One of the necessary and hardest to cut expenses for those living on a limited budget is clothing and apparel. In most places, you literally can’t leave home without them. Whether you need special clothing for your job, durable clothing for manual labor, or something fashionable for your growing kids, it can be hard to fill that need on a budget – especially when a pair of jeans at a department store can cost upwards of $30 a pair. In fact, clothing accounts for over 3.5% of the average household budget.
Luckily, there is hope. Your local thrift stores (we’re thinking GoodWill, the Salvation Army stores, and the like). Don’t cringe if you haven’t been to one. Second-hand clothing isn’t what it used to be. With many of these stores you both can dress nicely in designer styles at fraction of the cost while helping out your community.
If you are on a budget, your local GoodWill or Salvation Army store may be just where you need to shop. They now often carry a large range of household items in addition to scrub uniforms, durable gear, fine suits and ties, and labels like Ralph Lauren, Armani, and L.L. Bean – often at a price of less than $10 for clothing in great condition. If you don’t believe it, check it out. You don’t have much to lose.
GoodWill stores have an added bonus of color sales for each day of the week. On a Green Day, everything with a green tag is half off. This can result in like-new Ralph Lauren polo shirts for as low as $2.50, or full suits with sport coats and pants for $2.50-$5.
If you live in the United States, it is highly likely that you live near a thrift store. When living on a budget, those savings can translate into more cash in your pocket or more money to help pay off your debts. Considering a new sport coat at a retailer might set you back a few hundred dollars, you can’t really argue with five.
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