Clothing ideas

Here are a few ideas that you could incorporate into your life to save money on clothing.

Have a clothing exchange party! Invite all of your friends to bring the clothes they are willing to part with. Not just clothes mind you but shoes and accessories as well. You plan a location that has plenty of rooms available for dressing rooms. One friend of mine used her garage (during summer) and had her husband rope off dressing rooms with sheets. It worked very nicely. A large wall mirror was leaned up against the wall. She rented clothes racks at a rental yard for $1.50 per rack and on them we organized the clothing into small, medium, large, and X-large. We had tables set up for folded clothing, sweaters, jeans, bras, handbags, and shoes. Then we all brought a dish to share and had a wonderful evening together as we all shopped for free. This can also be applied to childrens clothing. But set rules. All the clothing must be clean an completely useable, no junk, and hung on hangers except for the folded stuff. Everyone must be agreeable that anything left over will be donated to a charity of mutual choosing.

Thrift stores are becoming a viable choice for many today. Here are a few tips. Most of them have senior day. Ask them the age and what day it applies then shop on that day. Know your style and brand that fits well so you don't waste your time on stuff you don't really want anyway. They have dressing rooms so wear clothes that you can easily change in and out of when you go. I prefer cotton, linen, and rayon, and I know what I like for color and texture so I simply go to my size rack and pick out only the fabrics that appeal to me. This saves time. But you may prefer to choose by brand name. In my experience, if you shop at stores located in more affluent communites you will have a more choices. Most of them have a certain refund policy and it can vary so make sure you ask before you make your purchase. Also the larger ones like Habitat and Goodwill sell not only clothing but household items, appliances, furniture and even cars as well so if any of these are needed be sure to check them out first. Donations to these places are tax deductible so remember to get a receipt.

One more idea. Look on craigslist in the free section. I have found offerings of specific sizes made to first come first served. So be prepared to email them or call if listed and get there quick because they will be gone if you wait.