Monday, August 27, 2007

More Shopping 'n AM~Erica


So anyway...

I promised some killer designer bargains, so let's get started, shall we?

Clearance!! Need I say more? Probably not, but I will anyway.

Whether you are at Wal-Mart or Macy's, check out the serious savings you can get! A lot of the reason things go on clearance is because they have discontinued the item, or they are making room for more inventory (probably an entire season early); it is NOT because the stuff is out of style! My favorite is probably Target & Kohls. I head straight for the clearance items, and I especially look for the 50% & up. I recently picked up a blouse from Nine & Co. (part of Nine West) for $3.40, and a pair of 1928 earrings to match the shirt for $6 at Kohls. I spent about $10 for a top & accessory ensamble. That's awesome!! The shirt was 90% off! About a year ago, I got about $200 worth of clothing for under $25 at Kohls.

DSW is a new fave of mine...I LOVE SHOES!! It makes my hubby crazy, but it's a passion. Even at "discounted" prices at DSW for their designer shoes, I still want to puke when I look at the pricetag. However...go to the clearance section (sound familiar?), and look at the color-coded prices. You can get 30%, 40%, 50%, 70%, even 80% off of the original DSW price. Learn when they have their sales, too. They had a sale all through the summer, plus gave 15% off coupons for Aug. 2-12. You could use 2 coupons at a time. I bought Lizzie 3 pairs of school shoes, which should have cost me about $80 or more, for under $25 for all three pairs - she got a MUDD pair, a Report pair, and (I'm not kidding) a BCBG pair! I wanted to do cartwheels in the parking lot! I found a pair of Katie & Kelly shoes, as well as a pair of Liz Claiborne shoes for under $10 each there. BARGAIN! I also try to keep track of the BOGO sale @ Payless. When they have their sale, Famous Footwear & Shoe Carnival have to have their buy-one-get-one for ½ off sale, too. Gotta love that! And that goes for every shoe in their store...including clearance items.

Look at the mall for stores catering to Juniors. I say this, because their pricing and sales cater to the working teen-aged girl, making minimum wage. After I got Liz the shoes, we went over to Wet Seal (another fave of mine), paroosed the clearance section (there's that word again), and got her a t-shirt, a sparkely hooded sweater, a long-sleeved shirt w/ rhinestone-crusted bow graphic, and a party-dress for a dance - all for...under $15. This was during their buy-one-get-one free on all clearance sale. Geez, I love shopping! Also, try Forever 21 & Heritage 1981 for clearance deals starting at $2.99 and up...and that includes clothing!

No, I ain't too proud to Goodwill! Thrift shopping is so much fun. Yes, you see a lot of weird stuff, but take time to sort through it; it's amazing what you will find. I recently needed a navy purse - navy is always in style, but you can never find a good purse in the color. I found the cutest patent-leather navy clutch EVER! Found it at Goodwill for $3.99. I even found 2 Issac Mizrahi dresses that I'd had my eye on, and missed out on both of them, in my size for $4.99 each. I also got a groovy, mod white-hooped necklace/belt (can be worn as either) for 99¢. I even found Ethan a pair of Old Navy swim trunks for $1. Look for thrift stores from Association for the Blind, Salvation Army, or any auxillary that may sponser one. Great stuff, great deals! Oh...and they don't charge tax.

I have already pieced together most of my Halloween costume, from these stores, for just under $15.

Another trick I love to use is rewards programs. I have one for DSW, Famous Footwear, and used to carry for Wet Seal (back to that one in jiffy). If you join a store/franchise rewards membership, it is usually for free, and the more you shop there, the more they send to you in rewards; this means they pay you, in essence, to shop at their store. That's Fabulous! Wet Seal offers a program which you pay a one-time fee for the year, and you get 20% off your first purchase, a purchase around your b-day, and 10% every other time. This is for EVERYTHING in the store. Within the first 2-3 trips, you've paid for the card, and you can still use it for a whole year. I've even been given coupons with the card to spend, 1/month. That's even more savings!

I have real challenge now that my hubby gave me. He has been so impressed with my bargain finding, he has challenged me to find stuff for guys like that, too: things like easy care, button-up dress shirts...no pressure. I'm up for the challenge & will keep you updated to my research & findings.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

2 comments :

  1. soiunds like you scored some serious stuff babe! in the hubby department...dillards runs the best sales. right after labor day and again after new years they take things already on sale and take an extra 50% off. my hubby got a $675 suit for $98 last fall and a $300 trench coat for $30. button up ralph lauren's can also be found for less than $10!

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  2. I have to agree with Heidi - Dillard's is good, also Kohl's CAN be (sometimes hit or miss) and then places like Stein-Mart are great if your hubby is a RL fiend! He can get dress shirts and khakis, etc for about 75% cheaper than MSRP, especially when they run their sales!

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