How to save money when buying clothes on MomsAllStop.com

1. Before you buy any clothes, do an inventory of your closet. Do you even know what you have jammed in the back there? Take out any clothes that don't fit anymore, that you haven't worn in at least a year, that you just plain don't like, and any that are stained or ripped and need to be tossed. Toss the ones in bad repair and either give to charity the rest, sell them on ebay or consign them at a nearby store. Now, go through what is left and see where the "empty" spots in your closet are. Create a list of what you feel you need. Write down items like: little black dress, tank tops - red and white, 2 pair of jeans, 1 dressy blouse, and so forth. Place that list in your purse and stick to it when shopping.

2. Buy clothes from yard sales, consignment shops and thrift stores. These stores are particularly good for purchasing baby clothes and dressy dresses. New moms are quite frequently given more than their newborns can possibly wear before outgrowing them during baby showers. You can quite often find brand-new baby clothes or clothing worn only once or twice. Woman are constantly buying a dress for a wedding or a prom, wearing it only that once and then donating it or consigning it. Worn only once? Who is going to know? You and wallet for sure, but probably no one else.

3. Stick to buying mostly classic cut clothing, especially in natural fibers. It wears from season to season, year to year without going out of style. You can always purchase "fashionable" pieces to accessorize your wardrobe with at sales using coupons to stay up-to-date on the latest trends if that is your thing.

4. When going to the store or mall to buy clothes, always have a plan in mind. Check out the local paper for coupons to your local stores. They usually run them in the regular black and white sections amid the local news articles. Next, get online and google your store and the word coupon for any deals you may find. Many stores have online coupons to print off, or coupon codes that you can copy and give them at the register when they are ringing you up. A few minutes of your time now can save you several dollars later.

5. Got a favorite store or brandname of clothing? Get on the company's mailing list. They frequently send out mailings letting you know about upcoming sales and promotions. They also send out some terrific coupons to entice you into the store.

6. Call up several of your girlfriends and family members and ask everyone to bring over clothing they no longer wear because it doesn't fit them anymore or they just didn't like it on once they got it home. Have everyone bring a small potluck item and make a swapping party out of the next free night on your calendars. Nothing like free, new clothes, good food and time spent with friends to put a smile on your face.

7. When shopping at the mall or your favorite store, always check out the sales racks in the back FIRST. I'm always amazed at what can be found there for 50 - 80% off. Especially at the end of a season. Buy summer clothes at the end of summer for next year and winter clothes the same way. You will save half your budget doing just that alone and clothes do not really go out of style from one year to the next, so you'll be fine.