Save money while shopping for clothes with rewards programs

Time to get fresh!

We all have our favorite stores where we like to shop, hoping to see the latest gear. Whether it’s copping the sleek new jacket from Macy's, some jeans from Express or socks from Kohls, you know what stores don’t disappoint you.

Stores will use rewards programs, e-mail signups and credit cards to draw you in. It’s their way of getting you to spend more by throwing good deals at you. But, if you have restraint, this could be a useful tool to save you hundreds of dollars if not thousands over the year in shopping.

If you frequent a store and would shop there regardless of the deals, it’s a good idea to utilize the benefits. For instance, I shop at Macy’s all the time, so I have a Macy’s credit card. It’s the only department store card I use because those type of cards aren’t the best to own. They foster spending and many of them can only be used at the corresponding store, nowhere else. So, I stick to just the Macy's card and it’s been a useful way to get great deals almost every time I go shopping there. They also make it easy. They normally mark which items you’ll save a lot of money on using their store card.

To give you another example, I have a rewards account with PacSun. It’s a free account, so it doesn’t hurt to sign up (you only get annoying e-mails) and I get points every time I shop. That means I get money off after so many points. No credit card or any serious commitments, it’s all calculated on my PacSun app.

You really should use this tool at every store you frequent as long as you don’t mind the e-mails that come with it. Aldo, my favorite shoe store, is another place where I signed up for e-mail alerts. I was able to save money on the first purchase when I signed up and they always let me know about deals. Once again, it’s only for places where you shop frequently. You don’t want to get into the habit of signing up for every deal at every store. That’s how you get caught up in credit card debt and end up owing money on interest.

Below, here’s some other stores with great rewards programs (let me know if you have any other suggestions):

• Jos. A Banks: they constantly send out e-mails with great deals. Jump on them!

• Express: they can get a little pricey with items, but they have good coupon deals. Their online deals are also pretty good.

• Urban Outfitters: they usually have good sales on tees and tech items.

• Lids: they have a program called access pass that comes with decent rewards.

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