Buying new clothes and spicing the current wardrobe isn’t just a matter of style and luxury. It’s a necessity, and it can get more expensive than you might have thought.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spent $1,866 on apparel and services in 2019, many homes spend even more, depending on their lifestyles, the number of household members, and also their location.
- Get Organized
- Take Proper Care of Your Clothes
- Shop at Thrift Stores
- Use a Shopping Credit Card
- Shop at the Right Time
- Check Special Deals and Rewards
If you want to cut down on the amount of money you have to spend on new clothes, take a look at the following 5 tips and give them a try.
Tip #1: Get Organized
Keeping all your clothes organized can, surprisingly, help you save a lot of money. You should tidy up your wardrobe at least twice a year, in spring and autumn. Primarily, this will keep the clutter out and provide you with plenty of space for any new items that you may need.
Secondly, it might encourage you to give some of your old clothes another try.
When organizing and decluttering your wardrobe, make sure to donate all of the still-wearable clothes to second-hand shops, thrift stores, or charities. Over 15 million tons of textile waste is generated annually in the United States, and it’s essential to put a stop to this.
Tip #2: Take Proper Care of Your Clothes
One of the main reasons that people discard their old clothes is that the colors fade away, or in the case of white clothes – turn gray or yellow. This is true for shoes, hats, bags, and other accessories as well.
If you want your wardrobe to look fresh, you need to invest a little in it. The longer your old clothes look new, the less money you’ll have to save on apparel. So, to take proper care of your clothes, you can:
- Take your clothes to the dry cleaner every once in a while
- Brighten white clothes and shoes by soaking them in Oxiclean and bleaching them
- Use laundry detergents that preserve color
- Use textile dye to revive black jeans
- Hang-dry your clothes (this saves on your utility bills as well)
- Wash your clothes at lower temperatures
Tip #3: Shop at Thrift Stores
There’s no better way to save money on clothing than by shopping at thrift stores. You can fill your whole wardrobe and spice it with almost brand-new items at a fraction of the price of malls and boutiques, and not to mention that you can find some truly unique items.
You can even earn money from thrift shopping. It’s not unheard of for buyers to find authentic items that are worth much more than their selling price at a thrift store, and you can easily re-sell the item online.
An added benefit is that this is eco-friendly. The more people reuse and recycle their clothing, the less textile waste there is. It’s a win-win situation for all.
Tip #4: Use a Shopping Credit Card
Using a shopping credit card can bring you many benefits. These are unsecured credit cards, and you don’t have to meet any tough requirements to get them. Typically, it’s enough for you to be 18 or older simply, and you can apply for this card.
Shopping credit cards can only be used at specific locations, so if you get one at your favorite apparel store, it’s very likely that you can only use it there. Through this type of card, you can receive discounts and special offers, vouchers, gifts, and more.
This is ideal for those who usually shop for clothes at a few select stores.
You can increase your savings quickly through a shopping credit card, but it’s essential to use it responsibly. Never spend more money than you have, and always pay your debts off on time.
Tip#5: Shop at the Right Time
There’s a good time for buying new clothes, and a bad time for it. Most merchants will have fantastic sales a few times a year, and most of us are familiar with them: Black Friday, End of Year sales, End of Season sales, etc. If you want to shop for clothes, the best months are March, May, and July.
You can often just follow the simple rule of thumb – most items will be the cheapest when they’re least needed. So, if you need new winter gear, shop for it at the end of the winter season. Summer gear is the best at the end of summer, etc.
Bonus Tip: Check Special Deals and Rewards
The Bottom Line
Following the tips mentioned above can significantly help you reduce your spending on clothes and apparel, but it’s still always a good idea to create a budget and stick to it. Be realistic with it, however. If you set the limit too high, you’ll easily overspend, max out your credit cards, and put yourself into debt.
If the limit is too low, you’ll smoothly go over it and forget you even have a budget plan. So, be aware of your spending and take control of it.
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