How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry

There are 25 Tips specially for studends: How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry

1. Don't buy clothes that require dry cleaning. They're expensive to maintain and cost money every time you wear them. If you buy a skirt on sale for $25 but it requires dry cleaning, you'll have doubled your cost after cleaning it five times (assuming the average $5 dry cleaning charge for skirts). Stick to clothing that is easy and inexpensive to care for.
2. Do full loads of laundry. Those quarters you feed the washers and dryers add up, not to mention the cost of detergent and fabric softener. Also, clothes dry faster when there's a full load in the dryer.
3. If you pay for your own utilities, use cold water for washing clothes whenever possible, and always rinse in cold water. You'll save money by avoiding the cost of heating hot water.
4. Always set a timer so you can add fabric softener to the laundry cycle at the appropriate time. Adding softener at the end and then putting the load through an additional rinse cycle adds up to significant additional costs if you're paying for your own water, because it takes approximately ten gallons of water for the typical rinse cycle.
5. Cut fabric softener sheets in half. You won't even notice the difference in the results, and a box will last twice as long.
6. Frequent washing wears out clothing. If you wear a piece of clothing gently, you shouldn't have to wash it every time you wear it. Hang it up when you take it off. If you throw it in a heap of dirty clothes on the floor, you'll have to wash it whether it needs it or not.
7. If your parents' home is close enough to college to go home once or twice a month, take your laundry with you. You can save $2.00 per load to wash, and $1.05 per load to dry at $.35 per ten minutes, plus soap, bleach, and fabric softener, for an average of $3.50 per load). At three loads per week, that's a savings of $10.50 per week, $42 per month or $168 per semester.
8. Love your laundry. Proper care of your clothing will make it last longer while still looking good. Taking care of your clothing according to the fabric and the care instructions on each item will reduce the cost of your wardrobe.
9. You know that throwing a wool sweater into the dryer will reduce it to Barbie doll size, but did you know that washing rayon in hot water could do just as much damage? Know your fabrics, and launder accordingly. Handwash delicate fabrics and hang them to air-dry.
10. Invest a few bucks in a couple of goodquality stain removers--one for washables and one for dry cleanables. As soon as you spill something on a piece of clothing, treat it with the appropriate stain remover and launder it. Stains that are allowed to set may never come out and you'll have to toss the item or use it for doing housework.
11. Buy a box of stain remover towelettes, like Shout, in individual packages and tuck a few in your purse, your car, and your backpack so you can treat stains promptly no matter where you are.
12. Zipper not working? Instead of throwing the garment out and buying a new one or relegating it to the back of your closet, rub the stubborn zipper with a bit of bar soap or paraffin and soon you'll be slip-sliding away.
13. Turn your clothing inside out before you throw it in the washer. It helps prevent abrasions on dark fabrics and will reduce annoying and unsightly pilling of knit fabrics.
14. Whenever possible, hang your clothes to dry instead of throwing them in the dryer. They'll last longer. Heat is hard on fabrics, especially knits or anything with spandex or elastic. If you must use the dryer, use the lowest heat setting possible.
15. Sort your clothes before washing. Separate dark, white, and light colored clothing into separate loads to prevent ruining clothes when colors bleed from one fabric onto another. This is especially true when you are washing new, dark clothes. New clothes will surely bleed during the first wash.
16. If the color from one piece of clothing bleeds onto another, use color remover sheets (available at your grocery or discount store in the detergent section) to remove the extra color. Do it as soon as possible for best results.
17. Don't leave your laundry unattended in the laundry room. You may find yourself having to fork out some hard-earned cash to replenish your wardrobe. Dorms are notorious for disappearing clothing left unattended in the washers or dryers.
18. When planning your school wardrobe, buy items that coordinate and mix and match so that one item (blouse, sweater, or jacket, for instance) can be used with several different outfits. It will make your wardrobe appear larger and you won't get as bored with your clothes and feel the need to buy more.
19. Plan your wardrobe. Don't buy clothes on impulse. Ask yourself: Do I need this? Do I really want it? Will I still want it tomorrow or next week or next month? Can I live without it? If not, can I buy it later (maybe for less)? Will it be on sale soon, or could I buy it somewhere else for less? Does it go with other clothes I already own so I can make more outfits by mixing and matching? Does it fit my lifestyle? If you answer these questions before you plunk down the cash, you won't have clothes hanging in your closet that you never wear or that you paid so much for that you feel you have to save for special occasions.
20. Buy clothes at the end of the season, not before or during the season. Summer clothes are usually cheapest in August and September, winter clothes in March and April. Back-to-school sales usually take place from midAugust to mid-September. Plan your shopping accordingly.
21. Always pay cash for clothes. Clothing is one of the categories that college students overspend most on, and paying with a credit card encourages overspending. Using cash will help you stay within your budget.
22. When shopping for clothes, go directly to the clearance rack. If there's nothing there you absolutely love or really need, leave empty-handed and come back another time. In addition to saving you money, bargain hunting can be fun.
23. Buy good quality shoes at a reasonable price. When the heels or soles begin to wear, take them to a shoe repair shop. You'll get more mileage for your money than you would if you bought cheaper shoes more frequently.
24. Match your clothing to your activity. Don't wear your best jeans to do yard work. Don't clean the bathroom in your cashmere sweater or silk blouse. Don't hike in the woods in your expensive shoes. Dress appropriately for your activity and you'll save money by making your clothes last longer.
25. Don't buy a new wardrobe for your first semester away at college. The weather may be totally different than it is at home, and you'll make better decisions once you see what everyone else is wearing and know what you feel comfortable in. Set aside some money to purchase a few new items once you've accessed weather, local styles, and your college atmosphere.