By Anum Yoon 19 Comments
The temptation to shop and spend money can sometimes be irresistible. New trends, colors and styles come out, and suddenly, you want all of it. The problem with actually buying all of it is that you probably can’t afford it. But don’t worry, there are ways that you can still rock a great outfit with shelling out too much cash.
These 6 tips will help you spend less and wear more.
1.Don’t Shop at the Mall. It’s likely that you won’t go to the mall and stick to one store. The fact that everything is within a few steps of each other makes the mall very dangerous when it comes to overspending. You walk by a few stores, and suddenly you have to go in to every single one of them. You also have to remember that the mall isn’t exactly known for low prices or big sales.
2.Be Okay with Window Shopping. If you are a diehard fashion addict, the need to browse and peruse is totally understandable. Go ahead and get your inspiration at the stores, but be fine with not taking anything home. Setting your mind ahead of time will make it a lot easier to stick to. Often times, going shopping is a social event, and that’s perfectly alright. The way I use window shopping to my advantage when I’m out as a group, is by finding a place that offers a great view, like a boardwalk shopping center. This could also serve as a fabulous excuse to why you’re not buying anything – you don’t want to weigh yourself down with bags while you’re out enjoying yourself
3. Don’t Shop for Entertainment. Do not under any circ*mstances shop just for the sake of doing it. Even if you are absolutely bored out of your mind, don’t turn to shopping when in need for a pick-me-up or entertainment. This will become a vicious cycle that’s even harder to break than over-shopping.
4. Trade Clothes at Thrift Shops. Thrift stores are an amazing opportunity to get rid of old clothes while collecting new ones at the lowest prices. Don’t be so caught up in brand names and big trends that you claim to never find anything stylish in a thrift shop. I’ve almost always managed to find something fabulous at a bargain, and so can
5. Shop out of Season. Shopping out of season is a great way to score killer styles for extremely low prices. Don’t go shopping for swimsuits right before the summer hits, because those prices are not worth it. Wait until the end of the summer or do your shopping in the fall. You will get great finds for an even better bargain.
6. Care for your Clothes. If you love your clothes, prove it by taking care of them. Be gentle with your fabrics and don’t neglect them in the laundry for days. Avoid the dryer whenever you can. Air drying them will not only prevent wear and tear, but will also reduce your electricity bill. Read the tags and take care of each item as if it were your favorite. Your clothes will be in better shape so you won’t ever find yourself running out to replace an outfit that has a hole or stain.
Knowing how to shop, when to shop, and the right ways to take care of your clothes makes all the difference in your budget. Don’t give in to the temptation, and you’ll be a much happier (and wealthier) person.
Comments
Emily Smith saysThese were awesome tips! I am hoping to go shopping this weekend to get a few things before school starts in a few weeks. The tip about shopping out of season seems like a good idea. I will have to see if I can get some cute summer stuff this weekend!
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- Vance Harris says
Great tips !! i will surely use them in the future ! Keep it up with the good writing !! looking forward to hear more from you..
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- Nancy says
Such great article Anum, And convenient tips to save money on wardrobe. I prefer online shopping in out of Season because of discount offers providing by them. And also we get huge discount, when we shop online.
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- Chonce says
Love these ideas! I’m on a shopping ban now but what helps me save money on my wardrobe is shopping only during sale seasons. I’m not big on Black Friday, but on Memorial day and the day after Christmas I usually try to rack up. End-of-season sales are my guilty pleasure as well because the discounts help me get more bang for my buck.
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- Trista says
I have a side hustle with my favourite clothing company. The own three of my favourite stores and I get a 50% employee discount across all banners. It’s a great way to save on clothes and earn a little extra income. Also the job is fun and very social. Talk about win-win-win!
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I shop out of season. It’s like either I am 1 season ahead or late. This is the time I take advantage of because stores put off-season clothes on sale up to 50%-70% off.
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- Aaron says
Another way to save is to clean out your closet and dresser and get rid of the stuff you don’t wear anymore. It sounds counterintuitive, but I’ve found that getting rid of old clothes is an incentive not to shop because I now have reason to enjoy the items I decide to keep.
With fewer clothes to pick from, I enjoy a limited wardrobe more and only buy what I need. Why buy something if it only sits in the back of a closet for years?
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- Anum Yoon says
Aaron, so much truth to what you said! It makes things funner to mix-match when your wardrobe is comprised of items that you enjoy wearing.
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- Kasia says
I’ve noticed that sales are on more often these days. A full priced item today is highly likely to be on sale within a few weeks so it’s better to wait for the price to drop before buying. People just don’t want to pay full price anymore and shops are starting to realise this.
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- Anum Yoon says
I’ve actually noticed that too! But I’ve also noticed that sometimes stores increase the original prices on the sales tag to make the percentage a bigger difference. I try to be wary of that possibility. But to be fair, I’ve mostly noticed that in online stores.
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Ooooh, these are great tips! I just bought the PERFECT purse at the Salvation Army this morning for $1.79. It looks brand new and is exactly what I’ve been looking for at regular AND at thrift stores. Another SUPER post at the Money Propeller! 🙂
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- Anum Yoon says
That’s amazing Kay! A $1.79 is a true steal. It’s so much more fun to shop at thrift stores because nothing compares to the satisfaction of finding a huge steal!!
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- Olive says
This is a well-written post. I hope this and your future efforts are read far and wide across the internets.
P.S. I also like the idea of taking care of your clothes; getting them hemmed and properly cleaned, then stored well in the off-season, can make them last so much longer.
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For the past two years I started buying off season for my child and I have saved so much money. I rarely shop for myself now because I found a lot of clothes in my closet that I hardly wear or never worn when I decided to start saving money. Now I mix-match and look fabulous on a regular basis. I use to shop for entertainment, but had to let that bad habit go, for its just a bad idea.
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- Anum Yoon says
It really is a smart move that you shop off season for your child. More people need to realize this! Also, mix-matching is the way to go!
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We take very good care of our clothes. By doing this we can buy more expensive stuff that is really nice and lasts longer.
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- Anum Yoon says
That’s great to hear Thomas! Taking better care of clothes is the easiest solution to wasting money on clothes.
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- Olive says
Great tips. Especially out of season shopping, thrift stores, and no malls unless absolutely necessary.
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- Anum Yoon says
Thanks Olive! I like to think that malls are unnecessary when it comes to my wardrobe 🙂
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