Post-Christmas sales are some of the best opportunities to score great deals that you won’t find any other time of year. And what’s even better is getting amazing deals at pricier stores that you might not normally shop at! One great example is Banana Republic — right now, you can find some basics for your wardrobe for up to 50% off! Here are some of my favorites that are just $20 or less!

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Old Navy is one of my favorite stores. It’s great for stocking up on wardrobe basics like tank tops, tee shirts and sweaters, as well as some trendier pieces — all at an affordable price. Old Navy has great prices to begin with, but they also always have some kind of promotion going on and a great sale section, so getting an awesome deal there is easy.

Right now, there’s tons of great pieces at Old Navy that are just $20 or less each — here are just a few!

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Urban Outfitters is popular for their stylish clothes, fun accessories and quirky home decor, but their prices aren’t always college-student friendly. But luckily for all of us on a budget, Urban Outfitters happens to have a great sale section. Unlike some sites, where the sale section consists mostly of unpopular sizes and pieces, Urban Outfitter’s sale section has a great selection and great prices.

Don’t believe me? Check out these great pieces that are currently on sale and Urban Outfitters for less than $20!

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One of my favorite stores to shop for cute clothes is Kohl’s. One reason I love it so much is because it’s always been there for me. So many times I’ve needed something last minute, like a pair of slacks for a job interview or the perfect pair of shoes for an outfit, and I can find the perfect solution almost instantly at Kohl’s, while other stores didn’t have anything. On top of all that, I love that mostly everything is pretty affordable — especially when there’s a great sale (and there’s almost always some kind of sale going on). Check out these great picks from Kohl’s for under $20!

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I stopped in last weekend, and was amazed at both how much cute stuff there was and the great prices. I had to restrain myself from buying everything, but I managed t snap up a few great pieces, including a cute party dress that I plan on wearing to a wedding later this summer. While my new dress wasn’t under $20, there are quite a few choices that are — including all of these!

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So we all know about the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. And in case you don’t know, it’s a heavenly sale that happens every July where even though it’s 90 degrees outside, you get roped in by Tory Burch boots and Vince wool cardigans, North Face jackets and Burberry trenches. With the AC blasting inside Nordy’s, it feels like a crisp Fall day only better because this time, while still not cheap, all this Fall wardrobe amazingness is on SALE.

And not just a $10 off if you spend $100 or more type sale (how ridiculous are those?!). We are talking a good sale. And if you are going to splurge on something (like said Tory Burch boots), now is the time to do it. It’s also a good time to stock up on some wardrobe staples. My favorite thing to “know” about the sale: Don’t dismiss the Junior’s department. They’ve still got really cute things at VERY affordable prices!

And here’s the real scoop to know about: If you go into Nordstrom this week, there will be “private” show rooms set up all over the store for an early preview sale for a select few. But now you, my friends, are the select few. March right up to a salesperson and tell her you would like to make an appointment with her. She will take you around to all the different departments and show you what’s on sale before it actually goes on sale to the public next week. Don’t forget to check out the lingerie department too; a lot of times they offer Hanky Panky’s on sale and bras that are normally muy caro (aka, out of our price range) at much more decent price.

If you can’t make it to the pre-sale, though, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale officially kicks off in full mayhem July 16th.

Suddenly, Fall doesn’t seem so bad.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like BedPosted, Yummly, and Dad’s on Vacation) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

I’ve never been a designer-clothing type of girl. Not because I don’t like them, but just because I couldn’t afford them.  Sure, there are tons of sale sites out there that carry designer brands for less, but it can be a pain to search through all the different sites for something that I actually like and can actually afford….before everything is sold out.  Or at least that’s what I thought until I found Shop It To Me.

Shop It To Me isn’t like the rest of those sample sale sites that only feature a few select brands every day. On the contrary, it helps you find the most current sales on your favorite brands (designer or otherwise) in your size — it’s practically like having your own personal shopper–and it’s totally free.

To get started using Shop It To Me, first choose your favorites out of over 200 designers (from budget-friendly stores like Old Navy and Forever 21 to high-end ones like Prada, and Chanel).  Then, just answer a few more questions about your sizes, what kind of clothes and accessories you’re interested in, and how often you want to receive “Salemail™” (once a week, twice a week, or every day).  Once that’s done, you just have to sit back and wait for the great deals from across the web to arrive in your inbox!

And then you shop. See something you like? Click on it and be whisked away to the sale without ever leaving your couch. No mall parking lots, long lines or elbowing other customers to get at the sales racks here. Just all your favorite things, on sale, in your email.

Another really great feature about Shop It To Me that sets it apart from other sale sites like it is that the e-mails they send include more than just items currently on sale–they also also give you access to secret online promotion codes and VIP sale events for all the brands and stores you love.  There’s also a page on the site called the “Sale Spot,” where you can access & browse all the current deals that fit your preferences.

I’ve already found too many things I want to buy at amazing prices using Shop It To Me–like this $395 Carlos Falchi purse for only $75!  This site could be dangerous for my bank account, but with such great prices, I don’t know if I can resist!

If you’re anything like me, you’re a sucker for a name brand. Despite wanting to be above it, I die when I see the new Marc Jacobs handbags or Prada runway show at Fashion Week. Also, if you’re anything like me, your bag costs more than what’s in your bank account and realistically you shouldn’t be buying that Chanel watch that costs more than your rent.

And that’s where consignment shops come in. Once you get past the fact that you’re not going to have a Saks-esque experience, these stores are a goldmine of high-end fashion for a college budget. However, rooting through said stores can be a lot of work and not exactly the most pleasant experience. So you turn to Ebay; it’s great for designer labels, but you soon learn (often the hard way) that you never know what you’re exactly getting.

Enter, online consignment! The way of the shopping future is here, and it’s named WWW and wearing Gucci loafers.

Consignment is just like picking through a closet that isn’t yours. The closet of that girl on campus who always looks super pulled together and fabulous. The one you want to hate because she always looks so damn perfect, but you can’t hate because she’s just so darn nice. She’s got a smile that matches her flawless wardrobe and handbags, and you would just kill to raid her closet for just one night.

Well, now you can! Christabelle is that girl and she’s opened her closet to you! OK, so maybe she’s not actually letting you rifle through her personal closet, but Christabelle’s Closet, an online consignment shop, is every college girl’s dream. This online shop has new or nearly new designer clothes that would make any savvy college girl gasp. From Gucci Flats to Rebecca Minkoff bags, Christabelle’s got it all, including a fully stocked designer label $10 section chock full of Michael Star tees and Intermix dresses. Yeah, ten freaking dollars.

And Christabelle is as sweet as she is fashion savvy, offering a very haute deal for CollegeCandy readers:

She’s giving you (and me!) 15% OFF ANYTHING in her closet for the entire month of March just by entering the code COLLEGECANDY when you check out.

I know I’ll be using it when I finally snag those Dolce & Gabbana heels that I’ve had my eye on for-ev-er. And probably a few other gorgeous things she’s got hanging in that virtual closet of hers.

With a deal like this, soon you’ll be that girl on campus that everyone wants to hate because you’re always looking so good. And they’ll want to hate you even more when they know how little it cost you to do it.

So many sites. Why are all of them porn?

There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Zappos, CupcakesTakeTheCake…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there. And more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.

I love buying gifts for all my friends and family during this time of year, but I hate the stress it puts on my bank account.  The holidays are almost here, and I’ve already spent too much, yet I’m still nowhere near finished with my shopping.  With so many people left to buy for, I have to be careful about how much I spend, so I’m looking for the best deals I can get my hands on.

Luckily, I’ve recently discovered a great website: Coupon Cabin. It’s a ridiculously huge online collection of both printable coupons and coupon codes. A statistic on the site boasts that “the average Coupon Cabin shopper spends 80 seconds on the site and saves $19 per order”–that’s some serious moolah! It’s seriously the best coupon/deals site I’ve found, and it’s super user-friendly and easy to use.

The creators of the site look through online forums and blogs, as well as search store’s weekly ads and “preferred customer” e-mails to find all the best deals around from more than 2,000 online stores. But it’s not at all overwhelming; the site is organized by type of coupon, store name, and store category.  That means you can search however is easy for you and find the deals and coupons you need. Plus it’s updated three times a day with new deals added and nonworking coupons removed, so you can shop to your heart’s content without worrying about getting an annoying error message at checkout.

Oh, and while you’re there, do yourself a favor and sign up for their daily e-mail, in which you get a list of the day’s best deals delivered right to your inbox. Yes, they make it that easy to save the dinero.  You’ll save a ton of money and get a good deal on the little something extra you pick up for yourself.

I’ve got nothing but love for CouponCabin.

Yeah, I enjoy a good deal as much as the next guy (I’m Jewish – isn’t that part of my heritage?), and purchasing all those Hanukkah gifts for less money is muy appealing, but I’m beginning to think all these sales will have me spending a lot more money instead of a lot less.

When it comes to holiday sales, I’m torn.

Love It:
Duh, putting things on sale means getting really great stuff for a lot less money. Especially things for myself. OK, so I know that this time of year is all about the giving, but how can you not shop for yourself when everything is so damn cheap!? A brand new TV for only $500? A new laptop for $400? 25% off everything at my favorite clothing store? Sign me up!

And what could be better than waking up every day to find emails advertising your favorite stores’ great deals? You don’t even have to leave the house to indulge in a sale; you just need to point and click your way to a seriously discounted BCBG dress. Heaven.

Loathe It:
A brand new TV for $500 that I got for $800 only two months ago? It’s like Best Buy has a personal vendetta against me and those little guys in the blue shirts want to see me cry. Even more, now that the prices of such large items have dropped, I am now convincing myself that I need them. Yeah, my laptop works perfectly but what if it dies next month? I should totally get another one now. And I’ve always wanted a blender, right? I mean, how many times have I craved a margarita but couldn’t make one because I didn’t have a blender. It’s only $30 so I should totally get it! Same goes for the shower radio (because, yeah, I love jamming in the shower) and those really uncomfortable Steve Madden pumps that I’ll probably only wear once, but they are 30% off so it just makes sense to throw ‘em in the bag.

I have zero control around sale items and sale items are everywhere I look! By the time holiday season is over I’ll have a room full of crap I never really needed and a near-empty bank account. I may have gotten my mom those iPod speakers she wanted for half-off, but was it really worth it when I dropped all that other money on things just because they were “cheap”?

What do you think? Do you fall into the sale trap, or have you mastered the art of sale self control?