Buying Clothes - Saving Money Tips

[jeffrey]

Shopping For Clothes

1. Buy clothing out of season. Clothing that needs to be sold to make room for the new clothing season will be discounted to move it quickly.

2. Consider purchasing clothes at consignment shops. Consignment shops will usually only sell high quality brand named clothing in excellent condition at greatly discounted prices.

3. Visit the clearance racks at your favorite clothing stores. You can often find quality clothing at 70% - 90% off retail price on clearance racks.

4. Visit outlet malls. Brand named stores at outlet malls often sell the same or similar clothes to those being sold at normal retail outlets, but at a fraction of the price.

5. Become friends with someone working at your favorite retail outlet or consider getting a part-time job there yourself. Employees often receive large discounts even beyond listed sale prices.

6. Don't dismiss finding quality clothing at your local Good Will or Salvation Army. The quality of the clothing at these stores in many areas has improved greatly over the years and quality brand named clothing can be found at pennies on the dollar.

7. Keep an eye out in newspapers and on TV for store sales, clearances, close-outs, etc. These are the same quality clothes that just need to be moved by the store for new incoming lines of clothing.




8. Cheap clothes do not necessarily mean a good value. Clothes that are not well made will fall apart quickly and have a short wearing life. You want to purchase quality clothes at an inexpensive price.

9. Check out the Internet for clothing close-outs and other discounts. This also saves you the cost of traveling to a brick and mortar shop.

10. Look at online auction sites to buy quality clothing at discounted prices.

11. Purchase clothes that are versatile and can be used for different occasions. This means that you can buy less overall clothing and not be stuck with clothing that only gets used once a year.

12. Purchase clothing that coordinates well so mix and matching is easy. This will enable you to and have more outfits to wear with less clothing.

13. Stick to clothing in basic styles, colors, fabrics you like. These are much less likely to go out of style and can be worn for years.

14. When you come across a great bargain on basics such as sleep wear, underwear and socks, stock up on them.

[katanaj]

Good Afternoon - DH and I were at Target this past Sat. We always hit the clearance racks.
Best buys this week - $18.00 pair of pants with zip off bottoms to make them shorts - $4.24. Next - pair of p.j.'s for grandson $14.99 - paid $$43.74 - matching bathrobe $19.99 - paid $4.98. We try to get all the grandkids clothes from the cleanrance rack because they grow so fast. One of our other bargains - a winter coat for grandson (oh, by the way, he will be 3 next month) for $10.00 at Target - this has a zip out lining that can be used as a vest. It will probably fit him for at least 2 years

cathy b. in ne. ohio

[JBinKC]

I think this should be the number one answer: Maintain your weight so you don't have to continually buy new sets of clothes.

[Bluezy]

Two words...resell stores!

I've gotten the most stunning suits imaginable for work for as little as USD $5-10! Proceeds go to help charities and those who donate the clothing receive tax incentives. I don't know HOW these people can spend thousands of dollars for designer suits, then turn around and donate them unused and bearing the store tags, but please continue!

[cercis]

I have great luck at thrift stores. And if the clothing still looks great, you know that it is going to hold up well.

I've also learned to make do with the clothes that I have. I constantly talk myself out of new clothes because what I have are fine, they look nice and they fit. They are not the latest styles and I am getting a tad tired of the slacks I've had for 10 years, but being bored with them is not a good enough reason to replace them.

[debanden]

I always shop the 50% and 75% racks at name brand stores. A lot of times I can get things there cheaper than normal priced things at Wal Mart....oh yes, I do shop at Wal Mart, Target, etc. but SOMETIMES the better brands DO last longer. Especially when I need a dress or a FEW nicer outfits. I also usually have a store coupon (Foleys and Penneys often have them) which makes the clearance things even cheaper.

I especially shop the clearance things for my children (at all stores!) I buy "next year's things and put them up. What I get for my oldest is passed down to his twin brother's the very next year. I pamper their clothes to keep them nice in order for the twins not to look shabby. Also remember an occassional starch/ironing also helps. I have the old time pant stretchers and starch my hubby's jeans, put them on the stretchers, and even if some are a little faded, they still look nice and chrisp. He has compliments at work all the time about what cleaners he uses.... ;-)

[Bluezy]

I have also searched resell stores to find nice buttons for other suits. If you look hard enough you might find a tattered jacket with gold buttons for only $1.00! People don't know what they have. You can then take the buttons off the tattered jacket and replace the ones on your good suits. No one would ever know differently and you've just saved a huge amount of money on buttons.

[debanden]

Just had to mention my great savings today. I was at Wal Mart to get meds and thought I would ck the clearance racks while I was waiting...found $5.88 shirts for $1(!) for my boys. I purchased each 3 and including tax I saved $47.87! Since the twins are just 13 mons. younger than my other son that means they will get his shirts next yr. Sorry for the post but I was so pleased.

[Bluezy]

Congrats hun! It always good to hear about a good bargain on kids clothes. Thanks for sharing

[Some1Shy]

Originally Posted by JBinKC

I think this should be the number one answer: Maintain your weight so you don't have to continually buy new sets of clothes.

word.

buying clothes even at charity shops/goodwills is good but i am consistanly loosing weight so its so hard to save money in this department..

[PFJournal]

I definately follow jeffery's first tip. I only shop for clothes twice per year.

This tips are great, thank´s guys, I will tell my friends about this.

[Snoopy2645]

I also only buy from clearance racks I find it much cheaper to buy at the end of the season I am always getting swimsuits for under $5 I have gotten the girls capris for under $2 I always shop sears & pennies they are much cheaper than walmart for me

[baselle]

Two tips:
My first tip, as a woman, is a bit sexist. For basic items like turtlenecks, socks, tops, sweaters, etc, shop in the men's section. Fewer frou-frou colors, more colors match, clothes are better stitched, styles are not as changeable and price is usually better.

Second tip: especially in a thrift store and clearance racks, touch first then look. It s how you can find the good quality and the gently worn. Learned this from watching a friend. With her eyes closed, she would go through the rack, touching sleeves. When she felt something she liked she's open her eyes.

[Booncey]

At work, I must dress professionally. Luckily for me, I have discovered the local Goodwills. I find many dress shirt and slacks there for work- many new with tags from Old Navy, the Limited, and JC Penney brands. I have many compliments on my clothes from coworkers. I shared my secret with some friends at work and now they are all racing to the local goodwill. Stores would rather donate clothing sometimes to receive the tax credit than mark down. The downside-now I'm not having as good of luck at Goodwill since my friends are beating me to the goods!!!!

[Bluezy]

I've recently discovered Stein Mart and Macy's for clothing sales. I've have found stunning new clothes cheaper than my consignment shoppes. Macy's discounted an additional 50% off a two piece outfit that I found yesterday, totaling $10.00 out the door with taxes paid. I was estatic!!!

[djaco]

I buy most of my clothes at the local Goodwill store. I never shopped there until the last year or so, and I'm always amazed at the "like new" name brand clothing you can get for only a few dollars. I like to go in Spring and Fall, when people are cleaning out their closets and you get the best selection! Another way I save on name brand clothing is buying on EBay. I can usually buy "like new" Lauren clothing (which I love) for less than $10. This is a great way to spend a little and look like a million bucks!

[nennikers]

Our Goodwill and Salvation Army stores have specials each day, depending on the color of an item's tag. These items are either 50% off (at Salvation Army) or 99 cents (at Goodwill). Goodwill also hands out a calender the first few days of the month ('til they're gone) detailing each day's deal for the month as well as offering coupons for percentages off your total purchase.

I save a TON at these stores, and everybody thinks I spend a fortune on my kids' clothes because they're all name brands. I've purchased almost everything for less than a dollar an item, including Gap jeans, khakis, sweaters, and shirts, Lauren jeans for myself, Abercrombie shirts for hubbie, even cashmere sweaters! We all look great, and I spent about $500 on clothes last year for all four of us. When I tell people my secret, they act disgusted! Oh, well, more for me! Plus, I get the added benefit of helping the people that these organizations support. It's a good deal all around.

I have to give props to Sears, too. Land's End makes some VERY durable clothes, and I shop in the off season for kids' coats and such that can be a bit pricey. I snagged an $80 parka for my son for $20 last spring, a size or two bigger than his current size (that way it lasts for at least two years!). Their Canyon River Blues brand is EXCELLENT for pants . . . they wear like iron, and they're pretty inexpensive when on sale. Plus, you can exchange them if your child ever wears a hole in them, which has never happened to us!

I'm amazed at what people with far less discretionary income than me are willing to throw away on clothes just to keep up with the Joneses. I'm not entirely above keeping up with them, but I would NEVER pay retail! And I'm glad to see so many here that understand!

[cercis]

I can't bring myself to pay retail either.

I'm so disappointed, there's no goodwill here and apparently the salvation army had problems with shoplifting so there's no dressing room. Well, they're there, but they have no doors. A friend of mine goes with her daughter and they take turns holding up a sheet, but I don't have anyone to go shopping with.

Last time I went, I had a huge armload of slacks to try on. I desperately need some slacks, but I'm not going to settle for "probably fits". I want only "fits and looks good". Well, without trying them on, I can't know that. That's when I found out about the no doors. I abandoned the whole armload with the helper. I felt bad, but I'd already wasted an hour of my time trying to find slacks in my size(s) and the thought of trying to put them back where they belonged (because they came from about 5 different racks) was too much.

I've made it a point to tell them that I would buy from them if they'd have dressing rooms.

One person had the audacity to tell me, "well, they're only a buck, if they don't fit just donate them back". Okay, whatever.

[andimorony]

I *LIVE* for our consignment shoppes in town. They have children's sizes to 10 at one and womens sizes (all of them) at the one next door. It is so awesome. They will only take clothes that are less than three years old and I reap the rewards. When my smaller kids grow out of something, I simply consign those and use the credits from previous items sold and buy "new". Most of my friends think I am extragant with my three year old.

Here is an example: my fil bought Lili a genuine Rothschild coat (red wool with black velvet trim). He had the smarts to buy it large so she's been wearing *that* to church and other special occasions for two years now.

This year I went into "Babies In Bloom" and found another (NOT Rothschild) red wool coat with velveteen trim for $20.00 and that comes with an absolutely adorable hat. So she wears that to school and for everything but playing outside.

I went in the following week for snow togs and guess what I found? A Rothschild ski jacket and snow pants! Cost? $20.00 and she's covered for at least the year with QUALITY coats!