How to Shop

Most of my blog posts recently have been a little, shall we say, all over the place. Being pregnant, adhd, and busy with work and life, its hard to keep my thoughts flowing in a concise manner. For that, I apologize. I have a lot of things I want to share with you in the coming days (the biggest being the nursery, which Husband just called to say that he really "loved the paint color I chose"....I haven't seen it, but I'm excited to get home and check out the progress)but until then, this is a post I have been wanting to write for a good long time (even though, no one really reads my blog, not even my step-mom, who should, because she still hasnt seen my fat belly, but i digress).

What's this bad boy all about? My favorite online shopping sites :)


So, its no surprise to those that know me that I LOVE to shop. But not shopping in stores, no, malls kind of stress me out (and I live in what could be considered a mall mecca, being a mile from THE Lenox Mall...aka the square and Phipps Plaza), besides, even when I go to malls, I refuse to try things on (grosses me out) so its kind of like, whats the point, yah know? I also REFUSE to pay retail, there is absolutely no sense in paying full price for ANYTHING...In fact, most people who know me will ask me "Hey Steph, can you find me the lowest price on _____" or "WIll you be on the look out for ______ for less than _____ dollars?", so I guess its time I share some of my online shopping go-to sites. Without further adeu, here are my FAV sites online!


1.) If you do not have an ebates account, you must be living under a rock. First of all, its free money...if you're going to shop online anyways, why not get a little cash back? Second, they list out the different stores coupon codes, so when you click on store, you get a list of all available coupon codes! Easiest way to save money, by far! After you've done a little shopping and accumulated some cash back, they mail you a check (It's mailed like once a quarter)


Sign up for an Ebates membership immediately. You will use it. Trust me.

2.)Amazon. Who doesn't love amazon.com? I've found amazon to be incredibly useful for comparing prices on baby gear (like carseats, swings, etc), because babies are expensive enough, why pay more than you have to? When you find something you love at a store, check amazon and get an idea of what that item is going for elsewhere. (Amazon may be the cheapest, sometimes its not, but its a good comparison tool, none the less). If you are a mom (or soon to be mom), sign up for an Amazon Mom membership. Its free and you get amazon prime benefits for up to 12 months (aka, free shipping!!)

3.) Speaking of babies...if you haven't heard about No Better Deal you should probably check it out. It's basically a company that sells returned and/or damaged boxed items. For example, they have a "Fisher Price Zen Collection Cradle Swing", lowest retail price $134.98 (Oh and they list a number of websites and what each website is selling the item for) for sale for $87.99. Shipping is very reasonable, too.

(oh, and if any of my friends or family are reading this, I really like this swing!!!)
They also have excellent deals on diapers, too, as well as computers, tvs, clothing and jewelry, you name it.

4.) Members Only Sites-I love Zulily (They have great deals on baby stuff), Rue La La (I buy ALL my lilly stuff from Rue La La, they have the BEST customer service, EVER!) and Gilt . I have tried other members only websites (Beyond the Rack) but have not had such good luck (Don't get me started on the Tory Burch debacle). I'm also a member of Joss and Main and One Kings Lane (which is all home goods) but I haven't ordered anything yet, so don't want to toot any horns just yet.

*Side Note, I just recently discovered that you can get cash back on zulily purchases through ebates, its good, too, like 7%.

5.) J Crew Factory Store (Online). J Crew Afficionadas will know about this, but for those that don't, J Crew has an online factory store that is only available on the weekends (Friday-Sunday). I still only buy stuff when I can score an additional 30% off, but you can get pretty good deals (especially this time of the year!)

6.) Ebay-there are a lot of potential problems with buying off ebay (knock offs, deadbeat shippers, etc) but for the most part, ebay can be a great way to get a great deal on everything from jeans to electronics. After doing A LOT of research, I actually bought my husbands wedding ring off ebay and ended up getting a fantastic deal (with free engraving), but you have to be smart when dealing with online auction sites and definitely do your research.

7.) FACEBOOK. Yep, no kidding. The key is "liking" your favorite retailers or designers...you can get insider knowledge on sample and warehouse sales, as well as unpublished coupons...easy and quick.

So, those are my favorite sites. I will try to blog a little later on this thrifty shopaholics steps to getting the best deal, but for now, go check out some of the sites I listed, you won't be disappointed!