Save Money on Clothing |
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It’s been quite a while since I’ve spent any considerable amount of money on clothing. Some of this is because I’m a software engineer and it’s perfectly normal to wear an old T-shirt. (One person in my office has a T-shirt from a sporting event 20 years ago that I’d really like to forget.) However, if you need to maintain some kind of appearance it doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank. Here are some ideas I had on how to save money on clothing:
- Buy clothes at a discount store. I know this is obvious, but some people overlook it. I used to buy stuff at Macy’s, but I’ve found that TJ Maxx has better deals if you are willing to do a little more hunting and pecking. I find the search for new clothing fun. Once again, I know I’m weird. You might also want to check out Marshall’s and maybe Ross or Kohl’s, but I never seemed to have as much luck there.
- Consider buying “pre-worn” clothes at thrift stores. I say consider because many people have an extreme aversion to this. On the other hand, other people consider vintage clothing to be a great style.
- If you travel in circles where everyone has designer threads, there are savings to be found at Bluefly.com. If you aren’t careful you can still spend a pretty penny there, but in general it should be a lot cheaper than usual.
- Buy clothes off-season. I often buy my summer clothes in August/September and my winter clothes in February/March. There are many discounts to be had as merchants try to free up shelf space.
- From my wife: If you think your clothing might possibly shrink don’t put it in the dryer. She says that anything cheap is a danger here.
- Another one from my wife: Borrow clothing from a friend. Of course you need to have friends of similar sizes to take full advantage of the swap.
- From Lazy Man and Health: Maintain a healthy weight. If you pack on a pile of pounds, you’ll out-grow all the clothing you currently have. You’ll also be spending money on food and, very likely, health procedures later on in life - but that’s a topic for another day.
[Each Monday for the next couple months, I'm write about how to save money. I recommend reading the whole Save Money series. Last week we looked at how to save money on the web.]
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18 Responses to “Save Money on Clothing”
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August 26th, 2008 at 7:53 am
[...] be impressed by breathing and having a pulse ;-). Lesson: Considering doing some research on how to save money on clothing. Random note: 7 years later the aforementioned friend would become instrumental in introducing me [...]
October 19th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
[...] Lazy Man And Money tells us how to save money when buying clothes [...]
October 18th, 2007 at 5:00 am
Thanks for all the advice. I rarely go clothing shopping so I’d like to get more outfits with the money I have budgeted for shopping. I think today I’ll hit up the TJMaxx nearby.
I’m not sure I’m ready for the thrift stores just yet though.
October 15th, 2007 at 5:59 am
[...] how to save money. I recommend reading the whole Save Money series. Last week we looked at how to save money on clothing.] Share [...]
October 12th, 2007 at 2:19 am
Star Money Articles for the Week of October 8…
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October 10th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
i’ve rummage hand-me-downs from my family’s coworkers and my sister’s donation bag! and i found several skirts from both sides that have served me well and only needed minor alterations.
it’s much easier for a guy to buy clothes at ross or tjmaxx. the sizes aren’t so difficult to find. i’m short and small and most of the clothes at the off-price stores are large and require too much hemming.
i’ll stick to banana republic sales!
October 10th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Great points. Along the lines with your wife’s tip, my wife trades maternity clothes and kids clothes with her friends all the time. Great way to save money. One kid outgrows it and another is growing right into those threads.
October 9th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
If you have kids, shop the sale racks (on or offline) and buy for the following year. For example, in August/September I saved 60%-70% at some pretty fancy kiddie boutiques and old standards like BabyGap/Gap Kids by purchasing clothes that will fit my baby girl next summer. Sometimes it’s hard to plan and spend that far ahead, but hey, cute and under $10 is my cup of tea.