Women Living Well Blog

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Shopping For Feminine Clothes On A Budget

I have received emails from ladies expressing their desire to dress up for their husband's but their budget is too tight. So here is how I shop for feminine clothes on a budget.

Also, I know that some of the styles I will show you might hate lol! Cause it's my taste and not necessarily yours, but you get the idea! And I mentioned a "Clothes Swap" in the video - here's the link to how a clothes swap works.

Walk with the King!

Labels: Finances, Shopping, Videos

33 Comments:

Stacey said...: I have tried shopping at consignment stores, and I can never find anything! I never (almost never)buy anything unless it's $15.00 or less.; July 15, 2010 at 11:47 PM
Karen said...: This was great!!!! Ok now I am motivated...going this weekend to "DIG" through the racks at the consignment shop!

Very nice!!! :)); July 15, 2010 at 11:52 PM
Anonymous said...: I enjoyed your video and looking at all your finds. Awesome blessings.

I appreciate your blog and your desire to encourage and help other women.

Blessings!; July 15, 2010 at 11:57 PM
Clara said...: If you know how to sew, that can be a really inexpensive option too. Here in Australia, we get some really good deals if we stay tuned to the best sales at haberdashery stores. Our local store has an "end of the bolt/roll" sale sometimes, where they sell the rest of the fabric for just a few dollars. Last time I went shopping at a sale like that I spent $90 on 81 metres (88.5 yards) - at full cost, those particular fabrics would have cost me over $950!! 81 metres of fabrics (from summer lightweights to heavy winter fabrics) will last me for years, and each piece of clothing will end up costing only a few dollars... with the added bonus that they are completely custom fitted and styled!! :); July 16, 2010 at 12:54 AM
Anonymous said...: I really miss the United States! I am a military spouse stationed here in Naples, Italy and we only have one thrift store on base but they usually only have nice things in sizes smaller than I am. I have only bought a few pieces of clothing at the store here on base because I had to pay full price and even their sale prices have dresses at like $35.99. I definitely cannot shop off base because not many Italians dress modestly and they also only sell small sized clothing. My friend who is normally a size 8/10 is an extra large in the italian sizes. Thanks for posting your finds! I didn't know they had consignment shops for adults. I have always tried to shop at them for my kids.
Blessings,
Sarah Lownsbery
Sarah_lownsbery(@)yahoo(dot)com; July 16, 2010 at 2:45 AM
Mrs. Stam said...: I love deal and shopping for clothes second had works for us. The only problem is that I love good deals so much that it's sometimes hard not to over spend because it was such a good deal.

What we do to help me keep on track is: I go shopping with my husband.

The way we do it is
* I pick from the rack what I like

* I try it on and only keep what really fit

* then show the outfit or piece on clothing that fit me for a modesty test, my husband will look at the length of the skirt or dress, how it hang on my body, materiel etc...then if do not pass the test we out it away

* and finally out of what fit and what pass the modesty test my husband will choose what he like and what we can afford.

Why we do it this way, because it's important that I wear what please the Lord and my husband :-)

Many blessing
Renee; July 16, 2010 at 4:34 AM
Lizzy said...: I have found great deals at Goodwill, especially for kids clothes. If you can find one in a nicer neighborhood, you can get even better deals. I happened upon one on vacation in a very ritzy area, and found great stuff, all for $2.49!; July 16, 2010 at 7:28 AM
Amy said...: I couldn't agree more! I recently found a really pretty Ann Taylor dress at Village Discount Outlet for $5! When I had looked at the Ann Taylor outlet the dresses were $85 and up. ~It's hard not to tell others when you find a great deal like that:).~ I love your blog--and I love that you are so encouraging in all of these practical ways of being a good steward.
On another note--I read the other comments and I think it's just amazing that you have readers as far away as Italy and Australia. How awesome that when you desire to glorify God he can give you a world wide ministry from your very own living room!; July 16, 2010 at 7:53 AM
Anonymous said...: My local Goodwill is a great place to find clothes. I have added a few Anne Taylor pieces that are in great shape for less than $5. The trick is you do have to dig!! I also like to go to Target and dig through the clearance at the end of the summer, I once found a dress for $7. I think sometimes the best time to shop for you and/or family is at the end of the season when stores are trying to make room for the next season. I never keep up with the trends so I don't mind wearing it the following season!; July 16, 2010 at 7:55 AM
Valencia Jones-Edwards said...: I go shopping for clothes at thrift stores so much, I almost forgot how new clothes look...lol If I don't like a style, I'll still buy it and change it up to fit my taste.; July 16, 2010 at 8:23 AM
Suzanne said...: Oh Courtney I just had to laugh at your "digging" ! I learned to shop from my mother's sister--my sisters and I call her "the master digger"...LOL! And T.J. Maxx and Marshalls is where we learned:-) And a great tip is to cruise the consignment shops or Salvation Army's in towns or areas that are what we call here in Mass "high rent districts". I cannot believe what some ladies will donate or put on consignment!!!!; July 16, 2010 at 9:38 AM
Mary Ellen said...: I do my shopping, even for work, at our local Goodwills. I've found so many nice, name brand pieces. For the kids, a local church in our area holds seasonal yard sales. I always find good quality, name brand clothing for them at the sale. And what I spend goes to helping the church's mission program - win, win!

I would love to learn how to sew. I'm drawn to vintage dresses (50's styles), but not so much the prices!

Blessings,

Mary Ellen; July 16, 2010 at 9:50 AM
Anna said...: I have trouble finding cute things at a thrift store, but I love Plato's Closet... they have all designer clothes. Shirts are mostly $7-10, which is still kind of expensive for me, but their whole clearance section is full of cute shirts for $3-5. I also go to Ross and TJ Maxx for a few other things, like pants or dresses... I got a dress to wear to a wedding at Ross a couple weeks ago for $13.

Fun video, Courtney... and by the way, I like your style!; July 16, 2010 at 10:38 AM
Anonymous said...: I LOVE digging. I like your money rule too. I usually just go with that gut "Oh my gosh this is really cute and the price tag is awesome". If I had a max price meter, I believe that would really help reduce buyers remorse!; July 16, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Grace McHugh said...: Consignment is the only kind of shopping I do and that is for my entire family. When you go to a consignment store look to see if their tags have dates on them. If so, ask one of the employees about discounts for dated clothes. I was able to buy four skirts for twenty dollars because they had been in the shop too long. Also look to see if you can add lace or something if a sleeve is too short or the length of the skirt is not comfortable for you. Our church does children clothing swaps. I could not tell you the last time I went to the mall. There is also an incredible Goodwill Store in Colorado Springs. I have yet to shop there but I am told it is huge and very nice. And think about used furniture. A little paint goes a long way. Yeah for bargains and dressing up for your husband!!; July 16, 2010 at 11:58 AM
Anonymous said...: I have not been able to view the video. Is it down?
Thanks, SaraA; July 16, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Mrs Mary Joy Pershing said...: I love it!!!! I do the same thing! I am going to have to hit the thrift store here soon because I am losing weight and have dropped a couple of sizes and don't want to look baggy. One of the things I love about thrifting and consignment shopping is that when I lose weight and get cute pretty clothes for the sizes I am shrinking to along my weight loss journey without feeling guilty for needing to spend a lot of money because I don't! Woo Hoo! Thanks for sharing and for your encouragement for me--an ordinary wife with a passion for serving God through ministering to my hubby and children!; July 16, 2010 at 3:55 PM
Tiffany said...: Love these tips. I am a horribly lazy shopper (I don't even try clothes on anymore! ahahaha!) But since becoming a SAHM money isn't as free flowing as it used to be. So I need to budget and be wise about how much I spend on my clothes, as well as my children. My husband is an expert Ross shopper. LOL.; July 16, 2010 at 5:33 PM
Amy @ Finer Things said...: Love the green and blue shirt! It's been a LONG time since I've been out "digging" for nice clothes... I kind of take what I can get with 3 littles tagging along. :); July 16, 2010 at 5:38 PM
Melissa said...: Ooooh....I've never had very good luck with this, but I'm going to give it another shot! Thanks for the CONSTANT encouragement!

Many Blessings,
M.; July 17, 2010 at 12:58 AM
Mackenzie said...: Thank you for this!! I'm working on loosing allot of weight, and now that I've dropped a few sizes I need to replace a few items in my wardrobe. I'm keeping it pretty minimal while I'm "shrinking", so I really hadn't wanted to spend a ton of money on new things that would only fit for a month or two. So today I went down to our town's consignment shop (I hadn't been yet!) and found a few great skirts and tops that will really help me feel presentable and pulled together! And a Tommy H skirt for $3.00 is my new favorite piece. :) Thank you for doing what you do!
~Mackenzie; July 17, 2010 at 5:51 PM
Courtney (Women Living Well) said...: Sara A - it's working on my end - I'm not sure why it's not working - so sorry :-(
Courtney; July 18, 2010 at 5:16 PM
Anonymous said...: Courtney and Ladies, when is the best time to shop end of season clearance? Are summer clothes marked down now in July, or is it better to wait until Aug or Sept? Likewise, are winter clothes cheapest in Dec, Jan, Feb or even March? I want to have a plan before I try to go DIG! :)
Thanks,
SaraA; July 18, 2010 at 5:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Oh, I'm sorry, I just saw your reply comment: I did get to see the video on my laptop- it just wouldn't pull up on my iPhone. First time that's happened so I didn't realize. Sorry about that! But I did enjoy your helpful tips! I even went to 2 Goodwills and tried on at least a dozen dresses but nothing fit :(. Baby weight! Need to start the TTapp workout I got for my bday! :)

Thanks again,
SaraA; July 18, 2010 at 5:51 PM
Courtney (Women Living Well) said...: Sara,

This is a good question - yes, after July 4th all the summer stuff is on sale - so if you are buying for next year - now is the time.

If you need fall clothes, try to hold off until after Labor Day, the stores say they are having "back to school" clothes sales, but truly all of their school stuff gets moved to the clearance rack after labor day. And the Christmas stuff starts moving in in a hurry!

There are always mutliple waves of clothes coming so there are always new deals and new items on the clearance rack if you are willing to be patient, wait and dig :-)!

Somedays will be better than others. One day you might only find one item and another day you might find 7...be patient - know your budget and don't bend. You will eventually find what you are looking for if you are willing to "dig" :-)! And digging works even better when you aren't looking for something specific - just look in general for a new skirt, dress or slacks and bingo - it'll be there!!!

Happy clearance/consignment shopping!

Courtney; July 18, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...: Thanks so much, Courtney! :). Another thing I do is PRAY when I need a specific item, like a dress for a wedding, etc. I love that God knows my budget and time restraints and can lead me to the right rack of the right store on the right day! I bet He gets a kick out of seeing His daughters' excitement when we "find" the clothes He has designated us to have! I imagine a big fatherly smile of delight when we exclaim in joy, "Ooh! Thank you, Lord!" :). He loves to give good gifts to His children!

Blessings,
SaraA; July 18, 2010 at 11:33 PM
Anonymous said...: Wow, thanks so much for this. I love the set amounts you have $5 & $10 dollars. I never know how much is too much so I am going to try to stick to those amounts too!! Thanks Courtney, love your blog :)

Blessings ~Jenn; July 19, 2010 at 9:38 AM
Kate said...: I love thrift and consignment stores! I was able to find a like new pair of JBrand jeans (that normally run about $170) in my size, for $4! I seriously had to do a double take. I've also found a lot of name brand shirts, skirts, and dresses (from stores I normally would spend way too much in) for around $5. It's the secret to having nice things without spending too much!; July 19, 2010 at 4:23 PM
Anonymous said...: I love everything you showed on that video!! How cute!!! My other love with clothes shopping is when the big department stores throw huge sales of 80-85% off! I've gotten over $200 worth of clothes for $30 before! I also shop at stores like Ross' and Gabriel Brothers. Last year I got one of the "in" wool coats, normally $118 for $30! I thought that was a steal!! Incredible, I will be going to consignment shops more often though!! Love your style!! :-); July 20, 2010 at 11:17 PM
Mariah said...: Once Upon A Child is a great consignment shop for kids. I just bought most of my 3 kids' school clothes there for under $50. Anyway, thrift stores can be gross, but I think that it's well worth checking them out every now and then...sometimes you can find branc new items. :) clothedwithlilies.blogspot.com; July 21, 2010 at 11:13 PM
Anonymous said...: Great post! and I love your selections! I too have shopped consignment shops and I have really good luck with clearance racks. I like to buy clothes out of season. Like in a few months I'll start shopping the clearance racks for clothes for me and my family to wear next summer. They are dirt cheap like that, and I even end up getting Gap Kids and Gymboree stuff for my girls for about $6 to $10 an outfit which is great for those stores! I definitely think paying full price on clothes is a bad idea.; July 27, 2010 at 12:33 PM
Sharon Cohen said...: I'm so glad that you added this link to the The Proverbs 31 Work at Home Woman "blog hop". I enjoyed this video the first time I watched it but can't remember leaving a comment.

I want you to know that your blog and your videos are priceless. I link my small band of fans and followers here from my Facebook page often. I think I quote you more than I quote my own mother - and that is amazing!

Thanks again. May your efforts go far in restoring biblical values to marriages.; September 30, 2010 at 12:36 PM
Cat@BudgetBlonde.com said...: You are so cute. I laughed out loud when you said you only like to spend $10.00 because that's my magic number too! Love everything you found. I just found your blog yesterday and have been reading it for hours. I even went through facebook and deleted bathing suit pictures from a recent vacation. I'm looking forward to reading more. You are lovely and you give me a lot to look up to.
xoxo,
Cat @ BudgetBlonde.com; March 21, 2011 at 2:22 PM

Women Living Well Blog

: Name: Courtney (Women Living Well); Location: Ohio, United States

I am a stay-at-home home schooling mom of 2, a son (age 8) and a daughter (6). I have been married to Keith, my high school sweet heart, for 13 years. My passion to know God and share him with others led me to the Moody Bible Institute where I graduated with a degree in Evangelism and Discipleship. Last year, I appeared on the Rachael Ray Show as a 1950's Housewife. To learn more about me visit my "About Me" page.

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Women Living Well Blog

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Shopping For Feminine Clothes On A Budget

33 Comments:

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