Stuff I Like: Gilt.com

A friend turned me on to www.gilt.com not long ago. Each day around noon an email alerts me to the day’s offerings. Men’s, women’s and children’s fashions and luxury brands are offered at up to 70% retail in the form of an on-line sale lasting up to 36 hours.

The Gilt Groupe was established to bring New York invitation-only sample sales to those of us who do not live in Manhattan or have special connections. Our personal invitation arrives via the internet.

Most days a two-second peruse assures me that I am missing nothing, but occasionally I will find a designer I love or funky costume jewelry or hand tooled leather-bound books or any number of things I didn’t know I needed just waiting to be had.

This has come in particularly handy in beefing up my stockpile of holiday and birthday gifts. I purchased the perfect wine journal for my brother, a great necklace for my niece and really cool salad tongs for my mother at incredible prices.

These all reside in a defunct linen closet I commandeered long ago and outfitted with a deadbolt lock. It has been dubbed the “Christmas closet” at our house and I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to round the corner to the holidays knowing that I have effortlessly (and frugally) completed the bulk of my shopping simply by keeping my eyes peeled throughout the year.

This takes a great deal of stress out of the holidays, freeing me up to really appreciate the festivities. And it comes with the added bonus of knowing that I do not have to cringe when the credit card bills arrive in January. Guilt free shopping at gilt.com!