Why I Happily Spend More on My Clothes {& Why You Might Want to As Well}

“I only paid 87 cents for this shirt!”
Yes, I used to happily proclaim this about recent thrift stores scores that I was proud of. Now, I’ll just as happily tell you about a $20 thrifted dress.

Over the past few months I’ve started spending more money on my thrifted clothes and it’s been the best thing ever for my style.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love shopping for thrifted clothes that have an unbelievably low price tag, but spending a bit more on my thrift and vintage clothing has helped me be way more discerning about what I’ll add to my closet.
Remember earlier this week when I mentioned clothes should earn a space in your closet? Yeah, you especially want to do that when you’re paying a bit more for your clothes than you used to.
One of the biggest budget shopping mistakes people make is buying something because it’s cheap. The rational goes, “oh, it’s just $1. Why not?”
That should never be your only motivation for shopping. And how do I know that? Because that’s what I did for years. I’ve been thrifting for 10+ years and over that time I racked up a bunch of crap that I wouldn’t have bought if it was a bit more expensive. I finally got out of that habit. So now when I buy a garment, you can surely believe it’s going in my closet because it serves a purpose and suits my style.
I’d rather have one amazing vintage dress for $20 than a bag full of mediocre secondhand goods.
Again, it’s great when you can find a serious deal, whether you’re shopping secondhand or not, but is it really a deal if you don’t wear it? Or if it doesn’t make you feel great when you put it on?
I used to classify a thrift shopping trip as a success if I walked away with a ton of stuff. Now, I’m happy with one or two killer items.
Shopping for quality over quantity will always be in style!
What’s the average price you spend on clothes or accessories? Have you started spending more on your clothes and investing in wardrobe essentials?
15 Comments
  • Liz W
    Posted at 08:23h, 17 June Reply

    This is so right on! I would buy a bag full, excited that I had 20 lbs of clothes for $5. And many times I would wear none of it, re-donating it at some point. Or I would buy something cheap because it fit. Caught up in the thrifting crawl I would buy something mediocre because it was the top piece in an ocean of other pieces (of poo).

    I still love the hunt, but I have some techniques that help me narrow my thrift-a-holic tendencies.

    I keep track of what I spend. $10 here and $15 there can quickly add up to 0ver $100 a month. I could have used that $100 budget to buy one great thing instead of a pile of “meh”.
    I limit my time for thrifting. I allow myself to go once a week to no more than 2 stores for a total of 1 hour.
    I have to donate a bag of unused items when I go thrifting. A version oft eh in and out rule. But it’s one plastic grocery bag out (4-5 things) for every one thing coming in.

    Thank you for your blog Patrice! I don’t always comment but I certainly enjoy your work.

    LW

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 15:03h, 17 June Reply

      Thanks for commenting, Liz!

      I totally did the whole redonating things, and often times stuff I had never even worn! It’s crazy how we can get caught up in the hunt, ’til the point that we lose focus of why we’re even thrifting to begin with.

      I love your rule of donating a bag when you shop and limiting your number of trips. Great advice!

  • Tamblyn
    Posted at 16:11h, 18 June Reply

    I don’t mind splurging a little for a nice quality thrifted item. I’ve purchased great thrifted pieces with the original store tags still attached. Comparing their price with the thrift store price equals a steal!

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 17:45h, 19 June Reply

      Yes, an occasional splurge for superior quality and something you absolutely love? That’s a great thing!

    • Super Savvy Shopper
      Posted at 23:40h, 13 August Reply

      Hello Patrice,
      I am so happy that you have come over to the other side of shopping and. Starting Focusing on quality not quantity. Two of my shopping rules are only buy clothes at a Thift or vintage stores that I would buy. at a retail store and it must be the same high quality. I share your rule that it must fit my personal style/life style.

  • Neti
    Posted at 16:18h, 18 June Reply

    I also do not make comments all the time here but this is also true for big box stores clearance rack and sale items. I do not shop thriift stores because I just do not have the patience and its not my thing. But I am a big Clearance rack shopper at the malls and so many times I have purchased an item that fits the wallet and not my body. Thanks for your great articles.

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 17:47h, 19 June Reply

      Thanks for commenting Neti!

      It can be so easy to get caught up in an awesome price vs. do you want, need or love it.

      I’m also a fellow clearance rack lover 🙂

  • Leah LW
    Posted at 16:43h, 20 June Reply

    I totally hear you on this! Years back I would get several mediocre pieces in a trip because they were “deals,” then shifted to feeling like I had to stock up on whatever looked good in the category I was trying to fill (e.g. don’t have enough sleeveless tops for summer…let’s by 5!).
    Now if I walk out of the thrift store with an armful of stuff it feels weird. I’m much more likely to buy one or two things I love and call it a win. Less but better quality is definitely more!

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 17:16h, 06 August Reply

      I totally feel you , Leah.

      Now I don’t think I leave the thrift store with more than three items and I love it and more importantly adore the pieces I selected.

  • Pamela
    Posted at 10:42h, 05 August Reply

    Totally agree and we’ve all made the mistake at least once or twice! Sadly I find I do this mostly on holiday, excited to have thrifted goods from my trip to Australia only to get home and realize they weren’t really me and I haven’t worn them since.

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 17:19h, 06 August Reply

      I also do a bit of thrifting on holiday and I’ve had to learn to only buy the best of the best and I’m really specific because I have to make sure everything fits in my bag for the trip back home!

  • Melvina K
    Posted at 10:46h, 05 August Reply

    You are so right. When I first started thrifting I would by a bunch of stuff too, just because it was so cheap. Then I found myself with a closet full of clothes I hardly, if ever wore.
    I too have donated things I’ve never worn.
    Now I learn to look for quality. Sometimes I go thrifting and don’t find anything and walk out empty handed.
    I buy things that are good quality and know I will wear.

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 17:24h, 06 August Reply

      So true! It’s all about quality and I occasionally leave the thrift store empty-handed and I’m totally okay with that.

  • Kim
    Posted at 15:45h, 22 December Reply

    I love thriftshopping 2 and also noticed that spending a little bit more is so helpfull. You def find way more unique items.

    I don’t know if you ever visited the Netherlands but most of the thriftstores in the North are super cheap.

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 18:29h, 04 January Reply

      Hi Kim,
      No, never been to the Netherlands, but I’d love to visit, especially if you have really amazing ones that are super cheap 🙂

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