How My Family Slashed Our Clothing Budget by 70% with These Thrifting Strategies

The cost of clothing can quickly increase, especially when your child is growing rapidly. With some smart strategies, you can save money and get better dressing by getting clothes from the thrift store.

Contents

Why a recycling store?Strategic recycling shopping 1. Plan ahead 2. Maximize your discount 3. Please hold on 4. Try things out 5. Focus on staples 6. Choose the best store 7. quickly 8. Comparison Shop Conclusion You might like it too:What’s your best tip for rifting? Share them in the comments!Do you want to make this in the year when you finally stick to your budget? !

Below is a guest post by Kelly Handley The ultimate savings:

When my son was born over a decade ago, my husband and I were shocked at how quickly our household expenses skyrocketed, especially at the clothing budget. Between a casual and professional wardrobe for two working parents and children who appear to need a new size every few months, we were on track to spend thousands of dollars on clothing in the first year of his birth. Something had to be changed.

A few months after my son was born, I visited my first thrift store for years – and was shocked by what I found in the children’s section. So many items are brand new and still tagged, and even better, they were some quality brands of what I was paying for retail fast fashion.

I quickly got hooked, and the following year’s visit to the recycle shop took a clothing budget from the planned $3,000 to under $1,000. Not only that, I also saved a lot of my extended family by purchasing high quality items that I can tell my nie and nephew. This article shares the exact system you can use to save money on clothing, even if you’ve never stepped into a thrift store before.

Why a recycling store?

The demand for clothing is more than ever, and whether you shop for trendy teens, an increase in toddlers, or career-focused partners, your outfit can be extremely expensive. According to Labor Statistics Bureauthe average family of three spends around $2,100 a year in apparel. That’s a lot of money! And with younger children exceeding their clothing size every 3-6 months, opportunities to save money in apparel can go a long way.

In addition to saving money, the Thrift Store offers many benefits, including:

Keep more money in your community and support your local program
Distract clothes from the landfill
Reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing new clothing

Strategic recycling shopping

Thrift Store certainly costs lower than retailers (usually around 25% of the retail price of an item, depending on conditions and other factors), but there are many ways to save more by approaching your visit strategically. Additionally, here are some tips to help you grow your budget even further.

1. Plan ahead

Visit each thrift store knowing what you need and how much you want to use. Don’t be distracted or tempted to buy things you don’t need. This advice to plan ahead applies to seasonal purchases too. Buying a season when you need something means you can often get it with an even more sudden discount.

2. Maximize your discount

Does your Thrift Store discount tags with certain colors on a specific day? Try buying these items on the first day they are on sale. Newsletter subscriber loyalty program or discount? Please sign up! A coupon to donate? Try taking off some items you don’t need along the way. Donation coupons may offer a discount of 20% or more.

3. Please hold on

If you can’t find what you’re looking for right away, try again later during your visit. Take your time to inspect each item you plan to purchase. Look for wear, damage, odor, or anything that could reduce its value, and what you (or your family) might end up wearing it. Many thrift stores are very limited so check your return and refund policy as well.

4. Try things out

Fit is important, but many thrift stores don’t have fitting rooms. If not, hold a fabric tape measure to make sure you know your family’s measurements.

5. Focus on staples

Try creating just one piece that you can mix and match your “capsule” wardrobe to make the most of each item.

6. Choose the best store

Thousand-of-the-box clothing stores in wealthy areas often get the best donations and it’s easier to find hidden gems. An extra commute time of a few minutes can lead to huge savings in the long run!

7. quickly

First shots with new inventory, small crowds and discounted items await first visitors to the recycle shop each morning.

8. Comparison Shop

Not everything is cheaper at a thrift store. You can check the selling price on sites like eBay and Poshmark and use your mobile phone with you to help you see that you’re getting a lot.

Conclusion

Rifting my family’s clothing budget to reduce by 70% has changed my way of thinking about value, consumption, quality and fashion. The money we save has been straightened to my son’s university fund and created long-term security rather than filling up with low-quality items that quickly lose their charm in the closet. Follow these tips and you can also save money and create long-term security for yourself and your family!

What surprises many people about our dazzling journey is not just the money we saved, but how well our wardrobe works. We own fewer pieces, but they are of higher quality, each serving a clear purpose. If the idea of overhauling family clothes feels overwhelming, start small. It’s probably just a few items and clothing categories. And don’t forget that every dollar you save on clothes is a dollar that you can direct towards something that really matters to your family.

Happy savings!

Kelly Handley is the founder The ultimate savingsshe shares expert tips on saving and resale clothing. With years of experience finding hidden gems in thrift stores, Kelly helps budget-conscious shoppers and enthusiast resellers save more and get more. For more money-saving fashion advice and saving tips, visit her blog!

How My Family Slashed Our Clothing Budget by 70% with These Thrifting Strategies

Why a recycling store?