For something that nearly every woman needs, bras can be ridiculously expensive. There’s nothing quite so irritating as shelling out $60 on a plain, flesh-colored bra just so you don’t look like a street walker in your regular clothing. That’s as much as a nice dinner out for two!
While you might expect to pay that much for something covered in lace, the reality is that most of us fill our drawers primarily with practical, everyday brassieres, and they still cost a small fortune.
So what’s a girl to do? Put your frugal thinking cap on and combine coupons, rewards and sales to get a price that is much lower. Victoria’s Secret and Adore Me are two companies that show you how you can bring sexy back, even when you’re on a tight budget.
When it comes to Victoria’s Secret, the real secret is the Angel credit card. The Angel card works as a rewards card and gives you points for every purchase. You get $10 for every 250 points. Usually, 1 point equals $1 spent, but there are numerous occasions throughout the year that the points are doubled or even tripled.
However, the real reason to join is the monthly coupons. Each month you receive a $10 off coupon, a coupon for a free pair of panties and two additional coupons that vary — lately it’s been a deal for buying a sports bra and some free gift if your spend above a certain amount on a certain day of the month.
You get these coupons every month. Additionally, on your birthday, you receive an extra $10 off coupon that can be stacked with the regular monthly coupon. Finally, if you receive an Angel reward that’s good during your birthday, that can be stacked with the other two coupons, bringing you up to a $30 discount. Even if you don’t have the extra rewards, you still wind up with $20 off a bra in your birth month. If you only buy one bra a year, that benefit alone can make the rewards card worth it.
Typically in June and January, Victoria’s Secret also has its semi-annual sale, where the majority of the store is 50 percent off. Depending on the bra you’re looking for, that might be the best time to buy, but keep in mind that coupons are not good on sale items.
For some fancier undergarments at a very fair price, you can sign up with the lingerie retailer Adore Me. However, like many things that are of decent quality and inexpensive, there are several strings attached with this company.
While their bras are quite comfortable and the vast majority of bra and panty sets go for $39.95, when you order with Adore Me, you’re signed up for a monthly recurring fee. You can opt out of it each month, but the trick is to remember to opt out of it.
You’re sent an email with your Monthly Showroom reminder on the first of the month. It’ll take you to a page with a bra and panty set that is suggested for you. You can opt out of the monthly charge at that point. If you forget, $39.95 will be charged to your card, which you can use at any time.
If you’re diligent about rejecting the charge when you’re not ready to buy, Adore Me can save you some money on comfortable, fancier lingerie. If you’re forgetful, you’ll probably wind up with way more credits than you’ll actually need.
But what about all the big box stores around? Now there’s nothing wrong with Walmart, K-Mart or even Target to pick up your undergarments, but if you’re larger than a B-cup, you’re likely familiar with the fact that the only bras you can buy in those places that hold up and hold you in are often built like something straight out of the 1950s.
So while every woman needs plenty of practical bras, for those times when you don’t want to look like a Good Housekeeping ad from decades ago, companies like Victoria’s Secret and Adore Me do actually have your back — as long as you know how to work their system.
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How to Save Money on Bras originally appeared on usnews.com
