Frugality Tip #14 - Get FREE Clothes from JC Penney

Ahhhhhh... it feels so good to be back!

So, to kick things off right, I wanted to share how I get clothes, toys, towels, washcloths, books, and many other things for FREE from JC Penney.

Some of you may already be aware of this amazing awesomeness, but for those who are not... prepare to have your socks knocked off.

(Not a big deal... you can just get new socks for free after reading this...)

JC Penney has been sending out coupons for $10 off an in-store purchase of $10 or more, for quite some time now. They send this magical coupon out a few times a year.

Time to test your math skills...

Yep!

$10.00 off of $10.00 = $0.00. 

SCORE!!

I guess if there was any sort of "catch" attached to this free money, it's that your total has to come to at least $10 pre-tax, and then you have to pay the tax, so... maybe not 100% free, but as close to it as you're ever going to get walking into a store, and walking out with items you selected inside.

Here's my coupon... good through Saturday:

And while it's not quite as incredible, the $10 off of $25 coupon comes with it every time too.  I like to check out their clearance sections for dress shirts for my hubby, and socks and underwear for the kids... things I don't usually get as hand-me-downs... and then I just try to get the most bang for my buck.

JC Penney sends me these coupons a few times a year, and they are generally the only time I "buy" my kids brand spanking new clothes. Usually, I look for the out-of-season clothes and buy the next size up so my kids will have something new... albeit several months down the road.

Last time this coupon came out, I got jeans of my 7-year old daughter on sale for $7.99, and a flower headband for $2.49... ended up paying pennies.

Here's what I'm planning on getting this time:

 Summer play shorts for my almost-3 year old = $3.49

 New red washcloth for the kid's bathroom - $1.99

Dress for my almost-6 year old = $4.99

Let's figure this out:

  $3.49

  $1.99

+$4.99

  $10.47 + 5% tax ($0.52) = $10.99

Now take the coupon:

$10.99 - $10.00 = $0.99

GRAND TOTAL = $0.99

Pretty sweet deal, right? You can't even come out of a second-hand store with that price tag! It takes a little time to find deals that get as close to $10 as possible, or just over, but it's totally worth it. 

They currently have TONS of items on clearance in every section of their store. 

You can use my strategy above: (4.99, 3.49, 1.99) or my previous strategy ($7.99, 2.49), or other combinations. Just know that JC Penney doesn't usually carry items lower than $1.99, and I've rarely seen any item ending in anything other than .49 or .99. I'm telling you this so you don't spend hours in the store trying to make your total add up to exactly $10.00. Probably not going to happen. 

All you have to do is go online to jcpenney.com , and sign up to receive text or email offers from them. Or, you can be old-school like me, and get them via snail mail.

Voila! FREE money! Happy shopping!!