Before you even begin shopping, set aside sixty minutes to help you find maternity wear for less. The time that you spend on this will save you aggravation and money in the long run. So take your time. Just be honest with yourself. And above all, be realistic.

Determine exactly what you need. You will learn that when shopping for maternity wear what you need and want will be different, just like your needs and wants will be different when shopping for your regular clothes. Keep in mind that the impulsive want purchase of maternity apparel is much more costly than the impulsive buy of regular clothes because you will only wear maternity clothes for a short period of time.

Take an inventory of your wardrobe to see what clothes you already have. Is there anything that you can use until mid-pregnancy? Regular pants or even your stretch pants with elastic waists can often be worn well into your pregnancy. Look through your closet to see if any of the clothes you have inventoried can be worn through your entire pregnancy. Things like oversized t-shirts work well throughout your whole pregnancy, even if you just wear them while lounging around at home. Raid your spouse's closet for bigger shirts and pants.

Ask friends and relatives if you can borrow any of their maternity wear. Once you have completed steps one through five, you will have a small selection of maternity wear you can put on throughout your pregnancy. Now you need to reevaluate what you still need. Based on what you still want, determine how much money you have to spend. Be realistic and practical. And remember that maternity clothes usually cost more than regular clothes.

Save some money on the maternity wear you still need by visiting garage sales, flea markets, consignment stores, and even online classified ads for gently used maternity clothing. Again, reevaluate what you still really need. You will probably still have a few requirements for your closet. Do not waste money on items such as maternity underwear since you can usually get away with a larger size of your regular style. Take the time to comparison shop. Comparison shopping is the only way that you will get the best deals on your maternity clothes. Check local stores, catalogues, and the internet.