Andrea KramerHave you ever considered a big splurge purchase? Perhaps a Louis Vuitton bag, maybe something Gucci? No one is judging. After years of putting your kids first, second and third and paying the mortgage or maybe even helping your parent’s with their expenses-we couldn’t agree more- you have earned it!
Here are some hacks to make that pricey splurge, well, a little less pricey.
How about a Balmain blazer? The Balmain brand is rock-star and Kardashian chic, but somehow manages to still look very, very good if you are over 50.
Neiman Marcus has a classically beautiful Balmain blazer for the eye-popping price of $2750.
https://bit.ly/2P81kRY
You can get 10% cash back without even really trying, just sign up with http://rakuten.com
Use the Rakuten site as the portal to open the Neiman’s page and voila- 10% savings. Sign up for Neiman’s emails and there’s another 15% one-time only savings. And you can always hope for a promotion code or sale for more savings. But instead of waiting for a promo code to fall from the sky, you can find a black Balmain blazer for $1392 on Italist.com. That’s just about half the price. And if you feel that isn’t enough- you can also get 2.5% cash back if you use Rakuten as the portal to Italist.com. Not bad! Note, you will pay customs duties on some items, but then again there is no sales tax and no shipping charge.
https://bit.ly/2uUv5P2
Or maybe you are eyeing the much less crazy Danse Lente Phoebe bag at Saks which is still kind of crazy at $430.
https://bit.ly/2V4B4eS
You can use Rakuten again for 10% cash back at Saks. Or you can find the same bag (in a much cuter color if you ask me) on Farfetch.com for $297. And in the spirit of every little bit helps, Rakuten’s portal will get you 1% cash back at Farfetch. The good news is Farfetch’s prices include import duties but they add a small shipping fee. Overall, you will still find yourself saving almost 30%.
https://bit.ly/328zVUZ
Last splurge of the day- these Malone Souliers mules with cute kitten heels manage to make you look current while still being quite comfortable (try half a size larger than normal)- They are at Nordstrom for $595. No luck with Rakuten or promo codes here. You’ll pay $595 but at least the shipping is free.
https://bit.ly/2u9E8vb
Italist.com to the rescue again. Same exact shoes for $493.51 (the prices are weird because of European exchange rates) but this time you will not be paying tax, shipping charge or customs duties. Plus you still get 2.5% cash back if you use Rakuten. Com. Total savings slightly over $100 for the same exact shoes-boom!
https://bit.ly/2u9E8vb
Other tips – when you can, do sign up for retailer emails for savings and coupon codes. Also, check sites like Retailmenot.com https://www.retailmenot.com for coupons and promo codes. However, be careful when searching for promo/coupon codes, there are some unscrupulous sites that will add cookies and generally slow down your browser. If you are shopping with smaller retailers, follow them on Facebook or Instagram for sales and savings. With a few minutes of effort you can save hundreds of dollars on luxury items. Happy splurging!