Shopping Clearance!

As the parent of two small children, I may know a thing or two about shopping clearance and never paying full price for items. I cannot remember when I paid full price for clothes or shoes. You just have to have a little patience and always plan ahead. Here are a few tips to always stay ahead:

Every time I enter a store I look for either the yellow or the red signs. This is where the clearance items usually are. Also stores will usually have the clearance items in the back of the store so you will have to look at the new merchandise they have put out on the way back. Of course I bypass the new merchandise unless I went in the store to specifically purchase a brand new item.

By seasonal shopping I mean if Winter has just ended and Spring/Summer is beginning, chances are the stores are marking all Winter merchandise down in order to get all Summer merchandise in stock. I usually wait until the items have been marked down for at least two weeks to get the best deal. This is the best time to shop for next Winter! I usually buy the Winter clothes or coats (if they need them) at this time and buy one or two sizes bigger. I also get thermals and winter shoes/boots they've marked down at this time. Even t-shirts and socks have been marked down on some occasions. By the time school is starting back the only thing I end up buying is shoes.

Department stores usually mark down their merchandise on Wednesdays and start preparing for the next ad. It is also best to shop at some department stores at the end of the month since they run monthly ads. The last week in the month is usually when you will find the best deals. And if a holiday has just passed you can be sure that no more than a week later the markdowns are coming. Then you can have those materials for the next holiday and you pay less than the original price.

If you shop in a store enough, you become familiar with certain workers and managers. Just ask when the next markdowns are. They can either tell you or not tell you. Some stores even have schedules for their markdowns. They mark certain departments down on certain days. It doesn't hurt to ask.