Most teenagers both need and want clothes. People like to look nice, stylish, and up to date with the current ins and outs of fashion.

Maintaining your wardrobe can be expensive, especially if you enjoy particular (and pricey) brands. Back to school shopping can cost the typical high school students anywhere from $100 to $500.

This is a pretty ridiculous amount of money to spend on clothes. With stores prices seeming to only increase, what can you do though to save money, yet still get your shopping fix?

Shopping at thrift stores like Plato’s Closet and The Resale Shop are good ways to save money and still look great.

Second hand clothing may seem unthinkable to some, but it is a great way to update your closet while saving a ton of money. Most of these places sell only high quality clothing, items that you can’t even tell are “used”.

This year, for back to school I didn’t have too much money to spend, but I made one stop at Plato’s Closet and came out with more than I needed with money left in my wallet.

With shirts priced anywhere from $3-$8, jeans $10-$20, skirts $8-$12, and accessories priced at $3, I was able to purchase thirteen shirts, two skirts, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of sandals and several accessories all for around $88.00.

About half of these still had the tags on them, and were brands like Miss Me, Hollister, Abercrombie, American Eagle, and Aeropostale.

Still not buying into the whole “used clothes” thing? Then you should know when to shop for new clothes. A good time to find a sale is right before a peak holiday like Labor Day or Memorial Day. Stores are full of inventory, and sale tags can be found everywhere.

Wait until then, or go to places like T.J Maxx, Marshalls or Ross, where the clothes are new, and when looking on the sales rack, you can find some amazing deals.

With styles always changing, it seems pointless to spend a ton of money on clothes that’ll be out of style in a few months. Follow these simple steps and you won’t have to worry about breaking your budget.