Save Cash: Shopping Outlet Malls

November 07, 2011, By Kasie Baltes 1 comment

Kasie Baltes

I don't remember when the addiction started. Let's go with age 16. It was when I first understood the value of a dollar. Not that a dollar was equivalent to 100 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes or  four quarters, but the value of a dollar I earned myself. That seven dollars and change meant me working, teaching dance lessons for 12 unruly three-year-olds for exactly one hour, not a second over.

It was then that I understood what it meant to work, and in return, what it meant to find a truly good deal. 

Enter the outlet shopping mall.

I think I fell in love immediately—in love with clothes, the designers and the hunt-like approach to shopping it gave me. I wanted to find the best deals, and to this day still find myself giddy and child-like while grazing racks of clothes and accessories. At the outlets, paying full price for something is unheard of. Red lines on price tags are a given, and clearance racks aren't just found in the back of the store, they are everywhere. When you walk into an outlet mall, saving money is obvious, but to find the true deals, you have to know what you're doing.

I'd like to think of myself of a shopping expert, if there is such a thing. With years and years of experience finding great items for great prices, I think I know a thing or two about purchasing. If you want to save some cash on your next trip to the outlets, follow these six rules. 

1. Check out the clearance section first: The clearance rack is your best place to find deals. Most outlets have a clearance section with additional 40 percent off already reduced prices. Check it out, see what you find and move on to the rest of the store.
2. Don't buy the first thing you find: The outlets can get the best of you. Don't buy something just to be buying it. Go to the store with what you're looking for in mind; if you can't find what you're looking for, save your money and leave.
3. Think ahead for other season clothes: If you find a great winter jacket, fully reduced and it's summer, don't hesitate to buy it in advance for the next season. In a few months, you'll be happy you did.
4. Join e-mail subscritions for extra savings: After joining online e-mail subscriptions, you are likely to receive extra coupons to reduce your price even more.
5. Forget trends, because you won't find them here: Go for classic, obvious clothing. You're not likely going to find the trendiest shoes or "high fashion" items at the outlets. Look for key items you can wear again and again, every year. Some outlets have clothes made of cheaper fabrics and different designs from the regular store. Pay attention to what you are buying and always try it on.
6. Pay attention to sales, outlet-wide: Outlets usually hold semi-annual sales, as well as Black Friday special sales. Research your local outlet stores and find out when they are holding their big sales and what special deals you can get your hands on. 

Finding deals is what shopping is all about, well, at least it is for me anyway. Know what your looking for, pay attention to the specials and never settle for full-price items.