The expense of clothing for a given person depends mostly on what they do for a living and how well they maintain their size. If you are a business women then you need dressier clothing which tends to get pricey. If your a woman whose weight fluctuates, you don’t need quality as much as quantity (of different sizes). Either way, there is no reason to pay alot for clothing so I’d like to highlight some of my favorites ways to get good deals on clothing.
Shop Sales
The first way and most obvious way to save on clothing is to shop sales. I haven’t purchased regular-priced clothing in many years, I just can’t do it. The hardest times to save on clothing is when you need something in a hurry for a particular occasion. Those are the days you sometimes have to pay more than you would like, but with the popularity of discount stores there is no reason to pay full price unless it is the last option. On those occasions hit the discount stores first, then move onto regular retail only if you cannot find what you need. If there isn’t an emergency but you’d like to add to your wardrobe, the best time to look is at the end of a season when clothes are on clearance. All of the stores have clearance racks (even department stores) and some of your best buys on new clothing will come from there.
Look for Used Clothing
Now, if you don’t mind wearing used clothing you can really save some money. Yard sales are the cheapest place to find used clothing although it will take some effort to find what you need. Thrift stores are a good alternative as they tend to have a larger selection, however the prices aren’t as good as a yard sale prices. If you live in a seasonal climate then you only have the summer available for yard sales but there are now many online sites that sell used clothing year round, the most popular of which is likely Ebay. Ebay is also a great place to buy lots of used children’s clothing.
Save on Children’s Clothing
Children’s clothing costs can be substantial since they grow out of their clothes so quickly. However, you know which direction in size they are going to next so the best way to save on children’s clothing is to buy ahead. I always check out the children’s clearance racks whenever I go shopping and pick up anything that I think is a good deal. Again, the end of a season is the best time to look. I also keep the tags on the clothing and keep the receipts for a few weeks in case the clothes are marked down further. Many stores will refund you the difference for a week or two after your purchase. Used clothing is also a great way to go for children as there is a large inventory available at yard sales, thrift stores, resale shops, and especially Ebay. I am always on the hunt for good bargains on children’s clothing and I have been able to stockpile a few years worth of clothes at a great savings over the original prices.
Online Shopping
Finally, I want to touch on online shopping as it has some good qualities. If you don’t have much free time or live far from good bargain stores, shopping online can be very useful. As with physical stores, the best time to look is at the end of a season. Almost all of the online stores have a special section for “On Sale” or “Bargains”. It is also very easy to find coupons online for many of these stores to get a blanket discount or free shipping. There are also many points or rebate programs available online that you can use to get a percentage back on your purchases. My personal favorite is Ebates as they give you a cash percentage on your purchases from select stores. If the store I wish to purchase from isn’t available on Ebates, I check out the other rewards programs I am involved with to be sure I will earn some points for my purchase. For more information on those programs please check out my article on Best Online Deals.
Favorite Adult Clothing Stores: Kohls, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target
Favorite Children’s Stores: Old Navy, Target, Kohls
Online Coupon Sites: WhatsYourDeal, Daily eDeals, Coupon Mountain
Online Reward Program: Ebates
©2004 by Carrie Balrok, owner of The Christian Woman