Shopping Savings Tips

Well, I guess I have neglected my Smart Mom Savings blog lately,(sorry!) I've been kind of busy with my other blog In All Your Ways I am really enjoying it, if you'd like, take a few minutes to check it out. Of course I've been busy in many other ways too, however.... here I am and I wanted to share some tips today to help you out with your wardrobe.

Perhaps you are like me and you don't have an abundance of money to spend on new clothing, so in that situation, we have to stretch our dollars and still try to find ways to feel good about our clothing. I don't go shopping very often, however yesterday I was in the mall with my kiddos because they need some new boots for winter. It has been raining so much these last few weeks that I'm sure the snow is just around the corner so we went on a hunt for winter boots. I have to confess that I tend to get sticker shock in the department stores, the discount stores are more often in my budget. Anyway that got me thinking about how to get nice clothing items at a good price.

• Never pay full price! If it's not on sale, it probably will be soon. Retail is very competitive business and most of the stores are offering sales on a regular basis. Check the sales fliers in the newspapers or online before you head out the door, you could save a lot just by waiting a day or two.
• Look for discount coupons in your mailbox, that junk mail could save you money if you take a few minutes to sort through it before you toss it.
• Keep it simple. Ladies, if you are buying for yourself and can't afford a lot of variety, choose classic style pants and skirts in black then liven them up with different color tops. You will then be able to wear black shoes, boots, purse etc. to easily match any outfit, therefore saving you money on accessories.
• Resist the urge to spend a lot on the latest style. What looks really hip and trendy today will be outdated next year, and you probably won't want to wear it.
• Check out the thrift stores and consignment shops if you have any good ones nearby. You may have to sift through to find something just right for you, but the savings could make it worth your time.
• Don't pay for designer labels! Need I say more?
• Check clothing labels for cleaning instructions, if it's dry clean only, consider whether you will want to pay for that service. I bought a comforter set on sale a couple of years ago without realizing it needed to be dry cleaned. At around $40 per cleaning, it was not a good investment, I won't make that mistake again!

Do you have any more tips to share? Leave a comment please, I'd love to hear them.

Have a wonderful day.
Smart Mom

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