The average American person spends about $161 per month on clothes, with women spending 76% more than men. According to data by Credit Donkey, the average family spends about 3.8 of their income on clothing. The amount can easily double up if you have expensive tastes or often buy cheap clothes that wear out quickly. With the current skyrocketing inflation rates, many people are looking to cut costs and save more on every purchase, including clothing. If that’s you, here are nine smart ways of saving money when buying clothes.

1. Define Your Style

Conduct a little research to determine what lines and fabrics work well with your body type and stick to them. This allows you to focus on shopping for specific items in line with your style. You don’t have to worry about bumping into that cozy floral dress that you like but won’t fit or give in to trying a style everyone is talking about. For instance, if you’re shopping for plus size clothing, you can stick to that section, which helps maximize your shopping time. This also helps avoid buying items that you don’t need.

2. Keep an Inventory of Your Closet

Don’t just buy clothes and dump them in your closet. Take a few hours to go through all your clothes and discover what you have and don’t need. Try everything, especially clothes you haven’t worn in months. Create a list of the items you need to add depending on your style when shopping for clothes next time. While doing this, you might realise you need some quality essentials like warm socks or even a quality pair of slippers. If this is the case, you can check out brands like Nootkas, which offer cosy and sustainable options. This approach helps keep a reasonable ratio or balance in your clothes.

3. Find Coupons Online

If you’re looking forward to buying clothes for your entire family, the best way to save is by finding and using coupons. Check what online stores offer and find clothing coupons before checking out. You can use some great coupon locating apps for iPhone and Android, like Coupon Sherpa, Coupon Closet, and Shooger.

4. Invest More in Accessories

Sometimes, all you need is to expand your accessory options, not more clothes. This is relatively easy if you know your style. Go big on accessories such as belts, bracelets, necklaces, scarves, and handbags that you can mix with the outfits you already have. Even if you’re shopping for formal working clothes, you can accessorize them to make them fun and unique. Men can enhance their look with colorful ties, socks, belts, and watches.

5. Avoid Buying What You Don’t Need

Walking into a clothing store or window shopping isn’t a great idea if it’s not on your budget. You will end up purchasing clothes on impulse, not because you need them, but because they look great. For instance, it’s tempting to go on a shopping spree in preparation for a vacation and load your cart with all types of swimsuits. Remember you will only wear them for a couple of days or weeks. Therefore, it’s wiser to choose one or two high-quality swimsuits that you can wear next year and in the years to come.

6. Give Your Clothes Proper Care

Clothes need special care to last longer and maintain their color and style. Before you buy any item, check the care tags to determine if you can afford to maintain the item. Some clothes don’t go into the washer, while others require little or no ironing. For dry-cleaning clothes, you need to put a few dollars aside. If you have more items that need to go to the dry cleaner, extend the time between each visit to avoid spending too much on dry cleaning.

7. Sell What You No Longer Wear

If you check your closet right now, you will likely find one or several items you don’t wear. These can go to the consignment shop and help you make money to buy something you will appreciate wearing more often. You can also upload photos and sell them online yourself. This is an easy way to make more money for buying more clothes, shoes, and accessories.

8. Shop Out of Season

Like everything else, the cost of clothes is affected by supply and demand. For instance, the best time to buy winter jackets is during the hot summer. Similarly, you will find that swimwear is much cheaper during the cold winters, making it an excellent time to buy. This is because people will only buy things when they need them, and sellers will maximize the opportunity by hiking the prices a little higher.

9. Try Simple DIYs To Repurpose Old Clothes

Learn some basic sewing skills and avoid getting rid of clothes that need minor repairs. Your sewing technique can help you fix that shirt with a missing button or those denim pants with a broken zipper. There’s no limit to how much you can do with a pair of scissors, needles, and thread. Those clothes that you feel are too big after losing weight, turn them into something else. Cut those pants with old hems into shorts and turn those old shirts into tank tops and skirts. They will help save you money buying clothes all the time.