Happy Wednesday, ladies! Yesterday I posted my Amazon Prime Day Sales Guide, so today I wanted to do something similar for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Bloggers have been pimping this sale for weeks already and will continue to do so until the sale ends in August. ‘Tis the season of social media. I don’t want to overwhelm you though, so I’m going to stick to one, maybe two, posts about this sale unless you want more. In this post I’m just going to cover some shopping strategies that are good for any sale really, but certainly the Nordstrom sale. And right before the sale goes public, I’ll post a round up of some items you’ll get some good use out of for seasons to come.

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SIMILAR SWEATER // SIMILAR SKIRT // LONGCHAMP BAG // RAYBAN SUNGLASSES

SHOPPING STRATEGIES

When it comes to sales shopping, these big sales are nice, but aren’t the best for general, unfocused shopping. The big sales sign can easily get you caught up with a full cart, and some retail regret $500 later. This is not a clearance sale, so it’s not the time to pick up a bunch of new summer clothes or pick up pieces on a whim.

What it is a great time for, is picking up high-quality, expensive or designer pieces that you’ve been wanting for a much lower price. Think strategically here, what’s been on your list for awhile and rarely goes on sale? Pick up those items in these two sales, Amazon Prime Day and the Nordstrom Sale and you will live happily ever after without any retail regret.

WHAT TO BUY DURING THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is the annual (duh) sale Nordstrom holds which offers discounts on current and upcoming season items and most of the store in general. The sale starts 8 days earlier for card members, if you’re not a member, you can apply here. It is a credit card not just a reward program.

So what should you buy?

Designer items. Wait. Classic designer items. You want to save money on items you’re going to get some love out of. Of course, if you’re a regular Poshmark user or like to resell your designer items, now might be a good time to pick up trendy designer pieces since you won’t lose as much cash in the resale. But for regular consumers, stick to the classics. Even the trendy designer pieces go on deep sales and clearances at the end of the season.

High quality workout gear. (Or, items you are very picky about). Yes, you can find this stuff on clearance at the end of the season at Dick’s Sporting Goods and other stores, but in my personal experience, I am the same size as everyone else everywhere. So my clearance pickings are quite limited. I’m also very picky about my workout gear, tops and shorts especially. So I’m willing to take the risk that a piece will be more deeply discounted later and I’ll lose out on savings if it’s something I’m especially picky about.

Quality fall/winter staples. Notice I said fall/winter there? That’s because quality summer/spring staples are about to go on clearance. But if you are a big fashionista, or just like to have a few fresh pieces every season, you can save some cash on some quality fall staples. Be sure to take a few minutes to browse other favorite stores like H&M, Target, even TJ Maxx and see if they have similar items available at a better price. And remember, cost doesn’t always equal quality so check reviews whenever possible.

WHAT TO SKIP DURING THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

For the most part, skip the trendy stuff. I recommend this in general at Nordstrom, stick to Forever 21 and Shein for trendy. But especially during the sale, it can be super tempting to pick up a ton of the latest trends because they’ve been discounted, but if you actually compare the prices, you still pay more than you would at one of the fast fashion stores.

My only exception to this rule is trends that have established themselves well so far (think, teddy coats and pullovers) and have lasting value, either as something you can wear as a statement piece or just something you can keep wearing if it goes out of fashion on Instagram (i.e. even if teddy coats go out of style, they’re still super cozy and you’ll love them on cold days or winter trips). In that case, it’s worth investing a little bit more so you won’t be buying the same piece again next year.

Do not shop compulsively. Do. Not. Shop. Compulsively. Y’all, with all the Instagram and blog posts going up it can be so easy to get wrapped up in the idea of a “Sale!,” but it’s just another sale. Sales happen year round and it’s not really that hard to find many of these pieces at good prices, especially with the surge of stores like Poshmark where people often sell items that are completely unworn.

Check out my post from last year for even more shopping tips!

Are you shopping the Nordstrom sale? If so, what’s on your list? And if not, why? Share below!