Clothes may seem common since you can easily find one without many efforts. But you may not know just how much you spend on clothes until you take stock of the amount you spent on clothes in the past 2 months.

Do you know that an average American is reported to spend not less than $1,400 on clothes on a yearly basis? That is almost the same amount spent on gas per annum on average.

And this number is just for people that are not that keen on shopping as against those who love buying expensive clothes or unnecessary clothing. This means that the amount could be double, triple or even more in a year for such people.

Now that you have a glimpse of how shopping for clothes can gradually eat into your savings, it’s time to look at ways you can cut back. And we have listed out 15 ways to help you achieve it:

1.       State and Know Your Style

You need to know what type of style appeals to you the most, especially as regards to your body fit. Also, knowing the fabrics that you can wear for a long time without them going out of fashion is a good way to stick to such a type of clothing when next you go shopping for clothes.

2.       Shop When Out of Season

It’s a no brainer that when you shop for clothes that aren’t even in season, you are most likely to get a fair deal on them. People always rush to buy pre-season or season clothing without realizing that they are paying more than they would have spent on it had it been bought at a different time. It might look weird when you walk on the aisle of clothes that aren’t in season, but your pocket will surely thank you.

3.       Go for Quality Clothes

Quality clothing will last you the longest saving you money that would have been spent replacing cheap ones over the years. Don’t always think trendy wears that may not hold up for long. And you can always accessorize your clothing to make them look different and distinct.

4.       Check Out Thrift Stores

You will be amazed at clothing you will find at thrift stores at prices that are best described as outrageous. You may not get every style you want from a thrift store, but you will find something you can gladly take home. Just make sure to examine and test out the outfit where possible before making payment.

5.       Accessorize

Sometimes all you need to make an outfit appear new and different is to accessorize it. Inexpensive bracelets, necklaces, scarves, ties, socks, and belts and some items you can use to jazz up your old outfit. No one will know you are repeating the same outfit several times.

6.       Avoid Plastic Bags

This may not sound like a direct way of saving money on clothes shopping, but storing your dry cleaned clothes in plastic bags can cause some yellows stains on the fabric and weaken it. This means you get to shop for new clothes sooner than you would have done. Cotton pillowcases with cut out holes and canvas bags are better options.

7.       Make Use of Coupons

There are some great coupon apps that allow you search out coupons from stores close to you. You can download them for your iOS or Android stores. You can even set it up in such a way that you are notified when there are special offers from stores.

8.       Don’t Always Go for Trendy Wears

Trendy clothes can be alluring and inviting, and you can splurge on them once in a while. But forming it as a habit can cost you a lot of money. Besides, trendy wears easily go out of fashion.

9.       Befriend a Salesperson

Befriending a salesperson is another way to save on your shopping cost. Some wears are offered at a discount rate at a later time. And you may not know this, but having a salesperson hint you of such offers, especially if it is an item of clothing you are interested in buying will save you some cost.

10.   Take Time and Search

Stores are not always eager to display discounted clothing at prominent places. Priciest items occupy such spots while the discounted ones are usually logged at the back. So, take your time and walk around the store for such deals.

11.   Request for A Discount

Some clothes come with faulty zippers or missing buttons that you can fix, or even stains that a mild washing can get rid of. In such situations, you can request for a discount on such clothing. You will be surprised at how much discount you can get for it.

12.   Don’t Buy if You Don’t Love it

If that outfit is not fantastic, don’t buy it. The reason is that many of us have ended up buying clothes we thought were okay but never ever got to wear them. So, if it isn’t something you really love to wear, don’t buy it.

13.   Take Shop/Store Surveys

Some retailers and shop owners offer their customers the opportunity to fill out their survey in exchange for some coupon. These surveys could be on your shopping experience or other stuff. It is a good way to get a discount on your next shopping.

14.   Avoid Factory Outlets

It might look like you will be saving a lot by buying from outlet stores, but these items are mostly clothes that were unflattering, cheap or made strictly for the outlet. And their prices are usually made to look like you are paying only 50% when you are actually getting it at the original price.

15.   Buy Just One Piece of Costly Wears

I know you may be tempted to buy different colors of a suit, swimsuit and other outfit. But the truth is that just one piece is all you really need and get to wear.

Besides, swimsuits sag easily and so it’s better to go for one that is of good quality that will last you longer. A black bikini and a black suit or jacket can be used on very different occasions.

Final Thoughts!

It’s better to buy fewer clothes at a time than buying more than you really need at a time. Taking good care of your clothes can help them last longer and save you money in the long haul. Besides, having so much outfit can leave you confused on which to wear when you are ready to go out.