7 Smart Shopping Tips To Cut Your Spending At The Mall

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1. Always Check Mall Apps for Discounts Before You Go

You wouldn’t walk into a sale blindfolded, right?

Checking mall apps before you shop is like having the cheat codes for every deal in the building.

You’ll often find:

Exclusive Coupons are only available through the mall’s official app.
Flash Sales that appear hours before stores announce them.
Parking Perks or Rewards that add bonus discounts or freebies.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Before heading out, download your local mall app, check “Today’s Deals,” and screenshot your favorite offers to show at checkout.

Make It Easy: Use Capital One Shopping to automatically find coupon codes and price drops before you even set foot in the mall.

2. Walk the Mall Once Before Spending Anything

Here’s the thing. You don’t know what’s worth buying until you’ve seen it all.

Walking the mall first stops you from falling for every “50% off” sign that screams your name.

Here’s what you’ll notice when you do:

Better Prices on similar items at different stores.
Hidden Clearance Sections you might’ve missed if you rushed in.
Impulse Traps that suddenly look a lot less tempting after a lap.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Do one full walk-through before buying anything and take photos of items you like; come back only to the best deals.

3. Look for End-of-Season Clearance Sections First

You know that rack in the back that looks ignored?

That’s where the gold lives.

Stores mark down last season’s styles up to 70% off just to make space.

What you’ll often find:

High-Quality Clothes that will still look great next season.
Accessories and Shoes that never actually go “out of style.”
Massive Discounts stacked with store coupons for wild savings.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Head straight to clearance racks before looking anywhere else, and check tags for extra markdown stickers.

4. Shop During Weekdays to Find Cheaper Prices

Weekends are chaos. And retailers know it.

During weekdays, stores quietly roll out discounts for savvy shoppers who actually pay attention.

You’ll notice perks like:

Midweek Flash Sales are meant to boost slower traffic.
Shorter Lines so you can spot hidden markdowns without the crowd.
Better Inventory since items aren’t picked over yet.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Sneak in a weekday trip after work or lunch and check for “Midweek Sale” signs. They’re real, not myths.

Make It Easy: Keep a lightweight foldable shopping cart in your trunk for those quick weekday mall hauls.

5. Bring a Friend to Split BOGO Deals

Two shoppers, one brilliant plan.

When stores run “Buy One, Get One,” splitting the deal with a friend means half the cost and double the fun.

Here’s the beauty of it:

Instant Savings since you only pay for what you’ll actually use.
Accountability Buddy who’ll stop you from overspending.
Shared Finds that make shopping more social and smart.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Coordinate with a friend before going. Plan to split BOGO offers or multi-pack items right there at checkout.

Make It Easy: Bring a small foldable divider bag to separate your items from your friend’s right away.

6. Check Outlet Malls for the Same Brands Cheaper

Why pay full price when the same sweater is $40 less across town?

Outlet malls are where brand names secretly go on clearance without telling anyone.

You’ll love this part:

Same Brands and quality, just with last season’s tags.
Extra Discounts during major holidays like Labor Day and Black Friday.
Stackable Coupons that most people don’t even realize exist.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Search “outlet” in your GPS, compare prices online first, and only go for brands you truly wear often.

Make It Easy: Pack a reusable water bottle. You’ll last longer and skip pricey mall drinks.

7. Avoid the Food Court to Keep More Money

You go in for a snack and leave with a $15 combo meal. Sound familiar?

The food court is where good budgets go to die.

Here’s how it adds up fast:

High Prices that sneak up on you one smoothie at a time.
Impulse Eating because the smell of pretzels messes with your willpower.
Time Drain that keeps you sitting instead of shopping smart.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Eat before you shop or bring a small snack, so hunger doesn’t trick you into a $20 lunch.

Make It Easy: Carry a compact snack container. You’ll thank yourself when that cinnamon smell hits.

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