Shopping for Men's Clothes on a Budget
I think I may be a bit of an anomaly…a man who likes to shop. Hunters enjoy the thrill of bagging bucks. I enjoy the thrill of hunting down great deals. For women, it can be easy to find a complete outfit (accessories included) for under $30. For men, we’re lucky if we can find a good pair of pants under $30. Stylish, durable and affordable men’s clothes can seem as elusive as a blacktail buck in the Great Northwest.
When you’re trying to stick to a budget, you can’t afford (pun intended) to spend a week of pay on clothes, especially when you may only wear some items a few times. Here are a few pointers I’ve picked up to find nice clothes and stay within budget.
Use coupons. I never go shopping without them. Several department stores frequently offer discounts coupons to get customers in the doors. JCPenney and Macy’s in particular, offer coupons for $10 off $10 and $10 off $25 minimum purchases, respectively. The best part, often these can be used on sales and clearance items, making your savings even greater. I recently bought a pair of shoes on clearance (originally $110) for a total of $1.51 after using a coupon. Getting coupons is easy. Simply sign up online at the retailer’s website to receive emails or text messages for sales and events.
Check out the End of Season/Clearance section. I just gave an example on how shopping clearance items pays off. The clearance section is usually in the back of the men’s department. You can finds items for up to 75% off, maybe more! Often retailers’ end of the season comes well before Mother Nature’s, so you may be able to wear what you purchase a few times before putting it away.
Want to know if the price of an item may go even lower? RatherBeShopping.com helps crack the price tag codes of many major retailers to help you get the best deal.
Shop thrift stores. My wife introduced me to the world of thrift stores. I prefer new clothes, but I’m open to the “It’s new to me.” approach. You can find decent never-worn or gently used designer clothes here. And, there are often items from major retailers with the original price tags.
Shop online. Many online stores offer lower prices on men’s clothing than you would find at a brick and mortar store. The web is faster and easier to comparison shop to find the best price, plus you save money on gas and in some cases, sales taxes. A few of my favorite online spots are Amazon.com, Overstock.com, and HM.com/US.
You don’t have to sacrifice style for price or vice versa. Guys (or women who may be personal shoppers for the men their lives), do you have any other helpful money saving shopping tips?
Share them in the comments section.
