Bargain Shopping Tips

With consumers less willing to buy during unstable economic times and the prices of goods going up continually, even the most die-hard fashionistas are tightening their purse strings and cutting up their credit cards. However, with the right information, you don't need to shop less, just smart. With the right tips to help you bargain shop, you can still look good and feel good without breaking the bank.

Location

 One of the most important things you can do to save money while shopping is to cross your favorite department stores off your shopping list. Yes, it hurts--but if you truly want bargains, particularly on designer and brand names, the marked-up prices at department stores are only taking unnecessary money out of your wallet. Alternatively, get your designer fix at factory outlet stores. If you can't compromise on quality or prestige, then take your business to your local outlet stores, which carry designer items that have been overstocked, discontinued or are simply items that department stores needed to discard to make room for new stock. Often these will be marked down from the original retail price, with some items being scaled back by 40% or 50% in price. Most upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom even have their own outlet stores and will readily give you information on where to find them if you ask a sales representative. Also, for the label slaves, off-price stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross Dress For Less, Filene's Basement and Marshalls offer heavily discounted designer and brand-name items direct from department stores. Here you can find couture brands from Fendi all the way to Calvin Klein and Juicy Couture at heavily marked down prices. For those who are not particularly concerned with brand names, head to your local discount chain store such as Target, K-Mart or Wal-Mart. These days, chain stores are stocking excellent basics such as denim, shirts, underwear and simple business attire. Also, since 2008, Target has been stocking apparel made by high-end designers specifically for Target, such as Anna Sui, Alexander McQueen and Jean-Paul Gaultier, which offers the quality and style you would get from a couture piece at layman's prices.

Timing

As with anything in life, timing is everything. While discount stores offer bargains throughout the entire year, if you simply cannot kick your department store habit then at least wait until sale season--and there are plenty to choose from. You can catch excellent bargains during holidays such as President's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and after Christmas and New Year's. With so many holiday sales to choose from, you can at least hold out a month before you spend on that designer bag--especially if you can score it at a heavily discounted price. If you frequent your favorite department store enough, you will most likely notice they will sometimes hold "25% off," "take an extra 10% off" or "buy one, get one half off" sales in order to make room for new stock. Thus, if you see items that you love and cannot live without at your favorite department store, at least wait until they inevitably offer it at some sort of discount.

 

Vintage

Last but not least, shop vintage or thrift. Despite the emergence of vintage shopping as the new "fad," many people still balk at the idea of second-hand clothing. But keep an open mind--before reputable vintage and thrift stores accept or buy the clothing, it is checked for quality and cleaned professionally before reselling. Also, the term vintage is used so loosely these days that many "vintage" stores are not carrying olden day clothing as much as clothing that has been simply preloved or worn once or twice. As of 2010, prices for designer jeans and brand-name T-shirts have even reached as low as $5 or $10 in some cases--one-tenth of a designer item's recommended retail price and an absolute steal for barely worn couture. Also, make sure you do your research or ask around about your nearest resale shop. Resale shops are where the wealthy clean out their overflowing wardrobes and donate them to such stores, who check them for authenticity and sell the items at discounted rates. Here, you can find genuine high-end couture, such as Chanel, Prada and Gucci, without the heart-attack-inducing price tags.