Bargains and Discounts Articles

The new fall fashions may fit your sense of style, but do the price tags fit your budget? Whether your closet needs an extreme makeover or just a trendy touchup, you can use advice to size up money-saving options when shopping for new clothes.

Style Saver: Swapping
If you can't afford it, trade for it. Swapping clothes is no longer limited to small gatherings of sisters and best friends. College parties, internet groups, and local websites are all falling in love with the idea of swapping old clothes for "new" ones. Unlike with friends and siblings, however, these larger-coordinated swaps are permanent ones -- at least until the next swap meet. Swapping is the perfect way to find one-of-a-kind items for free. It's also a wonderful medium for exchanging unique clothing that normally wouldn't sell well for cash because of their lack of a designer label. For absolutely no financial investment (aside from the occasional entry fee for some of the larger swap parties) you can refresh your entire wardrobe by swapping 'til you drop.

Style Saver: Selling
If you're not interested in the selections that swapping provides, you can try selling your current clothing at a yard sale, flea market, or on eBay to save up for new (or gently used, see below) purchases. Compared to swapping, the positive side of selling is the flexibility you're afforded with the resulting cash. You aren't limited to re-investing your money into clothing, and can spend your earned dough however you like. On the other hand, your trading power goes way down when you're dealing with cash. A used, no-name purse purchased for $10 last year might easily trade for another $10 item at a swap party, but unfortunately, it would sell at a yard sale for $1-2 at best, and probably wouldn t sell at all on eBay or another online auction site without the power of a designer name behind it.

Style Saver: Rummaging
If you're low on cash and aren't interested in swapping or selling, try scavenging for closet refreshers. Start with your grandma's (or any other older woman's) closets to see what unique vintage items they've stashed away. You'd be surprised how fashion forward some of the elderly people in your life once were, and with their permission you can incorporate their vintage sense of style into your wardrobe. After depleting your free resources, head over to local thrift and consignment stores to look for bargains. If you don't succeed on your first try, come back at another time. Inventory at these types of stores changes constantly, and you'll be able to catch good deals and exclusive pieces by checking frequently and at different times of the day. Also, keep your eye out for items that you might not want in your own wardrobe, but that you might easily resell or swap for something else.

Style Saver: The Sewing Machine
Favorite shirt have a rip in the sleeve? Is there a beautiful skirt languishing in your closet because it's a tad too long? Might you own a gorgeous dress that you've never worn because it's too big in the waist? Many items in your closet can be given new life simply with needle and thread. Check out our selection of sewing machines and kits. Don't worry if you can't sew or if you don't have a sewing machine, because professional alterations in most areas are a fraction of the price of new clothing purchases, especially if you bring your items to the tailor in bulk. Don't be afraid to haggle for a quantity discount.

Style Saver: The Internet
For savvy online shoppers looking to save money on new clothes, eBay isn't the only source. Online stores usually offer the same clothing that you might find in your department stores, but with the possibilities of no tax and free shipping, savings might amount to 15 percent or more. Many chain stores have lower prices and different products on their website, but still allow for in-store returns (a major plus). To keep abreast of all the deals, sign up for the email newsletters from your favorite stores, which are often peppered with special coupons. It's quick and easy and you can specify which categories you are particularly interested in. Even cooler, some websites pay you a percentage of your online purchases for clicking through their link to go to the store.

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Style Saver: Coupons, Discounts, & Sales
If the lure of department stores and boutiques is still too much to overcome, you can still save tons of money with just a little legwork before and after the purchase.
1) Save all receipts. Most stores will honor future price reductions for at least a two week period. At the time of purchase, make a note in your calendar to call in a week and a half and have the cashier check the sku numbers on your receipt to see if the items have gone on sale. You can often save 20 percent or more by faithfully keeping up with your receipts.
2) Comparison shop. That $100 blouse at one store may very well be on sale for $80 at another at the exact same time. After you make a large purchase and before you remove the tags, quickly surf the internet for that item to make sure that you got the best deal possible. AOL Shopping makes comparison shopping easy. Start your search now.
3) Read the paper. Stores usually announce their sales in the newspaper inserts, and oftentimes the best coupons are only available this way.
4) Go to Customer Service. If there's a special deal to be had, customer service will let you know. Many times, the customer service department is the gatekeeper for coupon booklets and event information that isn t available anywhere else.

Don't go broke this fall: Deals on clothing for Baby & Kids, Men's and Women's