Shop Savvy

I've always loved shopping. As the only girl, shopping always meant spending time with my mom and having girly, indulgent fun without my brothers or dad #noboysallowed. Nowadays the majority of my shopping is done online.

I used to be on countless email lists and would get daily alerts of current 'deals' happening at my favorite stores. However, thanks to Unroll Me I've narrowed my store emails down to my top favorites. In the blog world many ladies will dedicate entire posts to whatever 'sale' is happening that day, week, etc. Yet, are these sales really saving you that much money?

One thing that amuses me about online shopping is the different ways they try to lure you in. For instance, many stores will put a time limit on their sales which gives you a sense of urgency to purchase something before the 'sale' goes away. I know many people who have fallen into this retail trap. However, if you follow these sales you'll notice an obvious pattern.

This is where Raise.com comes in. This new gift card market place explains that they "want to help you actually save money, rather than just feel like you're saving it." Raise details the transparency of various internet shopping 'deals' in this eye-opening post.

My favorite stores like Gap, Old Navy, and J. Crew Factory almost always offer at least 20% off, and many give a student discount of 15% which is awesome if you're a broke college kid like me. Their constant promotions make it a bit ridiculous to buy something full price these days. 

Instead of falling into the retail rabbit hole Raise allows you to sell unused or unwanted gift cards and buy others at a discounted rate. Sounds pretty great to me! Go check out Raise.com and start (really) saving! Happy shopping!

-Lanie W.