Life as Art: Why It Pays To Shop Off Season: Rue21/Tilly's Haul

Check out this cute online shopping spring/summer haul from Rue 21 and Tilly's.

I managed to score all the clothing pictured for just $30 including shipping.

So, what is my secret for finding bargains like this? Well...all of these warm-weather items were actually Black Friday 2015 deals!

Shopping off-season is one of the biggest ways to save on clothing. If you know how to take advantage of end-of-season sales you can easily build a stylish wardrobe for next to nothing.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your clothing budget:

Shopping off season doesn't mean you will be out style! Fashion flows in waves. Most trends circulate for a few seasons in various forms before dying out. If you stay up-to-date on fashion and have a good grasp of what's still in style and what's on its way out, you can easily grab trendy and fun clothes that still look fresh for next season.

Shop holiday sales. I find that the best time to shop online is during any holiday. There are deep discounts and better than usual shipping deals.

Never pay for shipping! When shopping online, be smart about shipping. Shop on days when stores are offering free shipping on all purchases or lower free shipping minimums. But don't buy things you don't want/need in order to get shipping deals.

Have patience and plan ahead. You have to be forward-thinking in order to shop this way. You've got to know what you are going to need and what type of events you are going to need to dress in coming seasons. You have to be prepared to let your new purchases hang in your closet until the seasons change.

Shop mid-season sales. Since the sale cycle starts so early in retail, you can easily get clearance clothes that are still in season.

Look for past-season clothes that can transition into the coming season. For example, if a store is clearing out winter merchandise, snap up that light-weight pink sweater that works perfectly for a cool spring day.

Be choosy. I used to buy just about anything I found on sale. While I did have fun trying lots of different styles, I also threw money away on clothes that didn't suit me, or that I never found a reason to wear. Now, I put just as much thought into buying sale items as I would full price clothes.