I don't think of it as a competition with other people; I think of it as a competition with myself! But then I do find scouring sales racks to be a fun and engaging activity when I'm in the mood for it.

One of my goals for 2015 was to spend more on clothes, and I have increased my spending per item but mostly because I stopped thrifting. Surprisingly, I just haven't found that when I do spend more for something it gives me more joy or is higher quality.

Team Sale! It is a rare splurge, something I need ASAP, or else a relatively inexpensive item when I will pay full price. Looking back over the past year the only times I paid full price were for a sun hat and for work gloves.

In the US we are well-trained that there will be always be a 40% off sale in the next couple weeks, and if I pay full price I will feel that I was cheated. I can't say I've ever been disappointed to miss out on anything -- there is always something comparable popping up.

It makes me wonder how much clothes cost to produce, and what are the markups for apparel, especially for imported items.

I am very much a Team Sale girl. I very rarely pay full price for anything. But I really do enjoy the hunt and the thrill of finding a great bargain. But like a few others mentioned, I really only look within my price range. So the occasional full-priced item won't break the bank. I think I've become more discerning over the last couple of years, though, and I'm less likely to buy less-than-perfect items just because they're a good deal!

I *wish* I could be Team Sale, since I don't have a lot of money, but I eventually had to face the fact that my size sells out quickly, and if I want items that I really like, I have to pay full price more often than I'd like.

At certain places where I know the sale cycle--BR, for instance, or AT--I will wait for a sale because I know that one will come up probably within a week. Even J. Crew online will have 25% or 30% off pretty frequently. But some of my favorite clothes come from places like Anthro, which rarely has sales except for merchandise that has been on the floor for a while and is a bit picked over. At places like that, I will splurge for full price, since I have many times tried to buy something from there only to find that my size is already gone. However, I still stick within a price range. If I see, for instance, that a top costs $150 but I really don't think it's worth that, or if I simply don't want to spend $150 on a top, I won't buy it but will bookmark it and keep checking back for a sale. And if it's gone, too bad; I won't overspend myself on something that I don't think is worth it.

Sterling you are wise to put your money in your home not in your closet. Clothing has poor resale value (spoken as one who tries to re-sell her mistakes on eBay, always at a substantial loss even when they're still new with tags).

I like to shop sales, because I like high quality/designer merchandise but cannot afford to pay full price for them. I will wait anywhere from 2 months to a year to get some designer item at the price I can afford. So you are not alone!

Of course there are always those items where I treat myself and pay the full price. Shoes especially! But when I look down at my happy stylish feet, and get compliments throughout the day, I think, it was worth it.

I mostly do sales shopping as a mother of four, it became ingrained to get better quality for our large family. Of course, like in all things there is a balance. I have set rules of my own making of limits on items and just won't let myself go above it unless it's a to die for dream item. Normally $150 is the max I would spend on a coat for my DD24, but her coveted green one I could see myself allowing wiggle room. I am very proud of how well I've clothed my family on our one income and tickled that they all have or are developing their own. I loved my son29 sharing with me that he had stalked Jcpenney for these Navy Oxfords and succeeded in getting them at $35, from $120. As a college student this was his only shot at getting them. It's a good feeling to get a deal for something outside our price range, at least in my world. I have favorites that I paid more than I thought I ever would as well as those I bought off season clearance for ridiculously low price. I think it's completely set in at this point.

I am definitely a sales lover. I tend to lust after things that are a bit spendy (Frye boots for example) and there is no way I can afford full price for them. But even on more affordable items, I, like most people, have a budget and like to get maximum value for my dollar. And sales are so frequent these days. I will pay full price if I think it is competitively and reasonably priced, and I really love it. Especially if I think I might miss out otherwise. Zara springs to mind - stock turnover is so high and sales are infrequent.

Sterling, I wish I had time for a longer reply, because this resonates so much with me. I, too, have a very small budget, and I'm certainly not one who can just buy what I want on a whim. I buy very few clothes, but I let my budget accrue until I have a reasonable amount to spend, then shop according to my wardrobe needs. I buy what is affordable for me, whether at full or reduced price. I do shop carefully, and track items that I like to see if they go on sale. BUT, if I see something that is perfect for my wardrobe, is on my shopping plan and is at a price I can afford, I will sometimes buy at full price.

Maybe I expressed my sentiment too much in terms of black and white.
Somehow I misread the intent of Angie's original blog (I have an idea of why I might have focused on the "full price" thing, but that is a matter for another day). Many of the posts on this thread gently corrected my frame of mind.

In reality, I too buy full priced items as well as sale items. I have to pay full price for shoes because I require solidly made shoes with great support in wide width. Nothing else will suit my needs. When I find a wide width in a shoe, I buy it immediately. I can't ever remember regretting those decisions because I tend to wear my shoes into the ground.

But I have also purchased a full priced blouse that is gorgeous beyond belief. I have worn it exactly twice. It sits in my closet, not so much because it was a mistake, but because I am afraid to wear it. It is a constant reminder the problem I have with wearing really expensive items. I just can't bare to wear it for "fear" that it will be ruined.

I like the idea of having an idea of how much an item is worth and being willing to pay that amount regardless of whether it is on sale or full price. This makes the most sense to me and I think I do use this strategy (although I only discovered this strategy within the past year or two).

By tracking CPW I discovered there is a "set point" for wardrobe types (pants, blouses, shoes) that work within my budget and give me great value. I am willing to pay much more for pants and shoes then blouses. I get a lot of wear out of my pant and shoe collection. I rarely make mistakes and I am always happy with my choices. In contrast, I have much more turnover in my top collection. I am still trying to understand what I like in tops and I have a lot of failures. Tops rarely last two full season in my closet. This is a constant disappointment to me.

I always pay full price for athletic wear leggings and shoes. I am difficult to fit and when I find a pair of leggings that fit me, I buy them immediately. I buy athletic tops at the deepest discount possible.

I never pay full price for lounge or sleepwear. The sales are nearly constant. I can find exactly what I want on sale. Oh, I also try to buy panties on sale as well. This is more of a "stock up" item that I buy twice a year.

I have succumbed to overbuying when I find things on sale. The deal just seems so great that I have difficultly walking away. That is why Gaylene's comment struck a nerve with me. I recognize this behavior in myself and am working on it.

Finally, my dream is to eventually achieve a wardrobe foundation that will allow me to add fewer pieces throughout the year. I don't anticipate lowering my budget so that will translate into buying fewer, but more expensive, pieces.

Thank you all for listening to me and taking the time to try to help me understand Angie's original blog.

It's all good, Sterling, each on their own:-).
I usually have to pay full price for "needs" and try to buy sales for "wants"...as too many times have found my size is gone by then...Sales are great of course but it's very frustrating when buying full price - then still finding my size discounted only 2 weeks later-for half the price! Makes me feel I waste the money.... Unfortunately later price adjustments are really unheard here...:-(.

Coming back to say that there are a few brands that are beyond my budget at full price. For those, I have to wait for the sales unless the item is small and/or relatively inexpensive.

Also returning to echo the sentiment that a fellow YLFer picked up on: if we choose to buy something full-priced, or even only mildly reduced, we shouldn't let any subsequent price reductions mar our happiness with the item. This observation from Angie will see me through the holiday season.

Sterling, like you, I also buy shoes full price because I can't afford not to. Athletic gear is also full price. With the odd exception, however, most items I buy are usually on sale.

Sterling I am happy that you found a way to work within your budget comfort level. It is not easy to do it when there a are so many powerful mix messages all around us.
I always find interesting on how background influences our choices and actions .
I come from a culture that has no price adjustments, 2 sales seasons a year and almost no returns possible.
Thanks to YLF I learned that I can wait for a couple of weeks to get cheaper prices( I just waited for black Friday to buy a pair of boots). However I still have ingrained the idea that you buy an item if you really like it , goes with your existing wardrobe and lifestyle and if you have the budget for it ( no matter if it is full priced or not). So, the joy of getting something I love far exceeds the joy of getting a great deal.

To add that I try to buy (a PPP item) WHEN it goes on sale rather than (a random item) just BECAUSE it is on sale- if this makes sense

I'm Team 80% Sale, but recently I've ventured into Full Price Land. But then those items were marked down, but too late to get an adjustment. I've made bad decisions buying at brick'n'mortar stores and in thrift/consignment stores, so I try to avoid them. I also know I'm not always accurate in predicting which items will become workhorses so as to justify paying a higher price for them. I am very temperature sensitive, so I think this partly has to do with the particular temperatures in a given year. And to be honest, partly not.

I tend to have the most luck with Nordstrom and their return policy, so this is my solution:

Items that interest me I put in my Wish List to marinate.

Some brands always go on sale eventually, like NYDJ and Halogen; I refuse to pay full price for them. And sometimes the color I want will sell out in my size. Oh well; I can still get dressed without it/them.

Other stuff gets removed after the flush of initial excitement or even after it is marked down because I've decided I don't want it that much any way.

I just bought a few things full price but at 3X and 10X points respectively, styles that are difficult for me to find and fit.

The jury is still out whether I will pay full price for a bag and jewelry, even at 10X points.

I try to buy on sale, and I do manage to get a lot of clothing that way. However, I'm also keenly aware that buying on sale can sometimes lead to buyer's remorse, so I work within my budget by buying less. If a top is fab but not on sale & I really love it, I'll just buy that one item. That, to me, is better than buying 2+ items on sale that I'm not completely happy with. I also carefully consider whether or not an item is versatile enough to be worth paying full price. I, too, have a budget & completely understand the need for a tight budget.

Sterling, I too didn't allow myself to buy much of anything at full price until a couple of years ago. I bought a few pieces that I thought I would really love and wear a lot, and I found that those pieces ended up being some of the most loved in my wardrobe. Having those pieces really made an emotional difference in my life. So I learned that sometimes paying full price does pay off.

But as another poster mentioned, there are certain lines of clothing that are simply out of my price range. And although I do a lot of shopping at Anthro, I stick to their cheaper lines. I recently splurged on a dress there to treat myself for Christmas, and it was a midprice dress that I had been stalking and got at 25% off. The 25% off made the price doable, although still a little pricey.

I don't buy anything superexpensive exactly for the reason you mentioned: I know myself well enough to realize that I will be afraid of ruining the item. The only really expensive item I have is a pair of Aquatalia boots that I got for half price. I like wearing them, but I'm always afraid I'm going to ruin the suede or something. So I stick to midprice items as my "expensive" items, since I know that I will not be afraid to wear them.

I track CPW too, and like you, I have discovered that there are certain prices above which it doesn't make sense to buy an item because I simply can't wear it enough to get what I feel is my money's worth.

I'm team has to be under $30(tops/pants) or $50 (dresses) I've found this works well for me because I'm very cheap and those numbers force me to really love something before I buy it. Sometimes clothes will have their tags for weeks so I'm 100% sure I love the piece.

You bring up a very good point, Misswarner14. I have just recently come to realize that there is an "optimal price" for certain clothing categories.

If I pay less then my personal "optimal price," the quality is never quite what I expect, but if I pay a lot more then that price, it seems I don't get good value. One reason I don't get very good value is that I am afraid to wear it and it sits in my closet gathering dust. This is a huge hangup and I work every day to reinvent my thought process on this subject.

So, it is not that I am always buying on sale so much as I am seeking optimally priced items.

I, too, have an "optimum price" for things. For one thing, I have to factor in how much I'm going to wear an item. If it's formal wear, I need a really good sale to justify the fact that it's going to get worn very infrequently. If it's going to be a wardrobe workhorse, that's a different story, though I still factor in when I think it will get replaced. How long will it last? How versatile will it be? With shoes, my fussy feet are very hard to please, and I almost always end up paying full price. I somehow manage to get decent discounts on sweaters, for example.

Did I post here already? Is there an option for "wait till it's sold out then frantically search and end up paying more on Ebay"?

LOL!