The BIG Secret to Save Time and Money on Your Clothes

Let’s Talk Money

Okay, first some money facts:

Did you know that the average woman will spend $125,000 on clothes and accessories in her lifetime?! And for women under the age of 25, that number is more likely to be over $200,000!

Broken down a bit further, that ends up being anywhere from $150-$400 spent on clothing PER MONTH. And doing the math means that women are spending anywhere from $1,800 to $4,800 per year! 

So, what does all that money actually buy? According to a survey by Capital One Bank and ING Direct, the average woman ends up purchasing 3,100 different clothing items throughout her life, which include 270 pairs of shoes, 185 dresses, and 145 handbags! And 1 in 7 women report hiding new clothing and accessories purchases from their partners. Wow! 

A Real Life Example

Check out this comment from a woman in response to this article on PrisonerOfClass.com: 

Kathryn

July 18, 2019 at 9:05 PM

I’m clearing my closet out now. You are so right on having favorite pieces one wears. It’s a shame as a women we spend so much money on clothes all because of want (like) not need. I spend so much time in my moving clothes around to fit new ones in. Needless to say when I donate my clothes many still have the price tag still on.

I have been asked by many people at the Assistance Thrift Store I donate to if I have a store because of the amount of shoes, clothes, leather purses I donate. I was happy to read this article for a wake-up call. Thanks – Hoping I can stick to a closet I can actually move on the rod.

I seriously wish I could find Kathryn and tell her exactly how she can save time and money on her clothes. I’d so love to help her get a handle on her closet and teach her how to curate her own personalized wardrobe!!

Save Money by Shopping Seasonally

With a seasonal wardrobe, shopping decreases to only THREE or FOUR times a YEAR because you are only shopping by season. No more random shopping sprees. No more purchasing items that you’ll wear for a single use. Do you really need a sweatshirt that you’ll only wear on Valentine’s Day after all???

Now, it is easy to think that the first time you create a personalized wardrobe you’ll have a LOT of pieces to buy. But I believe that the majority of your intentional wardrobe is already sitting in your closet.

You may just need a little guidance on how to cut down the clutter and find those pieces that you really love. The Confident Closet will teach you how to set a seasonal clothes budget that works for you and your family. It also covers in detail what clothing items to view as investment pieces and on which items to spend less money. 

Save Money with a Targeted Shopping List

Once your wardrobe is established, saving money on clothes will get even easier. You will no longer go shopping to get “some new shirts” or even just “new clothes”!

Instead, you will be able to shop with a laser-targeted approach to find the exact item you’d like to include for your wardrobe. You won’t start out looking for “a new shirt,” instead, you’ll be on the lookout for a “plum cowl-neck tunic sweater with 3/4 length sleeves” (and no worries if you don’t know what a cowl-neck is! The Confident Closet covers that too!). 

My Personal Spending Revealed

Let me give you a personal example. My personal seasonal clothes budget is $200-250, which comes in FAR below the low-end average of $1,800 for clothes spending a year.

When I switched from my fall to winter wardrobe this past November, I knew I’d like to add one new gray chunky sweater and a new navy blue hip-length coat to my wardrobe. I ended up receiving a birthday gift card that covered the cost of the new grey sweater (thanks, Mom!). That meant I purchased my navy blue faux fur coat from a deep Black Friday discount at Banana Republic with money left to spare! When I realized my black leggings from last year were looking a bit pilled and shabby, I took the extra money and purchased a pair of lovely faux-leather leggings  to take their place. #winning

Make Shopping Intentional

Can you see how clothes shopping will become an intentional activity for you? Interestingly enough, almost ALL clothes shopping by women is not motivated by need, but rather by emotion.

You’ve probably heard the term “retail therapy.” This is the practice of dealing with personal problems and frustrations by purchasing things, most often clothes and accessories.

Check out this infographic from Shenomics:

Creating an intentional wardrobe makes a huge difference in overcoming the need for “retail therapy”! You will have a personalized plan for what to buy and when.

Because you know that the pieces to purchase will emphasize the best about your body and compliment your coloring, you will be pickier about what you choose to buy.

You will be able to resist throwing that trendy Target top into your cart just because you feel like you need an emotional boost. Trust me, it is so worth it to learn how to save time and money on your clothes. 

Let’s Talk Time

Now let’s talk a little bit about something even more valuable than money: T – I – M – E !!! 

I know I don’t need to go on and on about a mama’s need for more time in her day! No matter the ages and stages of our kids, we often have calendars packed full of appointments, practices, errands, obligations, responsibilities, and to-dos. 

A 2016 poll of men AND women conducted in the UK by retail giant Marks and Spencer revealed that people spend an average of 17 minutes per day deciding what to wear! Whoa!

Now, I think it’s not too much of a stretch to say that if we were looking at women only, that number could be even higher. But as it is, that means the average person spends 4 entire DAYS per year just deciding what clothes to wear! 

Let me just ask you: What could you do with 17 extra minutes per day?!? You could read 3 more stories to your 4-year-old, you could play a short board game with your 7-year-old, write and mail an overdue thank you note, clean a bathroom, declutter a drawer or two … or just make yourself a cup of tea and sit down for 15 minutes for goodness sake! 

Save Time by Avoiding Closet Rage

In addition, creating an intentional wardrobe will definitely keep you from avoiding the time-wasting “Closet Rage” that 62% of women experience.

You know what I mean. It’s that, “WHAT the heck do I wear?! Nothing fits!!! I can’t stand any of my clothes!!” There’s no doubt what a big time-waster (and confidence destroyer!) this one can be! 

Believe me, I know. Before I created my first intentional wardrobe, I would often try on outfit after outfit as the clothes would pile up on my closet floor. I remember the frustration of not being able to make a decision and get down on myself for the time I knew I’d wasted. Ugh.

Related post: 7 Reasons Why Getting Dressed is Worth the Effort

Save Time with an Intentional Wardrobe

With a personalized  wardrobe, you will spend almost zero time deciding what to wear every day. Because you will have a coordinated closet that follows a specific color palette, you will be able to quickly grab any top and bottom without much thought at all. And 9 times out of 10, they will look lovely together! 

I literally have thought about challenging myself by selecting my clothes blindfolded every morning and then sharing my results. I’m not quite that crazy … yet! 

Okay, friend, please know that I am so excited to help you save money and time on your clothes! The knowledge really is worth the investment.

To get more info about enrollment (and a discount!) for the The Confident Closet, click on the button below!