Online Shopping Addict: How to Become a Savvy Online Shopper

For some inexplicable reason ever since I have gotten to university, I seem to have gained a new addition to amplify my addictive personality. It's nothing to cause major concern, I have a, what I believe to be normal, relationship with alcohol for a student at least, I haven't tried any dangerous, mind altering drugs. But online shopping gets me every single time. On a whim, I'll casually open a few new tabs in my browser and type the magic words: H&M, River Island, TopShop, Miss Selfridges, ASOS, New Look, Zara, Urban Outfitters, getthelabel.com, bohoo.com, missguided.com. And the next thing I know I have ten new parcels en route to me in the post, to the point where when they arrive I have no recollection of what I selected to buy.

The problem with this is, it's not very savvy and it is expensive. I buy things whimsically, if they look nice and pretty I'll purchase: I am the ultimate consumer. But, more often than not, I make mistakes, things that look good on the model wouldn't suit me as much, I absolutely hate it when that happens, or even though the product is lovely it is ridiculously expensive (cough cough TopShop) and I would only wear it a limited amount of times, I'm not Millie Mackintosh if I went to lectures in Boutique dresses I would get stared at for all the wrong reasons. So this is a helpful  guideline, I hope, on how to become a savvy online shopper.

1. Use online outlets to browse the sales specifically. As there is usually a much wider range than what you would see in store.

2. Set yourself a price limit, in the advanced search you can cap how much you are willing to spend on merchandise, I tend to cap at around £20, but depending on the shop i.e. TopShop and Miss Se
lfridges, the good stuff in those collections are around £40.

3. One word: ASOS. I love this website, it has so many different brands. I have recently started using ASOS Marketplace and got two pairs of fabulous boots. One TopShop pair that would have cost £90 but I got for £30 and a tan pair from New Look which would have cost £20 but I got for £6!

4. Ebay is also great, learning how to use it is something I would definitely recommend  After all, everyone has clothes they don't wear anymore instead of chucking them away, donate them or give them to one of those Cash for Clothes companies, if you're not going to try and sell them.

5. Always envision how your potential purchase would look on you, would it suit your skin tone? Is it a flattering length? Do you have anything to wear it with in your wardrobe already? If you don't have the funds to buy a whole knew outfit, then really is it worth it? If it's just going to sit in your wardrobe not collecting compliments then leave it, your money could be better spent.

6. Do take consideration of weather, fair enough if you're going on holiday and you want to buy your body weight in gorgeous tropical print bikinis, but every year i get suckered into buying summer collections, since March I have been filling closet space with crop tops and flirty summer dresses and shorts and have I had a chance to wear a single one. No. Be smart and realistic.

7. Always go for clothes that can be staples, clothes you can dress down or up and will be versatile. For me those are leggings, oversized jumpers, shirts and skater dresses. I love all of them and practically live in them, they are so versatile and can be adapted to warm or cold weather.

8. Before you go surfing those high-priced brands (my personal favourite being All Saints and Ted Baker) look for similar alternatives in other exclusively online stores like Very and bohoo. I sometimes find great websites when flicking through a magazine.

9. Keep your student card handy and always check if there is a discount code for that day, Dorothy Perkins usually have discounts quite frequently at least that is what my mail tells me. So check it, you'll kick yourself later on when you realise how much you could have saved.

10. Finally check the returns policy, if you're unsure about an item and you still insist on buying it, check on how you could return it and when you would have to return it by, is there a store near you? That is why ASOS is so great, it's free postage and packaging when you return their items so if you're not sure just send it back no muss no fuss. All Saints is harder, the only store, as far as I know, is in London and as they don't allow you to return online purchases in Selfridges, for me it's a bitch to return any items so I have to think long and hard before I buy especially considering the price tags.

That was quite an extensive list, I apologise if a lot of it felt like common sense, and I really hope it helps even a little bit. For me on my list, the first thing is to take my own advice, but then I suppose you learn from your mistakes, and now I can pass on my "lessons" to all you wonderful people. To leave you with one last piece of recycled advice from Confessions of A Shopaholic, repeat after me "Do I need this? Do I?" and of course remember there is always Primark. The most bargainous shop of all, seriously if you can't trust yourself online go to Primark. The day they get an online store, I will be transported into figurative heaven. Thank you for reading and please comment, if there is in fact anyone out there. I'll upload some pictures of my fantastic bargainous purchases in my next post.