7 Easy Ways to Save Money On Clothes and Get New Ones

It may surprise a lot of people who are new to this site but I really love clothes. In fact, I used to love clothes so much that it was one of my “go to” fun activities. Now, I’m not sure why I considered shopping so much fun, but I did…until I didn’t. In fact, the name of this blog was a nod to shopping my home. Ahem. After doing a year long No Shopping Challenge from April 2013-April 2014 I unintentionally killed my shopping habit. And, I’ve learned some new tricks to stay fashionable and not break the bank. Below are 7 easy ways to save on clothes and even get new ones.

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7 Easy Ways to Save on Clothes

Ok, this one feels counterintuitive. I’m encouraging you to downsize your wardrobe and actually focus on wearing the clothes that you love. There is a statistic that 80% of the clothes that people own aren’t worn at all. This has certainly been the case for my wardrobe. For the past couple of years I’ve actively downsized my wardrobe and I still find that I have too many clothes. I’m about to Marie Kondo my wardrobe and let go of the following:

• Clothes for when I lose weight-I am working on losing 30 lbs and I definitely have my skinny clothes. But, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto them because the styles are now out of fashion and I can’t wear them NOW.

• Way too casual items-Living in Colorado it’s very easy to end up with a wardrobe that is way too casual. Think endless pairs of hiking jeans, fitness pants, and other random pieces of athleisure. It pains me to admit that I’ve begun dressing way too casually and I actually don’t like my current wardrobe. This is definitely linked to the weight gain AND breaking up with shopping. Isn’t it easier just to throw some leggings on? Unfortunately, yes. Recently, though, I’ve begun to really focus on what does and doesn’t make me feel good. And looking a hot mess bothers me at every weight. As a result, I’ve begun curating my closet for a more put together and fun look.

• Focus on staple items–There is nothing worse than trying on jeans. But, everyone needs: a couple of pairs of well-made jeans, a pair of cute boots, a couple of well-fitted jackets, plain t-shirts, and a few blouses. Staple pieces are the canvas for your entire look. In fact, during my year of No Shopping I discovered something fascinating, no one notices what you wear. Seriously, I wore the same clothes for a year, told the same people I wasn’t shopping for the year and they still asked me where did I get my new clothes.

• Rent the Runway-Honestly, I’m obsessed with this service. What is it? It’s a monthly clothing subscription service for well-made, fairly high-end clothes. The type of clothing that I drool over but don’t want to commit to for the long-run. They offer two different subscriptions. The first is the The RTR Update where subscribers get to pick 4 items to update and freshen up their wardrobe. I’m a huge fan of coats, dresses, and cool pants. Or, you can opt for the Unlimited option where you can mix and match items and rotate them out 4 at a time. I love Rent the Runway as a way to save money shopping for the following reasons.
  • I can shop the size that I currently am and look hot! One of the reasons why many people end up keeping multiple sizes in their closets is that it’s expensive to update your sizes as your lose or gain weight.
  • The expense is predictable-One of the most problematic aspects about shopping was the unpredictability of shopping. It’s very difficult stay on budget even if you’re just shopping online. It’s very easy to find more than what you need.
  • Pause your subscription-You may find that there are months when you don’t need the subscription. Maybe you’ll be traveling or you have plenty of clothes for the season that you’re in.
  • Want to Rent the Runway Out? Click on the following link and receive $30 towards your first order when you sign up with my affiliate link.

• Invest in quality-I’m not saying spend crazy money. What I am saying is that when you find a great sale on a well-made item that you will use over and over again-buy it. What I learned the hard way was that quality lasts longer than fast casual. Seems obvious. But, until you’re wearing the same clothes for 12-months it’s hard to realize how badly made fast casual clothing is.

• Thrift or Consignment Shop-There are so many amazing thrift and consignment shops that carry amazing clothes at a fraction of the price. In fact, I was in love with my local Goodwill that I knick-named “Magical Goodwill.” It was seriously magical. One summer I needed a white blazer and I wanted a specific one from Express. I went to magical Goodwill and found one for less than $5. Yep, that actually happened. And, on every single visit I would find brand-new items with tags still on them. There is a process to shopping for used clothing.
  • Shop for a limited amount of time. I set a 1 hour limit. More than an hour you’ll find everything that you don’t need.
  • If Possible Don’t bring the kiddos-Kids and shopping don’t mix unless they are asleep.
  • Know what you want-Be clear about what you’re looking for. Don’t wait for something to pop out at you.
  • Have a budget-This one is tricky because you can get so many things at the thrift store. Set a lower budget and stick to it.

• Use what you have-This seems obvious…but, as mentioned earlier, 80% of the items in your closet aren’t being used. I am now very intentional about using what I have. The great thing about this is that I find myself needing fewer items over time.

Bonus Suggestion

• Have fun with accessories-In my opinion, accessories are where the magic happens with most outfits. A statement necklace, cute jacket, Rent the Runway has a great selection of jewelry, jackets, and purses.  Or, a cute pair of shoes can make a boring outfit “pop.”

By doing the above I’ve eliminated my clothing spending from almost $5,000 a year to around less than $500-$1,000 a year. Or, an average of around $41-$85 a month on clothing and shoes. What I’m looking at now:

• New Sorel Boots-Right now I’m keeping an eye on Amazon and the Sorel website and watching for future sales. I know what my budget is and which pair of boots I would like. But, I’m also looking at ThredUp which is an online consignment store that I’ve had great success with too. I have affiliate income from them so I’m hoping to get them for free if they land on the site.

• Two nice pairs of jeans-You can never have enough jeans LOL!

• Diamond earrings-I would like a nice pair of grownup earrings. I can wait until next year to get them. They are very clearly a “want” not a “need”

Even with this somewhat frugal clothing budget, I still get compliments on my clothes, I still look nice (a little too casual right now) which is why I’m starting to use the Rent the Runway Update subscription. How do you like to save money on clothes?

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Michelle

I am an obsessive foodie, but not self-righteous with it, love travel, meeting new people, helping you look good, and am freaked out by people who don't enjoying reading...something! Grab a Perrier, read my blog, feel free to drop me a line! Hope to hear from you soon.

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