When To Shop
When you shop for clothes, jewelry and toys can often result in considerable savings.
1. Since in most markets clothing is seasonal, end-of-season sales can provide
some great prices for clothing. While the selection may be somewhat limited, if
you determine when stores in your area hold end-of-season sales, and make sure to
shop at the start of the sale, both selection and pricing should be good. However,
if you wait until near the end of seasonal sales, pricing may be excellent. Make
sure to take advantage of end-of-season sales to buy for kids a year ahead of time.
2. Holiday sales, both pre and post holiday, can provide some great values on
clothing, jewelry and toys. It used to be that prices did not decline until after
the holiday was concluded. However, within the last several years, most retailers
have held great sales before the holiday to increase overall sales. Pre-Christmas
sales are the most dramatic example of this trend. But most all holidays have now
become occasions for retailers to hold great sales for various types of merchandise.
However, if pre-holiday sales are slow , great pricing can be found immediately
before and after the holiday.
3. Back-to-school school sales have gotten more popular over the past several
years. Lately, many states have suspended sales tax on many back-to-school items,
usually during several days in July or August, to help families save on school costs.
Try to take advantage of both the savings offered by stores to attract business
and the tax savings.
4. When shopping at discount stores, ask them when new merchandise generally
arrives. Make a point to visit stores on that day or the next day to find the best
merchandise at the best prices. Some people believe the best prices can be found
on Thursday evenings six-to-eight weeks after an item arrives in stores, when stores
are motivated to move old merchandise.
Where To Shop
There is no shortage of places where clothing, jewelry and toys can be purchased.
In larger communities, it is almost limitless. Even in smaller communities, shopping
alternatives have increased considerably over the years, particularly when taking
into account the greater ease of transportation. And when you consider shopping
alternatives online, there are plenty of places to shop and save.
1. Retail outlets are the primary place people shop for clothing, jewelry and
toys. But not all retail outlets are the same, especially when shopping on a budget.
Make sure to shop where you can get what you need, at a price you can afford.
a. For the most part, avoid shopping at high-end department stores and malls for
clothing and toys. They are most always way over priced, even when items are on
sale. And most of the clothing and toy items can be found at other, less expensive
stores. So get rid of the high-end department store and shopping mall habit. The
one exception can be jewelry. Sometimes, department stores and mall-based jewelers
can have sales with reasonable jewelry prices.
b. For nice, brand-name clothing, jewelry and even sometimes toys, often the best
pricing is at outlet stores, particularly when items are becoming out of season.
Outlet stores used to be primarily for brand-name items that had defects, or items
that did not sell well. For the most part, this is no longer the case. Brand-name
outlet stores now carry first rate merchandise, at prices significantly lower than
offered by high-end department stores and mall specialty shops. If you are looking
for brand-name merchandise, make sure to find a good outlet mall. But if you do
have access to old-style outlet stores that carry items with small defects, etc.
check them out for some real bargains that you might be able to find. And don’t forget
to visit the outlet’s Information Center to see if they have any coupons or unadvertised
specials for stores at the outlet mall. You can search 275 outlet centers and 12,800
factory stores by location, store name, category and brand name at OutletBound.com.
c. Brand-name clothing and jewelry can also be found at other quality stores that
carry mostly surplus merchandise. Selection can be limited, but prices can be very
attractive. If you like to look, and have some patience, these are great stores
to buy fine clothing at very good prices. They include stores like Marshall’s, T.J.Maxx,
Burlington Coat Factory, Ross and others. Judicious use of these stores can provide
a nice wardrobe on a relatively small budget.
d. Wal-Mart, Target and other discount department stores sell clothing, jewelry
and toys at everyday low prices. Over the past several years their clothing lines
have improved considerably, they offer name-brand jewelry and they offer most any
type of toy (both brand-name and off-brands) that you could want. These stores should
be a staple for all the basics, and for anyone trying to stretch their budget.
e. Warehouse stores like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s can be a source of clothes,
jewelry and some toys. Selection is limited, but pricing can be very good especially
on jewelry. So look around if you have a membership and see if you can save.
f. Local, independent stores, can sometimes have good merchandise at reasonable
prices. But often, they do not have the purchasing power to offer truly competitive
pricing with large chains like Wal-Mart. However, they may have what you want at
a reasonable price and supporting local business can be a good thing to do.
