They are the best thing ever invented in my opinion. They may have a hidden price and that's for you to figure out if it's worth using or not. But in my mind, I don't mind "hidden prices", if the upfront price is free!
So, some major employers offer a concierge service. That's your best bet and you should take full advantage of it. While you're at work, let someone else get your car washed, pick up your Capital 10k packet, and/or buy your son socks in toddler size 4/5 from Old Navy. Yep, you guessed it - I've done all these things.
But, if you don't have the luxury of having an on-site concierge, your next best bet... one of my favorite stores. Nordstroms.
If you are already a fan of Nordstrom's, here's a couple more reasons to love them...
They offer complimentary personal shopping. I had to look for a dress for one of my hubby's co-worker's weddings. Well, I called them up, told them my size, hair color, and eye color and what I was looking for and setup an appointment for Sunday afternoon. I arrived to a huge dressing room full of dresses pre-picked out for me. All I had to do was try-on and show the personal shopper each one until I hit the jackpot. Cost - free! Hidden cost - I tried on a gorgeous $300 dress I fell in love with. Did I buy it? No. I ended up buying another great dress at nordstrom.com that was the exact same style, just not in silk, so it was a lot more reasonable in price. Would I use them again? Absolutely! And now, they have my info on file for next time. BTW, if you find something you like online, the store will order it for you for free.
Need more? Get a Nordstrom's Visa signature credit card. In addition to the $20 off nordstrom notes you get, they have a complimentary concierge service that can help find airline tix, restaurants, and so much more.
My other great concierge find was a new one I ran across today. Whole foods has a concierge desk. Check out their full offerings at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/lamar/concierge.html
I used them to arrange dinner for my anniversary. Bulldozer was sick, so we couldn't go out in celebrate. So instead, I called Whole Foods and asked them to arrange dinner for us. The concierge emailed me all the chef's case choices as well as several food stations they have setup in the store. I placed my order over the phone, swung by the store, swiped my credit card (for the meal, service was free) and walked out with dinner in hand! It doesn't get much easier than that, for a healthy meal. BTW, if you haven't had their sushi, it's definitely worth trying. It was super fresh.
I did a quick google for concierge services online, and came across a Chicago-based company that will act as a concierge for your kids when mom & dad are in a pinch! I'm not sure about that one. I thought the whole point of a concierge is so you are not spending your life running errands so you can spend time with your kids... not the other way around. Oh well... supply & demand.
Feel free to share your own time-saving tips by posting a comment.
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