With the economy as bad as it is, being frugal is a must. You could be cutting costs by making your own frugal cleaning products, or making more meals at home.
When it comes to clothing though, being frugal takes work. Thrift shops are no secret to those with a tight budget, and today they’re almost trendy compared to 20 years ago. But I see a lot of people who shop at thrift shops dressing like they shop at thrift shops. All it takes is a bit of time and patience and you can accumulate a wardrobe that would even rival Paris Hilton’s. (Okay, maybe not Paris’s, but close.)
First I’d recommend staying away from pricey consignment or second-hand stores like Buffalo Exchange and Plato’s Closet. Although they sell only gently used name-brand clothes, the prices aren’t a steal by any penny pincher’s stretch of the imagination. Clothing just as nice and in current demand can be purchased through Forever 21 for much less.
But we’re talking about where to get the best prices for name-brand clothing, so the frugal people out there will want to pass up anything in the mall.
There are people who won’t consider buying used clothing, no matter how cheap they can get it for. To them, wearing something that someone else had on their backs, or butts, is simply out of the question. Before, I would have told these folks that they were sheer out of luck, but not anymore.
Here in Tucson, Arizona, there are several Ganga stores popping up. Ganga sells brand new fashionable clothing, many from stores like Forever 21, for up to 90% off the retail price. When they have a sale there, you can get clothes for 25 cents or a dollar. My one daughter stopped by there with her friend last week and for $10 she got two new dresses, two pairs of shorts, a blouse, and a hat. Truthfully, you can’t even get that much at a thrift shop for ten bucks! And, yes, all of these clothes were new with the tags still on them. They’re simply last season’s styles.
What if you want clothes by Ralph Lauren or Channel? Items you can only find at Macy’s and other high-end stores? That’s where thrift shop hunting comes into the picture.
In order to accumulate a nice wardrobe filled with high-quality fashion names, you’ll have to make it a habit to frequent your nearby thrift shops. I’ve had the most luck at Savers and Goodwill. Sometimes my hunts are empty, while other times I walk away with several items for a fraction of the new price. I make it a habit to go at least once a month, or for those who truly love shopping, you could go once a week and make an afternoon of it.
Hanging in my closet at this moment I have a pair of jeans that sold for nearly $300 at Macy’s, yet I paid $3.50 for them. Normally, they would sell for $7, but that particular colored tag was half off that day. There’s a Ralph Lauren sweater and pair of jeans, Guess and Fossil handbags, and several pairs of Vans tennis shoes that I love. These are just a few of my finds. I once saw a beautiful Channel skirt suit for $12, but it wasn’t in my size. Lucky was the woman who wears a size 6 and found that gem!
My entire wardrobe doesn’t come anywhere close to the $300 mark, yet if I had purchased just those jeans alone… well, I’d be walking around without a shirt since I’d have no money left for anything else. Also, by focusing on fewer items in my wardrobe, but being sure that they’re of high-quality, I have less clothes to wash. It’s too easy to fill our closets and drawers with cheap clothes we purchased on a whim.
Why not get rid of things around the house you don’t need or use, sell them on Craigslist, then take the money and buy yourself a few nice things from the thrift shop?
Gone are the days when thrift shops looked like secondhand stores and only sold completely out-of-date clothing that only your grandmother would find appealing. Now, you can purchase plenty of high-end fashionable clothes at a fraction of the price. You simply need to be patient and keep your eyes peeled for deals.