Frugal Friday - Making It Last: Clothes

By -
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?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cookie Recipe #21 - Butter Rich Spritz

By -
Image
Cookie Exchange Parties are SO MUCH FUN - for a few simple reasons:You get together with your friends You make only ONE kind of cookie and finish your holiday baking, after swapping out You get new recipes You often have snacks or games! That being said, I do one every year - in December, about 2 weeks before Christmas. (You can read about it HERE or see a TV segment I did on it http://youtu.be/-iUR7GlAiQw ). I thought it would be fun to have a collection of 30 fun recipes to try - one a day in November - so you can be prepared for that holiday baking! Today's recipe idea comes from Book Cooking. net Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar 2 egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Sift together the flour and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg yolks,
Read more

Chili Dog Casserole

By -
Image
I know this sounds strange -- and yummy at the same time, LOL You need to know the family history to "get it". We are part German, part English, part Irish and part Tennessee Hillbilly. Seriously. Did you ever see that black and white movie of Gary Cooper's called Sergeant York? Yes, my family comes from the Dyer/Yorks -- same family. Some of the "family recipes" are too far out there for even me to try... But this is a pot luck favorite. SUPER Easy and SUPER Easy to make healthier. We choose the middle of the road option, LOL You need:  1 package hot dog buns (8 ct) 1 package hot dogs 2 cups chili (or 1 can) 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese "fixins" That's it! You could do gluten free or whole grain wheat buns, turkey or tofu dogs, vegetarian chili, vegan or light cheese, you get the drift. We do white buns, cut them up and place in the 9x13 pan, like you see here: Then you dice up the hot dogs
Read more

Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop!

By -
Image
Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop January 21 - 26, 2012 Hosted by Planet Weidknecht and Going Crazy!!Wanna Go?? It's been three weeks since you've made all those resolutions.It's said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit, so you've probably already broken your New Year's Resolutions. I say - FORGET THE RESOLUTIONS ! Let's have a giveaway hop instead! The Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop runs from January 21 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to January 26 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Each blogger is hosting their own giveaway of at least $20.00. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs and enter theirs too!
Read more