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When I very first started on this frugal journey, I quickly realized that saving heaps of money was not just limited to the drugstore and grocery store.
In fact, there are SO many ways to save upwards of 90% on CLOTHING – I can’t really imagine ever paying retail again to outfit my family. I’ve already told you how much I love consignment sales and how much you can save at Salvation Army. In fact, there are also many stores that consistently offer fabulous sales and clearance deals. Kohl’s is one of my faves – they almost always have some great clearance deals and frequently mail coupons for up to 30% off in addition to the markdowns.
Old Navy is another store that offers some fabulous clearance deals. Every few months they hold a “50% off clearance price” sale… and you can take an ADDITIONAL 50% off the lowest ticketed price.
My last trip to Old Navy was right after the 50% off clearance sale but everything in the store was 30% off – so I still scored some deep discounts with 30% off clearance price.
Here’s what I bought:
Keep in mind- these are brand new clothes. The reason that I point that out is because the price I ended up paying easily rivals if not beats consignment sale or Salvation Army shopping – and that’s for gently USED clothing!
Original sticker price of everything pictured above: $98
Price I paid: $17.35
The breakdown:
Kids’ Holiday Long Sleeved Shirts: 2 were originally $8.50, 1 was originally $5 – I paid $.68 per shirt
Poker Themed Graphic Tee for Biker Bob: Was $14.50 – I paid $2.79
Denim skirt for me: Was $29.50 – I paid $5.59
Fleece jacket for Lily Bean – Was $12.50 – I paid $2.44
Sweater for Lily Bean – Was $19.50 – I paid $3.49
Not bad!
Now, when you are shopping clearance sales, many times you need to shop ahead for the next year. The reason the winter clothes were on final clearance sale was because the store was getting ready to bring in their Spring clothing. So I went into the store thinking ahead for NEXT winter. Lily Bean is currently wearing 2T clothing… so I bought all 3T for next year. I do the same thing each season – always filling Lily’s closet with cute clothes at a fraction of the retail cost.
Where do you find the best savings and discounts when it comes to clothes?
Getting good prices at clothing stores takes a little planning. Like you I usually buy the winter coats and some clothes at the end of a season, but I also do that at stores that I know have a good return policy (aka no expiration on the receipts). For example, I will purchase winter coats one size up for both my boys at a deep discount at a major department store after confirming that they do not have a time limit on their returns. As one manager told me (and a call to their HO confirmed) if you have the receipt, we honor the price you paid….even a year later. So, I put all the clothes in the shopping bag in the Winter Clothes bin with the receipt securely stapled to the outside of the bag! This way if the items don’t fit I get my money back. I also buy a lot of my boys pants and sneakers at Sears through their Kidadvantage club….they wear out these items faster than I can type….as long as you have a receipt for items that can be sold in other stores, no receipt needed on items that only Sears carries, you get a brand new item in the same size!! I can’t tell you how much money this has saved me!!!
I love the Old Navy clearance sales. I watch for them at the end of every season….and then shop the 2 locations in our city. You only have 90 days for returns, so I mark it down on the calendar and do a quick fitting to see if it is going to be too big. As for Kohls, just as good of deals to be found with an additional 30% off clearance items…and a “no questions asked” return policy. I pack the receipts away with the clothing. If it does not fit…or if my 10 year old no longer likes the item….back it goes. For my older son I have had more luck with items at the Gap and Aeropostle. This past January I purchased at Aero the first week of the New Year for their big sale with a coupon. Got a pair of jeans, cute sweater and T for my niece for approximately $20, regular price for the items were close to $100. No need to pay full price….and you’ll still have a well dressed family.
I always buy ahead for the next season also. Kohl’s is one of my favorites as well as Children’s Place online sales and we have a Gymboree outlet near us(I will only shop their clearance rack though! Their regular outlet prices are too high for me still).