* "Watch your back, baby. Clearance is never in the front of the store, so don't start your shopping there. Remember, full price on anything is a complete rip-off. Don't buy it unless it's at least 50 percent off! Every major specialty and department store puts last season's fashions on clearance, and if you're willing to dress on season behind, your wallet will thank you."

* "Learn your favorite store's bargain patterns. It may take some time for you to master the art, but all stores have patterns in how they mark items down. For instance, when Target clearance is as low as it is going to go, the price usually ends in a four. The Gap usually drops prices 25 to 30 percent before slashing them to 40 to 50 percent a month later. You might try visiting some shopping forums online to learn what more experienced shoppers already know about your favorite store and to hear how they do sales/clearance. A couple websites to check out are www.fatwallet.com and www.slickdeals.net.
HINT: Many stores do their markdowns the third week of the month!"

* "Pay attention to the little things. Sometimes clothing that is marked "clearance" doesn't sell because it has a small flaw, such as a loose button or an open seam. Most of the time if you point the flaw out, the store will give you an additional discount on the item."

* "Shop often. When you routinely visit your favorite stores, you will be able to keep a close eye on when the items you want are on sale or clearance. If you don't regularly shop at the store where you want a particular item, you will be more apt to buy it at full price."

* "Check online. Many stores offer better deals online. Or you might look for the item you want to purchase at ebay.com or overstock.com! [But be careful of wholesale sellers on eBay- they're probably selling the clothes illegally]."

* "Sign up for e-mail newsletters. E-mail newsletters are a great way to learn about sales and discounts. Sometimes e-lerts will include coupons, special discounts, or frequent-shopper offers."

* "Clue others in. When you hear about a good deal, don't keep it to yourself; tell your friends! If you do, they'll be more apt to let you in on a good deal when they find one"

Turner also goes on to give bonus tips on where to buy. Some tips I can personally give are: Ebay does have good deals, but sometimes the difference you pay for the item plus shipping isn't a big difference buying it brand new. Also, there might be some stores that would give you a discount for damaged items, but many stores that I've been to do not give discounts for damaged items, they usually won't sell them or they will already be marked down. Places like Zana and American Eagle do not give discounts. An employee at Zana recently told me, "We don't give discount for damaged items, we think that if you really want it, you will figure out a way to fix it." And lastly, most items that go on sale are limited in quantity and you might not be able to find your size once it goes on sale.

Just remember to shop smart and love what you wear!