618 Hasn’t Started Yet, But I’ve Already Figured Out How to Shop Smartest

I know what you’re thinking when you see this title: how boring do you have to be, preparing for 618 when it’s still almost two months away?

Honestly, I didn’t plan it either. But last weekend while cleaning at home, I dug out three big boxes of “great deals” from last 618—at least half still unopened. When I did the math, the price difference I’d saved was completely eaten by the “stockpiling tax.”

From that moment, I decided to change my approach this year.

The Mistakes I Made Last Year

Let me share what I did last year:

Cross-shop discount stacking: To hit that “300 off 50” threshold, I bundled together over 400 yuan worth of stuff, half of which I didn’t need at all.

Deposit expansion: When I paid the deposit, it seemed like a deal. But I forgot to pay the final payment, and the deposit went down the drain.

Buy-one-get-one trap: Bought two bottles of shampoo. One bottle expired with half remaining.

The summary: saved 60 yuan, spent 400 yuan extra.

My Preparation Strategy This Year

After serious reflection, my strategy this year is the “Three Nos Principle” — no bundle stacking, no stockpiling, no buying things outside the plan.

Sounds simple, right? But I know what you’re going to say: “Easy to say, there are so many shopping festivals, how do you participate without buying?”

My answer: only buy things you were already planning to buy, and pick them in advance, don’t let algorithms dictate your choices on the day.

How to Do It Specifically

Step 1: Make a list of “things you were going to buy anyway”

Find time on a weekend to list things your household might need to buy over the next two months. Doesn’t need to be detailed—just write the category and approximate budget. For example: shampoo (budget under 80 yuan), tissues (budget under 50 yuan).

The purpose of this list: when you see all sorts of shopping festival promotions, you have an “anchor”—is this item on the list? If yes, consider buying; if not, don’t buy.

Step 2: Add to cart early, wait for price comparison

After selecting items on your list, add them to your cart half a month in advance. Then check the price changes every day or every few days.

Many products raise prices before shopping festivals then discount them—they look cheap but are actually more expensive than usual. Adding to cart early gives you price memory.

Step 3: Set price alerts

Many shopping apps now have price alert features. Once set, buy when the price drops to your expectation, don’t buy if it doesn’t.

This method alone saved me about 200 yuan in “fake promotion” tax last year.

Step 4: Don’t buy single items for the freebies

Buy-one-get-one deals, full-order gifts, and similar offers look like great deals, but when you calculate carefully, they’re often not that great.

If you only need one bottle of shampoo but the set bundles two together, that extra bottle is “forced consumption.”

What I’m Planning to Buy This Year

I’ve also made my own 618 plan:

1. Refill shampoo (just ran out) — budget 70 yuan
2. Kitchen paper — budget 40 yuan
3. Cat food — budget 150 yuan (this really needs stockpiling, the cat only eats this brand)

Everything else, no matter how exciting the shopping festival, I won’t give it a second glance.

Sisters, listen to me: shopping festivals are battlegrounds for saving money, but if you don’t prepare in advance, it becomes a money-burning pit.

Make your list first, and let your wallet have a good holiday.