Buying Clothes - Saving Money Tips

[acezz4e_tish]

if it dont say clearance, that dont have my name on it.lol i also like stage stores. i love thier 40% off ticket price signs. with tommy jeans for my boys being 34.59 regular price, its good to see that 40% off.lol. i can usually walk into stage and walk out with an outfit for three kids for 100-120 which is a steal these days for brand new. from head to toe full outfit. a hat or scarf or something of that nature, a shirt, jeans, socks, and the shirts usually have a video game or something with it also. all i need is batterys, dollar store here i come. nail polish set for chelsey and a wallet or smellys for the boys. i love it, mom can i get a new smelly today? lol.

[djaco]

Originally Posted by acezz4e_tish

if it dont say clearance, that dont have my name on it.lol i also like stage stores. i love thier 40% off ticket price signs. with tommy jeans for my boys being 34.59 regular price, its good to see that 40% off.lol. i can usually walk into stage and walk out with an outfit for three kids for 100-120 which is a steal these days for brand new. from head to toe full outfit. a hat or scarf or something of that nature, a shirt, jeans, socks, and the shirts usually have a video game or something with it also. all i need is batterys, dollar store here i come. nail polish set for chelsey and a wallet or smellys for the boys. i love it, mom can i get a new smelly today? lol.

Can you tell me - what is a smelly? I must be getting old.........

Thanks

[acezz4e_tish]

smellys is what my kids call colognes. they especially like those lil single use ones from avon. after rubbing it on they put it back in the packet and keep the packet in thier pocket. its fun for them, its like playing dress up. if you have an avon lady and want to try it, its a cheap venture. ten samples of your choice in a box for .49 cents. thats for thier usuall products tho too, some are seasonal or specials, they dont have the one inch squares, these are a diff price and quanity. but musk for men, nite musk, all thier long timers all have one inch squares ten in a box for .49 cents.

[acezz4e_tish]

oh and stage has lil spritzers too, kits for 5-20 on most stuff. i let them find a 5 dollar kit, and they love it.

[anewshka]

All good tips...I saved a TON at Wal-Mart this week on clearance clothes. I save even more by using my husbands tips!!! Here they are:

1. Find what you want at ANY store. Find any minute flaw (zipper sticks, snag, small spot, runs smaller/larger than tagged, missing button, etc.) and ask for discount. This works even on clearance items! This is especially great for floor model items and "last one, no box". Sounds cheap, but it works. He's gotten discounts on items just for SIMPLY ASKING!

2. Ask if they price match or take competitor coupons

3. PERSONAL FAVORITE!!! If you do online auctions, purposely MISSPELL the item you are looking for and check out those listings!!! For instance, I was looking for some denim jeans on eBay and typed in (on purpose) "demin". Several listings came up and I won 3 pair of jeans for .05 each because they didn't spell DENIM right!!! People misspell all the time, especially when they do multiple listings...spell check isn't an option. This works on EVERY item! Here are some current misspelled item links on ebay, just so you see how true it is!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Diesel-Demin-Jea... QcmdZViewItem
SHOULD BE DENIM

http://cgi.ebay.com/JUNIORS-NO-EXCUS...cmdZVi ewItem
SHOULD BE DENIM

http://cgi.ebay.com/power-imac-compt...QQcmdZViewItem
SHOULD BE COMPUTER

http://cgi.ebay.com/hollister-co-shr...cmd ZViewItem
SHOULD BE SHIRT OR SHOULDER

[acezz4e_tish]

my 9 yr old is the hardest to buy for, hes so tall and so very skinny. he wears a 10 slim. i just bought him tho a suit at a consignment shop a bit to big for him, but the big jacket looks gr8 and he wears a belt with the pants, hes soooooo styling in his suit! i got it at a consignment shop for 11 dollars. most of his jeans tho i have to buy new. hes a hard size to find in the shops. hard even at walmart on a good day.lol

[cercis]

Tish, I'm with you. I guess I need to sew so I can start taking in pants for DS1. But, I've noticed more and more manufacturers are adding elastic bands in the inside - you can tighten them by pulling them out and buttoning them. Others have added a drawstring of sorts (I'm not sure how exactly this is supposed to work, but I improvised by tying a knot where I want it to be so it can't draw back in, and then he lets the ends hang down his legs).

I know I need to sew for me so I can let the hems out of slacks, etc. I'm just too darn long-legged.

[acezz4e_tish]

me too, my inseam is 36". i always make knickers or if they are 34 i can add a nice lace to the bottom.

[cercis]

I found some great slacks at Penneys. They're just almost long enough, and they have an actual cuff, so I could let them out (if I knew how to sew).

[pyotr]

Biggest money saver on clothing I've found reliably is used neck ties at thrift stores and yard sales - they are always cheap (25cents to $1.50 at the most) and pick classic patterns in tasteful colors and they'll be useful forever. You stick them in one of the wife's nylon washer baggies, throw them in the washer, then line dry them, iron them, and they're good as new. I don't know why people will spend $20 or more ($100 or more someplaces) for a necktie - who cares who makes them and who looks anyway.

[acezz4e_tish]

i buy clip ons currently for my lil men. george has em with thier dress shirts, pretty good deal under ten dollars.

[abowers]

I use Jeffrey's first tip too -- There was a skirt I had my eye on for several months at old navy, towards the end of summer/and fall. But it was $34.50, and I told myself I wouldn't splurge on any clothes I didn't need. But I really liked the skirt. It stayed at that price forever. I just told myself, oh well, not this skirt. When I was at Old Navy in January to get a pair of pants with a gift card, I saw the skirt I had my eyes on marked down to $6.99, hidden in the clearance racks. And of course I got it.

I also save money on clothes by buying kids stuff when I can. My feets are women's size 6, and i bought a pair of Merrill sneakers in like a size 4 or 5 kids or something. They were under $30.

Also, I wanted one of the North Face Denali heavy fleeces, but the "women's" version retails for around $110-120, which i could not justify paying -- the youth version is somewhere around $80 but I found a coupon to get a "past season" one for $55 (who cares if you have one that was made in 2005 vs 2006), and got a Youth Large which was equivalent to a Women's XSmall/Small.

Also, my ski snowpants are a Youth 14, which was significantly less than a pair of women's ski pants. I bought them in 12th grade and I still wear them. Same goes for getting a Columbia Youth Ski Jacket a couple years ago.

There are advantages to being only 5'2" afterall!

[Tightwad Kitty]

Points to remember when buying clothes.

Never buying items just to show off or buying the newest style to be just in the fashion trend. Trends are changing weekly; manufacturer and style junkies will have you buying and throwing them out quicker than you can pay them off.

Limiting New clothes buying to underwear, hosiery, shoes and new slacks or tops like
T-shirts. Limit items to what's not available in 2nd hand stores or cheaper new.

Have basic colours in clothes and matching all other items to these colours.

Limit colour in bottom half to plain colours. Black, Navy, Olive Green, Taupe, Bone or White.

Keeping shoes and handbags to Black or Brown only. Have one colour only.

[BCHGRL]

I use the replacement system for maintaining my wardrobe. When I am shopping, I can only buy something to replace something I already own. Therefore, I have to logically decide whether or not I need to replace an article of clothing. If I realize that what I own is in decent condition, I walk away (no matter how great the sale.) If I decide that something is no longer in wearable condition, I either have to throw it away, give it to charity or consign it to replace it with a new item.

This minimizes clutter and has helped me overcome impulse shopping.

Also, I will only allow myself a maximum of 2 trendy clothing items per season and they must be purchased on sale (hot and cold in FL.) Of course, the trendy items have to replace last season's trendy items. Then my 2 trendy items see quite a bit of use during the popular season.

[Lenae]

Like abowers, I shop in the kids department. I can sometimes wear the 14/16 in pants. I'm glad the double digit is in childrens instead... lol I have a few pairs of fanct embelished jeans I have bought for under $2...

A lot of women 5'8 and under can shop in the girl's plus sizes. When I worked at JCP my co-worker who wore a 14 could easily wear 16 1/2 and 18 1/2 in the girl's plus sizes. She had the cutest jeans and matching jacket that cost her only $5.

Post winter sales, you can stock up on Chisrtmas presents. I always buy my sister mittens for under $2 and the same with scarves for my mom. Of course I always treat myself, I have a matching, hate, scarf and gloves for nearly ever coats I own.

The best bargains I have found for shoes is usually at Ross. I have bought 3 pairs of Docs for $15 each (i have bought new ones at Goodwill for $3).

[tabbycat31]

Originally Posted by Tightwad Kitty

Points to remember when buying clothes.

Never buying items just to show off or buying the newest style to be just in the fashion trend. Trends are changing weekly; manufacturer and style junkies will have you buying and throwing them out quicker than you can pay them off.

Limiting New clothes buying to underwear, hosiery, shoes and new slacks or tops like
T-shirts. Limit items to what's not available in 2nd hand stores or cheaper new.

Have basic colours in clothes and matching all other items to these colours.

Limit colour in bottom half to plain colours. Black, Navy, Olive Green, Taupe, Bone or White.

Keeping shoes and handbags to Black or Brown only. Have one colour only.

I don't think that I own a black or brown handbag (I don't wear brown period, and black is too plain to me).

Bags are my fetish. However I get them really cheap in Chinatown. Right now the one I'm using is green, and I've had many compliments on it. I'm also known to change bags with the outfit.

My secrets for clothes are my bottom half is always denim, black, or gray (I hate browns, khakis, etc).

Another key is to change jewelry often. That can make or break an outfit. I could wear the same thing 2 days in a row and change the necklace (I make them) and people think I'm wearing 2 different outfits.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Don't lose or gain any weight. The best budget saver is watch your weight so you don't have to buy clothes. I am a yo-yo dieter. I go between and 4-8 in clothing depending on my 20-30 lbs gain/loss at a time. Thus I spend more on clothes because of it. Now I've settled in cyling between sizes.

However if I were like DH I would never gain weight. He has jeans from college/high school and is 29. He wears at 30 waist/32 inseam and M shirt. He is never gains/loses weight and thus all his suits/shirts, everything fits still.

His goal is to only wear less than a quarter a day, we're still working on getting it down, because though his clothes are cheap, he does wear out shoes after 3 years :0

[fairy74]

I always spend more on clothes that get heavier usage, i.e. overcoats, anoraks, shoes. If these are well made they hold up forever. I have things I bought from LLBean in high school that still look good!

Limit trendy fashion stuff to cute shirts, scarves, skirts, which can be picked up very cheaply either thrift or clearance at Walmart, Target and the like.

[tinapbeana]

i posted this on another thread but i honestly couldn't tell you which one... basically, an easy way to maintain a business casual/professional wardrobe:

3 pairs of pants: black, brown, navy (or grey!)
3 skirts: black, brown, navy (or grey!)
2 pairs of shoes: black, brown
2 bags: black, brown
1 cream/ivory button-up sweater
1 cream/ivory blazer or jacket
10 tops (you should be able to wear each top with 2 colors of bottoms, but some things like ivory, light blue, and pink will work with all of them)

assuming you can wear all 10 tops with all 6 bottoms, and you can add the sweater or the jacket for another outfit, thats 10x6x3 = 180 outfits, or 36 work weeks worth of uniqueness.

update things with scarves, jewelry, etc. items like shoes and bags will show their stylistic age faster then they will wear out, so if you get them at great prices you might be able to update them every few years.

[ScrimpAndSave]

Great tips...thanks!