Okay, here’s the deal on this one. I thought I had a few pairs of shoes left in my closet. Then I went to look and I did a double take. 🙂 I couldn’t find any additional pairs of shoes. I thought I had purchased shoes on sale in the past and kept them for the future. So much for that idea.
I didn’t need to panic. A holiday sale was about to occur; so I knew there would be some good sales available. Then I remembered on the way to one store that DSW has some pretty decent prices and great selections for me to choose from. So I drove over to the DSW based in Boca Raton, Florida…over by Glades Road and 441.
It took me a while to decide which shoe I wanted. The three things I looked for in the style of the shoe was:
- Stiching – I wanted it to be more shoe and less stiching.
- No Shoelaces – Who has time for them? 😉 I don’t like shoe laces. I prefer loafers. To me, they look sharp.
- Squared Toe Action – This gives a sleak look to a sleak looking guy like myself! 😉
In the past, I took photos of shoes I’d like to purchase in the future at this same store. So I was smart in thinking about the future. I wanted to get an idea if they had the same shoes later on at the same price. If I couldn’t find it, I could always show a staff member the photo on my cell phone with the name brand & possibly item number. Then they can help me find the shoes I was originally interested in.
Back to my experience…so I found a staff member and showed them a photo stored in my cell phone. They helped me immediately. I narrowed my choices down to a pair of Aldo and Steve Madden shoes. I really liked the Aldo shoe, but just didn’t like that the toe was a bit more rounded than I was hoping for. The Steve Madden shoe was relatively squared off at the toes. The stiching was less than more so I was okay with it.
The price was definitely affordable. Breaking the pricing down:
- The regular price was listed at $110.00.
- DSW’s price was listed at $69.95.
- They claim I would save $40.05 if I bought this shoe selection.
- At this point, I felt like I was being offered a deal.
I didn’t really do my homework and honestly, didn’t care to google it. For me, I just wanted to get in and out at this point because it was late and I put in a long day of work.
CONSUMER TIP: Have your smart phone available and google the name brand of the shoe. Then select the “shopping” option near the top. You’ll be able to price out the competition. Some stores will honor the lower price depending on the respective stores policy.
When I went to the cashier, I asked them if I had any points on my rewards program with them. I didn’t think I had anything worth while, as I haven’t shopped with them in a while. Remember, I didn’t have any new pairs of shoes in my closet so I didn’t think I had accrued any points to be redeemable as savings for future purchases. Sure enough, after they looked up my account, the cashier confirmed I had a $10.00 credit I can use. I played it cool and told the cashier she can allocate it to my purchase. SMOOTH MOVE BY THE SOUTH FLORIDA SAVINGS GUY! 😉
I didn’t have any coupons with me for DSW; however, this is how I saved an additional $10.00 off of the purchase of my shoes. Instead of paying $69.95, I paid $59.95 (outside of the taxes of course). So if my calculations are correct, I saved an additional 14% off the sale price before taxes. I’d say I did pretty good. If you go by the retail price listed as $110.00 and what I paid which was $59.95 (again before taxes), then I saved $50.05 on this pair of Steve Madden shoes; that’s 45% off of the retail suggested price. I would have felt even better if I used a store coupon but I can’t complain. Yeah, I’m feeling good about this score! 😉
The moral of my story and shopping experience for you to take away for your next shoe purchase is:
- Do your research (unlike me on this trip) for a few pairs of shoes you might like by looking online.
- If you are out and about and want to buy something but not ready, use your cell phone camera take a picture of the pair of shoes and model number (and if possible price tag/signage).
- That will be very helpful in locating the shoes of choice later on.
- Join up for store rewards programs. You’ll never know when you’ll acrue points.
- Don’t forget to ask a staff member to confirm the amount of points/dollars you have accrued on your account.
- You might be surprised like I did when you have extra savings coming your way.
- Feel good when you score a great price – it’s okay to smile! 🙂
My own reflection on something. I don’t like to be cheap. I definitely like to spend when I like to spend; however, in-between behind the scenes whether it’s buying myself something at the grocery store, a restaurant or store (including events and traveling), I enjoy the thrill of being able to save money. It enables me to spend more later on. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to pay full price. I don’t bargain with store or restaurant owners or managers; however, I do come prepared and put myself in positions to be able to save money. I hope to help you save money for your next shopping experiences; including buying your next pair of shoes! 🙂
