Finding a kids shoes clearance can be a good thing for a parent, but not all of these clearance sales are created equally. Many retailers will claim they are clearing out their shoes at big mark offs, but in reality you aren’t saving as much as you think. This is especially true when you buy shoes online, when many retailers are claiming to have big sales where you can save 70 or 80% off the original price.

Now I don’t want to say that you can’t find some killer deals online, because I always do, but the thing is you just have to know where to look. There are many sites that offer coupons online, which can be used in conjunction with their current offers. However, they don’t always advertise these coupons. Why? Because they are generally used as promos to bring people to the site. But if you found the site through a search engine or catalog, you may not be aware of the discount offer.

This is why I always do a search on Google with the website name, followed by coupons, all in quotation marks (“sitename.com coupons”). I can’t tell you how many times I have found discount coupons on kids shoes and other items. In many cases I have found free shipping codes as well, which can save you another $10-$15.

Another way my family saves big is by finding a kids shoe clearance at local outlet malls. Usually these kids shoes are several seasons old, so they are heavily discounted. On top of that, we use coupon books offered by these stores to save even more.

Finally, keep in mind that you will want to buy kids shoes when they are out of season to save the most money. As an example, buy school shoes at the end of May, when demand is lowest. If you can, also try to buy two pairs, say a size 6 and a size 7, which can be used as your child grows.