I’m Retired: Two Retailers I Avoid To Save Money on Clothing

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When bringing in a solid income, it’s easy to spend money wherever you like without much thought. But once you hit retirement, especially if your income drops significantly, you may suddenly think twice about which stores you set foot in.

Debbi Bohnet-Nuttall, who retired from government service in 2014 in California, used to shop at major department stores, Macy’s and Nordstroms. Her job required her to give presentations and speak in front of people, so she had to wear pantsuits and blouses, pantyhose and skirts, which she now considers “a costume for my job.”

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Retirement allowed her to shed the costume, which she said wasn’t always comfortable but also save money. Suits would run her upwards of $200, not to mention the blouses, skirts and pantyhose also bought.

“I was never going to go back to wearing those [suits]. They were stiff and I just needed to get comfortable again,” she said.

This was a welcome cost savings, as her income dropped from $88,000 annually pre-retirement to about $62,000 after. Most of her income comes from a pension and a small amount from Social Security.

Let’s dig a little deeper into some retailers to avoid on a fixed retirement budget:

A Surprise Cost Savings

One of the unexpected perks of not needing to wear professional clothing or shop at department stores was a reduction in how much she spent, not only on the cost of clothing itself but on the little costs that add up.

“Another benefit of downsizing my clothing needs: No more dry cleaning bills or hassles,” she said.

Additionally, she will take her own used clothing to consignment stores and sell them back.

“Consignment shops can be a good way to off-load those precious work outfits and make back a little dough.”

From Department Store to Local Consignment

Bohnet-Nuttall’s habits changed entirely in retirement. Now, when she buys clothes she has two main approaches. “If I’m going to buy new, I shop local,” she said, preferring reasonably priced boutiques.

“And if I’m going to buy thrift, I’m going for fabrics, cashmere, wool, silk. I run my hands over the fabrics and look for colors I like.” As a former government analyst, she said, “I’m pretty methodical about it. I try not to waste a lot of time.”

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Creative Thrifting

While thrifting is an imperfect art when finding what she likes, Bohnet-Nuttall will make some alterations when she needs to. “Changing buttons out is one of my favorite things. And sometimes garments need to be fixed, and whoever owned it previously didn’t know how to fix it, or maybe they outgrew it.”

She might add a belt, cut off sleeves or take something in or out. As someone who has sewn her whole life, she added, “I don’t make whole garments anymore; I just fix other people’s problems.”

When she misses buying a new, expensive piece of clothing, she makes a day trip to the upscale town of Carmel-by-the-Sea and tries on clothes in boutiques but doesn’t buy them.

Make Friends with Pre-owned Clothing

One of her tips for other retirees is to become comfortable with purchasing pre-owned clothing.

“Imagine that the person who owned it loved it as much as they could and then had to pass it on, that it wasn’t necessarily undesirable. It was just unneeded to them. Be open to the possibilities of pre-loved clothing.”

She also recommended a strategic approach when shopping at them. “It helps to focus when you’re in the racks or the boxes or whatever you’re going through.”

If you take her approach of making small alterations, too, you can find things that may not be perfect, but which you can make your own.

From Fashion to Food

Another reason why it has been important for her to reduce her clothing budget is because it’s important to her to buy good quality food, which has grown more expensive. “I spend most of my money on food,” she said.

She added, “I was willing to make cuts in other areas. Clothing was where I make some of those cuts because it became less important to me in the way of presentation and it became more important to me in the way of comfort.”

While retirement brings about shopping habit adjustments, you may quickly find that the cheaper alternatives are worth it, as your needs change.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m Retired: Two Retailers I Avoid To Save Money on Clothing