Thrifty Clothing Thoughts

Are you working on a Christmas list yet? I'm working on a few ideas right now, and at the top of my list the last few years almost always seems to be clothes. I'm always on the lookout for a great clearance deal on clothes for myself, but other than that, I rarely buy clothes.

Since price (oh look, its marked down to $1.50!) has often been the deciding factor in whether or not I buy something, I've found that I've complied a large wardrobe of things that I wear, but few things that I actually love. In many ways clothes are clothes and functionality is more important than the perfect outfit. But the pieces that started out just ok quickly become dust catchers on a hanger...taking up space and being a waste of money, even if it was only a few dollars.

The last few years we've been trying to stay on top of donating things that are not being worn and buying smarter when we do go shopping.  Earlier this year Real Simple ran a story entitled Never Buy the Wrong Thing Again that really helped me to think critically about clothes buying. I love the 4 easy steps to help you buy clothes that you love, in order to make the most out of fewer items.

Today I'm just going to share a few thoughts about the article, and later in the week I plan to focus on how this has made me more careful and purposeful with my clothing habits!

(Image via Real Simple)

Step 1: Identify what's working
There are some great questions to ask yourself about your favorite outfits! Why do I like this? Is it comfortable? A great color? Practical?

Step 2: Analyze your mistakes
What things do I avoid pulling out of my closet to wear? Why don't I like them? Why did I buy them in the frist place? Was it a great price that I couldn't pass up?

Step 3: ID the missing pieces in your wardrobe
Real Simple has a "wardrobe checklist" that is a good starting point, but what you need is more important than what they say you need! Make a list of a few things that you want to add to your wardrobe...instant Christmas list ideas!

Step 4: Shop smarter
If its on sale but not on the list, leave it in the store! Or, once you find something that looks good, put it through a couple tests...when you try it on at the store sit down, move around, and bend over to check the fit. If you ened up buying it, do the same thing at home. Make sure it works and if it doesn't, taking it back to the store might be the best bet!

Do you have any great tips for purposefully adding to your wardrobe?

Amazon.com: Diaper Deals

There is a coupon in the August 2010 issue of Parents for 20% off diapers from amazon.com (good through 8/31/10). This is a one-time use code that can be used on one item only. The coupon can be found in both subscription issues as well as newsstand issues, but check before you buy to make sure someone hasn't ripped the code out!

You can also get an additional 30% off diapers (for a limited time) by using the 'subscribe and save' option. This is a service that will automatically send you the item every 1, 2, 3, or 6 months. If you want to cancel subscribe and save, you can do so at any time. Depending on the diapers you buy, there are also coupons offered by amazon now! I think only Pampers has coupons ($2 off Swaddlers and $1.50 off others), but this will stack also.

Here is a recap of the different discounts available at this time:

-30% off for using subscribe and save

-Amazon coupon (Pampers - you must be signed in to view, look under the item description and you will see a coupon box link)

-20% off coupon from Parents
-free 2-day shipping!

I did some quick math and it looks like you can get size 4 Luvs for 11 cents/diaper (180 ct box for $20.10). Size 4 Pampers Cruisers come to 15.5 cents/diaper (140 ct box for $21.70). If you have redeemed your Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards, you could reduce your out of pocket expense even further!

Even if you use cloth diapers, its always nice to have some cheap disposables on hand, especially for vacations this summer!

Mercedes at Common Sense With Money is going to have a giveaway of these 20% codes. If you have a copy of Parents and are not going to use your code, check out her site and you could give your code to someone else.

Thanks to BabyCheapskate for the initial heads up!

All You

My December issue of All You came this week. This is a really great magazine for a number of reasons.



The description of the contents of the magazine is as follows:
**Fashion for real women's bodies (read: no supermodels saying "be like me!")
**Diet and fitness advice that fits your busy lifestyle (read: for people who have other things to do than just diet and exercise!)
**Products available in stores near you, by phone or online (read: you don't have to be a world traveler to find the featured products!)
**Hair and beauty idea you don't need three hands or a makeup artist to achieve (read: yes! this is totally me!)
**Simple recipes made with ingredients that are easy to find (read: I've heard of all the ingredients and many recipes have 15 minutes of prep or less!)
**Tips you can really use (read: again, for people who have other things to do than decorate the house and make crafts!)
**Real-life advice from real women just like you (read: most of the people quoted you have never seen in a movie, on tv, or the internet, and they have a family and a job)
**Great value on every single page, in every single issue (read: yay!)

Also, the December issue has $64 in coupons in it, and many of the coupons are better than you usually see in the Sunday paper. Some of my favorites from this issue are
$3/2 Glade Fragrance Collection
$.75/1 Bertolli Pasta Sauce (so I can buy some Alfredo!)
$1 off Corn Flakes
$2 off any Neutrogena product
$3 off Neutrogena cosmetics
and many, many more!

Amazon is currently selling a 2 year subscription for $34 plus $5 back instantly. $29 for 2 years is just over $1 per issue. Read more about it here.


Women's magazines are not usually my thing, but for all the reasons I pointed out, this magazine is way different!

Do you already subscribe to All You? What are your favorite features?