How to Save Money on Fashion and Clothing

Yet many regularly splurge their hard earned money on fashionable clothing driven by force of habit. They literally can’t help themselves! A little research and knowledge can help them save tons on a new deal, every—single—time. Read on to find out 11 insider tricks on how you can enjoy your new wardrobe, but without breaking the bank.

Avoiding the Center of the Store

Retail outlets tap into consumer psychology by placing the more pricier items smack dab at the center of the store. After all, it is only human nature to choose the items at the center. But what about the ‘less’ desirable areas of the shop that your might doesn’t automatically gravitate to? The extreme left of the entrance and the rear of the store are zones that usually contain discounts and promos. These areas of the shop are chosen to increase foot traffic.

Buying in Bulk

If you purchase all your items of clothing from a small number of stores, you could qualify for a big discount. Pick up a pair of shoes and go to the nearest salesperson—tell them that you would purchase another pair of shoes, but only with a discount. Most sales associates will try to close the sale and will likely find a way to reduce prices by at least 10 percent, if that’s what it takes to get you to commit.

Right Time, Right Place

Many sales with substantial discounts are planned very carefully, for instance, a popular item that has been selling in the store for a couple of weeks will fare for a reduced price once the stock tickles down to a few pairs of shoes, this is a strategic decision to drive more foot traffic. Closely observe this sale until the window expires, then make a planned visit to the store.

Making Acquaintance with a Sales Associate

If you visit a particular store more often, try making acquainted with one sales associate. Make sure to ask for them every time you visit the store, and if you can, get their schedule. Sales associates typically make the bulk of their paycheck from commissions, and securing a regular buyer means getting a reliable source of income.

Once you’ve become a ‘regular’ the sales associate, they will be more likely to extend invitations to their pre-sale period, a special window of opportunity that allows insiders to purchase their favorite items for slashed prices in secret. You will also be more likely to be invited to friends and family promo offers.

Going Greenback Only Helps

Studies have shown that people are twice as more likely to pay more if they use a credit card instead of cash, making it possible for them to stick to their budget. Since card transactions can cost stores upwards of three to five percent, they also stand to gain by offering you substantial discounts for the greenback-only approach versus credit card. So make sure you offer them cash in exchange for hefty discounts, and chances are, they will more than likely accommodate your requests.

Practicing the Art of Abandoning Online Shopping Carts

Online retailers hate when their leads add lots of stuff to their cart, only to abandon making the purchase. In fact, at least 7 in 10 online purchases are not completed by online shoppers, who either get too distracted or simply don’t feel particularly courageous enough to hit the alluring “Check Out” button.

The online store, in response, will send several emails to your account containing discount coupons in hopes of closing a sale.

So if you’re in the practice of the masterful ‘hit and run’ on online shopping carts, then there is a very good chance of receiving a substantial promo code a few days, or even hours, after.

Cut the middle man.

Companies that sell directly to customers are able to cut out the middleman and save up lots of money in the process. In fact, it is not uncommon an item’s price to more than quadruple due to the costs of doing business with a middleman. So if you can find companies that sell directly to consumers, make sure to take advantage of the enormous savings.

Keep a close eye on sales—24/7.

It isn’t remotely possible for a person to keep an eye out for sales throughout the day. Even the most obsessed customer can miss an important sale window if they aren’t too careful. So why not let a software monitor prices instead? Personal shopping sites like ShopStyle and Shop It To Me allow you to choose your favorite prices and closely monitor their prices, alerting you to by email and push notifications. The best part about these services is that you will get tailor-made deals to your interests.

Secondhand gift cards are awesome.

Cardpool and Gift Card Granny are some marketplaces where users can sell their unwanted gift cards at a value appraised below 10 to 15 percent of the face value. Provided you know the details about what you want to buy and where from, you can secure your own personal promo by purchasing.

Signing Up for Newsletters

Most people have the tendency to ignore push notifications that ask them to sign up for newsletters through email. This is understandable because much of the mail is spam, yet if you wade through the clutter, you will likely come across a subscriber-only promo code that can be used in-store or online for substantial discounts.

Shopping Off Season

Very few people are in the mood to but down jackets when it’s 100 degrees outside. Regular stores often have very little stock related to the offseason, but the general consensus by sales associates is to get rid of the stock, and they will do so by offering them at a bargain.