15 Tips To Score Brand-Name Apparel For Less

Brand names can cost big bucks, making it hard to fit clothing items into your budget.

But you don’t have to bust your budget to get the brand names you like. There are plenty of ways to save money on great staples and luxury pieces for your closet.

Check out these ways to keep more cash in your pocket when picking up brand-name clothing.

Do you want a new brand-name swimsuit or winter coat? Don’t buy them in season.

Check for sales at the end of the season when retailers are getting rid of their inventory to make way for in-season clothes. You could save money shoping for swimsuits in September or winter coats in March.

Trends can come and go, and you could spend big bucks on items that won’t be popular in a year.

Instead, you may want to reserve your brand-name purchases for staples that you can wear for multiple years and that won’t go out of style on a whim.

Retailers may need to move inventory out and will put brand names on deep discounts to move pieces out of their stores.

Check in-store clearance sections as well as websites to see if they have clearance sections that can save you money.

Online shopping is a great way to compare prices from different retailers without having to visit different stores.

You can choose from a variety of websites including the brand name’s own site to see what’s available and where you can get the best bargain.

Don’t forget that the cost of an item isn’t just what’s on the price tag.

You’ll want to factor in other costs such as dry cleaning or special care instructions that could take more money out of your pocket while you own it.

You’re not the only one who likes to buy shirts, pants, skirts, or other clothing items from a particular retailer.

Consider shopping at secondhand stores to see if you can find name brands for less than the original purchase price.

Brand names usually have an online presence that can help you find deals on plenty of items.

You may find different options for shirts that cost less than one particular item you were looking at, or you could find a sale or clearance section on the brand’s site to get discounted items.

Coupons are a great way to save money on brand names. Think about looking for coupons for the brands as well as store coupons for retailers that you can use on the brands they carry.

Store coupons could also help you save money on multiple brands depending on what’s in stock instead of sticking to just one.

Some apps or web browser plug-ins can monitor different sales sites and give you a notice when something you want is on sale.

You may need some patience to wait for an alert on something you want, but it can pay off if you can get the cheaper option when you receive a notice.

You may be a fan of a certain brand because you already have it in your closet.

Consider selling some of your older items to other fans of that brand and use the profits on those sales for new items to refill your closet.

Brands may have emails or newsletters you can subscribe to so you’re alerted to sales and discounts.

Check the websites for your favorite brands and see if you can sign up for promotional emails so you always know when the next deal is available.

Outlet stores can be a great option if you're willing to buy pieces that are a few seasons out of date.

Brand names may have outlet stores specifically for their brands, or you can find stores like Saks Off 5th or Nordstrom Rack that carry name brands at discounted prices.

To avoid wasting money, it may be a good idea to set up a spending freeze instead of repeatedly spending money on certain brands.

Consider setting goals such as saving enough for an expensive name-brand item you want and then saving to reach that goal rather than immediately spending that cash on lesser-value items.

Some brands may reward you for being loyal customers, so find out if your favorite brands have programs that fit your loyalty.

Sign up for an account with your favorite brands to buy items directly from their sites or use apps to earn extra points and perks that you can use for future purchases.

One savvy shopper hack is to buy gift cards at discounted rates at places like Costco or Sam’s Club.

Sam’s Club, for example, offers gift cards worth $50 for stores like H&M and Banana Republic for members only $39.98 (prices may vary by location), saving you more than $10 when you buy these cards to use on brand names.

If you're on a tight budget, you don't have to give up on having brand names in your closet.

Think about other ways to save money, like using rewards credit cards to earn points on everyday purchases.

It's important to find ways that fit your particular spending habits to put you on the road to success when buying new things for your closet.