Tonia Tomlin

"Good to Know"

 Cutting Back On Couture: 10 Tips For Low-Cost Finds

1. Buy clothing out of season. Stores always discount clothing to make room for next season. Buy now for next year.

2. Shop consignment stores. Most consignment shops cater to high-end clothing. You will need to get over the desire to dress your babies exactly alike, but that is probably a good thing. You can find some fantastic selections if you are willing to dig through the racks.

3. Clear out the clearances. Put your blinders on when shopping retail and head straight to the clearance racks.

4. Checkout the outlet malls. Brand named stores at outlet malls often sell the previous season’s offerings at greatly discounted rates.

5. Go part-time. If you can’t resist buying this season’s cutest couture, consider taking a part-time job at your favorite store.  The babies can go to Mothers’ Day Out, and you will probably
enjoy the “quiet” time.

6. Good Will hunting. Seriously, you can find some cute things at the Good Will if you look hard enough. And, you will be putting your money towards a good cause as well.

7. Watch out for closeouts. Keep an eye out in newspapers, on TV, on the radio and as you drive around for clearances and closeouts.

8. Buy quality not quantity. Cheap clothes are not synonymous with a good value. Buy the previous season’s discounted quality items over the current season’s cheap stuff.

9. Stay in the know. Chat with other moms, and read up on mom Web sites to stay in the know of what stores are having closeout sales and when.

10. Get friendly with eBay. Hone your tech skills and get savvy on eBay and other online auction sites.

Successful Parenting is truly a joint partnership