How to Save Money at Crate and Barrel and Other Similar Stores

Saving money is always a good thing. And saving money while buying gifts (either for yourself or someone else) is definitely a good thing. If it's not the holidays, there's always a birthday or wedding looming that requires yet another gift purchase. With that in mind, here is one tip to get a 10% discount at some of the largest home and housewares stores in the country. I have even seen this money-saving tip advertised on eBay (the details are not given in the auction but are sent to the winner upon payment).

This money-saving tip works on purchases at stores like Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Williams-Sonoma. This tip may work for other nationwide stores, but these are the ones that I know of.

Go to the stores' website and create a registry of the items that you want to purchase. While most of us think these stores only have wedding registries, that is not true. A registry can be created for any event - housewarming, birthday, retirement celebration, engagement, etc. It doesn't matter what the registry is for. There is also an "other" category - so you can even make up your own event and register for it. For the event date, put a date several days from when you create the registry. It doesn't really matter - as long as the date is before the day you plan on going to the store (or online) to make your purchase. This is the key because the 10% discount is given to complete your registry. This means that for any item not purchased off your registry, you will be given a discount of 10% to complete your registry. While 10% does not seem like a lot, any little bit helps. Plus, these stores don't often have sales on the everyday items you may purchase so 10% is better than nothing. Then after the event date passes, all you have to do is go to the store and purchase the item off your registry. The particulars of the discount for each store are below.

Crate and Barrel - After the event, you will receive a 10% completion card good for one shopping trip in person at a store AND one online or phone order. Because you will need the card and I don't know how long it takes for a card to be sent to you, you probably need to plan in advance if you are planning to make a purchase for a particular event.

Crate and Barrel - Registry Orientation: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/Gift-Registry/Registrant/Orientation.aspx

Pottery Barn - After the event date, you will have up to 6 months to take advantage of the 10% discount for any items on the registry as well as any other items you might like to add. This discount is for an unlimited number of shopping trips up to the 6 month period. I'm not sure how the discount works for items not included in your registry so you may have to ask a salesperson for the details.

Welcome - Pottery Barn: http://www.potterybarn.com/registry/welcome/index.cfm

Restoration Hardware - Like Crate & Barrel, you will only be able to take advantage of the 10% discount once up to a period of 15 months after the registry date.

Restoration Hardware - Registry - Registry Perks: http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/registry/guide/registry_perks.jsp

Williams-Sonoma - After the event date, you will receive the 10% discount toward the purchase of any item on the registry plus any additional items you might like to purchase. The website does not specify an expiration period or a limit on how many times you can use this discount. Again, I don't know how it works for items not on the registry so ask a salesperson for more information.

Williams-Sonoma: Registry Benefits: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/registry/benefit_popup/content.cfm

As far as I know (and what has been advertised on the eBay auctions), you can create a registry as many times for as many events as you want. I probably wouldn't use birthday as the event every time just in case they do have that date on file, but with that "other" category, you can make up any event you want. So, happy shopping and use the savings to save for a rainy day (or for more stuff).