12 Ways to Save on Clothing Costs

Jennifer Chait — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:59:39 +0000

Shop sales at discount outlets before hitting the sales at major department stores and clothing boutiques. Of course clothing at discount stores are cheaper to begin with so sale wise, you’ll do way better.
Shop at Good Will, second-hand stores, school or church thrift sales, garage sales, and other secondhand clothing outlets. Little kids clothes are especially good deals used because usually they’re worn very little. I’ve seen entire wardrobes of never worn baby outfits at garage sales. Another good buy used are items you’ll only wear once – wedding attire, Halloween costumes, holiday kids clothing, and so on.
Pay more for major items. For example, winter boots or coats or a workplace suit. Choose quality over price for items like these that you’ll use over and over – sometimes many seasons over, because it’s worth it to not have to buy another. Keep in mind though, you can find these items on sale too, especially if you shop well ahead of time, for example buy a new winter coat at the end of the season in spring.
Always shop for clothing out of season. Swimsuits in fall, spring dresses in summer, and so on. If you need something that’s in season during the season wait for a holiday. All seasons have major holidays and all stores hold holiday sales, for example Christmas, Labor Day, and back-to-school (not so much a holiday but you get it).
Wash your clothing right. Always read the tags to see how you should wash an item before you just toss it in. Hang as much clothing as you can, because that alone makes items last so much longer.
Don’t buy clothing that requires special care unless it’s absolutely necessary. Dry cleaning bills pump your clothing costs up considerably.
Learn to sew. I’m not saying you need to sew your whole wardrobe, although that can save you money too, but if you’re tossing stuff because you can’t fix a simple button, zipper, or hem, it’s a huge waste of cash.
Avoid wearing heels when driving because it puts more pressure on your shoes and can cause a break. Simply carry a pair of flat shoes in the car.
Travel – IF you happen to live in a smaller town, it can be worth the cost of gar to drive to your closet bigger city to shop the deals and sales.
Always wash lingerie in one, a smooth basin to avoid snags, or in a safe lingerie bag on gentle, and always air dry. If you do wash your bras in the washer always hook them to avoid snagging other clothing items.
Grab some dye to perk up clothing that’s stained, dull, or otherwise boring to you. You’d be surprised how one simple dye job can make a shirt look brand new.
Most importantly, only buy what you need. 20 pairs of anything is excessive. If you must buy new items that are purely want based, not a clothing necessity, consider selling a few current items you don’t wear to a consignment shop to balance the cost.

Share your clothes saving tips in the comments.

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12 Ways to Save on Clothing Costs