A Tiny Frugal Tip #2

Welcome to another Tiny Frugal Tip... but this post might be a little longer than the definition of tiny would imply!

Lets save money (and time!)  by falling in love with the clothes we already own!  After all, we thought they were pretty when we first bought them. There are lots of ways to do this.

One way is to choose one top, bottom, or dress and come up with at least three outfits using it.  Each of the three styles can be made using a scarf, jewelry, different pants, shoes or a skirt.  I love to use Pinterest for this!  Just put in a brief description of the article of clothing in the search box and lots of outfits will come up.  For instance, if I have a gray top, I will enter "gray top outfits".  There's no doubt that you will have some other clothing items that you can combine with the gray top to recreate some of the Pinterest outfits.
 

I like to create an outfit and then hang the entire outfit on a hanger. Its easy to choose an outfit when all you have to do is reach out grab the total package.  I have a hook over the outside of my closet door where I hang the outfit I plan to wear the next day.  I also like to go ahead and choose an outfit for the next day when I am changing after work.   Its part of my after work routine.  AND I won't let myself change my mind!  That defeats the whole purpose when I end up trying on several more combinations and then I end up rushing around, running late.  It also helps to choose your jewelry and shoes.

If there's no way you are going to fall in love with an article of clothing again, get rid of it.  I like to keep a box that I add my unloved clothes to until its full and then drop it off at a charity thrift shop near my office.

A real money saver is to go through your clothes and get them organized.  The best method of organization for me is to arrange the tops by color and category. For example, all the black tops go together, black sweaters or blazers go together.  Black pants go together.  Black skirts and dresses go together.  This makes choosing outfits much easier and you also have a better idea of what you actually have.  If you know you have several black tops and are shopping, you won't make the mistake of adding another one to the pile!

We need to know what looks good on our body and also what feels comfortable and we love.  I have a pear shaped body and some "older lady" midsection fluffiness.  I can't stand to wear anything that clings to my stomach or that's too tight on my hips.  I have some pants that I feel showcase my hips too much, but otherwise fit well and I like them.  So those pants require a longer top that covers me up a little.  I can't tell you how many times I've tried on several things when I was already running late, just trying to make a certain pair of pants work.  Now, once I figure out what works for a certain pair of pants, I hang the total outfit together on a hanger and avoid that situation in the future.

One thing that really helps me to love the clothes I already own is to lose weight!  Just a few pounds and my clothes fit so much better and I love my clothes.  Another thing is to wear the right under garments!  I have found some that allow my pants to fit smoothly, are comfortable and that also hold in that midsection a little.   When I lose a little weight and wear the right underwear, I feel so much better in my clothes.  I don't feel as motivated to keep going shopping in order to find things that fit and are comfortable.

Another idea that I have played around with in my mind is to come up with a uniform of sorts for work.  I would love to never have to figure out what to wear again by wearing a simple uniform.  For me, this could consist of a pair of black pants that fit me like a dream, along with a flowing, pretty, different top for each day.  The tops would be the same style, just a different color. With 5 pairs of pants and 5 tops, I would be good to go!

Summer time is the easiest time of year for getting dressed.  Everyone dresses more casual at my office.  I have several inexpensive pairs of shoes in several colors.  After getting dressed in my pre-selected outfit, I simply slip on the pair that match the best.

So that's my tiny tip for saving money on clothes.  Love what you have!  If you feel great in your outfits, look good, and cut out the stress of getting dressed, you will better be able to avoid the temptation of going shopping for more clothes!