Do you know much money are you wasting in your closet?

Don’t like throwing money away? Yeah, me neither.

Did you know one of the biggest financial wastelands in your house is actually your closet?

Think about it… how many pieces of clothing do you have hanging up that you’ve only worn a handful of times? Do you have a few specialty dresses you’ve only worn once for a specific event? Do you have items that still have the tags on them?! 

We live in a world where the media tells us everyday – YOU NEED THIS! 

Believe me honey, you don’t. I want you to break free from over consumption and consumerism that leaves you feeling lost, helpless and burdened.

Why are you wasting money?

Shopping sporadically and without a plan will leave you with an empty wallet and a clothing wasteland in your closet. You get a dopamine hit when you initially buy the item but once the high wears off, you’re often left feeling a bit confused. Does this fit my body? What do I wear with this? Is this too much?

We love to buy new things that are eye-catching. Who wants to buy something that boring? Not me! I like to buy things that make a statement with a bold pattern, bright color or fun print. But what happens when you end up with a closet filled with these stand out pieces? It becomes very difficult to create versatile outfits. I’m not saying that I get the same high when I buy my wardrobe building blocks but I realize how important they are to create a diversified closet AND how they are actually a much more financially savvy purchase.

How can you stop throwing money away in your closet?

Start shopping S-M-A-R-T

Stop impulse shopping

A quick decision to spend $10 here, $25 there, $50 on a treat yourself sweater can really add up if you don’t keep track of what you’re actually buying. A suggestion to help you change your spending habits is to just add to cart but don’t check out. Leave your item there for at least 24 hours. If you’re still thinking about it, maybe it’s worth the buy. If you’ve forgotten about it – you just saved yourself some money!!

Make a plan

What do you need? Take a look at your closet. See which wardrobe essentials are missing. Compile a list of items that you are missing. I would also recommend using some social media sites to grab outfit inspiration. You may notice a few additional pieces that you need to add to your list.

Adjust your budget

Set a limit to how much money you will spend per month. This will also decrease your impulse shopping. You’ll be forced to ask yourself – do I really need this? A good question to ask yourself is “Can I create 3 outfits with this 1 item?” If the answer is yes, then you can consider it a ‘good” buy.

Rearrange your closet

You should be able to easily see what you have so you can create outfits and know where your items are located. There’s nothing like the stress of getting dressed when you have an outfit picked out in your mind but you can’t find what you’re looking for in your closet. UGH. I’m getting angry just thinking about it now. Having an organized closet will relieve fashion frustrations you didn’t even know you had. 

One way to rearrange your closet is to group items by category, then arrange in color coordination from lightest to darkest.

Take time to play

The best way to get the most out of your clothing is to create multiple outfits with pieces you have. Come up with unique combinations so you don’t get bored wearing the same items the same way over and over again. Pro tip – take photos of your favorite outfits so you can reference them when you have limited time and need a great outfit in a pinch. 

Find out how much your clothes REALLY cost you

You may think your clothing is worth what you see on the price tag but that is just where we get started. To find out the TRUE cost of your clothing we have to do some math. If you’re not great with numbers like me – you may want to grab a calculator for this next part. Let’s see how much money you’re really spending or saving based on the clothes in your closet.

Cost Per Wear Calculator

What is the number on the price tag? $100

How many times will you wear/have you worn this item? 30

What is the true cost per wear? 100 divided by 30 =$3.33

Quality vs Quality – Which is More Important?

Cheaper isn’t always better. You can spend less money initially on an article of clothing but if you wear it less because the fabric is poor quality or the fit is off so you don’t feel good wearing it – your cost per wear could actually be higher. If you save up to purchase an investment piece that fits well and is considered a classic clothing item, you’ll wear it more which will actually SAVE you money. 

Let’s say you spend $15 on a top but only wear a handful of times because the fit is off after a few washes vs spending $200 on a faux leather jacket you wear for 10 years. Which do you think is the better purchase? Probably the jacket! How? 

$15 divided by 3 = $5

$200 divided by 200 (20x per year for 10 years) =  $1

Capsule Wardrobe

The best way to ensure you’re really utilizing the clothes in your closet to their fullest potential is to create a capsule wardrobe. Having limited options will force you to actually wear what you have. The key to creating a cohesive capsule wardrobe is to work within a selected color palette and find items that are very versatile. I suggest following an 80/20 or 70/30 guideline when it comes to patterned pieces. More solid clothing items will give you more options to mix and match your wardrobe. Think garanimals for adults.

Change Your Style – Change Your Life

Do you feel frustrated when getting dressed? I used to dread opening my closet door in the morning but not I feel excited! Finding confidence in your clothes isn’t about having a certain body shape or unlimited budget. Join our Fight the Frump Challenge to level up your fashion game and love your look!