Online shopping is amazing because there are so many options, but that means there can be too much to keep track of. Here are some of my tips for managing your online shopping experience!

Sign up for emails,

but only from brands you’re actually interested in.

• Too much clutter in your inbox, even great deals, makes your inbox a chore to navigate. If it takes too much effort, you won’t take advantage because you won’t see or be able to find what you’re looking for in the chaos.

• If you find yourself just deleting, never using, unsubscribe! This option is usually in very small print at the bottom of said emails. If you change your mind, you can always resubscribe.

• Yes you may have unlimited email space and yes there’s no harm in signing up for every email service, but your time and brain capacity is limited, so don’t waste it on bogus emails you never look at.

Memberships

• A lot of stores have some kind of membership program that is basically free perks for you, in exchange for your email! Sometimes it’s discounts, a rewards/points system, a birthday gift, better/free shipping/returns, early access to sales or releases. It can be any or none of those things.

• Some of my faves are J. Crew, Madewell, and Anthropologie.

Wishlists

• I browse all the time (really, all the time), but rarely pull the trigger. While I’m looking, I save pieces that really catch my eye. Sometimes that means adding a bookmark, but when I can, I save to a wishlist!

• The great thing about a specific wishlist is that you can see a lot at one time, from one store at a time. They often enable you to save size and color preferences as well so you know if what you want to order is actually available.

• This allows you to easily keep an eye on reviews, discount opportunities, and sales!

• If I don’t purchase a piece immediately, I am definitely less likely to eventually purchase if I haven’t saved it to a wishlist or bookmark somewhere. If it’s not worth saving, I am more likely to forget about it.

For Example

• When Anthro does a round of markdowns, I get an email. Before I check the “fresh cuts” section, I look at my wishlist to see if anything on there went on sale!

• If there’s a good discount code in my inbox, I’ll reference my wishlist to see if there’s anything that I’m still thinking about that’s worth purchasing.

• I check back on my wishlists often to see what still piques my interest, and remove what has gone out of stock and what I no longer want.