Frugal Friday - Making It Last: Clothes

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Welcome to our Penny Pincher Series! Today we are going to look at ways to keep looking your best without breaking the bank!

I have shared a few ideas over the past year --

Repairing clothes. This means fixing hems, getting out stains, putting on new buttons. You can usually make it go a little longer for a lot less than you can replace it.

Shopping at yard sales and Goodwill.
It’s no surprise that I love hitting the garage sale circut once the season starts! The summer of 2009 was a GREAT year for me, I was VERY restrained last year while we were on the super saving mission! As for the thrift stores, it is OK to shop at “those” places- really. The money you spend at Goodwill/St Vinney's/Salavation Army stores helps others and helps your pocketbook, too. Train your eye to scan the racks for quality fabrics and then check the size since the items are not by size. Yard sales have rock bottom prices. We love the school yard sale and ritzy neighborhood sales!

Sell at consignment sales.
Look for consignment sales that will give you 70% back and save your donation receipt for that tax deduction. Price items at 1/4 of the original retail price to guarantee good sales. Consider whether it is worth your gas to pick up leftover items and sell at another sale. I like to "double dip" between the two sales in our area, selling at the second, what didn't sell at the first by pricing it lower. and Occasionally shop at them. I KNOW what I pay at a Garage Sale for items, and know that I make at least DOUBLE my money by selling it at a Consignment sale! This lets me rotate Ms Sarah's wardrobe and add to the savings fund at the same time!

You have to love the concept of Buy Low and Sell Higher...Capitalism at it's best!
=)

Here are some other ways to make your clothes last.

**Wash them correctly.
Pretreat stains, make sure you know how to use your machine, use a little LESS soap than the bottle or box tells you, wash clothes inside out to prevent fading, and line dry items with elastic.

**Repair them quickly.
It's easier to fix a small tear in a hemline than waiting until it ALL needs to be repaired. Put that button on before your loose it. Patch creatively while the item still fits!

**Repurpose them.
If you can't repair it - will it work for cleaning something? Can you make a toy or doll clothes out of it? Can you take a T-Shirt and make a bag out of it? How about a dress for a little girl? Think quilt fabric, covering a picture frame, making fabric flowers for a headband, seriously. There are a TON of ideas just a Google Click away!

Did I miss something? What else do YOU do?

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