Clothes might not be top of the list of most men’s expenses. But there’s no doubt that buying clothes takes its toll on our budgets. The average man spends about $35 a month on clothes or about $400 per year.
Most of us want to be stylish. But we’d rather spend our money on things other than clothes. So how can we both save money and be stylish at the same time? Rather easily actually.
Choose Your Buying Window Carefully
The great thing about clothes is that they keep. That means that you don’t have to buy your clothes when you need them. You can buy them in advance, knowing that the seasons will change eventually and you’ll need them.
By doing this, you stand to save yourself a lot of money. Thick winter coats are often on sale or a lot cheaper in the spring. And summer shorts and t-shirts tend to be a lot cheaper in the winter than they are in the summer. Timing your purchases, and buying a couple of seasons in advance, is bound to bag you a bargain.
It’s also well-known that Thursday is the best day to shop. That’s because retailers tend to issue the most discounts on a Thursday, relative to other days.
Search Around For Coupons
Coupons are a great way for retailers to get the budget-conscious among us into their stores. But what’s interesting about the coupon movement is that you’re not just limited to the budget brands. American Eagle coupons have recently been sighted online, as well as Old Navy and Sketchers. And the discounts are bigger than you might think.
Take Care Of Your Clothes
Most of us have a few nice items in our wardrobes, mainly for special occasions. And when we wear these items it’s great. We feel fantastic. However, we don’t always treat our clothes with the greatest respect. And this can dramatically shorten the length of their usable life.
There are, however, many things we can do, not least washing them according to the instructions. If an item of clothing says hand wash only, then that’s a sure sign that you should only use hand-washing detergent.
You can also increase the life of your clothes by sealing them in vacuum storage bags. This keeps all the mould and the moths off them.
Buy Higher Quality Clothing
It might sound a little strange to say that you should spend more money on clothes to spend less. But there is some sound logic behind this advice. As a man, you’re not so much interested in how much any item costs to buy outright. You’re interested in the cost per wear. In other words, how many times can you wear something before it wears out? Higher quality clothing might be pricier, but it’s likely to last much longer.
It’s a lot better than taking the throw-away approach to clothing. You get a quality item that you get to wear for many years, rather than junk that’s shot in a couple of seasons.
