Archives for October 2022

Everyone wears clothes, but how much people spend on their clothes varies from person to person. Some people really love fashion, and they view their wardrobe as an artistic reflection of themselves and a collection as well. Other people just want clothes that are comfortable and functional and won’t cost them a lot. However, even if you just want clothes that fit, it can still be a huge aspect of your yearly budget. On average an individual in America spends around $1,400 on clothes a year, and a lot of people spend even more than that.

However you view fashion, it doesn’t hurt to learn more about how you can save money shopping for clothing. If you want to learn how you can spend less without having to wear clothes that are worn or unflattering, here are some helpful tips.

Sell The Clothes You Don’t Wear

If you aren’t wearing it, you might as well sell it. It can be really easy to hang on to clothes that you never choose to wear because you think you might someday, but the truth is you are just wasting an opportunity to get some money back. Try to take a look at your closet and pull out pieces that you haven’t worn in a while. If you know you are never going to wear something, throw it in a to-be-sold pile.

If you aren’t sure how long it’s been since you put some items on, gather them all in the front of your closet. After about 3 or 4 months, or until the season for those items has fully passed, if you find that you never reached for certain pieces even when they were in the front of your closet, this is a sign that you should probably get rid of them.

Once you have a good amount of clothes you want to sell, there are a few ways you can go about it. The first and easier way is to take them to a consignment store. Depending on the quality of the items and their resale value, consignment stores may offer you a good amount of money for your pieces. If you’re really lucky, the value may have actually increased since you bought it. However, you also may find that they aren’t interested in a lot of your clothing.

The second option, which requires more work but also might give you a better chance of selling things, is to upload your clothes to an online store site. Websites like Poshmark and Depop are used for buying and selling second-hand clothing online. This gives you access to a significantly larger pool of people, so you could have a better chance of selling those things that the consignment store didn’t want.

To sell your clothes online you need to create an account, then upload pictures and descriptions of everything you want to sell. It is helpful to use pictures of you wearing the clothes so that people can get a better idea of what they look like. Selling your clothes online can take a lot longer, but that extra cash can be great if you want to buy new ones.

Shop at a Thrift Store

Thrift stores are places that resell the clothing that has been donated to them. These items are significantly marked down, sometimes as much as 90 percent less than their retail value. You can find really great clothing for a super low cost at the thrift store, and it can be a great place to find a unique style.

People usually buy their clothes from retail stores, and because of this, it is very easy to find yourself dressed like everyone else. However, at a thrift store, you have a ton of unique and even vintage items available as long as you look for them. Thrift stores are a really good place to buy bigger items like jackets, coats, and suits. They were probably not worn very often because usually people use coats seasonally and formal wear for special occasions. This way you are getting something that normally costs a lot of money for a really good price.

Take Care of Your Clothes

One of the best ways to spend less money on clothes is simply to buy less, but that can be difficult when items get worn or torn over time. Some people spend money on new clothes because they like to have something new to wear, but there are also instances where you simply need a new piece because the old one is unwearable. You can wear clothes for as long as you can, but sometimes holes and worn spots make it so you have no choice but to buy something new.

However, if you take good care of your clothes you can keep them for a lot longer, and then you’ll be able to save money in the long run. One of the best things you can do to increase the longevity of your clothing is to wash them less. Washing clothes too often can actually damage the fibers. Try to wear some clothing more than once, if you don’t sweat in them, if it’s something you only wore for a few hours or a sweater you wore over other clothes, you can probably get at least one more wear out of it. If that makes you feel uncomfortable, let it hang outside for a few hours, hang it in the bathroom while you take a shower so the steam can get to it.

Another helpful way to keep your clothes in good condition is to wash them at low temperatures. High-temperature water is good if you have really dirty clothes, but most of the time your clothes probably aren’t dirty enough to warrant that much heat. The heat can damage the integrity of the clothing, in both the washer and dryer, so try to go with the lower temperature settings as much as you can. Overwashing in high temperatures can also cause clothing to fade, so washing everything inside-out as much as you can is a great way to keep the outside of your clothes in better shape.

Repair and Alter Clothes Yourself

One of the best ways to save money on clothes is to teach yourself how to sew. Especially if you are a shorter person, you know that finding pants that are not too long can be extremely difficult, and usually forces you to buy things new. Even when you buy new pants, you might still need to get them tailored which only adds to the amount of money you are paying for your clothing.

Instead of relying on a tailor or searching high and low for clothes that fit you properly, learn how to make alterations yourself. You would be amazed at how much of a difference small adjustments to your clothes will make, and when you can do it yourself you save a lot of money. Now, you can go to the thrift store, and instead of looking for items that fit you perfectly, or settling for clothes you feel frumpy in, you can see the possibilities in items.

Knowing how to sew will allow you to go to a store and choose materials and styles that you like without having to settle for something that is too loose or too long. Not only will you save money on alterations and have more options, but you will also have a wardrobe that is custom fit to your specific size. This is also going to increase the likelihood that you actually wear everything in your closet.

Roni Davis is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area. She writes for a bankruptcy lawyer in Philadelphia

Visitors can now look for designated Headphone Zones and Quiet Zones and check out sensory bags with helpful items for those with sensory needs.

The Aquarium of the Pacific has been certified by KultureCity as a sensory inclusive venue. KultureCity is a non-profit organization that certifies venues and events as inclusive for those with sensory needs. One in six individuals has a sensory need or an invisible disability. Sensitivity to over stimulation and noise can create barriers that may deter people from going to public venues and attractions.

“The Aquarium aims to be an inclusive and welcoming place for people to explore and learn about the ocean. Partnering with KultureCity gives us the tools to improve experiences for people with sensory needs,” said Emily Yam, Aquarium of the Pacific director of learning and public engagement.

The Aquarium has designated headphone zones and quiet zones for those with sensory needs. Visitors can also stop by the Member Services desk to pick up sensory bags equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads.

Prior to visiting the Aquarium, families can download the free KultureCity App to view what sensory features are available and where they can access them. The app also features a Social Story on the Aquarium, which will provide a preview of what to expect while visiting.

During the certification process, the Aquarium’s staff was trained on best practices regarding sensory inclusivity. KultureCity defines sensory needs as a common medical condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes through the senses.

Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation can be experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions. With its new certification, the Aquarium is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory needs in having the most comfortable and accommodating experience possible.

You can visit venue.kulturecity.org/venues/aquarium-of-the-pacific to learn more about the Aquarium’s KultureCity certification and amenities for visitors with sensory needs. These amenities are available free of charge to Aquarium visitors. The announcement comes ahead of the Aquarium’s 20^th anniversary of its annual Festival of Human Abilities, which celebrates the creative talents of people with disabilities and will take place on the weekend of January 28 and 29, 2023. The Aquarium also offers events throughout the year such as Autism Families Night and Autism Family Morning, both of which have been held for over ten years.

The Aquarium has had a long-standing commitment to being accessible to those with disabilities. The Aquarium offers a downloadable audio tour, a Braille Visitor Guide, and voice-over technology in its Visitor App for those who are blind and with low vision. It features virtual touch technology in the Honda Pacific Visions Theater as well as Epson smart glass for closed captioning. Sign language interpreters are also available upon request with advanced notice.

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific.