Good morning from rainy Savannah, Georgia!

Today’s weather may not be perfect but that still can’t ruin my time down here with my family. I’ve been able to recover from Las Vegas’ craziness quite well. I’ve definitely enjoyed some of life’s little luxuries since I’ve been home:

• Sleeping 8 hours each night in a brand new queen size bed
• Unlimited bowl of fruit including the first peaches of the season
• Nature’s Pride Bread (not available north of Virginia)
• Quality time with my family’s two cats
• Lots of laughter

In case you’re catching up, yesterday we celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday with a long walk on the beach, outlet shopping, and then dinner at Elizabeth’s on 37th. A few people have asked for tips on outlet shopping so, while I’m no expert, I thought I would provide my two cents. Based on yesterday’s experience, I’ve definitely learned a few things over the years.

Efficient Outlet Shopping Tips:

• Make sure the outlet is worth your time. Do your research ahead of time to see which stores are currently open at your outlets. Unless the outlet center is a hop and a skip from your home, it isn’t worth the cost of gasoline it if there is only one store. We’ve found over the years that stores come and go quickly so doing research ahead of time can save time.
• Check out their website or savings club. The two main outlet companies, Premium and Tanger, both have great websites. These websites feature all their outlets around the country, a list of stores, hours, and directions. In addition, they often include online coupons and savings alerts. Today on both Premium and Tanger Outlet site there are 20% off coupons to over half of their stores! Their $10 Tanger Club gives you a gift card on your birthday, coupon books, and special web offers!  The Premium outlets have a similar club which is FREE!

• Make a list ahead of time of what you actually need. It’s easy to let the sale signs get you excited and then purchase things just because it’s on sale. Yesterday, I found myself trying on dresses that I didn’t need or even love just because they were half off. Luckily, my partner in crime, knew what I needed and wanted and convinced me that they weren’t worth even their sale price. Yesterday my mom and I both made a clear list of what we needed which helped us choose which stores we went to and limited our time in the stores. My list was as follows:
• Summer work dress
• Dress/romper for Miami and Bermuda
• Brown skinny belt
• Bright summer earrings
• Suit
• Bring a friend. Having a friend with you who knows your style and your weaknesses will help protect your money. Sometimes your conscience doesn’t speak loud enough during shopping trips, especially with sale signs screaming at your from every direction.  

Do you have any additional outlet tips?