Frugal Fashions
If you are really seriously interested in frugality, now is the time to reconsider you clothing budget.
Just how important is it to have the latest style, instead of classic, well-made clothing?
Is it really important that your infant wear Calvin Klein, or even Osh Kosh? Certainly your child won't know the difference. And especially for children, the investment is so short-lived that it's like throwing money away.
That's not to say that you and your family can't be well dressed. You just need to shop smarter.
First, as previously mentioned, consider buying classic styles, rather than trendy 3-months-and-they're-out-of-date clothes. For women this means classic cuts and probably mostly solids over prints. Texture and patterns can be brought in in blouses and accessories like scarves.
Another thing to consider is where you are wearing the clothes. If you work in a professional office, obviously you need to dress professionally, but if you're a housewife, it might be time to consider a more practical wardrobe.
The best way to get the most bang for your buck in the clothing market is to buy second-hand. For a while, this was considered somewhat icky, but it's now considered quite trendy.
My two favorite places to shop for second-hand clothes are garage sales and thrift stores. For upscale clothing, consignment stores are a bargain, too.
For example, I got 3 pairs of boys Levi's this afternoon for $5.81. Two were in nearly new condition, one was slightly more worn. They don't look any different than the pairs in my son's dresser, they're just the next size up. New, these pants would have cost nearly $60 and would have been in the same worn condition in just a few weeks.
What you find depends on the thrift store. Some are better organized than others. You'll find links to listings of the major thrift stores in this area on the local links page.
There are many other local thrift stores that are privately owned, and even other charitable ones that I haven't listed.
Garage sales are another wonderful option. Sometimes the ads will even tell you the sizes of clothing for sale. Usually you just have to show up to find out. You can really find a lot at large church or school "yard" sales, but the clothes are generally piled in massive stacks and aren't sorted by size, so it takes some patients and digging--the plus side is at this type of sale you'll likely find the clothing for $1 or less a piece.
Another source, if you wear a specific size of a specific brand of clothing is Ebay. I haven't purchased clothing on ebay, but my sister has with quite a lot of success. Still, a huge savings over retail, even with the shipping fees.
A more recent additional source for inexpensive clothing is Freecycle. There is a local "chapter" for Chesapeake, too. Nothing for sale here: offers for free stuff are posted and communication is done through email. "Wanted" posts are also allowed.
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