Are GWPs (Gifts With Purchase) Worth Hitting a Specific Dollar Amount?

Are the fabulous-looking gifts really worth spending the dollar amount?  The short answer is, it depends.

Some of the high-end department stores offer fantastic beauty gifts with large purchases, such as Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom.  Those are typically a tote or makeup bag filled with samples.  If you have purchases to make anyway, why not go ahead and aim for the gift?  When these beauty blowouts are offered, most of the top end lines also offer their own gifts so you can really make out like a bandit.

And there are almost always gifts offered at the stores with at least one brand.  The top ones are usually Clinique, Lancôme, and Estee Lauder.

I used to aim for these dollar amounts and try to sell off the parts that I wasn’t going to use, but that really didn’t pay out when it came to the common brands like the three above.  There were just too many available.

I have been trying very hard to scale back my personal care collections, so free gifts aren’t conducive to that goal.  I weigh the value very heavily now, and base my shopping decisions on whether I will actually use the samples versus can I sell them.  A true minimalist would turn down a free gift because it means they have extra possessions, but I do keep in mind that if, for example, it contains mascara, that is a product that I don’t have to buy in the future.

If the brand(s) you use are offering a deal, it is a great way to stock up and get a little bonus.  But I have been trying very hard not to buy something just because it came with a Gift With Purchase.