Tag: shopping

Holiday Want List

Published on by BriAlys

2020 is almost here and there’s no better way to round out the year than with a wish list. For the FIFTH year in a row, I’m sharing my “want list”. This years list items from a few of my favorite / luxury brands across multiple categories. #treatyoself !!! And Enjoy!

LAGOS anything … jewelry $$$$

This brand is amazing. From bracelets, to necklaces, earrings and now Apple Watch bands, LAGOS screams luxury!

DRUNK ELEPHANT skincare $$

Pick anything from this popular skincare line and you can’t go wrong. Their vitamin C serum has been my go to for sometime.

UGG & Barefoot Dreams for cozy apparel $$$

I lumped these two brands together because when I think about staple pieces for the winter, they are my go to. Ugg for the boots (DUH) and actually both brands have AMAZING throws (as in blankets). Barefoot Dreams also has wonderful loungewear.

Sugar Paper holiday wrapping $

Love their designs and color combinations! There’s really nothing more to say. You can find this brand at Target

Stocking Stuffers … from Nordstrom, of course 💁🏽‍♀️ (mugs are by Anthropologie) $ to $$

And finally, SPANX leggings … who knew??! $$

UPS @ CVS

Published on by BriAlys

Earlier this week I ordered contacts online. When I found out they were scheduled to be delivered by UPS on a day I was traveling, I immediately went online to request that UPS to hold the package (or deliver it on another day). This service usually costs $5.

To my surprise, there was another “hold” option available: Have UPS deliver my package to my local CVS for me to pick up later. Say what now??! I immediately selected that FREE option and as I am now sitting in another state, I just got a text alert that my contacts were just delivered to my local CVS (a place I pass by at least twice a day). It will be in safe hands for me to pickup anytime during CVS’ normal business hours over the next seven (7) days. This is a much better option than having my package sit outside on my front porch.

Way to go UPS and CVS! You can select one of CVS’s 12,000 stores nationwide or pickup UPS packages at Michael’s and Advance Auto Parts stores.

CNBC reports that consumers are demanding more ways to pickup and return packages, which is driving these types of corporate partnerships. A few more examples include: FedEx at Walgreens and Amazon at Kohl’s or UPS. In similar news, UPS’ drone technology will soon be used to deliver prescription drugs to CVS patients at their home. Read more here or watch below.

A Random Wednesday Morning

Published on by BriAlys

It’s a random Wednesday morning. I am sitting in the concierge lounge of a Marriott Hotel in Detroit, Michigan. On this morning I had a random thought … spend less.

To be honest it’s not so random. Before I left Atlanta, my garage looked like a warehouse (from all the shipments I have received this week). So much so that hubby had to “organize” all the boxes. Additionally, I analyzed my last Amex statement by category (by hand) last night to see where my money went and how many times I made purchases in each category. As an example, I have two (2) charges for gas, totaling $76.93 (not so bad). By stark contrast, I had thirty one (yes, 31) charges at Target totaling $1,771.37 with $428.11 in returns, bringing the total to $1,343,26. Yes, I know that when you order stuff online they sometimes will charge you multiple times for a single order (depending on where your items are shipping from). Also, most of those expenses are Christmas Decorating (mostly one-time in a new house); but, in my humble opinion that’s still WAAAYYY too much! 🤦🏽‍♀️

Side note: Not to go off of a tangent; but, I do use my American Express card for everything. I also pay it off every month so interest is not a concern.

So my general goal is to spend less. PeriodT! It’s way too easy for me to click a button and order something from Amazon and Target. That will stop. If I can just get a couple of categories under control my monthly financial analysis (that I often do not do) would look so much different! I have three (3) goals:

  1. Limit Target/Amazon purchases to one time a week (maximum). Ideally I should be able to get by with one or two times a month; but, baby steps… Fridays are the only day I will shop in Target. I am ditching Amazon for a while. I also deleted both apps from my phone.
  2. Spend $0 on paper and planning supplies. I have enough paper. I don’t need anymore.
  3. Actually pay attention to what I am being charged at the checkout counter (in any store) and review my bill! I cannot tell you how many times I walk out of a store with a basket full of goodies and have no idea what I paid. #smh

We Don’t Buy Things with Money, We Buy Them with Hours from our Life. read this

So that’s it for me! When is the last time you analyzed your spending? For me, it’s super easy because I put all my charges on one card. As we go into the holiday/shopping season (when I tend to view so many buying guides online), I highly encourage you to do a similar exercise on your most used account (if you have more than one). When you do so, set realistic goals for yourself. Your eyes will truly be opened for the better and your wallet/bank account will thank you!

the social media inspired world of luxury

Published on by BriAlys

This post is mostly about Louis Vuitton … and how super easy it is to get sucked ALL THE WAY in. Instagram and YouTube are mostly the culprits that reel me in. One day I stumbled upon videos on YouTube of people showing off their collections (a cool way to refer to someone’s stash of designer pieces), what’s in my bag videos (what they carry on a daily basis), un-boxings (new product reveals), reviews (what they like  and don’t like ) and finally wear & tear videos (how a handbag is holding up after 1 year, etc.) Oh … you didn’t know? This is entirely a thing! I even made a couple of videos of my own (#WIMB Gucci Soho Disco, #Bag Swap … peep the actual view count from my videos… 👀).

There are hundreds of channels on YouTube (like tv stations) devoted to luxury goods. There’s one particular YouTuber, Minks4All, who produces a weekly Q&A answering all kinds of questions from users…  It’s a coordinated production! She talks about price increases, bag trends, compares bags across designers, all kinds of stuff (I watch it EVERY WEEK… she was 880k subscribers). BTW, one other term I learned watching YouTube is Small Leather Goods (SLG’s) – those are all the designer items that are not handbags (wallets, coin purses, makeup bags, key holders, etc.). And at Holiday time, you can almost always find shopping guides, like from the YouTuber Tracy Hensel. She will do about 3 videos in varying price points. JUST BEWARE OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS… IF YOU LEARN SOMEONE OVER TIME AND THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN START RECOMMENDING RANDOM PRODUCTS, YOU’LL KNOW ITS PAID AND TO #IGNORE IT.

Top luxury designers are Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Dior.

Then there’s Instagram… where one hashtag can change your life! Thinking about getting a certain bag? You can search for it and see how others are styling or wearing it, like the hashtag #lvneverfullmm for Louis Vuitton’s most popular popular tote, the Neverfull. This is how I ended up with my diaper bag, using the hashtag #totesavvy. Using social media platforms to RESEARCH before you BUY is a MUST! Long gone are they days of solely using stock photos from corporate websites to make purchasing decisions.

 

I must admit that I used to watch those videos and wonder how in the world they ended up with such large collections (so many pieces)! … until I realized that I had quite a large collection myself. The answer is either you’re rich … or it was developed over TIME (6 months to a couple of years). I’m actually thinking of posting a collection video myself 💁🏽‍♀️ 👛 (stay tuned to my YouTube Channel just in case something pops up). #pursequeen

Before I end this post, here is the complete list of YouTubers I follow: JerushaCouture (the OG), HappyStylishMommy, 408california408, Kristina Braly,  LuxMommy, LuxPurseLove, Just Jennifer, HaveLouisWillTravel You can find them all on Instagram as well.

Parking Lot Price Switch

Published on by BriAlys

I saw this story online this morning and was shocked; but, not surprised! Here’s the crux: “If you allow Target to track your phone location, the app will switch certain prices from online to in-store.” (kare11) Watch the sneakiness in action below (16 seconds) then come back for tips on how to stop this from happening.

Think of the switching point like an invisible dog fence. Once you cross it (and enter Target’s vicinity) the price shown for a particular item (even if you Google it in store); will automatically adjust to the higher “in store” price. In some cases the prices per item can be DRASTIC $100+).

KARE 11 did an experiment to see if all of this is true. They looked at 10 different products and compared the prices offered on the Target app when they were away from the store and prices on the app when they entered the store. Between all 10 of the items, it would have saved them $262 to purchase these items from the back of the parking lot as opposed to purchasing them while in the store. $262! One of the products they looked at, a Dyson vacuum, jumped $148 after entering the store.

How to stop this from happening? Turn off Target’s ability to track your location. If you’re an iPhone user, go to Settings ==> Privacy ==> Location Services ==> Target (set this value to Never). While you’re at it, turn everything else you don’t need off as well. Sure, it can be convenient to find the nearest store, etc. but as we can see with this story, these features may come at an expense. If you’ve purchased any large items from Target lately, take advantage of their price match policy (14 days) to see if you can save a few bucks. Best Buy, Macy’s, Best Buy and Wal-Mart’s apps don’t currently do this. Also keep in mind the price difference could be the other way around. If you’re purchasing large items, do your research!!!

Full story below (worth watching!).