Along with entering competitions I have become addicted to joining free clubs and newsletters. Many of the comps I enter require you to subscribe to their email newsletter or have an option to tick whether you want to join.
I find many of these newsletters quite useful for letting me know about upcoming events and sales. I even receive the odd discount or freebie through them.
Most times I join a club that interests me or offers something free for joining. It doesn’t take much of my time to join – simply filling out a form – and since it is free I’ve got nothing to lose.
Some of the benefits I’ve received from being in a club or joining a newsletter list are:
1. Birthday gifts or discounts
2. Free sample products, such as coffee or snacks
3. Discount coupons
4. Everyday VIP discounts when I show my membership card
5. Special events like member’s only nights or first option to purchase products
6. Competitions
7. Earning free products
I have joined many clubs over the years and I still enjoy benefits from most of them. Those that I lost interest in, or didn’t receive the benefits I wanted, I simply opted out. That can be as easy as an email or phone call to cancel the membership.
The free clubs I am currently enjoying benefits from are:
• Foodtown OneCard
• Whitcoulls
• ITM Priority Card
• The Film Squad
• Spotlight VIP Club
• Doubleday Book Club VIP
• Kidspot
• Whiskas
• The Craft Depot
• OurFreeStuff
• View Auckland
• Mitre 10
If you have particular interests try searching the web to find a club to join. You may find VIP memberships at many of the places you regularly shop. If not, try asking the manager if there is a newsletter to keep you up to date.
New clubs spring up all the time so keep your eyes open and let me know what you find.
Showing posts with label discount. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discount. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Saturday, 14 July 2007
Does Size Matter?
Yesterday I was doing some Mystery Shops. The nice thing about that job is it gives me an excuse to go to the shopping mall more often than I usually do.
While I was “working” I bought some warm clothes for me and my daughter, as the New Zealand winter has finally shone its chilly side. Of course I began looking at the sale items as I am always trying to save.
I was at Kmart and there were many discounted clothes throughout the store. The racks were full of mismatched items of various sizes as one would expect since many customers put things back where they don’t belong.
So I browsed around the women’s clothing area looking for warm pants and sweaters. I found several items but was quite surprised at the size variation as I held the clothes up to measure against my body. I then took what I had found to the dressing room to make sure they fit.
I was shocked to find that all the clothes fit me just fine, even though they varied in size from 10 to 14. Normally I wear a size 8 or 10, which in American sizes would be equivalent to a size 2 or 4. I know sizing varies country to country and have even found that many Asian-made items are smaller than the tag says, but I have never bought a size 14 piece of clothing before.
While I was looking around I found several children’s size 6 pants that looked big enough to fit my 10 year old daughter. It was hard to believe that the clothes were sized so small. They were obviously too big for a normal 6 year old to wear. I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me and that maybe I couldn’t remember how big my daughter was.
However one good thing about having two daughters is that if the clothes don’t fit the older one then they will eventually fit the younger one. So I decided to take the risk and buy the size 6 pants for her.
I wasn’t too concerned about fit as the price of the clothes is what I really look at. I got a fabulous deal on these items – one of my tops only cost $3.50 and it was originally priced at $30. Wow, what a savings! I ended up spending $114.50 for $240 worth of clothes. That’s a 48% discount!
When I got home I had my eldest try on the size 6 clothes and they fit her just fine. I was amazed. Normally she wears a children’s size 8 or 9 as the size for kids clothes usually coincides with their age (she just turned 10 a few weeks ago).
After she tried on her new clothes I showed her my new ones and then removed the price tags. As I was taking tags off the size 12 hooded top I discovered it had a “kidurable” tag which is Kmart’s guarantee for children’s clothing. I took a closer look at the label in the top and discovered it was a boy’s size 12!
I then found out that the two size 14 pants I had bought were girl’s sizes. That explains why they fit me – they weren’t adult sizes. However it made me concerned to think a 12 or 14 year old child would be wearing such large clothes.
I know I am small but I would never think I was the size of a teenager! What is the world coming to if kids are that big at that young an age? On the brighter side Kmart guarantees (kidurable) those clothes will not wear out before they are outgrown, otherwise they will replace them. I think the odds are in my favour on that one!
This photo shows me holding the adult size 10 pants next to my 10 year old daughter holding the girl’s size 14 pants. They are the same size. If my daughter is big enough to wear my pants in four years time I will be shocked.
Are the manufacturers getting the sizes wrong or are we growing bigger children? What do you think? Maybe the next time you go shopping you should look in the children’s department. You may find some good deals and more fashionable clothing as well!
While I was “working” I bought some warm clothes for me and my daughter, as the New Zealand winter has finally shone its chilly side. Of course I began looking at the sale items as I am always trying to save.
I was at Kmart and there were many discounted clothes throughout the store. The racks were full of mismatched items of various sizes as one would expect since many customers put things back where they don’t belong.
So I browsed around the women’s clothing area looking for warm pants and sweaters. I found several items but was quite surprised at the size variation as I held the clothes up to measure against my body. I then took what I had found to the dressing room to make sure they fit.
I was shocked to find that all the clothes fit me just fine, even though they varied in size from 10 to 14. Normally I wear a size 8 or 10, which in American sizes would be equivalent to a size 2 or 4. I know sizing varies country to country and have even found that many Asian-made items are smaller than the tag says, but I have never bought a size 14 piece of clothing before.
While I was looking around I found several children’s size 6 pants that looked big enough to fit my 10 year old daughter. It was hard to believe that the clothes were sized so small. They were obviously too big for a normal 6 year old to wear. I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me and that maybe I couldn’t remember how big my daughter was.
However one good thing about having two daughters is that if the clothes don’t fit the older one then they will eventually fit the younger one. So I decided to take the risk and buy the size 6 pants for her.
I wasn’t too concerned about fit as the price of the clothes is what I really look at. I got a fabulous deal on these items – one of my tops only cost $3.50 and it was originally priced at $30. Wow, what a savings! I ended up spending $114.50 for $240 worth of clothes. That’s a 48% discount!
When I got home I had my eldest try on the size 6 clothes and they fit her just fine. I was amazed. Normally she wears a children’s size 8 or 9 as the size for kids clothes usually coincides with their age (she just turned 10 a few weeks ago).
After she tried on her new clothes I showed her my new ones and then removed the price tags. As I was taking tags off the size 12 hooded top I discovered it had a “kidurable” tag which is Kmart’s guarantee for children’s clothing. I took a closer look at the label in the top and discovered it was a boy’s size 12!
I then found out that the two size 14 pants I had bought were girl’s sizes. That explains why they fit me – they weren’t adult sizes. However it made me concerned to think a 12 or 14 year old child would be wearing such large clothes.
I know I am small but I would never think I was the size of a teenager! What is the world coming to if kids are that big at that young an age? On the brighter side Kmart guarantees (kidurable) those clothes will not wear out before they are outgrown, otherwise they will replace them. I think the odds are in my favour on that one!
This photo shows me holding the adult size 10 pants next to my 10 year old daughter holding the girl’s size 14 pants. They are the same size. If my daughter is big enough to wear my pants in four years time I will be shocked.
Are the manufacturers getting the sizes wrong or are we growing bigger children? What do you think? Maybe the next time you go shopping you should look in the children’s department. You may find some good deals and more fashionable clothing as well!
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