If you spend a lot of time at the gym, you are going to need some good gym wear. But expensive gym wear does not have to come at a high price. Here are a few tips to finding great savings if you are looking to expand your work out wardrobe, or just getting started at the gym. There are many reasons why good gym wear is much better than traditional sweats – they breathe better, keep you more comfortable during your workout, and are also flexible.

1) Buy on sale – It may go without saying, but gym clothes do tend to go on sale with all other clothing several times a year, when they are considered ‘off-season.’ If you tend to wear larger sizes, you are in luck because these are the easiest kind of finds you can make when shopping sales, so use this as an excuse to kick-start your workout. Visit Sports Authority or other stores and stock up. The best savings you can find here is on shoes. Try to find the brand and style of shoe you like during sale season and save a bundle.

2) Buy ‘off-brand’ – Many of the big brands have special lines they make for stores like Target. Don’t be afraid of trying out some of these types of products and comparing them. If you like them, by all means buy the cheaper versions and save a bundle.

3) Shop at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s – These stores tend to get a lot of off-season workout gear and you can find a lot of brand name items for much cheaper. This is a great place to go for steep discounts on workout pants, tops, or anything you might need for working out outdoors. Check back regularly. I tend to stock up on a lot of good yoga gear form TJ Maxx, and the quality is good, and it is just last season’s stuff at about 50-70% off.

4) Order online – If you are confident you know your size and what you want, a great place to start is to order on line. This is where you can find steep discounts on name brand running tights and shoes. But if you don’t like them, it may cost you in the long run if you need to ship back returns or try several different sizes.

5) EBay – You may balk at the idea of buying used gym clothes, but if you can find some items that are new with tags you may save a bundle. A lot of people buy gym clothes because they plan to get back in shape, but never do so. Take advantage of this and buy their clothing!