Don’t worry — I’m not going to tell you to shop thrift stores for Joe’s Jeans or to stop by Old Navy once a week to hunt through clearance racks. Most people already know how to save money that way.
Instead, I’m going to tell you exactly when and where to shop so you can save up to 75% on the best brands of women’s jeans.
Cheers to only visiting the clearance rack when you know you’re gonna score!
1. Buy American Eagle jeans in January, April, July and October when they reach 68% off.
American Eagle runs a clearance sale during these months where you can get jeans for only $19.00 (regularly $59.95) — saving 68%.
Sign up for American Eagle emails, and watch your inbox to be notified of these clearance sales. If you don’t want to go in store, make sure you shop online as soon as the sale starts for the best selection. I recommend going in store before the sale begins to determine your size and fit.
Shipping is usually free on orders of $50 or more, so order three pairs to get free shipping. You’ll have four opportunities to stock up during the year, so if you miss one month, just plan to jump on the next quarterly clearance sale.
Join AEO Rewards and get 4% savings on your purchases, plus a free pair of jeans for every five pair you buy.
2. Buy Joe’s Jeans from 6pm to save up to 70%.
I used to think 50% off Joe’s Jeans was a killer deal. Until I found them on 6pm for 70% off.
6pm is an online retailer owned by Zappos (owned by Amazon), and they carry the same styles of Joe’s Jeans as other retailers — just for quite a bit less money. Some of the more popular styles like “Honey” or “Charlie” are closer to the 55 – 60% off range, which is still cheaper than buying a used pair on consignment. You should be able to find a 6pm deal on Joe’s anytime you need one.
Best part? You can sort by % off in order to see the biggest savings margin if you don’t have a favorite style.
TIP: Nordstrom Rack is another place to look for Joe’s Jeans. In January, the Rack ran an online Flash Sale that included at least 55% off Joe’s Jeans. Subscribe to Nordstrom Rack emails to watch for events like this. They’re a surprise even to employees, because Nordstrom corporate decides when to offer these sales.
3. Buy Gap jeans in April, July, October and December to save up to 75%.
The best sales are the Gap seasonal sales in December, January, April, July and October. Wait until the sale reaches its peak at 75% off if you want the lowest price. If you know your size sells out fast, buy the first day it hits 60% off instead. As long as you’re saving more than about 50%, you can rest easy knowing you’re getting a krazy deal.
A word on Gap Cash: It’s essentially a 50% discount if you earn and redeem right at the lowest threshold. Meaning, spend as close to $50 to earn $25 in Gap Cash, and then when you redeem your Gap Cash, again, spend as close to $50 as possible to use your $25 Gap Cash. If you spend your $25 in Gap Cash on a $65 purchase, it’s only a 40% discount.
Since you can’t combine Gap Cash with other offers like storewide sales, you should only use it if there’s no sale or a sad little 40% off sale at the time you want to shop. I’ve found you’ll get a better deal abandoning your Gap Cash and going with any store sale above 40%.
Sign up to get Gap emails, and follow the sale cycles so you know when to buy. Here’s a rough idea of the storewide sales Gap did last year:
- January: Winter sale continues from December at 75% off, then to 50% off
- February: 40% off
- March: 50% off
- April: Spring sale started at 50% off, went to 60% off, then to 75% off, back to 50% off, ending at 40% off
- May: 50% off, then to 40% off
- June: 40% off
- July: Summer sale started at 50% off, went to 60% off, then to 75% off, back to 50% off, ending at 40% off
- August: 50% off
- September: 40% off
- October: Fall sale started at 60% off, went to 75% off, then to 50% off
- November: 50% off, during Black Friday Five it hit 60% off
- December: Winter sale started at 50% off, then 60% off, then 75% off
You can also sign up for KCL emails, and we’ll tell you when it’s time to jump on Gap deals.
4. Buy Silver jeans on Thursdays or Saturdays from Maurices to save up to 75%.
Maurices is one of your local mall’s best-kept secrets.
The store does their clearance markdowns on Wednesdays and Fridays, so shop Thursdays and Saturdays to get first dibs on newly clearanced Silvers. (If your store doesn’t follow the Wednesdays and Fridays markdown schedule, just ask an associate when they do their markdowns, and plan to visit the morning after.)
Every store associate knows Silvers are the first thing to go when they hit the clearance rack, so I’m serious when I say get there first. It’s easy to find them at 50% off, and it’s possible to find them for up to 75% off (especially around the holidays), and when you do, stock up!
Join My Maurices and you’ll earn one point per dollar you spend, and you’ll get a $5 reward for every 100 points you earn (5% savings). When you do this, you’ll also get coupons via email about once every other week that you can use on top of sale prices.
TIP: If you can’t beat the rush at Maurices, Macy’s Last Act section has a good selection of Silvers for up to 72% off retail price. It’ll require hunting, so only go this route if you need jeans immediately and you’re not picky about fit.
5. Buy Rockstar jeans at Old Navy every other month when they hit 50% off.
Twice a year, in January and July, Old Navy has its Epic Sale Event, and everything in the store and online is up to 75% off. The biggest savings are in the clearance section, so shop early to get jeans in your size before they sell out.
Otherwise, sign up for Old Navy emails, and get ready to pull the trigger as soon as you see jeans hit 50% off. This happens about every other month, and you can get jeans — including Rockstar jeans — for under $15 (regular price $39.94).
A word about Super Cash: As with Gap Cash, get as close as you can to the minimum spend to redeem it (e.g., only spend $25 in order to use your $10 in Super Cash). Since it’s only giving you a 40% off discount, never use it instead of a 50% off sale. A better strategy is to create your own 40% off sale by using it when there’s not a better Old Navy sale and you just need jeans.
6. Save up to 67% when you shop for Lucky jeans through Ibotta. (For real!)
Ibotta has been known to run cash back offers for Lucky Brand directly. Offers are usually for 3.5% cash back but can reach up to 7% cash back. When you find the offer inside Ibotta, click through to shop Luckybrand.com, and navigate to the sale section where you’ll find up to 60% savings on Lucky jeans. When you make a purchase, you’ll get the Ibotta portion back via PayPal.
If that’s a bust, it’s fairly easy to find Lucky jeans for 60% off when you shop online at Nordstrom Rack and Macy’s. I recommend shopping online because you likely won’t find as good of a selection at the Rack or Macy’s Last Act in store.
If all else fails, try 6pm — savings are closer to 55% but still acceptable!
RELATED: 15 Reasons You’re Going to Freaking Love the New Ibotta App
7. Buy Hudson jeans online at Nordstrom Rack to save up to 70%.
It’s more difficult to find a good sale on Hudson jeans, but Nordstrom Rack online is a sure bet for saving at least 55 – 70% on any given day.
When shopping online, sort by “best value” to see the biggest savings margins. Sizes and styles in the 70% off range can be very picked over, so if you see jeans in your size and fit, don’t hesitate. That’s the biggest savings margin I can find on Hudson jeans, and honestly anything above 55% is a spectacular deal for these.
You can also find Hudsons on 6pm for up to 60% off, but the selection isn’t as good as Joe’s Jeans selection. If you strike out on 70% off at Nordstrom Rack online, check out 6pm.
8. Buy Levi’s 501 jeans at Levi.com or Nordstrom Rack for up to 55% savings.
Here’s the thing you probably already know about Levi’s — they’re sold everywhere. And if you don’t care about the Levi’s fit (a.k.a. the three-digit number like 501, 711, etc.), just head over to Kohl’s and pick up a pair with your Kohl’s Cash and Yes2You rewards, and you’ll have no problem saving up to 75%.
BUT — and this is a big but — if you want actual Levi’s 501 jeans, great deals are more rare, and you’re not going to land in the 75% savings range. (Forget about stores like Target and Walmart — they have DENIZEN or Signature by Levi Strauss & Co., both of which are “made by Levi’s,” but definitely not 501s.)
So, go with the Levi’s store online or Nordstrom Rack where you can usually find 501s for at least 55% off.
TIP: If the Levi’s store and the Rack are a bust, don’t underestimate a higher-end store like Anthropologie. Sometimes you can find Levi’s in the sale section online, boasting savings of up to 70%. Plus, you can get your jeans shipped to the store for free and avoid paying shipping.
9. Get J.Crew Mercantile jeans when they reach 60% off during the holidays.
J.Crew Mercantile is the factory version of J.Crew.
I’ve always found killer deals shopping the real J.Crew’s clearance section. But I’ll stand behind J.Crew Merc for basics like jeans and tees, because I can find a good price without hunting. Jeans are always 30 – 50% off regular prices with discounts reaching closer to 60% during the holidays. If your store doesn’t have your size, order in store and J.Crew will ship it to your house for free.
If you’re absolutely not open to J.Crew Merc, look for J.Crew (the real thing!) jeans at Nordstrom Rack. It’s true — in 2016, J.Crew partnered with Nordstrom in an attempt to get their merchandise in front of a higher-end clientele. But the best part is that where there’s Nordstrom, there’s also Nordstrom Rack, and you can find some J.Crew items at the Rack for up to 70% less than they’re selling for at J.Crew.
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