Clothes…I love shopping and I love clothes, and shoes, and purses, and jewelry…

When my husband and I got married he had to build me a closet in the basement that is 12 x 10 in order to clean out the closets all over the house so that we could make room for his clothes.

I know that when we first got married, he thought I was crazy. Then he realized that I never pay full price for anything.  And I mean anything.

You are really going to need to know your pricing.  You can always google to see what something costs to get an idea of what the price is and what would be a good deal.

Here is a list of some tips and places to get great deals on clothes.

End of Season Clothing Sales

OK…duh.  No kidding.  It is always cheaper to get things at the end of the season.  Do not buy trendy pieces (they may not be in style next year.)  I buy classic tailored basics.  Pants, shirts, blazers, skirts, etc.

I recently scored a Michael Kors sequined dress (a little short for my taste so I’ll wear it with leggings and boots) that was originally $300 for only $5.97!  Yep, you read that right…$5.97!

Shopping takes time and you need to do a good amount of it to know where the deals are located.  When things go on clearance, items are never put back into the right size section.  So, you need to take the time to go through all the clearance because someone may have hidden an item in a different size section for them to come back and purchase. 

Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale.  If you don’t love it, you’re not going to wear it and you’re just throwing money away.

Outlet Shopping

I love outlet shopping.  OK, you got me, I just love to shop.   Don’t just buy something because it’s from an outlet.  Sometimes the craftsmanship isn’t what you can get from the department stores.  Know how to tell the difference.  Know what good buys are.  When I used to work in corporate America, I always had to wear suits.  I would love going to the Kasper Outlet.  Again, I would only look at the items on the clearance rack.  I would save up to 70% off!

 Internet Shopping

Most people love to internet shop.  When I say internet shopping, I mean shopping on department store sites.  Again, I only buy what is on sale.  I also always look to see if there are any coupons so that I can get a better deal. 

Make sure that you know the return policies.  If you aren’t sure what size you are this could be a real problem if you need to return something and find out that you can’t return it or that you need to pay the shipping to send back or that they keep a portion of your cost for restocking fees.  (Yes…there really are restocking fees.  Can you imagine?)

A great tip is to go ahead and save the items to your cart.  Then leave the site.  I always receive an email saying that I have items in my cart, and they will send me either a coupon or a code for free shipping.  Either way it is a win win!

Score Sales on eBay

I have one girlfriend that buys a lot of clothes on eBay.  I personally don’t like to because you can’t see if the clothes are worn.  The best-case scenario is if the item(s) still have sales tags on them. 

Another problem that I have is if the item is coming from a house where there are smokers.  I would always recommend washing the item(s) but keep that in mind if the item needs to be dry cleaned.

This is just my personal preference, but she has had luck in scoring some great deals and some cute outfits.

Yard Sales Money Tips

You don’t believe me, do you?  I have another friend who is the ultimate clothing deal shopper.  We used to work together, and she would always have the neatest outfits.  She would tell me that she had paid $5 for a blazer or $3 for a shirt.  I didn’t believe her.

One Saturday she invited me to go yard sale shopping with her.  She had it down to a science.  She had done research on where the yard sales were that day and in what neighborhoods.  We started in the high-end neighborhoods where there were multi-family yard sales going on.

I couldn’t believe it.  I got a pair of Not Your Daughter jeans for $7 and a very cute Ann Taylor silk shirt and short set for $3.  Now, I must tell you, that the jeans were marked down to $10, and the shirt/short set was $7.  I haggled with them to get the price down even further.  And by the way, the shirt/short set had tags on them for $89!!!!

Score Thrift Store Deals

Goodwill, Community Aid, whatever you have in your area – go.  And just don’t go to the one closest to you.  Go to a few of them and check things out.  Some stores have a better selection then others due to the neighbor that it is located near.  This is an area where you just don’t know what you’ll find, and it would be good to go back every week.  Also find out if they continually put out new stock or if they have a set day where they put new stock out.  Then make sure you go that day to get the best selection.

Consignment Shop Savings

You can do great on both ends of consignment shopping.  You can go through your closet and get rid of that stuff you haven’t worn or that does not fit and make some money.  And you can go and get some good deals too! 

Do some research where all the consignment shops are in your area and visit them to see which would be the best fit for you.  Plato’s Closet is great for my niece, not so great for me.  I can sometimes find handbags, shoes or accessories for me.  There is another great one locally that is great for home goods.  Lots of great dishes, pots and pans, etc.  It’s all about find the right resources for what you need.

Discount Stores Savings

I love discount stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc.  Their stock is constantly changing so every time you go it’s like going to a new store.  I have gotten a lot of awesome summer dresses at Ross for less than $15.  Compared to the department stores starting at $39.99, I’m saving a lot of money.

Found a great pair of orange high heeled sandals at TJ Maxx for only $10!!!  They go perfectly with one of those summer dresses I got at Ross. 

My biggest piece of advice is…don’t just buy it because it’s on sale.  Buy it because it fits, and you love it!

Remember what my husband always says… “Saving Money IS Making Money!”