While it’s completely understandable to feel the need to shop for new clothes every season, it will probably drown your budget in a heartbeat. What you want to do instead is find new and innovative ways to shop for clothes and stick to your monthly budget.

Otherwise, you might expect to see a minimum of $300 vanish from your monthly bank account in only one trip, and this is something you shouldn’t have to deal with! So, here’s a list of some of the smartest shopping techniques that allow us to save money on clothes while developing our most authentic sense of style.

Try to buy items that fill a gap in your wardrobe.

You can call me crazy, but I never truly understood why so many people feel the need to buy a brand-new dress every time they attend a serious event. Some might say it’s because the guests are generally people they know, and they don’t want to be judged.

But truth be told, do you really think someone will notice if you’re wearing the same thing twice? And if so, why would they care? Unless you truly value clothing and fashion, you should try to keep only a couple of items in your wardrobe at any given time. For instance, try limiting yourself to having only 2 to 3 dresses that you could wear to special events.

Follow the 1 in, 1 out rule.

This will probably save you money and help you down the line in multiple ways. The first thing that comes to mind is that it will keep your closet free from clutter. For example, if you buy a brand new article of clothing, use it to replace something you already have but don’t use anymore.

The rule is simple: one item goes in, and another one is taken out. Then, you can simply sell or donate whatever piece of clothing you don’t need anymore. This will rapidly encourage you to think twice before getting something off the rack.

Moreover, it will help you decide if you truly want that item or not. For instance, if you want to buy a brand new jacket, ask yourself if you have one in your current wardrobe that you wouldn’t mind getting rid of.

Shop at thrift stores.

If you want to save a lot of money without changing your shopping habits, you need to change the location from which you shop. It’s truly that simple. If you opt to check out thrift stores, you will save a lot of money by purchasing secondhand clothing.

Also, if there aren’t any cool thrift stores nearby, just try thrifting online. There are many websites, like Depop, Poshmark, and eBay. Another great tip is to take a look in your closet and see which brands you like the most.

Then, just search for items by the same brands. For instance, Goodwill has opened some regional online thrift stores, but the prices can be hit and miss for many name brands.

Buy quality over quantity.

There are many different reasons why fast fashion isn’t the best clothing choice you can make. However, one of the biggest ones is that you will lose money in the long term by buying the cheapest items available.

Before, I was used to getting my things from places like Forever 21 or even Shein, but guess what? In only a matter of months, they would completely fall apart. Those clothes aren’t made to go through multiple cycles of washing and rinsing.

Now, I know that buying a few higher-quality items that will last is the right thing to do. In the long run, it is actually cheaper this way. A good way to establish if an article of clothing is actually worth buying is to think about the price per use.

A $10 pair of jeans sounds good on paper, but only if you wear them three times. Compare that to a pair of jeans that cost $40, which you can wear 100 times. The price per use for the higher-quality jeans is only 40 cents, compared to $3.33 (which would be the cheaper version).

Swap with friends, family, and the community.

If you’re rapidly bored with your wardrobe but don’t want to shell out too much money for new clothes, you can check if any of your friends would be open to a clothing swap! It might even help if you have friends or family members who are the same size as you.

However, if you don’t have anyone in your immediate circle who would be open to swapping clothes with you, you might as well check online for clothing swap events in your own community.

Repair your clothes.

Instead of simply tossing your shirt after the first tear, you might want to take an afternoon to learn how to make minor but crucial repairs to your clothes! A couple of useful stitches here and there, and you can make your favorite articles stay in your closet for way longer.

You can also get creative with your repairs and turn your clothes into one-of-a-kind items. If the hole in the jacket is way too big to mend without drawing too much attention to it, you could always put a fun patch over it. If you can’t fix it yourself, you could take it to a shoemaker or seamstress. Oftentimes, it’s still cheaper than buying a brand-new item.

Do your laundry properly.

Would you believe that every time you put your favorite garments in the wash cycle, you damage them? Neither did I. There are some changes you can make to your laundry routine that would definitely help you save money on clothes.

They might also keep your clothes looking fresher for longer. Here are just a couple of basic principles you might want to try to make sure you’re not ruining your clothes every time you wash them:

• Wash your clothes less- at the risk of sounding stinky, some clothing items don’t even need to be washed as often. For instance, if you wear a sweater over a shirt, you might be able to wear it a couple of times before throwing it in the laundry.
• Line-dry them- this will bring your energy bill down a notch, but it might also keep your favorite items for longer.
• Use less detergent- truth be told, you only need 2 tablespoons. Adding way too much detergent could leave your clothes feeling all scratchy and crunchy. Here’s a good organic detergent that won’t damage your clothes anytime soon!

Buy off-season

If you know yourself well enough to know what you would like to wear a couple of seasons from now on, then you will be able to reel in some huge savings. Off-season clothes have the best bang for your buck.

You will often be able to snag high-quality goods at only a fraction of the price, simply by waiting until the end of the season. For instance, start looking for summer clothes for next year this September!

Don’t worry about trends.

One of the best ways to save money on clothes without trying too hard is to allow yourself to develop a personal style. As soon as you figure out what kind of clothes make you feel good, you will be less inclined to buy the latest trends.

If you found this article insightful, we have many other things in store for you, such as: Sneaky Costco Tactics: 7 Ways The Warehouse Club Gets You To Spend More