What do you see when you open the doors of your closet?
Is it so packed with clothes that you can't see the walls inside? Is it easy to find something to wear? Could you pull out your favorite top in a few seconds or would you have to dig under clothes you don't use?
If you answered a frustrated “Yes!” to all that, I feel you. Choosing what to wear was an annoying part of my mornings until I got rid of the stuff I didn't love. (And followed Anna's tips to make money from my old stuff!)
Now dressing up is quick and fun again.
But one thing I didn't expect? Even if I hadn't earned anything from my old things, cleaning my closet already saved me money!
Here are 3 reasons why:
3 Reasons Cleaning Your Closet Saves You Money (Hint: None Of Them Are About Selling Your Old Stuff) …
1. You know how much you have and buy less.
When I cleaned out my closet, I freaked out over how many clothes I owned. I had 64 tops, 20 pairs of pants, and 50 pairs of shoes! Some of them still had tags on for crying out loud.
Why do I feel like I have nothing to wear? And why was I buying new stuff?
The next time I fell for something cute at the mall, I'd remember I had [insert crazy-high number here] clothes at home. “If I don't do laundry, I won't run out of clothes for more than a month,” I'd tell myself.
That thought meant I walked away and bought way less. So pull your stuff out of your closet, count them, and be surprised. Knowing the actual numbers makes it more real, somehow.
2. You pay less for upkeep on your things.
When you buy new clothes, parting with your cash to get them is just the beginning. Cram your new things in an already-full closet, and they get wrinkled. They need to be ironed or dry-cleaned before you wear them. Same thing when you throw them on the floor. They get wrinkled (maybe even stained?) so they end up in the wash or at the cleaners.
How about the next time you move house? You'll have to pay for moving services or storage space for your clothes. And let's not forget travel. You cart some of these clothes to your destination and get charged for baggage fees.
Washing, ironing, dry-cleaning, moving, storage, luggage … these all cost extra on top of what you first paid at check-out. These all add up. Clean out your closet and stop paying for the upkeep of clothes you don't enjoy wearing. The extra space will also mean your stuff stays wrinkle-free the next time you want to wear them.
3. You stop buying the same stuff.
When outfits get buried at the bottom of your closet, you eventually forget you have them. Out of sight and out of mind. So the next time you shop, you'll buy that cool skirt and forget it's the twin of one you already have. Or you'll be looking for that shirt you remember you own but haven't worn in forever. If you can't find it in the mess, you'll give up looking and buy it new again.
These happened to me, but I didn't realize exactly how often until I got my closet into shape. I could finally see everything I wore at a glance, along with all the duplicate pieces! Can you imagine the money you and I could have saved from buying the same stuff again? The amount I'm picturing gives me the heebie jeebies.
Block out some time to clean your closet this week and start saving money. You'll pay off your debt faster and feel good about having clothes that just work too!
(And you'll need way less than you think, by the way. Check out Anna's posts on how to wear one look a zillion different ways, pump up your style with scarves, and transition your clothes from summer to fall for more info!)
What about you? Have you found ways to save money from cleaning out your closet?
Daisy writes about minimalism for the everyday woman at Simple Not Stressful. You can connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.
Interested in simplifying your own life? The Fearless Minimalist Guide can help you get your life back! Click to learn more.
P.S. Looking to declutter and minimize? CLICK HERE to learn about the Fearless Minimalist Guide