There’s an overlooked upside to the financial downturn: bargains galore.  But don’t just fall for every sale sign you see, says stylist and professional shopper Karen Kleber. To discover the true brag- worthy deals, you have to know when to  shop for them, which bargain bins to dig  through and which sample sales to stalk— without investing too much of your precious time. Kleber, who has been dressing female clients from movie stars to every-day fashionistas for 25 years, let us trail her as she shopped Manhattan, showing  us that frugality and fashion could be  synonymous. Here, her best tips for finding steals—everywhere from your favorite chain stores to online sample sales—when  time and money are in short supply.

Online Sample Sales

You no longer have to live in a fashion hub like New York City or Los Angeles to find stylish samples and overstocks that remain unsold at the end of the season. Thanks to online sources, anyone can tap into top designer selections for less—and the merchandise is usually from the hottest names. For instance, check out Gilt Groupe at gilt.com/workingmother. (Working Mother readers can join this invite-only site simply by using this link.) Recent finds include a Carolina Herrera pencil skirt for $198 (retail price $890) and a cropped, tuxedo-style jacket from Marc by Marc Jacobs for $148 (originally $428).

Inside Scoop

Online retailers often count down to the sale via email alerts, hold the sale for only a limited time (36 hours, perhaps) and show how quickly the stock is selling out to put people in a buy-now-or-forever-regret-it shopping frenzy. Also, the return policies can be less than generous.

Chain Stores

Mass retailers like J.Crew and H&M work in volume, so the turnover is steady, the shipments are regular, and the supply of trendy pieces at just the right moment is impressive. Chain stores are also where you’ll often find the season’s “it” piece for a good price. Got to have a pair of those gladiator-style heels that are so hot right now? Shop at Payless, where you can find them for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere.

Inside Scoop

Learn the rhythm of your favorite stores and you’ll have first pick of the sale items. Banana Republic, for instance, features new deliveries—and new markdowns—every four to six weeks. If you’re too busy to get to the store on the first day of the sale (and who isn’t these days), call and ask a salesperson to hold that special item for you.

Discount Stores

Off-price retailers like Filene’s Basement, Marshalls, Loehmann’s and Century 21 Department Stores swoop in to make a profit on manufacturers’ overruns, canceled orders and unsold merchandise. When a manufacturer produces too much inventory or a designer can’t sell a particular line, the excess inventory is sold at these retailers at a 20 to 60 percent discount. You want to take advantage of the “automatic markdown system,” which means that the price tag is marked with the date the item hits the selling floor. The longer an item remains unsold, the lower the price will automatically be reduced, first 25 percent, then 50 percent and finally 75 percent.

Inside Scoop

Arrive before lunch; these stores are restocked in the morning and will be less picked over. Also, find out where your favorite department stores sell off merchandise that’s been returned. For instance, Gabay’s in New York City gets its bounty of to-die-for designer shoes from retailers that offer friendly return policies. Most major department stores sell to a store like Gabay’s in your area, so ask!

Boutiques

Shops that specialize in fresh-from-the-runway designer items are great spots to discover the season’s top trends. Once you see, for example, that tulip skirts are the hot silhouette for summer, you can shop around and buy yours for $40 instead of shelling out three times that for a designer version.

Inside Scoop

Keep it to window-shopping since even sale items are going to be pricey. If you’re an impulsive shopper, skip these stores altogether.

Consignment Stores

This is where you can routinely pick up the castoffs of the wealthy—sometimes with designer tags still dangling. If you’re desperate for a pair of high-end jeans but would never pay full price, this is your best bet for finding a 50 to 90 percent discount.

Inside Scoop

Though there are steals aplenty, the price tags can be high (50 percent off $300 jeans is still $150). If you’re truly in love, wait 30 days, when prices will usually drop even more.

Thrift Stores

Here the prices are lower, but you’ll have to dig through the banged-up fashion of yesteryear before scoring the time less little black dress of your dreams. Because these stores tend to be small and need to move the merch, their end-of-season discounts can run as high as 80 percent. Thrift shops that benefit a specific charity are sometimes more upscale than Goodwill or Salvation Army stores—and you can frequent one that supports a cause that’s near and dear to your heart.

Inside Scoop

Call local hospitals to find thrift shops they support.

Outlets

Some manufacturers produce lines especially for their outlet shops, and those lines tend to be of lesser quality. Get your money’s worth by sticking to major department-store outlets, like Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York, which sell true designer clothing at a discount.

Inside Scoop

If you look at the price tag and see an original sales price, you can be reasonably sure it once sold at a full-price retailer.

What Our Stylist Found!

What did a day of shopping with professional stylist Karen Kleber teach us? With a little skill, even tight budgets don’t have to feel so stretched.

At Cure Thrift Shop, which benefits juvenile diabetes research, she spotted an A-line pin-dot cotton skirt in black and cream by Original Penguin (with the $110 price tag still on it) for $35 and a black Banana Republic V-neck sweater for $3. At H&M, she picked out a bright coral cotton cardigan for $25 and a skinny white leather belt for $10. And at Filene’s Basement, she found a pair of Paper Denim & Cloth jeans that had been $190 but were selling here for $50. At Lola y Maria, a boutique in New York City that sells both new and vintage clothing, she found a trendy, day-to-evening little black dress marked down from $180 to $90. At J.Crew, she picked up a pair of gold flip-flops for $13 that complemented each outfit. Total cost for all three outfits: $226

How to Haggle

Who better to teach us how to wheel and deal than a person who is usually on the receiving end of the begging? Here, Liz Wolff, owner of Cure Thrift Shop in New York City, shares her favorite tips:

Be nice.

“We remember who’s friendly to the staff and knock off a few bucks from their purchases,” says Wolff. “We also remember who’s rude.”

Negotiate with class.

Don’t ask, “Will you take twenty?” when the item is $50. Try, “I love this but was hoping to pay a bit less. What’s the best you can do?”

Check online reviews.

Vintage enthusiasts post their rants and raves about local thrift stores on sites like yelp.com and citysearch.com.

Look for an online component.

More and more, thrift stores are selling their best steals exclusively through the Internet.  

Know what sells well and what doesn’t. Handbags and vintage jeans fly off the shelves at thrift stores, so don’t expect to get these items for nothing.

Dress appropriately. Most thrift stores don’t provide a dressing room. Leggings and a fitted T-shirt make it easier to determine if something fits regardless of what the tag says.

Budget-Friendly Shopping Tips Shop your Closet First Belted cardigans are all the rage. No doubt you have a cardigan in your closet; buy a thin leather belt at a retailer like H&M and you’re styling instead of strapped. Invest in Timeless Basic Pieces. A white shirt, a blazer, a little black dress—these can be dressed up or down and will anchor an outfit. Spend on shoes and a handbag; they can make or break a look. Never Wear White Bras You need only nude (which won't show through clothes the way a white one will) and black. Find a good Tailor. This will help you extend the life of your clothes. The other must have? A skilled cobbler who can give shoes a second life by repairing broken straps or worn heels. Know the Return Policy A bargain may not be a bargain if it’s a final sale. For a busy working mom, it may be worth spending a few more dollars at a store with a more lenient return policy. Buy what you’ll wear. Don’t invent scenarios to justify a purchase. “If I lose ten pounds” is not a reason to buy something, no matter how inexpensive it may be. Previous Spread from left: veer; Joos Mind/Getty Images. This spread Clockwise from Bottom left: Getty Images; Siri Stafford/Getty Images; veer (2).