Happy Friday! Today I’m talking about one of my very favorite things- saving money! In particular, saving money on clothing, because it can get expensive, right? And who doesn’t love a good deal? Here are five ways to save money on clothing.
1 Rakuten (formerly ebates) or Shopstyle. Head over and sign up. Every time you shop online, go to Rakuten first and click through to the store you are shopping. You will earn cash back. I don’t earn a ton of money back, but every little bit helps. You should be aware that if you want to support your favorite blogger and shop their affiliate links, then you have to skip Rakuten. Otherwise, Rakuten might get credit for the sale and not the blogger.
Even if you don’t click through from Rakuten, you can still check the site for coupon codes that will give you discounts. To support bloggers, you can use the same email as your Rakuten account for an account at shopstyle.com. or just go to shopstyle.com and sign up where you will be creating an account for both. At shopstyle.com, you can “heart” your favorite blogger, shop their looks and earn cash back on some items. “Heart” or favorite items to get emailed when they go on sale. Knowing when something is on sale is the first step to save money on clothing.
2 Use coupons. Most retailers will have their current coupons in the header or in a banner at the very top of their websites. Make sure you pay attention to those when you go to shop a retailer online. You can also sign up for emails and they will send you coupons.
Only do this if you can resist the temptation to shop every time you receive an email. About 70% of mine get deleted without opening, but it’s good to have them when I do need or want to shop.
3 Rewards on credit cards– Does your favorite retailer have a rewards card? Many do. I have a Visa that provides me rewards for Gap/ Old Navy/ Banana Republic. I have saved a ton shopping with my rewards at these stores. Before I recommend that you take out a credit card for the rewards, let me say you should only do this if you are financially responsible and willing to pay that card off every month!
The best way to control spending is with a cash method. However, that doesn’t earn me rewards. We have a couple of credit cards with rewards and pay for almost everything with them. When the bill comes due, it gets paid in full for the month.
My last Old Navy order included these joggers, distressed jeans, straight leg jeans, this sleeveless top and this tunic for a total of $5.54 after coupons and my rewards.
4 Loyalty rewards– Some retailers like JCrew, JCrew Factory, Nordstrom, Loft and others offer rewards based on your spending. These are different from taking out a credit card. You earn rewards simply for being signed up and shopping. So take the time to sign up at your favorite stores if they have a program. Eventually it pays off.
5 Shop second hand! I recently added a new blazer and replaced another one by shopping Thred Up. Both of these blazers look like brand new. Goodwill, Salvation Army and other thrift stores are a great way to save money too but take a little more patience.
At Thred Up, you can go save a search for an item- color, designer, size- everything you would be looking for- and have the listings that fit those descriptions emailed to you every day as items are added. It’s a great way to find something specific you may be looking for. Check out tips for shopping second hand here.
Ann Taylor blazer via Thred Up
What about after you have saved money on those purchases? Think a little further about how you care for your items and make them last longer, resulting in the need for fewer purchases.
Take care of your clothing!
Rewear a few times before washing. Less washing is less stress on the item and less money spent on electricity, energy and water. If I have sweated excessively or I have been to a restaurant or other location with heavy odors, I will wash after one wearing. However, most days I’m sitting at a desk, or sitting in church, etc and those clothes can be worn a few more times before they need washing.
Hang or store properly. Did you know you can hang sweaters without stretching them? Check out this tutorial for hanging sweaters if you need to hang them.
What are your best tips for saving on clothing?
