessons she learned from her hardworking, modest income earning mom, who managed to build a home, a wardrobe and a life full of timeless beauty and elegance. Now, THAT is Smart Cookie. You can check out the whole article here:

Buy things that hold their value. Generally I’d say buy things that increase in value, as good art or furniture does, but with clothes, that’s tough. Fashions change, and clothes are easy to damage. Remember, though, that when you tear the tags off of that shirt from H&M, its value goes from $20 to $1 in an instant.The naval peacoat I bought at a garage sale in high school is still worth two or three times the $20 I paid for it.

Buy things that are repairable. Good shirts can have their collars and cuffs replaced Good shoes can get new soles. Good luggage can have straps replaced. Whenever possible, buy things that can be fixed, rather than discarded.

Don’t confuse price and value. Quality correlates to price, but it certainly doesn’t correlate to price directly. There’s plenty of expensive crap out there, and there are plenty of big markdowns that aren’t very useful to you. It can be tough to resist that orange cashmere sweater marked from $490 to $49 – that’s 90% off. But how valuable is an orange cashmere sweater to you? Unless you’re in a community theater production of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, it may be less than $49, no matter what the original price sticker says. Similarly, brand has gone from a shorthand for quality to a shorthand for, well, brand. A tag that says “Coach” used to mean the best in leather goods. Now it means you can afford to buy Coach branded leather goods. Or knockoffs thereof.

Accept that you might not get it now. If you look at your purchasing decisions as a problem that needs an immediate solution, you’ll always end up at Target or Ikea.  When you actually give some consideration to what really is a “must have it now” item (roof repairs) and what’s a “when it comes along item” (new sweater), you can buy from a position of strength.

We know it takes some research to search out the best quality for the best price, but sometimes shopping online can be your best bet .