Clothing is a fairly easy area to save money once you get past some societal norms. New clothing comes at a premium but after it is purchased and washed it is used like any other clothing. There are great savings in places such as consignment shops, thrift stores, and hand-me-downs.

Identify stores in your area that may sell clothing and take a look every so often as you expect to need clothing for a coming season or event. While you may not always find what you are looking for you may still find an acceptable garment at a great discount.

Consider line drying your clothing to preserve it as a clothes dryer pulls a lot of fiber from clothing. Line drying not only preserves your clothing, it also reduces your dependence on electricity.

Another way to save in the clothing department, although not popular in modern society is to buy multiples of the same garment. Steve Jobs famously wore blue jeans, a black mock turtle-neck shirt, and white new balance sneakers. This became his uniform. Job did two primary things in selecting his uniform. First, he eliminated decision fatigue. By choosing the same outfit every day, he never had to wonder what shirt would match with what pants. He never had to second guess if he made the right choice. Second, he reduced his spending. Not that Steve Jobs didn’t have the money to buy whatever he wanted but in general, blue jeans and black mock turtleneck shirts are not extremely expensive. By dressing in the same manor everyday, Jobs became more efficient as he eliminated the seemingly small but very impactful demand of picking out clothing every day. That energy could go into making his products.

While we do not believe you need a uniform for daily life there is a lesson to be learned here. One of the greatest minds (according to many) did not care what the world thought of him. Instead he wore what he enjoyed day in and day out.

Consider children who go through the costume phase where they wear the same princess or spider-man costume every day. They are enjoying their look and they do not care about the world’s opinion. That is the mindset you need to develop when it comes to clothing. Even in corporate settings, a white shirt and black pants is always the same classic look and always acceptable.

We will end with this… if you were blind you would likely care more about your comfort than you would the color of someone else clothing or their opinion of your own.