10 Tips to Spend Less on Clothes

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Image Not Available

It doesn’t matter if you wear $30 jeans or carry a $200 handbag — if you’re reading this, you probably wish you’d spent a little less on clothes and accessories.

Fortunately, we have some ideas to help you do exactly that. Following are 10 tips to help you dress for less.

1. Get cash for your old duds

Image Not Available

Before you even think about buying new clothes, you need to empty your closet and fill your wallet.

Anything that hasn’t graced your body in the last year should head out the door. Where to, you ask? One good option is the local consignment shop, assuming your clothes are in good condition and don’t look like something Austin Powers would wear when trying to save the world.

If the consignment shop won’t take them, try hosting a garage sale. And if that doesn’t work, give them away to your local thrift store. However, you presumably spent good money on those clothes, so try to recoup some of the cost if you can.

2. Head to thrift stores and consignment shops

Image Not Available

When it’s time to buy, head to the consignment shops and thrift stores. Yes, these are the same places you just unloaded your collection of circa 1990 paisley blazers. But not everyone dumps their unwanted cast-offs there.

Some people don’t want to hassle with selling their goods and donate nice stuff to thrift stores. So don’t turn up your nose at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Instead, walk in with an open mind and see what they have to offer. For more on thrift store treasures, see “Not Your Grandma’s Goodwill.”

3. Check out eBay

Image Not Available

Some people don’t like shopping at eBay because you’re relying on the seller’s description and photos that may or may not show all the details. Plus, you have to throw in shipping for some auctions, and return policies may be nonexistent for some purchases.

That said, you can score some good bargains. If you do shop on eBay, pay careful attention to descriptions and seller feedback. When in doubt, ask questions. If the seller’s response doesn’t put you at ease, walk — er, click — away.

4. Don’t forget to look at garage sales

Image Not Available

Garage sales are a final secondhand option to getting cheap clothes. Depending on your region, that may mean you’ll have only a few prime weeks in the spring to scout out these clothing bargains.

You may have to weed through a lot of undesirable items to find the gems, but they’re there. If you don’t relish the hunt, you can try online garage sale boards through Facebook.

5. Shop at the end of seasons

Image Not Available

But let’s say none of those secondhand options turn up what you want. Or maybe you can’t bring yourself to wear other people’s old clothes.

In that case, you’re stuck buying new clothes. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re stuck buying overpriced new clothes.

Your first strategy to save in stores is to buy at the end of the season, when items are being cleared out. There’s something of an art to this. Buy too early at a clearance sale, and you’ll pay more than you might later. Wait too long, and you could miss out on the item you’re coveting.

6. Find coupons or wait for a sale

Image Not Available

Sometimes you can’t wait until the end of the season. If it’s 20 degrees out in November, you need a winter coat right then. For most people, there’s no waiting until February.

In that case, you need to at least look for a sale. Now, in our hypothetical it’s-freezing-in-November scenario, maybe you can hold out until Black Friday, when you can get some of the best pricing of the year.

If your timing isn’t so good, do a search at RetailMeNot to see if the store you’re considering has any coupons available.

7. Compare prices online

Image Not Available

Before you log off your computer, go to a shopping comparison site to see if you can find the same clothes at a cheaper price somewhere else. PriceGrabber is one option, or you can simply type the item and its brand name into your favorite search engine and see what comes up.

8. Check out discount retailers

Image Not Available

Another way to get brand name items for less is to shop at discount stores such as T.J Maxx, Marshalls and Ross Dress for Less.

These stores stock overruns or other items they have acquired at a deep discount. You never know what you’re going to get when you walk in the door, which is part of the fun for those who love bargain shopping.

Although you can get deep discounts at these stores, they can also be fertile ground for impulse purchases and overspending. Make a list of what you need before leaving home, and promise yourself you’ll stick to the list regardless of what nonessential amazing deal catches your eye.

For some more tips on sticking to your shopping list, read “20 Surefire Ways to Slam the Breaks on Impulse Buying.”

9. Adopt a personal uniform

Image Not AvailableSometimes, the best way to save money is to simply not buy so much. You can do this by adopting a personal uniform. Have a go-to outfit you wear every day or, at least, stick to a variation of it. Building your wardrobe on only a few foundational pieces ensures everything you own matches seamlessly.

Lest you think a personal uniform has to be modeled after Steve Jobs and his turtlenecks, I’ll let one of my favorite bloggers explain how it can work for the ladies.

10. Baby everything you buy

Image Not AvailableFinally, you can spend less on clothes if you take better care of what you own.

That means no more walking over the week’s laundry that was left on the floor. That means not letting your dog use your dirty clothes as a bed. That means hanging something back up in the closet after you wore it for 20 minutes rather than throwing it in the wash.

Also, launder your clothes as directed by the label. And avoid the dryer if possible. The high heat can dramatically shorten the lifespan of some fabrics.

How else can you save on clothes? Share your ideas in our Forums. It’s a place where you can swap questions and answers on money-related matters, life hacks and ingenious ways to save.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.