Left: Virtual shopping is a new pastime; Right: Heather’s new wedges pair well with her bathrobe

One pleasant aspect of quarantine is the influx of online shopping deals. Some looked too good to resist, so I turned to my most financially savvy friend as a voice of reason. In the past, Heather, a 31-year-old accountant, has saved me from making irresponsible purchases. I needed her shopping advice again.

“If you have any favorite stores you shop at,” she advised, “just go to their website and make sure you’re signed up for their email list. I think free shipping has been the case for most stores. And a good majority of them have free returns.”

Old Navy has been her most successful source. There, she’s purchased two pairs of jeans ($12 each), summer sandals ($10), and a jean jacket half-price. “I also bought some earrings and a new robe on sale from The Loft. I noticed I’ve been wearing my bathrobe at home a lot more often and decided I needed a new one.”

Always a money strategist, Heather took advantage of recent sales to invest in snow gear (from Backcountry) for future visits to her in-laws from Colorado. “I’ve been putting that off for years, because they’re so expensive. But my husband is so frugal, so I knew it was a good deal if he was telling me.”

She also ordered some new makeup products to try. “Makeup has always been something I wanted to get better at doing, but never had time. Especially with eyeshadow… So I’ve been watching people do makeup tutorials on Instagram.”

Heather still prefers going into the stores to try things on, but thinks online shopping helped her adjust to quarantine. “Since I’m in my house and don’t have anything else to do, I’ve resorted to trying on clothes at home and returning what I don’t like. Especially if the store has free returns. But one downside I’ve seen is that they’re taking a very long time to do refunds.”

She helped me justify a little at-home shopping since recreational options are limited. “I feel like it will take some time to feel normal going out and going shopping again. I think it will take a while for it to be enjoyable like it used to be.”

Of the virtual shopping trials, her favorite find was tan wedge espadrilles (50 percent off from Nordstrom). “I’ve only tried them on once with my bathrobe,” she giggled explaining how she’d been working in her robe when the delivery arrived. “I immediately put them on and wore them because I was so excited!” ■