With the economy in tough times, more people are watching their spending. Clothing is a necessary purchase, so here are some easy ways to save:

• Turn Your Old Clothes Into New - If you are crafty and have clothes that are ripped, stained or even just tired, you can renew them by adding embellishments like ribbon, lace or flowers, cutting off sleeves and legs, or even combining two different pieces into one. You can come up with many unique pieces this way, and for almost nothing.
• Swap With Friends Or Family - If you have friends or family that wear the same-sized clothing as you, swap clothes that you don’t want anymore.
• Buy Lots Off Of eBay Or Craigslist - Many people who outgrow their clothing will sell lots of same-sized clothes on eBay or Craigslist, and allow you to purchase multiple items at an affordable price. These are great places to look if you need a certain sized wardrobe and don’t have the money to buy a lot of new clothes.
• Shop Online - Shopping online can offer significant savings, because you can price shop using sites like Froogle or My Simon, use cash-back sites like Ebates, and apply coupons from sites like eDealInfo. For more, see Top Ten Tips - Saving Money Online.
• Go Shopping At Thrift Stores - Thrift stores are a great place to find clothes - you can even find designer and brand new pieces! Many thrift stores also have “bag” sales, which allow you to stuff one bag at a fixed price. This is also a great place to find children’s clothing, as kids outgrow their clothes fast and the clothes are donated often. Make sure to wash your clothes before wearing; you don’t know if they were washed prior to donation.
• Shop At Off-Price Apparel Stores - There are many stores that sell brand-name or designer clothes at cheaper prices. Many times, the clothes are right out of the season, and are sent over by larger department stores that can no longer sell them. Stores include Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Daffy’s and Century 21.
• Check Out Garage Sales - Garage sales are another cheap way of finding clothes - most are sold for a few dollars or less.
• Hit The Clearance Racks - Most clothing stores have a clearance rack, which usually holds merchandise that the store has trouble selling or needs to sell to make room for other merchandise. And the clothes in these racks are usually not out of season. Remember that seasonal clothing is usually sold before the season starts, so by the time the season rolls around, they’re on sale, yet everyone’s still wearing them.
• Try Outlet Stores - Outlet stores are good places to find clothes in bulk (think t-shirts and socks), store overstock, imperfect pieces and even mass-produced outlet lines. The clothes are usually cheaper than buying them in a regular retail store. Many brand-name clothing retailers, from Old Navy to Banana Republic, have outlet shops. For more, see Top Ten Tips - Going Outlet Shopping.
• Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need - The easiest way of saving money is not buying what you don’t need. Do you really need another pair of shoes when you already have 30? Do you need yet another black t-shirt, when you already have another hiding in your laundry basket? Make a mental inventory of your clothing before you go shopping, so you don’t wind up buying multiples.

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