I Dream In Digital

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Do You JBF?

I am not embarassed to say that I am very frugal. My husband is a spender, I on the other hand, am not. I would like to pay the smallest amount I have to in order to get what I want. I think a lot of this is due to my mother's spendthrift example when I was growing up. Paying off a small mountain of debt a few years ago and not wanting to go into debt again has been my motivation to stay that way. Thank you Dave Ramsey!

When our daughter was born almost 5 years ago, I learned about something almost magical for saving money. It's a little thing called consignment sales. My favorite is Just Between Friends in Grapevine. Kids grow out of their clothes so fast and it seems pointless to spend a small fortune on just a few outfits. So I go to Just Between Friends and buy most of my daughter's clothes for the season and spend no more than I would for 2 or 3 outfits at full price. I know...crazy isn't it! That is why I love these sales. I spend an hour or 2 looking for great deals on gently used clothing and I save a bundle.


In honor of the next sale that is coming up this weekend, March 26th & 27th, I thought I would share a few tips that I've learned over the years.

1. Don't bring your kids with you to the sale.
I made this mistake as a rookie once when my daughter was almost 2. It was not fun having to keep pulling her out of the racks of clothes because she wanted to "hide." Or she wanted to keep playing with all the toys. (In case you didn't know, these sales are more than just clothes!) Draft your spouse or get a babysitter...you'll thank me later.

2. Write down your child's measurements before leaving home & take a tape measure with you to the sale.
This always comes in handy for me, especially for dresses. My daughter has a very long torso and most dresses in her size are too short on her. So I measure from the back of her neck where the neckline should be to the back of her knee. At the sale I use my tape measure to check the length of a prospective dress. If it's shorter than my measurement, NO SALE.

3. Know what you're looking for.
The last thing you want to do is go to the sale and buy 10 pairs of jeans when you really needed shirts and you came home with none. It's just like going to the grocery store, make a list.

4. Bring a huge bag or a laundry basket.
This JBF sale offers IKEA shopping bags to shop with and they will even sell them too you when you leave. Save yourself a buck, bring your own. If you bring a laundry basket, you won't have to carry anything. Just push it along with you as you browse the racks.

5. Examine clothes carefully.
I pay attention to clothing labels. I'll pay more for Gymboree than I will for Circo because the original price is more. I also pay more for adjustable waist pants because for us, they are absolutely necessary and usually cost more in the store. I tend to buy outfits (tops & pants sold together) or multiple pieces bundled together because the are usually a better price per piece. My last step is to check for stains & holes, a deal breaker for me.

6. Set a $$$ limit and stick to it.
I set a budget before I walk into a sale. I pick up the clothes I like as I shop. When I'm done, I take a look at each item again & add them up. If I'm over budget, I put back the items I like the least until I'm back within my budget. It's also a great time to use your shopping list. If you have too many shirts, shirts go back first, etc.

Just writing this post has made me a little giddy. I love saving money! If you're not in the Grapevine area, check out Just Between Friends for a sale near you!

DISCLAIMER: I am not consigning items for this sale...I just love great deals and want to share them with my friends!

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