Shoebuy vs. Zappos

So, because I am adhering so well to my reduced shopping agenda (ha!), I just ordered 3 pairs of shoes.  Two of which were kind of on sale.  If we’re being honest, I also just ordered a cast iron reversible griddle and skillet handle covers on Amazon.com, but I don’t feel guilty about it because a) no new cookbooks were involved and b) I was able to use gift certificate money to cover the cost so it was all, like, free.

The shoes, though, I paid for.  There was a link on the Bargain Shopping Lady about a discount for Crocs sandals.  And then I found out that Crocs makes wedge sandals, which sounds odd and against the point, but I like wedge sandals so I was pretty excited!  Then I figured that if I’m buying shoes and getting 20% off and then another 10% off for registering an account, why not buy a pair of Mary Jane-type Crocs?  These are cute and have a strap on top to keep your foot in place.  And then I decided that I didn’t want teal or bright purple shoes.  So I went looking to see who had a pair, in my size, in sensible black.  I did check Amazon.com, because I had the gift certificate money I could use, but they only had too-large sizes.  So I went to my trusty standy, Zappos.com.

You may remember that I bought my fancy purse from Zappos.com.  I’m a fan of that site, as they sell just about everything I ever look for (purse and shoe-wise).  They did have my black slipper-Crocs, although at a higher price.  But, if faced with more expensive shoes that I would actually wear outside or cheaper ones that would probably only be worn at home, I think my decision is justified.  So I bought that one pair at Zappos.com.

Now that I’m waiting for my shoes, I have to tell you that I am still a huge fan of Zappos.com and I’m not sure how often I’ll go to Shoebuy.com.  See, Shoebuy.com gives you  a 10% discount the first time you purchase something from them and then 10% if you make another purchase within 6 weeks (I think).  Plus, their prices are often discounted here and there.    It’s hard to find Zappos.com coupon codes and their prices are often higher.  But!  Here’s why I love them: you often get your purchases the next day or within 2 days, and that’s using their free shipping!  I discovered that Shoebuy.com sends their shoes via Ground, which means my shoes will not be here for another week.  You can argue that free shipping on Amazon.com often takes that long, too, but I’m not buying shoes or splurgy purses on Amazon.com.  And when I want new shoes, I want them now!  I was actually a little disappointed that my shoes were going to take so long to get to me.  Perhaps I have been spoiled by Zappos.com.

Of course, frugal-minded folks will say that patience is worth saving money.  If you want to save a considerable amount of money just by using the site that takes longer in shipping, it’s better in the long run.  To those people I say go to Shoebuy.com.  For the impulse-buying, instant-gratification folks like me, Zappos.com is your friend.