It’s no secret that teenagers can be expensive – especially if you have a teen that’s interested in fashion. It seems like in a blink of the eye you go from happily shopping the clearance racks at Old Navy for toddler items to trying to find good deals on designer jeans and premium running shoes for your teenager. However, it IS possible to outfit your teen both fashionably and affordably.
Here are some budget-friendly ways to do both:
Shop the back of the store. Most stores put their new (and full-price) items at the front of the store in hopes of luring customers in the doors. Make a habit of walking past these items to the back of the store where the clearance racks usually are located. Let clearance racks be your best friend. Because the turnover of items in clothing stores is so frequent you’ll be amazed at how quickly items go from full-price at the front of the store to the clearance racks at the back. And you’ll be amazed at how much they can be reduced.
Don’t forget online deals. Many stores that teens like offer their clearance deals online as well. In addition, it is common for stores like American Eagle to offer up to 60% off of clearance prices plus free shipping. Amazon often has great deals on select name brand items as well. Try searching a brand your teen likes and then sorting from low to high prices. You’ll often find terrific deals that you wouldn’t in stores.
Here are some great places to look for clothing, shoes and accessory deals on Amazon:
Women’s Junior Shop – 70% off or more
Women’s Accessories 70% off or more
Women’s shoes 70% off more
Men’s clothing 70% off or more
Men’s shoes 70% off or more
Men’s accessories 70% off
Familiarize yourself with Buy, Sell, Trade groups. Depending on where you live you may be able to score some great deals through Facebook via your local Buy, Sell, Trade group. These online groups are local to your area and are made up of people wanting to buy, sell or trade with other people who live locally. People often post name brand clothing they no longer want for much less than new. If you don’t have a Buy, Sell, Trade group local to your area you can look for groups that ship items rather than meet up locally. Search a favorite clothing brand on Facebook using the search tool, adding BST or Buy, Sell, Trade if needed, and see what kind of deals you can find. These groups can be a great way to get rid of unwanted items as well.
Be open to secondhand stores. If you have the time, secondhand stores can be an especially effective way to score name brand or even designer items for a fraction of the cost. Try shopping on Value Village’s 50% off days or when Goodwill offers discounts on select tags for even deeper savings. Many secondhand stores are filled with clothes from stores where teens frequent like Hollister, Abercrombie, Urban Outfitters and more. If you don’t have time to scour traditional secondhand stores, try shopping stores like Plato’s Closet where the items have already been pre-selected for being gently worn and fashionable. Shopping secondhand stores definitely takes more time than hitting the mall, and there will be times you leave the store empty-handed. However, if you stick with it you will be able to significantly save over buying new.
Host a Clothing Swap Party with your teen’s friends. A fun way to get new-to-your-teen items for free is to host a clothing swap for your teen and her friends. Invite select friends over and have each of them bring clothing items they no longer want. Write down how many items each person brought and that’s how many they get to take home. Draw names to determine who selects first and stick to that order. Serve food and drinks while the teens “shop” to make the event festive. At the end of the swap everyone leaves with “new” clothing without spending a penny. Any unwanted items can be donated.
These are just a few of the many ways you can save on clothes for your teen. What about you? We’d love to hear what you do to outfit your teen affordably!
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