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Even if you’ve never concerned yourself much with saving money on your clothing purchases before, it’s likely that our current recession and inflation rate have caught your attention. EVERYTHING costs more these days, including clothes.
There are always lots of clothing sales. But the challenge is buying what your really LOVE and NEED and not just purchasing because it’s a great deal. How many times have we done that and ended up never wearing the item because it just wasn’t right?
Here are my 4 Top Ways to SAVE MONEY or EARN MONEY on Clothing Purchases
Buy the Right Clothes for Your Body Type
Have you ever seen a friend wear a really cute outfit that looks great on her? Then when you buy something in that same style and put it on, you hate how it looks?
Or you see something on a mannequin that is fabulous and you take it in the dressing room to try it on and think it looks horrible on you?
And who do we blame for that? US. There is something wrong with our shape, size, weight, skin color, length of hair or something. It has to be US – certainly not the clothes.
That’s what I thought until I took the Adore With Your Wardrobe course. This e-course teaches you how to determine your body shape and dress in a way that flatters it.
You can read about my full experience with Adore Your Wardrobe here.
So how did I save money by SPENDING money on a course?
Once I learned the styles of jeans, blouses, pants, blazers and dresses that were the most flattering, I started shopping only for those types of pieces.
I felt GREAT in the pieces I bought because they looked good on me.
I actually WORE everything I bought instead of having a bunch of OK or unflattering clothes in my closet that I never wore.
If you have clothes in your closet that you DON’T wear, you are wasting money!
The $199 I invested in Adore Your Wardrobe has paid for itself over and over again.
Check out the testimonials and before and after pictures.
Next class starts September 21!
Put Together a Capsule Wardrobe
So what is a capsule wardrobe?
Generally speaking, it is a collection of clothing that can be put together in different combinations that maximize the number of outfits you have with just a few pieces.
Some people, like my daughters, are very good and coming up with different outfits by combining pieces they already have in their closet.
That is not my skill.
And especially coming out of the pandemic where my daily uniform was a t-shirt and jeans. When it was time to get out in the world again, I was stuck.
Outfit Formulas is a program that helps you cultivate a wardrobe for every season by suggesting pieces to buy and ways to put them together.
Their whole philosophy is about CULTIVATING your closet instead of having just a bunch of random items.
How it works:
You purchase a guide based on your style or season.
Each guide includes a shopping list, daily outfit formulas, and resources to help you make substitutions, color coordinate and more.
From the shopping list, you will shop your closet FIRST and check off any items you already have. Then you fill in any gaps by using their helpful online guide or shopping on your own.
Style your outfits using the daily prompts and your own creativity. Each prompt also features suggestions on how to dress up the outfit for a professional setting or dress it down for something more casual.
Here are some of the outfits I made from my Summer 2022 Capsule Wardrobe:
So how does a capsule wardrobe save me money? I purchase fewer clothes and have more outfit options!
The Fall 2022 Capsule Wardrobe goes on sale September 2.
Get Cash Back On My Purchases With Rakuten
Kohl’s cash, VIP points, Nordy Club, Credit Card points….there a lots of ways to “earn” while you spend. And if you shop carefully and keep track, you can do well with all of these incentives.
My favorite one is Rakuten because it’s simple. You make a purchase and get a percentage of that purchase back in cash. They keep track of it and send you a check or make a deposit to your PayPal at the end of the month. Easy Peasy.
I’ve downloaded the Rakuten extension to my browser. So any time I type in a participating retailer, this window will come up. I click “activate’ and start shopping. Rakuten does the rest.
Other ways to access Rakuten:
- Shop through the app.
- Shop directly from the Rakuten website.
- Connect a credit card to your Rakuten account and shop at brick and mortar retailers.
I’ve been a Rakuten member (it used to be eBates) for several years and have received a total of $810 in cash back.
This month my BIG FAT CHECK will be $60.86!
Buy and Sell Clothes at Online Poshmark
Poshmark is a social selling site where you can buy and sell new and used merchandise.
Selling on Poshmark – Make money on your clothes and accessories!
If you have new or gently used clothing in your closet that you are not wearing, list them on Poshmark.
In just a few clicks, you can set up your Poshmark shop and start selling.
Take a picture of your item and upload it with a description and your price. They make it easy to share your listing on their site, to social media or through texts to your friends. You choose how you want to share and with whom.
Once your item is purchased, Poshmark provides you with a pre-paid, pre-addressed label ready to put on the box.
Package your item and drop it off at a USPS mailbox or have it picked up.
Receive your earnings either by direct deposit or you can request a check.
Purchasing from Poshmark – Save money on your clothes and accessories
It’s easy to shop on Poshmark. They have filters for size, brand, type of item so that you can easily see what you are looking for.
However, purchasing from an online picture is different from actually purchasing at a resale shop where you can see the item.
Poshmark will give you a full refund if your item never ships OR does not match the listing description. They do not release payment to the seller until you tell them that your order has arrived as described.
You can read more about their refund policy here.
Another level of protection is that each seller is rated by those who buy from them, so you can see the track record of those you are purchasing from.
Take a look at my Poshmark closet!
If you are interested in “thrifting”, my friend Jodie from Jodie’s Touch of Style is the MASTER. Read these posts:
4 Expert Thrift Store Shopping Hacks.
4 Online Thrift Tips to Make Shopping Easier
This month, all of my blogging friends who are part of the Ageless Style Link-up are writing posts about Fashion on a Budget. Check them out!
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’
Cathy ~ My Side of 50
Blog / Instagram/ Pinterest / Facebook
Joanna ~ My Slice of Life
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Rosemary ~ Distinctly Southern Style
Blog / Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook
Click here to see how the other Ageless Style Ladies dress fashionably on a budget.
Wow Cathy!
These are all priceless tips and well worth using! I so agree that money spend on items we are not wearing and using is money wasted.
Thanks for sharing❣️
Rosemary
http://www.DistinctlySouthernStyle.com
Learned that lesson the hard way. I have 2 items on Poshmark that have the tags still on!
Great tips! I haven’t used Rakuten but have heard of it. Love the examples of your capsule wardrobe, I should do a couple weeks outfits like that: would be fun to see which combinations I come up with.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Try Rakuten – so easy. Maybe a capsule wardrobe would be a good theme some time for Ageless Style.
It is so smart to know what looks good on you because then we feel better about what we wear and buy!!
I love that you are using Poshmark. I keep thinking I need to do that one of these days,
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Yes, I love getting cash back with Rakuten too! I have been trying to pack capsule wardrobes for our vacation this year and am loving how the mix and match helps me have multiple outfits without having to pack EVERYTHING!
I did a capsule for my last vacation – made packing so much easier. Fewer decisions.
This is such a great post! You thoroughly covered the subject so well. I so agree with you about not buying something just because it’s a great deal…that is a lesson I had to learn myself.
I think we all do. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “good buy” mentality!
These are wonderful tips! I need to get back to using Rakuten and start selling on Poshmark!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Kathrine – Rakuten for sure! Don’t leave money on the table! 🙂
Great tips Cathy! I am selling clothes on Poshmark as well. I have so much to get rid of its hard to let go. Love the examples of your capsule wardrobe,
It is hard to get rid of those “I might wear it if…” clothes. But I am delighted when someone else gets them and can enjoy them.