First, understand that bargain shopping is much more complex than it sounds. Bargain shopping isn’t just about buying cheap stuff. In fact, it’s about not buying “stuff” at all. “Stuff” can be defined as things you don’t really need or want. Therefore, you should never buy “stuff.” Cheap stuff is stuff that you’ll never use, will fall apart after one use or will take up valuable space in your home, so it is never a bargain.

Second, skip the “almosts.” If jeans don’t fit, they don’t fit. They don’t “almost” fit. You can not guarantee that you’ll lose the three pounds that it takes to wear the shirt that “almost” looks good. Do the curtains “almost” match your tablecloth? If they “almost” match, they don’t match, so don’t buy them.

Third, shop when the sales tell you to shop, not only when you feel like shopping. Days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great shopping days, so wait until these types of sales days to do your shopping.

Fourth, clip coupons. Yes, coupons take time to cut out, but they can result in major savings, especially on grocery items. Even if each coupon only saves you ten cents, if you use 1000 coupons a year, that’s a savings of 0.

Fifth, get friendly with the clearance racks. Certain staple items like bras, underwear, socks and jeans frequently go on sale, and styles don’t change dramatically from season to season. Ideally, you’ll wear your clothes for more than one season, so who cares if you’re wearing last season’s model?

Sixth, ask for discounts. This is especially true when buying large ticket items. Just by asking, you can take serious discounts off of prices. Also, at stores like Kohl’s, the cashier can often find a way to offer you a larger discount than you have on your coupon. You just have to ask.

Seventh, focus on floor models or refurbished items. Most items are just as reliable as new items, have warranty plans, and will cost you a fraction of the price of a new, unused model.

Eighth, don’t be afraid to return things. If you buy something and change your mind, get your money back. That’s totally acceptable and a great way to stop wasting your income. Plus, if your return something and replace it with something else, you only spend once and get the satisfaction of shopping twice.

Ninth, resell things. Even if you only make on a sweater, it’s okay. You’ve worn it, and you can consider that rent. So, you rented the sweater and used worth of it. Now you’ve resold it for the remaining value.

Tenth, get used to the no-name brands. Does no-name butter really taste different than a name brand? No. So why spend the extra dollar on a brand name that doesn’t actually provide any value.

Eleventh, shop for quality. Yes, it’ll cost you a bit more, but it’ll last longer. So instead of buying five plain t-shirts for , you’ll buy one for and it’ll last much longer.

Twelfth, trust yourself. If you won’t wear it, eat it or use it, trust your gut. You know when you’re at the store whether you’ll use an item or not. So don’t lie to yourself. Trust your instincts.