It's so important for mom's to do something special for themselves. To me and some other mom's I know, making yourself look good no matter what is a very important thing. It makes me feel womanly, cute and makes me feel like I fit in with my other friends. For those of you who think it's absolutely impossible to be fashionable and be on a mom's budget, that's the farthest thing from the truth! How do I know? Because I do it all the time!
There are great ways to find great deals on fashionable clothes...and by great deals, I mean practically a steal!
1. GARAGE/YARD SALES!! Yes, this may sound a little off for some people, but I have been hardcore into garage/yard sales for 5 years. Throughout those 5 years, I have found some great deals on amazing clothes. Yes, BRAND NAME clothes. I've found great deals on clothes here from anywhere from $0.50 to $3. That is way below retail. You really have to look around, dig, have patience and know how to bargain. My mom and I write a list of 30 garage sales in our area that have descriptions that fit what we're looking for. A lot of garage sales will note they have clothing or brand name clothing. Definitely go to those... To give you an idea of how good you can get deals; I got a $90 pair of coach shoes in the box never used for $10. I also got a $30 Gap sweatshirt for $1.
2. Discount clothing stores - Such as TJ Maxx, Dots, D&D, Marshalls, AJ Wright, Pay/Half and so on... You can get some great fashionable clothes at amazing prices. Even shoes and purses. Pay/Half, AJ Wright, TJ Maxx and Marshalls buy overstocked brand name clothing at wholesale prices so they can sell them for way below retail. Those big name retailers just have too much of the stock and are itching to get them out of their warehouse... So these stores offer them at great prices. Dots & D&D's have their own clothing that are really knock offs of the brand name clothing. So you can get fashionable clothing that looks like the real thing for very cheap. For Dots, you can find various coupons every month for extra savings.
3. Trading with friends - I have done this many a time. Usually people have clothing they just don't want anymore and want to donate... I have gotten a bunch of friends together that have bags of clothes they don't want or can't use anymore. Have a little party/get together at your house and have them bring the clothes. At that party, just swap the clothes that all of you don't want. You get something you do want, get rid of things you don't need, and have new outfits for absolutely nothing! It's a great way to clean through and restock your closet. I have done this so many times and it always worked out. Friends also love to do this...it brings back youth and "borrowing" clothes. ;)
4. Outlet Stores - Another great way to get some great things for cheap. Most states have outlet malls where the retail stores send their overstock to get it sold at great prices. You can also find some coupons TO the outlet stores.
5. Craigslist - I've sold clothes on Craigslist and also have bought clothes on Craigslist... The best part about this, is a lot of people sell a whole box of clothes for a certain price. I got a box of Old Navy, Gap, Express, Forever 21 and so on clothes for just $30. That box was worth over $100. The clothes in there were so fashionable and were very well priced to sell. Just make sure you specify your size, if inquiring about a box of clothes and make sure you read the listing to see if there is a size specified. There are honestly listings for probably EVERY size... Whatever doesn't fit, resell or give away.
6. Sign Up for mailing lists/coupons - COUPONS.... I CAN NEVER STRESS THIS ENOUGH!! They're so important and so valuable. Treat your coupons like you would cash... Honestly. I can't stress this enough! Ha! Sign up for as many mailing lists as you can for your favorite stores. NY&Co, Express, Old Navy, Target, Kohls..They frequently mail coupons and they're valuable too. Most recently, NY&Co had a coupon that was $30 off a $75 purchase. That's saving a lot... I know Old Navy has had $50 off of $50 and a lot of others. Coupons help out a lot... Match them with clearance items. Even if you're shopping for next season.
7. Basics with Accessories - If you have a nice pair of jeans, you can dress them up with heels or down with sneakers. What you absolutely NEED are:
- A great pair of jeans. Preferably one pair of flare and one pair of straight leg
- Two pairs of leggings. One ankle long pair and one calf long pair
- A nice skirt
- Black pants
- Shirts in solid colors
If you have those, you can dress them up or down, making new looks every time. Use the solid color shirts and wear new accessories every time. You can buy accessories for very cheap from different stores (i.e. Claires, Icing, local stores...) I have done this many times and it works. Saves a lot of money as well!
8. Thrift Stores - The same concept as Craigslist and Garage sales. Thrift stores are priced great as well and you can find some great pieces for a lot less than retail! I really believe in buying clothes second hand. Just make sure they are well kept before you purchase them.
9. Buy on off season - If you're looking for summer clothes, buy them towards the fall for next year. Same with all of the other seasons. Actually, stores usually put their clothes on clearange 4-5 weeks after they come out. I have gotten some great fashionable summer clothes at Old Navy ALREADY... In May. That's because they put them out at the beginning of April or even end of March and already are discounting their pieces 40-50%. SHOP CLEARANCE SECTIONS..
10. Shop Online - Sometimes shopping online can save you a lot because of coupon codes. There are many great sites to obtain coupon codes, so really google around before you buy anything. Hit the online stores that have free shipping after a certain amount. ALSO - sign up for the sites that give you cash back or points towards gift cards. Swag Bucks, My Points and so on are VERY good ways to turn what you spend into rewards... You can use them in conjunction with coupon codes too. Saving even more!!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet blogging program to be eligible to win a $20 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
Gap Outlet Offerings
Gap Outlet is offering summer dress and cardigans for $15 and up to 40% off other select items from May 7-24, 2010! Also, Gap Outlet is offering an exclusive coupon code to the TwitterMoms community for an additional 15% discount on all purchases, with a minimum spend of $75. This exclusive additional discount is available to all TwitterMoms friends and family from May 11-May 24th, 2010!
Banana Republic Factory Store Offerings
Banana Republic Factory Store's "It's All About Her Sale" offers savings of up to 50% off all women's clothes from April 30th through May 19th! In addition, Banana Republic Factory Store is offering an exclusive coupon code to the TwitterMoms community for an additional 15% discount on all purchases, with a minimum spend of $75. This exclusive additional discount is available to all TwitterMoms friends and family from May 11 through May 24, 2010, so hurry to your closest location today.
The Gap Gift Card
The Gap gift card may be redeemed for merchandise at any Gap brand, Old Navy or Banana Republic location, including Outlet and Factory stores. The Card may also be redeemed for merchandise at gap.com, oldnavy.com,bananarepublic.com, piperlime.com, or athleta.com.
What is their "Lease It" program? I'm going to give you a great example from personal experience. August 2013 we moved to a brand new house and because we had been at our old house for all my life, some of our furniture couldn't fit through the doorway of our old place. I'm a single mom of two girls who is also supporting a disabled mother, and the cost of moving was already way above my budget. I couldn't afford to buy completely new furniture. One day I was at Kmart with my mom and saw a sign that said "Why Not Least It, no credit required." And it really aroused my interest. I did some quick research while I was in Kmart and found out that the program is a credit check free way of leasing or owning big tag items for a very affordable monthly price! I was able to get a brand new kitchen table, 32 in TV, dresser and night stand for the kids room and I only pay a very low monthly payment per month. The best part is, all you need is a job and a photo ID to know that you're approved! 
Your lease contract can be set up in minutes either in the store or online and your payments are quickly and easily drafted right out of your checking account. You don't even have to remember to pay the bill separately! 
You have to lease the item for five months, after that it's your choice! You can purchase the item or return it. Of you want to buy out your lease earlier than the five months, you do have options. The Early Purchase Option allows customers to buy the item in 30, 60, or 90 days for a modest premium over the original purchase price.
