Today’s money saving tips are something most of us know and usually forget! Today, I’m telling you to cut back (drastically) on your dry cleaning and to shop seasonally!
According to the care tags on a lot of clothing (or household items), you should be dry cleaning most of what you own. Well, I beg to differ! Lots of things that say “dry clean only” are able to be hand washed or washed in a garment bag on the gentle cycle in your washer. In fact, some of the new washers on the market even have a “hand wash” setting, where the agitator moves very slowly, simulating the act of hand washing. Now, should you do this every time? Well, that depends on the type of garment. I wouldn’t, for example, recommend going against the care instructions on a garment that cost most of your paycheck, but on an everyday, regular shirt, skirt or pair of pants…absolutely. This doesn’t mean you give it up completely either. Maybe you have a suit, and you trust that you can hand wash the pants, but want the jacket professionally cleaned? I’m okay with that, so long as you are smart about what you get dry cleaned, and how often you do it, since dry cleaning can be so costly. A suit costs on average $10 (2 piece) around the country. So, if you’re a man who wears suits everyday to work, you could be paying $50 a week in dry cleaning bills! If you can get away with hand washing those every other week, you can save $100 a month! That makes it worth trying in my book!
The other tip is to buy seasonal items when they are on sale. Okay, so what does that mean? That means, that if you are going to buy a winter coat, you should buy it in March, when it is likely to be on sale. Need a swimsuit? Buy it in July or August. I have personally seen bathing suit separates marked down to $3 a piece in these months! Other things even surprise me. For example, tires should be bought in July. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that it’s because there isn’t much inclement weather during the summer months in the U.S. In addition, linens should be bought in January and kitchenwares should be bought in April and November (can we say Christmas presents?).
Good luck with the new tips! I hope you find some deals and save some money! And remember, if you don’t trust that the garment will hand wash (or wash in the washer on gentle) well, go with your gut, and take it to the cleaners. I don’t want you ruining your clothes, just second guessing wether or not your 100% cotton tank tops need to be dry cleaned!
Tags: saving money, Shopping, Spending Money
