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Initially, I thought I had to spend more to get more. And I did. But I soon learned that I could marry my love for bargain hunting with my need for a solid wardrobe. I opted for no-iron blouses instead of screen-printed tees and slacks instead of Yoga sweats at my new favorite store, Coldwater Creek.
On its surface, Coldwater Creek is a bit pricey: $90 dresses and $100 blazers. Who can afford that? But with some savvy shopping skills, I've been able to save upwards of 70% each time I shop. Recently I even scored items for FREE!
Here are my money-saving secrets to scoring big at Coldwater Creek:
- Combo Promotions: CWC online offers routine combo promotions. Get a certain percentage off merchandise and free shipping, or a certain dollar amount off merchandise with a free gift (like buy a cardi for $20 off, get a tank). Combo promotions are also routinely available at their online outlet. Wait for their best promotion of 50% off outlet prices with free shipping to get the deepest discounts.
- Free Shipping Promotions: CWC runs free shipping promotions several times each month, so I never pay the nearly $10 advertised shipping cost. These promotions are announced online, or in advance through an e-mail subscription.
- Rolling Rewards: This past month, CWC offered a free $10 coupon (no restrictions) with all shipped orders. So I bought a small item using a gift card and received my first $10 coupon. I then immediately used it on a discounted layerable tank that was priced at just under $10 during a free shipping promotion. Five days later, my tank arrived in the mail—with another $10 coupon! I continued this process 4 times, scoring items that were discounted to under $10 each time. What this means: each item was absolutely free! I ordered over $130 of regularly-priced merchandise and paid nothing out of pocket.
- Cheap Outlet Gifts: With CWC, "cheap" does not necessarily mean "low-quality." Because their merchandise is on-trend and changes seasonally, outlet items are drastically reduced from their original prices. Under $10 items are always available; seed bead jewelry, cotton tees, scarfs, candles, and CDs are my favorite items to pick-up.
- Reward Dollars for Loyalty: CWC rewards its customers. On the one-year anniversary of my first purchase, the company sent me an electronic coupon good for $20 off any purchase—no restrictions! I was able to treat myself to a fun top (on sale, of course!) for no cost whatsoever. Happy anniversary to me!
- Credit for Survey Completion: Some CWC customers get asked to participate in pre-season clothing surveys. I got chosen to preview outfits online for their Holiday 2011 collection last year—and got rewarded $10 for 15 minutes of my time. Money AND a clothing preview? Score
- Remember the guarantee: Just as important as the merchandise is the backing. CWC's lifetime guarantee on merchandise ensures that if a zipper busts or a lining separates, I can return the product with no fuss. A guarantee like that means my initial investment is ensured for the life of the product!
For me, shopping at Coldwater Creek (mostly online) has been a fun way to update my wardrobe on a budget. Now I've got classy, adult clothing and jewelry that make me look and feel great—all bought at highly-discounted prices.
This has been a guest post by Audrey from Texas
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