Ever since scouring thrift shops for fabulous finds as a teenager, I have been a bargain queen. One of my favorite places to frequent was a crazy warehouse called Ruben's in Harrisburg, PA. Apparently it was a rag factory during the week (is that a thing?) that opened its doors to the public on Saturday mornings to sell clothes by the pound.
I'd search through bin after bin for treasures to fill my garbage bag, which would end up costing about $2 or $3 when it was weighed on an industrial scale. Shirts, skirts, pants, dresses, coats...my entire high school wardrobe probably cost no more than 20 bucks.
I still enjoy digging through piles for vintage clothing--and often think, $10 for this? It would have been a dime at Ruben's--but my talent for thriftiness goes beyond thrift stores. Like Kohl's, for example.
I love Kohl's. More often than not, my response to any compliment about what I'm wearing is, "Kohl's!" This is often followed up by how much the item cost. If I can remember, I will include the original price and the amount of the discount.
My friends marvel at my ability to sniff out bargains and don't understand how I do it. Well gals, here's how.
1. It helps if you're not looking for something specific.
Today, I was looking for a new pair of jeans and maybe a cute top for an upcoming event.
2. It really helps if you have enough time to devote to it.
Although I can bargain-shop at any speed, it's best to leave that to the experts. You're not ready.
3. Have a coupon.
I get coupons from Kohl's. All. The. Time. Oddly, I didn't have one sitting around today, so I checked out their site before I left home and printed a 20% off coupon. It's important to consider your final discount as you're searching the racks. Something may not be ten-dollars-cute, but it could be eight-dollars-cute.
4. Go straight to the sale racks.
Seriously. Just walk right past the non-sale racks. Even if you have a coupon. Trust me.
I find that the pain of trying on jeans is second only to trying on swimsuits. My strategy is to overload my cart so I only have to go to the dressing room once. Get all the sizes, styles, and colors for convenience' sake. And there are so many choices on the clearance racks, why would you bother throwing the full-priced items into the mix?
5. Buy basics and off-season items.
l mean, you can never have enough tank tops or cardigans.
6. Don't be afraid to try something outside your typical style zone.
Again, it goes back to ten-dollar-cute vs. eight-dollar-cute. Honestly, some of my favorite items are things I wouldn't normally have gone for, but the price was right so why not?
Okay, ready to see what I got?
I'd search through bin after bin for treasures to fill my garbage bag, which would end up costing about $2 or $3 when it was weighed on an industrial scale. Shirts, skirts, pants, dresses, coats...my entire high school wardrobe probably cost no more than 20 bucks.
I still enjoy digging through piles for vintage clothing--and often think, $10 for this? It would have been a dime at Ruben's--but my talent for thriftiness goes beyond thrift stores. Like Kohl's, for example.
I love Kohl's. More often than not, my response to any compliment about what I'm wearing is, "Kohl's!" This is often followed up by how much the item cost. If I can remember, I will include the original price and the amount of the discount.
My friends marvel at my ability to sniff out bargains and don't understand how I do it. Well gals, here's how.
1. It helps if you're not looking for something specific.
Today, I was looking for a new pair of jeans and maybe a cute top for an upcoming event.
2. It really helps if you have enough time to devote to it.
Although I can bargain-shop at any speed, it's best to leave that to the experts. You're not ready.
3. Have a coupon.
I get coupons from Kohl's. All. The. Time. Oddly, I didn't have one sitting around today, so I checked out their site before I left home and printed a 20% off coupon. It's important to consider your final discount as you're searching the racks. Something may not be ten-dollars-cute, but it could be eight-dollars-cute.
4. Go straight to the sale racks.
Seriously. Just walk right past the non-sale racks. Even if you have a coupon. Trust me.
I find that the pain of trying on jeans is second only to trying on swimsuits. My strategy is to overload my cart so I only have to go to the dressing room once. Get all the sizes, styles, and colors for convenience' sake. And there are so many choices on the clearance racks, why would you bother throwing the full-priced items into the mix?
5. Buy basics and off-season items.
l mean, you can never have enough tank tops or cardigans.
6. Don't be afraid to try something outside your typical style zone.
Again, it goes back to ten-dollar-cute vs. eight-dollar-cute. Honestly, some of my favorite items are things I wouldn't normally have gone for, but the price was right so why not?
Okay, ready to see what I got?
My grand total? All the items you see above PLUS $10 in Kohl's cash (because I spent more than $50) cost me $59.39. Had I shopped in tax-free Delaware, I could have saved an additional 55¢, but I can live with that. Also, I didn't find the cute top I was looking for, but this is still a win.
The receipt says it all. If I had purchased everything at full price, it would have cost me $265.12. That's just dumb.
And THAT, my friends, is how you get that bargain booty.
The receipt says it all. If I had purchased everything at full price, it would have cost me $265.12. That's just dumb.
And THAT, my friends, is how you get that bargain booty.
