This is basically Pinterest with discount alerts. You “hukk” items just like you pin them, and can organize them into lists (boards). The major perk, though, is that Hukkster will send you e-mail notifications when an item you’ve hukked gets discounted. The service doesn’t work with smaller e-tailers, but it is on Target, Shopbop, Asos, Nordstrom, Macy’s, J.Crew, Zappos, Anthropologie, Bloomie’s, Gap, Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Piperlime. Boom! Gone are the days of incessantly checking to see if that Rebecca Minkoff clutch you’re getting your little sis has been knocked down a few dollars.
For the seriously stategic/goal-oriented/competitive shopper, we bring you Clipix. Like Hukkster, you “clip” in a Pinterest-style manner and get alerts on discounts, but there’s one key difference: the “price drop alert.” This tool lets you set how much you’re willing to pay for an item, and Clipix will send you a notification only when it’s reached that target price. (Note that it doesn’t work on every website, though—playing around with it just now we got the option for price drop alerts at Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, and Asos, but not Piperlime or Need Supply.) Another useful feature: You can also pin the same item from numerous stores into one board and then be alerted about the first one to go one sale.
How many more years can you go buying pajamas for Mom and golf balls for Dad? C’mon, you can do better than that—especially with the help of Wantful. This gift curating site well ask you a series of questions about the person your shopping for, and then sends you an adorable little booklet with a bunch of clever gift ideas, which you present directly to Mom/Dad/whoever. (Yes, e-mail versions are also available if you do this last-minute.) They pick the gift they like best, and it’s sent directly to them. For more information on the service, see the article we published on Wantful in February.
The obvious (though also admittedly pricey and time-consuming) solution for the person who has everything is to get them something made to measure—not necessarily to their body, but to their personal tastes. If you’ve got an idea in mind, post the idea to CustomMade and the site’s “maker” members will send you a proposal on how they’ll get it done. Though furniture is likely the most commissioned project, the site has also been used for everything from wedding rings to business card cases to wooden fish carvings.
Problem: Pinterest is the easiest way to keep track of gift ideas, but it’s also the most public. If anyone on your list is following you, they’re gonna know what’s waiting under that tree. Solution: Secret Pinterest Boards! While you sadly can’t make already existing boards secret, this feature (introduced in early November) does allow you curate for-your-eyes only image sets. Huzzah!
Sarah is the Editor-in-Chief of Washingtonian Bride & Groom, and writes about weddings, fashion, and shopping. Her work has also appeared in Refinery29, Bethesda Magazine, and Washington City Paper, among others. She is a Georgetown University graduate, lives in Columbia Heights, and you can find her on Instagram at @washbridegroom and @sarahzlot.
