Good Stuff Cheap

This blog is ingeniously named "Clearance." (Very nice, Halie. Very nice.)

Let me give you a little background. There's this little store, you may have heard of it, called Target. It really is a beautiful place - full of happy clothes, fun shoes, and very well appointed housewares.

Halie and I used to meet at Target once a week - at the little table in the inside window of the cafe that is no longer there. We would meet, talk, eat bread sticks, and drink diet coke. Eventually, we would refill our diet cokes and implement Laura's Clearance Shopping Strategy (aka The Art of Getting Good Stuff Cheap).

Shopping for clearance is not for the faint of heart. There is a method that must be followed, otherwise you will likely miss something great. And so I present to you the finer points of clearance shopping at Target.

1. Avoid the main aisles. Good clearance finds don't happen in highly visible areas. You may find "Price Cuts" here, but do not be confused: this is not clearance. Walk the inside aisles. Start in stationary and move down towards housewares, walking between the perpendicular aisles and the store divider. There are often good finds here. Also located on these back shelves, you are likely to find fun non-clearance items that aren't quite good enough for the major aisles. (Dancing robotic hip-hop turtles and hamsters for instance.)
2. Look for the color red. All Target clearance is marked with the color red. It is either under a large red sign on an endcap(cleverly enough labeled "clearance"), marked with a small red cardboard sign on an individual aisle, or priced with a red clearance sticker. As you increase your clearance shopping, you'll naturally develop a radar for clearance indicators.
3. Leave no back aisle unwalked. Think you will only find home decor clearance near the home decor section? Think again. Wondering if that pink yoga bag ever went on clearance and why it is not with the exercise equipment clearance? Oh, it did go on clearance and it is with the electronic clearance instead. Clearance shopping takes time people. Be diligent.
4. 30% off is not the end. Let's be honest: you don't go clearance shopping for things you absolutely need (see point #5 for exceptions to this rule). You go clearance shopping to see if there are things you might need that you didn't know you needed until they were suddenly cheaper. For instance, a porcelain butter dish or stationary with your first initial on it (it could be your last initial as well, depending on what's available. Options available with regular priced items are diminished when clearance shopping). So, when you see that thing that you suddenly realize you need because it's 30% off - hold out. You'll probably need it (and appreciate it) more when it's 50 to 75% off. And there's a good chance it will get there. Hold out, friends, for the continued mark-down.
5. Know when to shop clearance for things that you do (actually in real life) need. There are certain times of the year when certain types of things go on clearance. For instance, sheets. Target usually cycles out their bedding section twice a year - once in the late fall and once in the late spring. Don't buy sheets until these times! Otherwise you'll come across those sheets for which you paid full price for at least 30% cheaper. Also, if you aren't particular about brands, clearance shopping for hygiene needs is a viable options. When companies run specials (two deodorants for the price of one or Listerine that comes with a travel size bottle as a bonus), they are only meant to be on the shelf for a certain period of time. After that, clearance! I recently got 3 tubes of ADA recommended Crest toothpaste for 3 dollars. Ba-da-bing!
6. Shopping for clearance clothes is meant for a different day. Approximately 78% of my wardrobe is from Target clearance (and that includes socks and undies). But beware! If you try to shop regular clearance items and clothing clearance all in the same day, you are in for about 3 hours in Target. I recommend checking the clearance items once every week or so (just to stay up to date), and planning a special clearance clothes shopping trip once a month and definitely at the ends of season. It takes time to go through every piece of clothing on every rack, but this is absolutely necessary to come away with good finds!

Hopefully this will help you in your quest for clearance. And remember, it helps to take a good friend along who can remind you that you don't actually need that pack of scrapbook paper just because it's $3.00 cheaper than normal.

Especially when you don't even scrapbook.