Buying Sweaters in Summer
Looking for a quick money saving tip? Read on for a quick money saving tip for how to save money on clothes! This money saving tip should be obvious to some of our more frugal readers, but for some folks just getting started with saving money this may be a new idea!
How to Save Money on Clothes
One great way to save money on clothes is to buy them in the off-season. What does that mean exactly and how will it help you to save money on clothes?
Buying in the off-season means buying shorts and tank tops in the winter. It means buying heavy coats, sweaters, and pants in the middle of summer. Basically, it is contrarian buying! Buy “B” when everyone else is buying “A”. Then, buy “A” when everyone else is buying “B”.
If you employ this method of buying clothes in the off-season, you can easily save yourself 50% or more! Clothes are inventory for the retail store. There is definitely a carrying cost in displaying and holding inventory that is not moving for any type of business. Stores will slash the prices and clearance everything off to make room for what is “in-season.” You’ve heard the old addage that “time is money?” Well for retail, space is money! (you can quote me on that one 🙂 )
Do Other Items Benefit From Buying in the Off-Season?
Of course they do! The list of saving money by buying in the off-season is endless – here are a couple examples from off the top of my head:
- Lawnmowers (in the late Fall)
- Patio furniture (in the late Fall)
- Holiday decorations (the day after)
- Halloween candy (the day after)
- Snowblowers or shovels (in the early Spring)
- Pool supplies (in the late Fall)
We (my wife) usually buy all of our Christmas ornaments and other holiday stuff the day after for a 50% – 90% discount. If you have an attic, closet, or other place – why not?
Can Buying in the Off-Season Ever Go Wrong?
Sure – it pays to be a little careful and make good assumptions. For instance, if you buy clothes that you plan to begin wearing in six months, you are making the assumption that you won’t drastically gain or lose weight. If you go out and buy a fancy new $3,000 riding lawn mower like this one
Off-Season Brag Time
Alright, the main reason for this article was that I wanted to brag on how much I just saved by buying sweaters in the summer. I combined the money saving tip around buying sweaters in the summer with buying stuff from yard sales. I found three Brooks Brothers sweaters, one Jos. A. Bank sweater, and one Tommy Bahamma sweater. See the pic below:
Buying Sweaters in Summer – Yard Sale
How much do you think I paid for each one of these? Well, it was only $0.50 each!!! That’s right – five top of the line (barely used from what I can tell) sweaters for only $2.50 total!!!!!! From what I can tell (I have no real frame of reference for expensive clothes), these things normally retail for more than $100!
That’s right – I was able to get a 99.5% discount by buying sweaters in the summer 🙂
Buying Sweaters in the Summer – Final Thoughts
As you can see, with a bit of well thought out planning, you can save yourself a ton of money when it comes to buying clothes or anything else for that matter. What’s your best off-season buy?
I always thought it was odd when I was younger seeing winter clothes in store during August. I usually buy at the end of the season to save money. Sure I won’t be able to wear the item for a few months, but I save a ton of money doing it this way.
Jon @ Money Smart Guides recently posted…These 80 People Control Half The World’s Wealth
Yeah – it is definitely the way to go if you are patient!