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Making the Most of Meager Means

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Getting the most bang for my clothes shopping buck

02/16/2010 by Penny Saver

I need some new clothes. I’m down to just a few shirts, and most are showing their age and proximity to small children – stained, wholly, pilly, or generally stretched out from a baby who pulls at my shirts for nursing access.

I budgeted $100 for clothes this month, the first time I’ve bought any new clothes in at least 3 months, and of course I want to make it stretch as far as possible! I picked out a few pieces at Old Navy, and you know I’m not paying full price.

First, I stopped over to Plastic Jungle to see if I could buy a gift card at less than the face value.  Success! I bought two $50 gift cards for $88, a 12% savings. Already my $100 is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g! Haven’t checked out Plastic Jungle yet? It’s a site where you can buy and sell unwanted gift cards for less than their face value. Some gift cards are as much as 30% off their face value!

Next up, I logged into Ebates, where I will get 4% back for my purchase. They also have a coupon code, ONSAVE20 (exp. 2/18), which will give me $20 off a $100 adult clothes purchase. Frequently, Ebates has coupon codes in addition to their regular percent-back deal.

By making a quick detour at these two sites, I’m already saving 38% before even clicking over to the Old Navy website! And you know I hit up the sale section first. I spent $99.97 on the Old Navy site (using a gift card that I purchased for $88), including shipping, on 7 tops and 2 pairs of pants – originally priced at $165.00! I’ll be getting $4 back from Ebates, too. In our area, I would be hard pressed to find that much stuff for $84.00 at the thrift store.

Doing a little extra online legwork to stretch my dollar as far as possible works for me. To see what works for other families, check out We Are That Family.

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Posted in Budget, Cutting Expenses, Works for Me Wednesday | 12 Comments

12 Responses

  1. on 02/17/2010 at 4:45 am Debra

    Is Plastic Jungle reputable? Did you get you gift card from them or di dyou have to go to a individual? You really STRETCHED your buck! Thanks for the tips!


  2. on 02/17/2010 at 7:04 am Cate

    Wow! I had no idea about Plastic Jungle, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind! I have the same issues with clothing. I tend to wear it until it falls apart, and then I suddenly find myself with no suitable outfits.


  3. on 02/17/2010 at 7:31 am Cara @ Health Home and Happiness

    How cool! Next time I’m pregnant I want to get some nicer brand-name maternity clothes, so I’m going to check out doing this. Goodwill/thrift stores and I are friends for non-maternity though ;)


  4. on 02/17/2010 at 7:56 am Lainey

    Wow, that’s a big stretch! I wonder if Plastic Jungle works in Canada? Off to check it out…


  5. on 02/17/2010 at 8:07 am Mandy

    I did the same thing this month! I didn’t know about ebates though. I’m going to bookmark them for next time. I try to buy out of season and this is the perfect time to do so. I bought several things for next winter for less than Goodwill prices.


  6. on 02/17/2010 at 11:25 am Meghan

    Wow. That’s impressive. I haven’t heard of Plastic Jungle before. I’ll have to check that out.


  7. on 02/17/2010 at 2:37 pm Cate

    My copy of “Great Dinners With Less Meat” arrived today and I’m SO excited about it! All of the meals look delicious. I’m looking forward to trying some of them out soon.


  8. on 02/17/2010 at 4:03 pm The Prudent Homemaker

    That was a great way to do it for new clothes.

    Last year I was excited to buy some “new” clothes. I went to the thrift store. $50 later, I had several pairs of jeans, a couple of dresses, a few blouses, and a couple of skirts. I rarely find that much at the thrift store here, and most items are $5 and up here (the jeans were all $5 each, and the skirts were $7 each; one was brand-new).

    I forgot all about the gift card buying! I hope I can remember that next time I need something new!


  9. on 02/17/2010 at 4:54 pm Julie Bagamary

    Impressive.


  10. on 02/18/2010 at 4:48 am Half Assed Housewife

    I’ve never heard of Plastic Jungle before. I will definately have to check them out!

    Kaycee @ http://www.HalfAssedHousewife.com


  11. on 03/11/2010 at 4:38 pm A few more ways I’m earning extra cash « The Saved Quarter

    [...] expecting about $4 from Ebates for my Old Navy purchase earlier this [...]


  12. on 03/16/2010 at 4:01 pm Clothing Kids Close to Free « The Saved Quarter

    [...] Target often marks down 30%, then 50%, and occasionally more. Carter’s Outlet will mark down to 90% off. Old Navy has crazy end-of-season sales smack dab in the middle of the season, and they occasionally have 50% off of already clearanced items. I’ve been able to stock up on new things for the kids for under $1 in the store. I could save even more next time by buying gift cards online for less. [...]



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