Save Money and Look Good on a Budget

Having been frugal (or cheap, as some of my friends describe it) all my life, my bargain radar is always functioning. I especially love dressing as nicely as I can on as little money as possible. I am always amazed at how many compliments I get on some of my "cheapest" outfits. If your wardrobe dollar is not stretching as far as it used to, heed the advice of this veteran cheapskate.

Never pay full-price.

I never consider the original price the final price. You might be surprised at the willingness of managers to mark items down just to get them moving out of the store. If you find a shirt you love, but it has a loose button, or a tiny snag, it's worth a try to ask for a discount. I have always gotten at least a 10 percent discount on clothing items with imperfections. Add that to the 50-80 per cent discount that many stores are offering right now, and you have yourself a deal!

Go green.

If it works for the environment, why not for your closet, too? Thrift and second-hand stores are amazing sources of well-made garments for not much money. I have paid as little as $1.99 for brands like Liz Claiborne, Jones of New York, Ann Taylor, and Talbot.

If you are embarrassed to be seen "slumming", go a few miles out of town and find the thrift stores. Chances are that nobody will recognize your car in the parking lot in a strange town! The farther you travel from home, the more likely your pre-teens and teenagers will actually want to go budget-shopping with you.

There are a few tricks for finding the treasure clothing items amongst the not-so-desired:

(1) Know the colors that flatter you. Many thrift stores sort the clothes by color, so you save a lot of time looking only at the colors you know you will be happy with.

(2) Know what good fabric feels like. Occasionally I go to high-end stores and browse just to see the new styles and get the feel of designer fabric. Then when I am in an offcast store, I can recognize the good stuff by feel.

(3) Don't judge a garment by its tag. Many items are sent to the thrift strore because of weird sizing or shrinkage. Even if the tag says it's 2 sizes too big, try it on. I have bought jackets for $5.00 with new store tags still on that were marked much bigger than my actual size. Somebody's oops is your gain!

(4) Check the armpit area first! I might lose some of you on this tip, but you don't have to touch it--just look at it! Especially in the South, that is the first indication of how much a shirt or jacket has been worn.

If you're a die-hard recycled clothing addict, garage/yard/estate sales are the ultimate treasure troves. Just this weekend my mom bought two pairs of pants, both designer brands, for $1.00. After a good washing, nobody but us knows where they came from.

Be patient and plan ahead.

Never buy an item at the beginning of the season. The closer the calendar gets to the next season, the smaller the price of clothing becomes. If you're past your growing stage, you can buy for next year. (This also provides incentive to not gain weight!)

Buy to sell.

After prom season, beautiful gowns can be bought at a 75 or more percent discount. I have even taken advantage of these sales and bought dresses that my daughter wouldn't wear--wrong color, size,style--and sold them on auction sites such as Ebay. That way I make a little money to go find more bargains!

Use those skills Grannie tried to teach us.

Sometimes all it takes to keep a shirt or skirt or dress in circulation is a new button or a repaired seam. Get out that dusty old sewing machine or needle and thread and take a few moments to make your clothes like new again. Compare the value of ten or so minutes of your time to the amount of money it would take to replace the item, and you will be motivated to fix it and wear it again.

You can look good without going broke! Let's make those expensive clothing stores work harder to earn our business! Watch for my next article on simple sewing techniques to change the look of your shirts, skirts or pants for just a few dollars.