If you buy clothing regularly, and you buy it at the mall or even your typical department store, you are spending a whole lot of money! With a little time and effort, you could drastically reduce your clothing budget without missing out on quality. The best places to buy good clothing aren’t necessarily the most expensive. And sometimes, the most expensive clothes aren’t the best quality, or suited for your needs. After all, what use is a $40 pair of jeans on a young child-once he blows holes in the knees, which he will in short order, he’s just blown that 40 bucks. Shop around for the best prices plus quality. You’ll be amazed at what you find!
Outlet stores-outlets are usually run by brand name companies, in order to sell overstocks, odd lots, or clothing with “slight irregularities. You won’t find any lack of quality here, and you will get brand names for steep discounts if you’re careful about what you buy.
Discount stores-quality varies at these places. Some sell brand names (odd or irregular lots) and other’s have their own brands, often a knock-off of a better known brand. If you’re looking for inexpensive but nice looking clothing that won’t get a lot of wear, these are great.
Consignment shops-Consignment shops receive used clothing from individuals, re-sell them, and return a portion of the sale price to the previous owner. Many consignment shops sell very high-end, good quality clothing, and for a few dollars a piece. Most consignment shops will take only clothing in near-perfect condition, so you don’t have to worry about someone else’s sweat stains or baby clothes market by a leaky diaper.
Thrift stores-these stores sell clothing that was donated, so they don’t need to jack up the price in order to make a profit. A good thrift store may sell fine-quality clothing for well under $10. Some stores have “dollar days” where certain items are only $1, and many run half-off sales throughout the week. Our local thrift store has a half-off sale every day of the week, with a different category (men’s, senior’s, women’s, children’s clothing) discounted every day, and then on Saturdays, anything with a certain color tag is .99. Since much of their clothing is very good quality, and some even new with tags still on, it’s hard to beat those deals.
Yard sales-Go “sale-ing” on weekends during the summer. Some people way overprice their yardsale items, but if you look around, you are sure to find some excellent clothing for excellent prices.
Newspaper or Pennysaver-you will often see ads like “Large bag infant clothing, 9-12 mo, $25 all” in such publications. Call and ask if you can come see the clothing. If it’s clean and in good condition, that’s a wonderful deal.Freecycle-How can you do better than free? Watch your local Freecycle group for clothing giveaways, or if you are desperate, post a “Wanted” ad.
By all means, when you need quality and you can only find it at a higher price, buy it. But first check your other options, because you may save yourself a bundle.
