When you’ve decided that frugal living is the route for you, buying clothes won’t usually be at the top of your list of priorities – it can feel like a waste of money, especially if you’re determined to save as much as possible. However, even if you make it a rule not to buy anything you don’t need, the truth is that we do all need clothes, so you may need to make an exception.
The trick is to know which clothes are the most important so you can buy them when you need them, and which items of clothing aren’t important at all, so you won’t be tempted by them. With that in mind, here are some of the most important items of clothing to buy when you’re living frugally and on a budget. Read on to find out more.
Jeans
It’s true that not everyone likes to wear jeans, but if you’re happy to, you might also be happy to know that they can be a fantastic investment when you’re living frugally. Jeans are made of denim, which is a very strong and rugged kind of material – after all, jeans were originally made to be work clothes, and they had to be suitable for outdoor labour. In other words, jeans are made to last, so they can be an ideal option if you’re looking for a piece of clothing that will stand the test of time and that you won’t have to replace too quickly after you buy it initially.
On top of this, jeans can be worn for a longer period between washes than most other clothes, again due to the material that can withstand a lot. You’ll therefore also save money on your laundry bills, and if you have two or more pairs of jeans, you’ll hardly have to wash them at all, as you can alternate between them easily.
Finally, if you pick the right pair of jeans, you can wear them for any occasion. They can be worn at home for lounging around, they can be more formal for an event, or they can be ideal for doing work around the house or garden. Pick a colour and style that will work for all the occasions you might need to wear them for, and you’re covered for all eventualities, saving you money on buying multiple outfits.
Cold Weather Clothing
Items like hats, scarves, gloves, and a good jacket or coat are crucial if you live in a cold climate and intend on going outside at any point, so these are more items it’s well worth investing in. In fact, if you buy high-quality outdoor or cold weather clothing like womens gloves from HeatHolders, for example, then what you wear under them isn’t so important. To start with, no one’s going to see your other clothes, and for another thing, if the outer layer of clothing is doing a good job, you could wear anything underneath and still stay warm.
It’s great to be frugal where you can, but skimping on a good jacket and other items that are going to keep you warm and comfortable is a false economy – you might get ill and not be able to work, meaning you lose money, or at the very least you’ll be miserable and uncomfortable and start to begrudge your choices, which could lead to less frugal decisions in the future. Having good outer clothing for cold weather prevents all of those issues right away.
Quality Underwear
When you think of essential clothing, you might instantly think of the clothes that people will see – your tops and trousers, perhaps your shoes, and so on. However, what about your underwear? You could go without, but that’s not particularly a comfortable option, and as well as that, it can leave some people feeling rather self-conscious, which can cause problems when they’re out and about, at work, and so on. It’s just not usually the done thing, is it?
So it’s likely that you’ll want to wear underwear, and when you do wear underwear, you’ll want it to be as comfortable as possible. When you’ve comfy undies on, the rest of your clothes will feel better too, and you’ll be a lot more productive in whatever you’re doing if you’re not thinking about how annoying your underwear is.
That’s why, if you’re going to spend a decent amount of money on any kind of clothing, it’s probably wise to make those items of clothing your underwear. The more comfortable and supporting these items are, the easier everything else will be too. Watch for sales, find outlet stores for your favorite brand, join their email list so you can make the most of your budget here.
Finally, Thrift or New?
Do you find most of your children’s clothes at thrift stores like we do? Does it vary depending on the age/stage of the person you are shopping for? It does around here, but these are things that we buy new and hand down when outgrown. What other things would you add to this list?