I’m not going to lie I hate shopping malls. I hate the crowds, the smells, and the pushy sales people. I hate wandering around aimlessly looking for a particular product only to end up in a sneezing fit in the dreaded perfume department. Every. Single. Time.
That being said, I do love a great deal. I have even occasionally gotten over my shopping anxiety and forced myself to enter the chaos that is the shopping mall in order to take advantage a great deal… albeit only once or twice in my life.
In all honesty, there is nothing more satisfying than being complimented on a piece of clothing and being able to say, “You know how much I paid for this shirt? It was only five bucks!” Bargain. Like really, nobody wants to admit to being overcharged for anything.
This is why I love Macy’s so much. It is the ultimate deal store. From clearance items, to coupons, to one-day sales, Macy’s can’t be beat for their bargains. And what’s even better, especially for a shopping-mall-aphobic like me (yeah, I just coined a term) their online store can’t be beat. Add that to the amazing selection of online Macy’s coupons I can find at GreatDeals.com and I can find the best bargains from the comfort of my own home.
As you may have guessed, I’m a bit of a frugal shopper, so even though shopping online is within my comfort zone I hate paying for shipping. Thankfully Macy’s understands customers like me, so not only can I shop for bargains online and use any of the online coupons I find, but I can also choose to pick my purchases up at the store, thus saving on shipping and handling. And according to this Forbes article, “Why Stores Matter So Much To Macy’s In The Billion Battle For Millennials”, Macy’s has no desire to close any of their retail locations anytime soon.
For those of you that love the hunt, that really like to get right down and dirty when looking for deals, by that I mean those that actually like to go to the shopping mall, well I have a couple of tips for you.
If you want to find a great deal at Macy’s follow these two pieces of sage advice:
#1 – Coupons, Coupons, Coupons
There’s a reason why reality television has devoted some much airtime to those stupid (in my opinion) coupon shows. Coupons Save You Money! Now don’t go crazy and create a stockpile in your basement with thousands of pairs of socks just because you have a coupon. I mean really, how many pairs of socks can one person wear in their lifetime anyway? When it comes to coupons there are many tricks of the trade, just watch an episode of one of those shows and you’ll see what I mean. When it comes to Macy’s you can look for coupons online at places like GreatDeals.com, or even on Macy’s website. Look for their “In Store Savings Pass”, which typically gives you $10 off any purchase over $25. And if you are really nice to the cashier you may even be able to convince them to split your purchases up into $25 increments and use the same coupon multiple times. You have to be really, really nice though. Another tip of the trade, if you forgot to print the coupon, or your smart phone is being dumb, you can very nicely ask the cashier if they have an extra coupon for you. Usually they have a few extras behind the cash, but again, being courteous goes a long way.
#2 – Hit The Clearance Racks
The beauty of Macy’s is that there is always something on sale. Like every single day they are marking products down. Typically when a product first goes on clearance you can get it for 40% off. If it doesn’t sell out right away, which can happen, Macy’s usually marks it down again to 65% off! So when it comes to shopping at Macy’s the best way to find a great deal is to be patient. See something you like, bide your time and within a few weeks you’ll get that sucker for 40% off.
There you have it, I have let you in on the secret of my frugal success. Now get out there and find some bargains.
Now if only I could figure out how to convince Shaq to come to my local Macy’s to sign a few autographs for me.
Ari T.
Tuesday 8th of April 2014
I learned over the years to keep an eye out for coupons for major department stores! And for special weekend sale events! These days a membership can also give you discounts, so that's another way I save! Sometimes the clearance racks are stocked well, but it really depends on when you check them in my experience.