Top Five Things to Make Your Next Shopping Trip Easier

If your life is anything like mine, when it comes to going shopping, you are probably dreading the whole idea. During the hustle and bustle of my typical day filled with craziness and chaos, shopping should be more like therapy than a chore. *Hint: Retail Therapy* Because of my lovely daughters, the whole idea makes me groan. Seriously, I think they made a pact to make me crazy. Let me further explain:

This is how the typical shopping day goes. We pull up to the mall and my youngest is already asking me for ice cream. Once we get inside, the sighing, complaining, and never -ending questions begin. My youngest will say something along the lines of this, "How long are we going to be here? How many stores are we going to go to?" Then as we go store to store, she yells out really loud, "No don't even think about it mom, you are not even going to go into this store." Yup, that's my girl.

So after my last shopping fail, I came up with this list and I implement it now on all shopping trips.

• Pick out your inspiration pieces ahead of time. I will go on Pinterest or grab a magazine clipping of a couple of my favorite inspiration pieces. When I go into every store, I will look for those specific items. It is much easier to focus on specific pieces or whole outfits than just to grab what you see.
• Involve your kids.I will show my girls what I am looking for, and I will tell them to help look. This allows them to feel like they are helping and not just standing around.
• Buy 2 instead of 1.When shopping at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe you know you are not getting the best quality, and most of the time, they don't re-stock items. So when they are out of an item, that's it. I like to buy two of any  T-shirts, tanks, and bras. (i.e I bought a white flowy T-shirt at Forever 21 and I fell in love with it, my daughter did laundry and dried it. It shrunk and I was so sad. I went back to find it, and they only had one available. They only had one medium left. I grabbed it, but you might not be as lucky).
• Look ahead online. If you have time or are lucky to find something with a link, email it to yourself, and show it to your associate. They can pull it up on their computer, and tell you if they have it or not. This will save you so much time. I used to spend hours looking for a specific shirt to find out they didn't have my size. That is so frustrating.
• Check ahead for sales/coupons. Always check if there is any upcoming sales. You can also subscribe for emails from your favorite stores. They will send you updates and special offers. This can save you a lot of money. Don't forget coupons. I always keep my coupons in my wallet. Just in case I make a last minute run to the mall. These coupons can save you a lot.(i.e save $50 on a $125 purchase)

I hope this article will help you on your next shopping trip. Please share your comments about this article. Thank you.