“Whoever said that money can’t buy happiness, simply didn’t know where to go shopping” -Bo Derek

            Flash sale sites like RueLaLa, MyHabit, and HauteLook have been steadily gaining popularity in the past few years. If you are not familiar with such sites, they are online retailers that allow members to shop top designers at sale prices but the sale only lasts for a few hours. So either buy big or go home because it’s a rat race to the checkout button.
            I regularly get emails from all three of these websites and have been tempted to make a purchase, but impulse fashion decisions are not my style. I like to shop around to make sure I am getting the best deal. The worst thing is buying something and then seeing the price go down even more the next day. What these websites fail to remind us fashion-hungry customers is that there are also pricy shipping costs. Not to mention that MyHabit only offers store credit for returned items.

Instead of religiously checking your inbox for sales that last mere hours or until the stock runs out, I have found three websites that are much better at finding online discounts. The first is ShopStyle.com. Unlike RueLaLa or HauteLook, this is a fashion search engine. You can type in any brand or specific product that you are looking for and it will give you options from a variety of sites with prices. ShopStyle even shows you the items that offer free shipping or free returns. An option is even offered to track items you like so there is no pressure to buy instantly. I often feel overwhelmed by online shopping because so many more options are available than when shopping in a store. So by being able to type in exactly what I am looking for I feel more in control of my shopping experience. 

Right:eBags, Center:InvisibleHand, Left:ShopStyle (Google)

My next secret weapon is not so much a website as a browser add-on. InvisibleHand is a tool that monitors items you are shopping for; it doesn’t have to be fashion, but it includes flights, hotels, and technology. A notification bar appears when the item you are looking at is available for a lower price on another website. The prices appear from highest to lowest. Rather than opening up different tabs with multiple stores searching for the best price, InvisibleHand does all the hard work for you.

The last website, eBags, is for purse enthusiasts. Unlike clothes, I think it is much harder to find discounted bags out there. This website has the same brands as the flash sale sites and sometimes sells them at lower prices. As I look at the website, my InvisibleHand is alerting me to a sale it is having. Most of their designer bags have free shipping. Discount shopping should be considered its own sport. I think I do less research for some of my classes than I do trying to find a deal on a Free People dress. Can someone say Summer Olympics 2016? Find the website that works best with your needs and use it. Now you can shop ‘til you drop, without dropping too much money.