Crossing the Line from Frugal to Cheap
Wednesday, 23rd May 2007 (by J.D.)This article is about Choices, Clothing, Frugality, Real-Life
Sometimes it’s hard to tell when I’m being frugal and when I’m just being cheap.
One side effect of losing weight — a positive one, mind you — is that I don’t fit into some of my favorite clothes anymore. Like most people, I have certain garments that I love more than others. For example, my favorite pair of pants are these lightweight dark-green things with a zillion pockets that I purchased for $6 at an REI “garage sale”. (REI is a local recreational outfitter — they hold used gear sales to ditch returned and damaged merchandise at bargain prices.)
These pants are perfect for summer. They’re lightweight. They breathe well. And the legs zip off mid-thigh, allowing them to convert to shorts. I call them my “zip-off pants”, and they’ve become a sort of running joke among friends and family. For the past three years, these pants have a part of my daily uniform during the summer months.
Now, though, they don’t fit. They’re too loose. They want to slip down my waist. I’m faced with the prospect of replacing them.
At first, I wasn’t going to buy another pair. When I do the math, I figure I’ve paid four cents for every time I’ve worn them. What are the odds that I can find zip-off pants in my size for $6 again? A new pair costs $55. I’d need to wear them every summer for the next 25 years to get the same sort of value out of a them!
I was going to leave it at that, too, before I realized I was being ridiculous. I wear these pants all the time. Even if I only get five years of use from a new pair, I’ll only be paying $10 a year, or about twenty cents a use. Compare that to most of my other clothes. I have several pairs of slacks from Costco that cost me about $20 each. I wear them a couple of times a month. Not such a bargain.
I’m going to stop being a cheap bastard and just order myself a new pair of zip-off pants.
Addendum: For a more pronounced version of my situation, check out Jordan’s dilemma in the comments. I’ve only lost fifteen pounds. He’s lost sixty. What advice would you give him?
I’m facing that same problem right now…weight loss = no more clothes. I’m thinking about asking my mom how that “sewing machine” thing works. I know it’s not macho, but it’s got a good price.
Buy a belt. Use the belt til you can get a new set of the pants at another REI garage sale. That way you aren’t out 55 bucks. Course you probably already purchased it.
Also, trust that more cool pants will come into your life…..
I second Chad, get a belt. They can also come in handy for those McGuyver moments.
Can you come over to my place and convince my wife she doesn’t need new clothes? It’s something ever other week!
try sierra trading post or just go to goodwill…they have some there…
Ahhh the twists and turns of comparing reality and frugality. Don’t forget to live life!
I Third Chad- Use the belt loops
If you have no belt, a good thick rope to hold them up isn’t cheap at all. Besides that it is a multi purpose tool- like a knife. {wink}
Sure, get a belt if you want, but if you wear them so much, get them once you are the size you plan to stay!
Yes, yes, wise guys. I do use the belt loops.
The problem is hat these pants are XL. I’m now square in the L category, and hope to be low M by the end of the summer. I don’t want to end up looking like MC Hammer.
Reality is that my
frugalcheap tendencies will probably win out until I absolutely cannot wear these anymore. Right now they’re just a nuisance.I was going to tell you to use a belt - as that’s what I’ve done as I’ve lost weight - but I seem to be a bit slow.
So, a different tack: get them altered. A good seamstress (in a good cleaners - don’t go to a cheapie place) might be able to make them fit just right again, even do something about them not being balloon pants. Worth looking into, especially since the seamstress will likely charge much less than a new pair.
I was gonna suggest a pair of colorful suspenders and some German Lederhosen! LOL!
I was going to say suspenders too.
Bill Gaines, of MAD magazine, used to undergo large fluctuations in weight. When he bought clothes, he bought the same things in different sizes, so as his own size went up and down, he could still dress the same.
Get them altered. If you just wear a tighter belt, the pants will still look too big, just cinched. A good seamstress will charge about 10 bucks. Now put them on. Youre looking pretty hot, right? Then put the 45 dollars you saved in the pocket of those pants. Now youre smoking!!
Why not return them to REI? From what I hear, they don’t have a problem with that, if you’re a co-op member. Also, since you know what you want, wait for a sale like their anniversary sale or the upcoming memorial day sale and find them for a deal, then.
I say buy a new pair. When you NEED a new pair, it’s OKAY to buy it. I have to tell myself this when my jeans are starting to get holes in the wrong areas, like the bum.
You can usually find a seamstress who will, for a pretty reasonable fee, alter your clothes. It would be cheaper than a new pair, and I would imagine the ones that no longer fit are nicely worn in. Hard to replace the comfort of nicely worn in clothes. Check with your local fabric stores and dry cleaners.
I’m facing a similar problem. About a year ago, I decided my wardrobe needed an overhaul, so I went out and bought some nice cloths. I spent a lot to get some really good quality, nice looking clothes in my size. shortly after I decided it was me who needed the overhaul not just my wardrobe, so I lost about 60 lbs and now I have a closet full of really good quality shirts that don’t make me look like I’m wearing a parachute. I’m still losing weight, but progress has slowed, and I want nice cloths, but don’t want to spend the money on something Ill not use for very long. suggestions?
I dunno… 55 bucks is a lot to pay for a pair of pants. Then again, I do most of my clothes shopping at the GoodWill bins (close to you there up by Sellwood) so anything over a few bucks seems high. I’d probably try to get the current pair altered so that they’ll still fit.
I’ve never had anything altered. How does one go about finding somebody to do it? The yellow pages? Craigslist? Wait — now that I think about it, I believe the woman at the local dry cleaners does alterations. I’ll have to ask her about it the next time I’m there…
I often check Ebay if I am looking for a specific brand and size. It’s amazing how many garments are posted. After buying a pair of [expensive] Talbot’s pants because I was tired of looking like a frump at upscale events, I ascertained what my exact size was. Then I bought a 2nd pair of similar Talbot’s pants on ebay for $8 + shipping and they fit perfectly. Maybe you can find some nice REI pants from a person who GAINED weight!
J.D.
My family has had a dry cleaners for multiple decades, and my grandmother has been a seamstress for nearly 60 years. Believe me when I say that they’re not all created equal. Your best bet would be in one of the nicer dry cleaners - NOT the cheap ones. Also, try asking around - especially if you have well-to-do friends/neighbors and see who they go to.
My rule of thumb is to go ahead and spend more for quality if it’s something you use/wear every day, like a watch, shoes, coat, etc. You’ll be much happier in the long run. Just don’t splurge on something you only wear infrequently.
I thought hanging on to some of the shirts I had in high school was ok. it’s been 14 years. Maybe it’s time to let go.
Oh heavens to mergatroid!
JD, go buy yourself the new pants at REI and be happy with them. Maybe wait for a sale or ask for a birthday if you want to save money.
If you really love these pants, I doubt getting them altered will work out for you. Clothing isn’t the same after its altered. For certain things altering makes sense but not for those lived-in pants.
Otherwise, this isn’t license to splurge, but a proper fitting pair of pants is more important than going out to dinner a few times with friends. Especially since you already know these are great pants.
DB
Funny, I have almost the same exact pants. My wife gave them to me for my birthday last month. very similar, but different brand and cheaper. My wife never buys anything thats not on sale and I think the tag was 29.99 from Kohls.
I use a belt already. They are too big even though technically they are my waist size and I havent really started losing weight (yet). I would never have imagined I would like convertible pants so much.
I dont really talk about it too much with my wife, but I plan to get back into my peak shape, which was around 8-9 years ago. She doesnt understand why i want to keep trying to fit into smaller clothes and probably thinks I should go out and buy BIGGER clothes. Part of the motivation for me is actually creeping up to the point where I might need to go up another size.
I generally wear jeans/plain khakis and t-shirt or similar casual things. I have gotten by with those and things like “individual fit expandable” waist pants ( either have an extra inch of stretch hidden in the waist or a band thing). I bought a lot of those 4-5 years ago but I cant find them anymore, which meant going up a size or 2 if I didnt get ahold of myself.
In a few months I may have the opposite situation.
I lost 60 lbs over 3 years, and I’m still losing weight. I came up with the following plan:
Decide in advance about how many shirts, pants, slacks and so on you need. It doesn’t have to be exact, just a rough figure. Try to keep it to a minimum since most of these are clothes you will not keep long term.
Now, as you lose weight, you’ll note that some clothes start fitting rather badly. If you can have them tailored, that will usually end up cheaper than buying replacements. If you do buy new items, buy them with an eye towards your weight change. If it fits slightly small that’s ok. If it fits slightly large, that’s not ok.
Keep your total items at that target number you came up with. You’ll still end up spending money but that’s unavoidable.
This will keep you looking good while not When you reach your target weight, that’s when you can slowly invest in a whole new wardrobe.
Thank goodness you came to your senses and bought yourself a pair of pants.
I lived with a guy once who was so cheap he wouldn’t buy a new pair of pants for himself: even if they were going to be work pants. I figure if I am going to use something everyday, I want it to be high quality so I can rely on that item! Nothing burns my biscuits more than someone who is pennywise and pound foolish - for all the time you’d spend in gas looking for a cheap pair of pants, or going to a thrift shop and trying to find the same pants, you could have easily afforded the new pants.
Buy the new pants!
That being said, if you are losing weight, try to connect with someone who is also losing weight, but is slightly ahead of you, they may be able to loan you some clothes while you are in that transition phase.
But even then, for the love of pete, buy clothes that fit you at the time when you go shopping, so that you know you’ll have at least one outfit in your closet that fits you that you can feel not frumpy in. Women are lucky - I’ve found consignment stores are wonderful for those transition wardrobes.
I’m in the same spot. I’ve lost ten to fifteen pounds the past couple months and my wife keeps complaining about my pants hanging off. I told her I just need to find my multi-purpose tool thing so I can punch another hole in the belt.
Have you considered a local seamtress? Normally cheaper then a tailor and should be very easy to take the pants in a few inchs. Just find a local alteration shop or someone who does it out of their own house by word of mouth.
My mom had done alteration out of her house for years. She does everything from restiching to making wedding dresses.
How Much Do Your Clothes Cost Per Wearing?…
I have never purchased a tuxedo because I would rarely wear a tuxedo and thus it makes more sense to rent one on the rare occasions when needed. And, yes, I might consider other clothing purchases by saying to myself,……
I’m with the folks about buying a new pair. Alterations are a good idea in general, but with the zippers on the pants legs, these are a more complicated garment than usual. Probably make the cost of altering them a lot closer to the price of a new pair, and the likelihood that the altered pair will look “right” a lot lower.
To Jordan–congrats on your weight loss success. Sixy pounds is nothing to sneeze at! If I were you, I’d take those big clothes in great shape to a consignment store….but consignment stores for men are few and far between, different than for women. Next to that, Ebay? Sell them to a friend who is still your former size? Anyway–it’d be nice if you could get some money from your old clothes that would help pay for your new clothes…
As someone who has lost 100lbs since January 2004 (I kept my New Year’s resolution that year!)…I FULLY empathise. I’ve gone from a women’s 24 (that’s a 44 waist) to an 8 (28 waist), and I’m still losing…about 30 more pounds should do it.
I need to buy new clothes every single season, and as a young professional woman I cannot just buy a belt and wear baggy pants until I reach my goal size. I would never get promoted
I definitely purchase quality items and get them tailored when applicable, but this only works for about 2 sizes. That blazer I bought when I was a L doesn’t look so hot now that I’m a S; even though I’ve had the waist taken in the shoulders and sleeves still make it look as though I’m wearing my dad’s blazer.
I also use Gal’s trick of trying to keep clothing to a minimum. I only have about eight pairs of pants (including jeans), three skirts and ten shirts in rotation at any given time. Enough to mix and match a lot of outfits, but not so much that I’ll be devastated financially when I need to buy a new wardrobe in the fall.
I donate my old clothes. The $5 I’d get from eBay is worth someone else getting them for free or super cheap.
Since August 2006 I’ve gone from a 44″ waist to a 33″ waist and lost almost 70 pounds now. I have bought new pants and shirts three times now, which is both frustrating and rewarding. Double edged sword of success and wastefulness. I usually wait until I’m swimming in my clothes though and someone comments on them being too large.
Dude, you don’t need to publish something everyday. Bloggers seem to think this is necessary—it’s not! Publish when you have something of value.
Today was obviously a slow news day.
Dude, you don’t need to publish something everyday. Bloggers seem to think this is necessary—it’s not!
Guilty as charged.
Actually, I thought this was an interesting topic, but I admit that I recognized it was of marginal value to others. I ought to have posted it to my fiscal fitness journal in the forums, perhaps.
I do have a compulsion to post every day (or twice a day, actually), and it’s something I’ve been trying to suppress. The problem is that I’ve been able to create a successful community based on a twice-a-day posting schedule, so it’s hard to convince myself that I can maintain this with less frequent posting. Yet people I trust urge me to try it.
When random commenters are pointing this out, maybe it’s time to listen!
Strange, I have the exact opposite problem, I left a job where I was able to work out several times a week (even encouraged to), for one that has much less available time to do so. I kept eating the same and have put on several pounds in the past year (from 32″ waist to about a 42″). I’m keeping to old clothes for “when I get back in shape”, but need to go get new clothes…no “use a belt option”
Even though you only paid $6 for the pants, they are theoretically worth $55 (to replace) so you might look into a tailor. A good tailor would probably only charge $10-$15 if the pants just need a tuck in the waist… sounds like they are supposed to be worn baggy in the leg anyway…
I’m heading the same way myself. I’ve currently lost 20 pounds since the start of the year and 36 since I started losing weight. I’m trying to get that to 50 pounds total by the end of the summer (leaving 40 more pounds to lose).
Right now all my clothing fits pretty well, I was lucky in that I never wore by pants over my belly so we waist doesn’t change size that much. My shirts are a different issue, they are starting to look a bit baggy.
Of course I haven’t bought clothing in months, so it’s not all bad. I also found a place that sells blank T-shirts for cheep (about 3.50 in XXL) so I don’t feel to bad about replacing them when the time comes.
If your on a diet you’re probably paying less for food (I know I am) work out how much you are saving, put it away every month, and when the time comes spend that on new clothing.
You have 39 comments so far, so obviously your readers thought this was interesting
J.D. - based on the content and number of replies I’d say a great number of people found this to be an interesting topic (myself included). Thank you for posting it.
i’ve never had that trouble — i can eat for days, and not gain weight. however, it is my opinion that you shouldn’t buy in the middle - hit your goal, and then buy new as a reward. the bigger pants are as good a reminder and measure of your goal and your hard work as you are going to get.
if you like where you are at, reward your past success with some new clothes. if you’ve got more to go, then keep working. trade the oldies in at Goodwill so someone else can use them.
there are certain goals that should be worth a bit of wasted money, and any goal that involves actual hard work and personal suffering like loosing weight does qualifies in my book.
Weekly Roundup - 05/25/07…
It’s been a busy week fraught with tax quandaries and boxes full of bricks. And now… Guess what? School’s out for summer ’round these parts as of today! In other words, we have a couple of ecstatic kids that are just days away f…
J.D., I totally relate to your dilemma. I’ve lost roughly 45 pounds over the last couple years, all while we’ve been on our debt-payoff plan. It’s put some kinks in my wardrobe and I’m rarely mistaken as fashionable. I’ve become resigned to our belief that losing weight and getting out of debt was more important than wearing cute clothes, shoes and accessories. My favorite example of this problem is that a few years ago, when I was still in debt and using my credit cards like crazy, I spent a boatload on an awesome pair of my favorite brand of snowbaording pants, Burton. This was also when I was heavier. I maybe wore them once that season before summer came. By the following winter, they were super baggy. No belt was going to change the fact that I looked like a deflated balloon in them. I simply had to let them go. By then, we were dedicated to getting out of debt and I resigned myself to selling them (practically brand new, mind you!) to a very happy lady for $5 at our garage sale. Ouch! But I’m much thinner, healthier, richer and happier now!
P.S. My vote is that you budget for the pants you’d love to have, get ‘em and wear the heck out of them.
After having lost ~30lbs in the past 4 months and dropping from a size 12 to a size 6, I have something similar. I had a little clothing sale with my friends, where I sold my stuff for $2 a piece to raise money for clothes that fit. They were happy to be getting a great deal, I was happy to get rid of my clothes and I made a little cash ($160). Then I went to used clothing stores and found some great deals. I found out the Salvation Army has designer jeans for $6. I don’t know if I’ll buy new anytime soon….
I am in the same situation, I’ve lost about 30 lbs. fortunately I kept the clothes that used to fit me when I was a size smaller. Now i have returned to clothes I haven’t worn in 3 years! Good Luck to everyone trying to lose weight!
Oy….
Forget the tailor. Learn how to sew…. It’s VERY easy. Much easier than people think. And if you do it yourself, you can leave the excess to be let out should you need to.
Basically, find a friend with a sewing machine. Then, put the pants on. Pinch what needs to be pinched and mark how much you’re taking off. Sew on line. Easy as pie.
And as long as you don’t CUT anything, you can always fix it if you mess up the first time.
To be honest, almost everything I buy I take in to fit myself because I have to buy 2x or more to fit my rear end, but my waist is more like an 18. Plus, that way you get something that looks Right on YOU.
God, I didn’t know that people still had those pants!!! Popular in the late 90’s, but now terribly out of fashion and unflattering! Throw them out! They were only six bucks. And besides, you should reward yourself for losing weight, and wearing an outdated wardrobe will do nothing to compliment your efforts!!! Good job by the way!!!
[...] And if I am cheap, perhaps I’m not the only one straddling that line. [...]
you should just buy a new pair. Alterations are not cheap and even a good tailor can’t fix everything.
Having lost 70lbs, All of my clothes went to a resale shop to raise funds for one of my favorite charities. Was sad to see all the ‘old friends’ go, but I knew if I didn’t that I might risk being able to wear them again!
Resale shops are my new best friend. Cashmere sweaters for under $10! I mean frankly if you buy new, they are used pretty darn quick anyway, so what is the difference?
I also have a salvage store near me. They buy clothes from places that have had their inventory paid off by the insurance companies, or overstocks, etc. So I quite often get very good quality merchandise for 25-50% of the retail value! Sometimes it isn’t that good of a quality, but that’s why I go all the time to check it out and see.
I’ve also realized that a wardrobe that is half the size of what I used to have works too.
I also want to loose a few more pounds, so some of the clothes I have now won’t work. I’ll try tailoring them, but I fear if I hit goal I’ll need to buy a whole new wardrobe. I buy good quality pieces, I just don’t pay full price for them.