Clothing is one of life’s basic necessities. But for many of us, it is also one of our biggest expenditures. This is true specially if you’re working in the corporate world or doing a job in public relations or in the fashion industry. In these professional and social environments, how we physically present ourselves are often as important as our personal skills.

Furthermore, this is just for ourselves because if you have children, then your clothing bills are probably sky-high as kids tend to outgrow their clothes fast.

So how are you when it comes to clothes? Do you keep a tab on your clothing expenditures and limit your spending within a regular budget?

If not, then I suggest that you do because this is one of the best ways you can save money. Below are some simple and practical tips you can follow to lessen your expenses on clothing. I hope you’ll find them helpful, informative and interesting.

Buying Clothes

• Plan your purchases and avoid impulse buying. Have a monthly budget and stick to it.
• Buy classic style clothing and neutral colors that can be worn in many occasions and seasons.
• Choose versatile clothing that can be paired with several outfits in your wardrobe.
• For clothing that you frequently wear, such as everyday office attires, invest in high quality materials because they last longer.
• Avoid buying trendy clothing or if you really must, only purchase one or two. There’s really no need to buy five hoodies and ten emo scarves, believe me.
• Buy clothes that fit. Don’t buy the wrong size just because it’s fabulous or it’s on sale.
• Don’t purchase clothes and hope they’ll fit when you finally lose weight. Treat yourself to new couture after you shed the pounds.
• Shop at discount, surplus and outlet stores. There are “diamonds in the rough” in these places selling at bargain prices. (Learn to love the ukay-ukay )
• Clothes rarely grow to your liking. So if you’re not sure if you like it, don’t buy it.
• Always remember to haggle if the place allows it. In the mall, try to ask if they offer discounts for the item you want or when it will go on sale.

Frugal Fashion

• Even with plain and simple clothes, you can stand out by wearing inexpensive accessories from bazaars and tiangges.
• Use your creativity to bring ruined and old clothes back to life. A friend of mine accidentally bore a cigarette hole on his favorite shirt. He went to a tailor and asked him to sew a simple pattern around it. By incorporating the hole into the design, the small accident became a cool accent.
• Simple and basic clothes such as polos are usually cheaper when tailor-made. Buy some fabrics and ask your local tailor or dress shop to make you that one-of-a-kind couture. Moreover, consider having your old oversized clothes adjusted to fit again.
• Wear an apron when cooking and work clothes when doing messy chores to avoid ruining your nice clothes. Also, eat carefully and use a table napkin when possible.
• Stay in shape. Furthermore, sell clothes that don’t fit or you don’t wear anymore. Donate them to charity for good karma.

Proper Care

• Read the labels and be aware of special care instructions for your clothes. Always remember to separate colors when washing.
• Use fabric conditioners to lessen the need for ironing. Your clothes will be softer and nicer and you’ll save on electricity.
• Furthermore, using a dryer wears out clothing materials more quickly so if you have the space, let your clothes hang dry. And again, you get to save on electricity on this.
• Change as soon as you get home. Wear old clothing or pambahay around the house to preserve your “going out” clothes. Don’t let your kids play in their school uniforms at home.
• Treat stains quickly so they don’t set and ruin your clothing.
• Properly store special and seasonal clothing such as barong, evening gowns, Halloween costumes, winter jackets and others.

Final Tips

• Take an inventory of everything you have. This will help you know what you need and what you have too much of. This is also a good way to find those “lost” shirts.
• If it doesn’t smell or isn’t dirty, hang and air out clothes worn for only a few hours and wear it again on another occasion.
• Trade clothing with friends, it can be fun. You’ll get rid of items that you’ve grown tired of wearing and get something “new” in return.

Can you add more to this list? Please share them below as a comment. Also, if you liked this post, then please share it in StumbleUpon so others can read it.

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Photos courtesy of beckfish and katehkateh

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Update:
This post is featured in the Carnival of Personal Finance #163 entitled Quotable Quotes. Please visit the link if you want to read more articles about personal finance.