• Clothing (perhaps the most difficult to control) 

–         What are methods to “stretch” your clothing budget? Time is the key to maximizing your clothing budget. The mark up on soft-goods is frequently as much as 400 – 500%. E-bay & Amazon are good sources to establish fair market price, but even better prices are available at retail when you make time your friend. Impulse is the enemy of a budget. I realize this concept may be difficult. The pleasure achieved from the “I loved it as soon as I saw it” is fleeting & later on you may wonder “What was I thinking”? Establishing what you need, flavored a bit with want you want combined with waiting for the right time will really stretch your clothing budget. Some folks are ashamed of shopping at discount stores for clothing. Don’t be. Most clothing today originates in Asia & many factories make similar quality clothing where the only difference is the “label” & thus the price. Many of the “brands” that have been established in Asia have the same quality standards as promoted brands.