We all have to wear clothes, but clothing is more than just a necessity. It’s one way for us to express ourselves. It affects how we feel in our bodies, it affects our self-esteem, and it’s a fun way to get a little retail therapy when you need a pick-me-up.
But you do have to be careful. The cost of all those clothes can really add up. You don’t want to struggle to pay the bills or miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation because you spent too much money on clothing.
Saving money on clothing doesn’t mean you have to stop getting the latest styles for your closet! You just have to look for ways to save money by following these seven tips.
Shop the Sales Rack
Everyone knows to take a look at the sale rack, but you do have to be strategic. What is being promoted as a sale often doesn’t offer any meaningful discounts.
First, explore discounted women’s clothing online. Avoid clothing that is only discounted by a few dollars. Instead, look for items that are discounted by at least 50 percent to get the best deals.
If you’re shopping in person, skip the promoted sales at the front of the store and head straight to the back, as that’s where you’ll find the deepest discounts. It does require you to be mindful of what you need for the next season, as that’s often what you’ll find on sale in the back of the store. It’s a great way to get a good deal on a winter coat in the spring or a swimsuit in the fall.
Buy Used Clothes
One of the best ways to save money is to buy used clothes. The thrift store is always a good place to check out, especially the high-end thrift stores that focus on consigning trendier clothing.
If you don’t live near a thrift store, or the thought of digging through racks of musty old clothing doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of places you can buy used clothing online.
A few used clothing stores online to check out include:
- Swap allows you to combine items in a single shipment
- The Real Real authenticates designer items before selling them
- Vestiaire Collective offers designer clothing at monthly installments
- Tradesy offers returns, even for second-hand items
- Refashioner includes personal stories from sellers to make shopping more fun
- Poshmark offers purchase protection and refunds
- Vinted gives you the opportunity to swap items with other users
Use an Automatic Coupon Finder
Coupons can be a great way to save money, but finding coupons can be a nightmare. It can be really annoying to do a quick coupon search every single time you hit the internet to shop for clothes.
That’s where coupon apps come in! These apps can be downloaded on your phone or added to your internet browser on your computer. They automatically look for coupons or tally up points based on your purchases that you can use to buy other things.
A few of the best coupon apps include:
- Rakuten gives you cash back for buying stuff
- Honey applies the best coupon it can find to your cart at checkout
- Drop allows you to collect points that can be traded in for gift cards
- Flipp allows you to see all of the best-priced items from different stores
- Ibotta offers you cashback for submitting your receipts
- RetailMeNot lists all active coupon offers for online and in-store purchases
Shop Liquidation Sales
You don’t have to shop at a thrift store or search for coupons to get a good deal. Instead, look for liquidation sales in your community or online.
Stores often have a lot of merchandise to get rid of, so they sell that merchandise in bulk to third party sellers, who then sell those brand-new items at a deep discount.
Liquidation stores are popping up all over the place, but you can also search for liquidation sales online to get a great deal on clothing.
Host a Clothing Swap
You may not have to pay any money at all for new clothes. You could host a clothing swap instead!
Invite some of your closest friends to go through their closets and choose items to bring to the swap. Establish a minimum and a maximum number of items to make things fair, and make sure only unstained and undamaged items are brought in.
Then, everyone gets to shop around and pick items from each other’s wardrobe! It’s a fun way to get new clothing that you don’t have to pay for.
Rent an Outfit
You can spend a lot of money on an outfit for a special occasion. Whether you’re a guest at a wedding or you’re going on vacation, it’s easy to spend way more than we should on clothing that we’re only going to wear once.
Instead of buying those items, consider renting them instead. Clothing rental subscriptions can also be a great option for people who like to stay on top of trends but don’t have a lot of money to spend refreshing their wardrobe every season.
You can find clothing rental subscription services, as well as one-time rentals for single items, depending on your needs.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
If you want to save money on clothing, you probably think shopping for the lowest-priced items is the way to go. The opposite is actually true.
It’s much better to dish out for expensive items than cheap ones. They are more likely to be made well, which means you will be able to wear them for years to come. Not to mention, when something costs a lot of money, you’ll think more carefully about whether it’s something you really need. If it’s not, you’re a lot less likely to spend your money on it.
Clothing doesn’t have to take a huge chunk out of your budget. You can still get trendy, high-quality clothing that makes you feel comfortable and confident when you follow the tips on this list.
Images from Morningside Light by Katie Borrazzo – see full story here.
