Guest post by Jade Moon, yummymummyfashion.com
Pregnancy is one of the few times in your life that you can justify an entire new wardrobe of fabulous clothes that you will probably only wear for six months.
Now, for the thrifty among us, that sounds like a bit of a waste when money could be spent more wisely elsewhere, like on the enormous list of expensive things that you need before the baby arrives.
But, you don’t have to compromise if you know where and when to shop for maternity clothes and you really can stay stylish and feel comfortable on a budget by following some simple guidelines.
Turn yourself into a habitual bargain hunter and don`t be scared of shopping for clothes alongside your groceries. The three biggest supermarkets all have their own clothing ranges, including maternity wear and they are a revelation if this isn’t your regular choice for bagging the latest fashion.
They sell everything you will need for a decent collection of maternity clothes, including work wear, dresses, coats and all the basics you are going to need at great prices.
If you’re a designer label devotee this may fill you with horror, but if you want to cut costs without compromising on style, get your basics such as maternity jeans, trousers, leggings, wrap tops and tees more cheaply and you can still team them up with something indulgent and no-one will notice that you`re wearing a supermarket maternity top.
Don`t be shy about borrowing from friends or visiting a charity shop either. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend or relative that has had a baby recently, then this is a great opportunity to have a dig through their maternity clothes before they pack them away.
Charity shops are brilliant for maternity coats and jackets and they often look like new. There is usually a good selection of maternity wear in second hand shops and because it isn`t worn for very long it will still be fashionable. In more affluent areas you may be lucky enough to pick up designer labels at a fraction of their original price as well.
Ask the staff which day new stock is put on the rails and if, for example, you’re specifically looking for a black maternity trench coat, bring it up in the conversation. If one comes in, they may be kind enough to put it aside for you.
The high street is always a good choice for bargain basics and most shops have a decent fashionable maternity range. The smartest way to clothes shop is online and you can quickly compare prices and check deals between stores.
Voucher codes are a marvelous tool for the serious bargain hunter and most major retailers have caught on to this relatively new idea. You can save a heap of cash simply by spending a little time looking around special voucher code websites to see which shops have the best money off deals. They often show which stores are having sales as well.
You can get a substantial percentage discount, free delivery with an order over a certain amount or any combination of buying something to get something else free at a lot of maternity clothing websites, but keep checking back as offers change fairly quickly.
It`s not just the ordinary maternity ranges that benefit from discount codes, you can even get a good selection of tall and petite maternity jeans from plenty of online retailers. One of the few advantages of having to buy so many new clothes is that you will most likely be eligible for any free postage offers.
