Trading Up Downtown

I love to shop for new clothes, but the cheapskate in me doesn’t enjoy parting with my hard-earned money. So, when it comes to shopping for clothing and accessories, I like to implement my “price per wear” rule. Basically, I break down the cost of the item to see if it’s a good deal or not.

Here’s what I do:

I take the price of the item and divide it by 100. This is the number of times I plan to wear an item for me to consider it a smart purchase. For instance, a $350 winter coat might seem expensive, but if I wear it all winter long, year after year, I will easily wear it 350 times, which works out to be $1 per wear. In this case, the investment is totally worth it.

On the flip-side, I spend much less money on trendy items that will go out of style in a season or two. I love Target and Kmart for fun, fashionable finds, but I rarely spend more than $20 on them.

The same thing goes for trendy accessories. They can instantly jazz-up an outfit, but they typically go out of style pretty quickly, so I don’t spend much money on them.

Looking at my closet, I’ve learned that some of my most expensive purchases were actually the most reasonable (i.e. black pants from Banana Republic that I’ve worn at least 100 times) and some of the items I thought were a bargain were not such a good deal after all (trendy wedges from Payless that went out of style in one summer). Now when I shop for clothing and accessories, I always consider the price per wear before I buy anything.

How do you save money on clothing and accessories?

I love this idea from Real Simple: Recycle Linen Napkins Into Coasters!!

If your linen napkins are at all like mine, they’re stained and ragged from dinner parties and general everyday wear and tare. Instead of just throwing them away, I’ve salvaged the good parts of my napkins by cutting off the stains and frays to make a set of coasters.  Just follow the directions here. It’s so simple!

This also works with old, stained tablecloths. I have a bunch of those as well!

Anyone can exercise for free. Tie up your sneakers and go for a walk or run. Hiking and swimming are totally free ways to get moving. Practicing yoga outside in the early hours of the day cost nothing. You get the idea. Exercise doesn’t need to be expensive.

Ok, so maybe this week’s Deal of the Week doesn’t seem like much of a deal. But, if you’re looking for some free ways to mix things up with your workout, check out these ideas:

• Exercise TV. For Comcast subscribers, ExerciseTV is a free television service. Each month you can select from hundreds of workouts from top trainers and across all fitness categories, like abs, dance, cardio, yoga, walking and more. Just go to your On Demand menu to find ExerciseTV.
• Sign up to coach a youth sports team at your local YMCA. In addition to getting a workout with your team, you may also gain access to the YMCA facilities.
• Seek out your local high school. When team practices aren’t in session, you can typically use the track, tennis courts, or football field to exercise. Personally, I love running up and down the bleachers of the football field. It’s such a good workout!
• Check out specialty sport retailers. Running stores often host free weekly runs and stores like Lululemon offer free yoga classes. Don’t hesitate to ask your favorite retailers if they offer similar activities like this. More often than not, they do!
• Get a part-time job at a fitness club or yoga studio. Typically, you can use the facilities for free and you’ll make some extra dough at the same time.

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered yesterday’s Peanut Butter Lovers giveaway! I loved reading everyone’s comments. Here’s your winner: 40

Sara, on June 2nd, 2010 at 12:11 pm Said:

Oh Peanut Butter, how I love you!  My lastest food love is fresh pineapple (99). It’s so cheap during the summer and so delicious and refreshing.

Congrats, Sara! Please email me with your full name and mailing address at thaupert@nuval.com to claim your prize.