When it comes to clothes, the average kid is simple to shop for, but that does not mean you need to spend an arm and a leg keeping yours in the latest fashions. Instead of plopping your credit card at a local boutique, consider shopping for your kid’s clothing online as a simple, fast and money saving method. Use these five tips to shop for your bargains online and save even more.
1. Use a rebate portal
Rebate portals are not exactly new kids on the money saving block, but they do help busy moms and dads maximize their clothing dollars –and their time. E-bates and Fat Wallet portals link to thousands of popular clothing retailers and –by shopping through their portal- they pay users a percentage of the total spent on every purchase, every day.
The process is simple. Log on to your rebate account, find your favorite store, click the link, do your shopping and earn as much as 12 percent cash back on your entire purchase.
2. Comparison shop
Most rebate portals allow savvy shoppers to comparison shop items on their website, before committing to a purchase from a linked merchant. Use the search bar on the portal site to find the deal offering the lowest price and most cash back to maximize your clothing budget.
3. Shop clearance –and off season
Clearance rack savings are a bargain hunter’s dream, no matter when you rifle through them. Buy your kids clothes in the off-season to save as much as 60 to 80 percent off retail prices. Buy the clothes a size or two larger, and store them until the next season, so that you can be sure your little one will not outgrow them before he or she can wear them.
4. Apply coupon codes
Most rebate portals offer coupon codes alongside their already deep-dish cash back savings. However, the “buck” does not stop there. By signing up for your favorite stores promotional emails or befriending them via social media, you will be eligible for even more savings that you can combine with your cash back portal rewards.
5. Shop with cash back in mind
Pay for your purchases with a cash back credit or debit card to earn even bigger savings.
Hint: Pay for purchases with a cash back credit card, and then pay that cash back credit card bill with a cash back debit card to double dip on your total savings.
By combining rebate portals with clearance savings, coupon codes and by shopping with cash back promotions, you will find yourself paying pennies on the dollar for all of your children’s clothes year after year -and let’s face it, saving money never goes out of style.