The Happiest Place On Earth Part Three: It's On Sale

I rarely buy anything anywhere for full price. Because I frequent Stein Mart this is not a problem because not only are their regular prices good, they also have sales, special events, or discount coupons every weekend.

That means I can be even more choosy about what I bring home. If that seems counterintuitive to you think about it. Let's say I go in during a Career Event sale where the season's newest styles are 30-50% off. Even though I don't work in an office career clothes tend to be classic shapes that don't go out of style very often. I got my red pencil skirt and pumpkin trench jacket during one of these sales. If you shop smart you can buy cheap and incorporate great, timeless items with more casual wear like I did in the photo below.

The best way to stretch your fashion dollar is by shopping a Red Dot Clearance Event with coupons you get by joining their mailing list or becoming an Elite Preferred Customer, both of which are free. This is where the bulk of my purchases come from. Sure, you have to have the patience to wade through the racks but it's worth the trouble. If you can wait for the End of Season Red Dot Event you can save as much as 80% off the original price.

The end result is I've walked out of Stein Mart with purchase totals that rival my thrift store buys. This is so important to anyone on a tight budget.  I can get stylish, affordable clothes that I'll wear for years. To this day I get compliments and inquiries about pieces that are several years old.

See why I think it's the happiest place on earth?

ADDENDUM: I am such a spaz! I completely forgot to talk  about my new friend Laura. We met several weeks ago in when she was working in the shoe department. I was there to examine Stein Mart's Fabulous Find of the day - those purple boots I'm wearing  in Part One: Classics Forward. I mentioned that I had a fashion blog geared toward women with disabilities. It turns out she has has a sister that was born with Spina Bifida. Laura spoke very fondly about her sister and seemed excited to share my blog with her. Laura also worked  a minor miracle. She talked me into going up a size so those beautiful boots would zip all the way up. Because I've got chunky calves I have such a terrible time finding knee-high boots that fit. But these did - and they were on sale for a steal!

Next week I'm packing for an adventure!