Photo by kk+
The following is a guest post from Audrey at Mom Generations.com:
I love fashion. I love that a simple little black dress (LBD) can transform a woman. I love that red lipgloss can make a woman feel sexy. I love that a gorgeous high heel can exude confidence in a woman she maybe didn’t even know she had. Fashion is glitz and glamour… it’s cozy and warm… it’s relaxed and laid-back… it’s vintage and elegance… it’s sophistication and classic. Fashion is one thing in this world that binds us all. We all have to dress. And dressing… well, it’s going to cost you!
Or does it have to? Can you be stylish on a budget?
Being fashionable and wearing the latest trends and styles doesn’t have to cost you a small fortune. In fact, quite the opposite… you can be stylish and chic and hip all while saving money. Lots of money. I write about fashion and style every single day, and I can say without hesitation that any style can be found at affordable prices; you just have to know where to go, where to look and know how to find bargains. Truth be told, I never buy anything at full price. I love to look good and wear the latest styles, but I refuse to break the bank to do so.
Here are some tricks for being a Deal Seeking Fashionista:
1. Flash Sales
Working in NYC for 6 years for Donna Karan — and seeing so many women wearing gorgeous, luxurious and expensive clothing — was quite an eye-opener for me. I knew I was only making $30K right out of college, so how were the women I was working with (who weren’t making much more than me) wearing such fabulous clothing?
And then the secret was passed along to me… sample sales. Every top designer has sample sales in NYC (usually only open to its employees) where you can purchase items for up to 90% off. Well, thanks to the emergence of Flash Sales, we can all find designer and brand named clothing for up to 90% OFF! Some of my personal favorites:
2. Know When to Shop
Believe it or not, when you shop during the year matters. There are two times during the year when you are going to get prime sale action in-stores — February and October. It makes sense and works well in your savings favor to stock up on fall/winter attire in February and summer attire in October.
3. Know Where to Shop
There are stores like Old Navy, Target, GAP, Children’s Place, T.J.Maxx and Marshalls that are continuously getting new merchandise. They need to make sure all the old merchandise is cleared out on a regular basis and it’s why these stores have fabulous clearance racks. The one thing I’ve learned about shopping at these stores is that everything eventually goes on sale, you just need to be a little patient.
4. Coupons
Before you buy anything, always go online and search to see if there are available coupons and/or coupon codes that you can use. Especially if you’re purchasing items online, always check to see if there are Free Shipping codes. You can find these codes through various search engines — Swagbucks, Yahoo, Google, MSN, etc.
5. CVS Beauty
CVS drugstores are great places to go to get deals on beauty products, including makeup, hair care, skin care, etc. Each time you head to your CVS, head directly to the Coupon Center to see if you are eligible for any coupons. Also, a big bonus – if your CVS has a Beauty Advisor, get to know her! They have exclusive coupons and have access to Beauty Saving Cards. Every time you spend $10, you can get your Beauty Savings Card stamped. When you spend $100, you get a $10 coupon. There are always beauty deals going on… 50-75% off retail, so keep checking in and get to know your beauty department!
6. Consignment Shopping
You can find some fabulous gems, often designer labels, in consignment shops at amazing prices. Consignment shops often sell not only clothing, but purses, shoes and accessories. My best buy most recently was a cashmere Charter Club sweater for $10. My advice is to look for like-new condition items. Find consignment shops that get the best stocked items and make sure you know when they are replenishing the floor. You’ll get the best quality items at the lowest prices.
7. Garage Sales/Yard Sales
Garage sales can be meccas for some amazing deals. Scour the weekend ad section for upcoming garage or yard sales and then head to the ones in upscale neighborhoods. You will find some amazing items at extremely low prices. I’ve been doing this for years, and just recently I was able to snag a Ralph Lauren coat for my youngest son for $5. You can’t beat that! And if you go at the end of the day, most yard-salers just want the stuff gone, giving you more bargaining power.
8. Make Friends with the Sales Staff
Don’t laugh! Making friends with the sales staff at your favorite local store can be very helpful. The “staff” are the ones who know when the sales are going to happen and they also know when new merchandise is coming in. Pop into your favorite stores once a week to see if anything new is on sale or if a friendly salesperson can give you a preview on what is going on sale.
9. Don’t Discount Floor Samples
This is a tip I learned from a good friend when I first moved to NYC in 2000 and it really is a good one. Many times stores will sell the floor samples at a discount. Shoes that have been tried on multiple times, items that have been on the mannequins, accessories that have been hanging in the windows on display — all of these can often be purchased at an additional discount. I just did this in February at my local Banana Republic. I wanted a pair of ballet flats with sequins on them, and the only pair they had left was the floor sample with a few sequins missing. They sold them to me at 30% off.
What is your favorite way to score beauty or fashion products at a discount?
Audrey McClelland is a mother of 4 young boys and co-founder of MomGenerations.com. Fueled by her love of fashion, Audrey worked for Donna Karan International for 6 years. The experience inspired Audrey to create a fashion component at Mom Generations. She has also teamed up with Vera Sweeney from I’m Not Obsessed blog to create Getting Gorgeous Events throughout the country. Their first event will launch on August 6th in NYC.
kristie
I love a website called http://www.retailmenot.com ; you just type in the web address of pretty much any shopping site (from victorias secret to home depot) and it will bring up coupon codes/promotional codes for online, or printable coupons for the store!
Crissy S.
I contacted CVS online to ask them about the Beauty Savings card. They said that they do not offer that program. :(