Trying to find the real deal in cheap handbags when it comes to shopping is a pain. I can’t tell you how many times I have been clueless as to know how to shop for a handbag and what to look for? There were times when I didn’t even know I had to look for something. All I was focused on was the price. My motto back then when I had less cash in my pockets was “If it ain’t FREE then it’s too expensive!” Yes, now that’s just a glimpse of how bad I was at shopping in general and especially for handbags. You have to look for items that give you the BANG for your BUCK. But how do you go about this? Well, after months of shopping for handbags in various stores and even online stores, I have came up with the following solution and tips that will help you with cheap handbag shopping:

Know the value or worth of a handbag. This goes for any item that you may be shopping for but are looking for it at a discounted price. Understand how much a handbag generally costs. Now I know that in this category you would say “It depends on the brand of the handbag.” You are correct; however, still guesstimate the price of a handbag despite if it’s Gucci or Fucci. So I would say a handbag costs around $25; however, a GOOD handbag (something decent with a decent style, decent material, and produces a decent performance of holding all of the items you have stored inside of it) would be approximately $45. Designer handbags would be anything above that. For instance, $90 for a Coach bag or even $150 for one would sound about right. More of the mid-class bags such as XOXO should be noramlly priced around $50+. (Knowing this would also help you shop on eBay and know when to keep bidding to a reasonable and fair price or to know when to stop and say “Hey! You’re ripping me off now buddy!)

When you know the general cost of a handbag, that will give you sort of a measuring scale of how much of a deal you are actually getting. So let’s say you walk into Walmart and decide to get a handbag. If you come across a bag that is $90 and it’s not even a name brand or designer, STOP; put the handbag back onto the rack, turn around and walk straight out of there because clearly Walmart has lost it’s mind. “Why?” you may ask. Well, for $90 for a no-name bag (despite it’s durability, performance, etc.) you might as well spend that $90 on a popular brand bag that is 100% trusted by all of it’s consumers globally such as Coach. Don’t cheat yourself! And don’t allow yourself walking around looking crazy with a $90 no-name Walmart handbag! Don’t do it, please. You don’t know much about the brand so don’t be willing to fork over all that cash just for you to experiment. Go with Coach, DB, XOXO or any designer brand because those are brands that you can trust and are trusted by millions of handbag wearers. Now if you walk into Walmart again and find a handbag that is $25 or less and isn’t made out of plastic and toothpicks then you have hit your jackpot. Know that you are getting a deal when purchasing that particular handbag.

Online shopping is quick and easy. You surf, you look about, and often with a few clicks of your mouse you can purchase what you have been
looking for. It doesn’t replace shopping in real life though. Here are some factors that make shopping in the real world a better idea:

You can’t try anything on online. No matter how cute it looks on the website, you have no idea how it is going to look once it is in your house and on your person.

Even if you look at lots of pictures of the thing, or see it in videos, you don’t get a really good idea of what it is going to look like in person. The texture of the thing, the weight of fabric and so on, are all things you have to experience in person.You have to wait for your item. Sure, when you buy online there’s often a free or inexpensive shipping option. It’s rarely a fast option though.

Unless you want to wait five business days or longer to get your purchase, you’re better off shopping in a store.Five business days is actually pretty long. If you order on a Wednesday, then you will be waiting often until the following Wednesday or so to get your item, because the order may not go in until the next day, and then Saturday and Sunday don’t count. Contrast this with paying for your order in a store and then walking out with it in hand and bringing it home with you.

This is the major advantage to shopping in person. It may be more of a hassle to go out shopping than it is to surf and click at home, but the
inconvenience is outweighed by bringing your purchase home that same day.

The pain of returns. When you buy online, you are taking a gamble. If you turn out to not like your new purchase and you want to send it back, it can be a real pain.

Often you have to get a return number to be able to send it back. You’ll have to call the company to get this number. Then you need to repackage the item for shipping. If the original package is damaged this is even harder – and if it was originally shipped in pieces and you assembled it, this can mean you will now have to take it back apart. Big, bulky items are also very tricky – and expensive – to package and ship.

Then you have to get your package to a post office or FedEx, or arrange for it to be picked up by a shipper. Either way, this is going to burn more of your time.