10 Ways Dressing Like a Minimalist Can Save You Money


I used to make a game out of finding people who were “well off” at the mall. After years of observing, I’m fairly confident that I have nailed how to find people with tons of money. Now, here’s the catch. It’s not the people with the flashy, designer purses, the suit, or the bling. Oh no. Those people may be well off of course or they just might be fantastically in debt. I’m talking about people with simple clothing, high-quality shoes, and a clean-cut appearance. I’m telling ya… It’s the frugal people who are killing it at life. The people who keep things simple and choose a more minimalist wardrobe. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be living in a time when it’s cool to dress simply and have more money in your life. So let’s talk about how to dress like a minimalist…and have more money.


*This post contains affiliate links. Although I may make a commission, all recommendations are my own.


Know when you struggle with impulse spending

If you have ever experience that rush of filling your shopping cart (IRL or online), you might know how quickly that shoppers high can come to a screeching halt as soon as you get home.


Overspending on clothing is one of the biggest areas of financial struggle for women, I should know, it took me years to finally kick my shopping addiction in the butt.


If this is something you struggle with too, I put everything I applied to my own life an easy-to-follow shopping addiction guide that helps you understand how to reduce your spending without feeling deprived.


Your Minimalist Wardrobe

It’s important to remember that we all have our own, unique style and way of doing things. One of the pitfalls of minimalism at first can be our desire to create the same minimalist aesthetic everyone else is, including when it comes to our wardrobe.


Remember, you are amazingly, fantastically unique and the following tips are a few simple recommendations that just might help expand your wardrobe and slow you down from over-spending.


Amp up your neutrals

So why have neutral colors been tied to minimalism? Quite simply because they stand the test of time. Just like the little black dress will never go out of style, neither will white, grey, or simple earth tones.

With neutrals, there is no “hot color” of the season which means your wardrobe never goes out of style.


Having basic neutral items like tank tops, tees and sweaters help you to keep and maintain your wardrobe longer which ultimately leaves you more money in your budget and less time having to keep up with the latest trends.

Be a high-maintenance shopper!

Instead of buying into the hype of the latest sale, minimalist approach shopping a whole different way. By being extra picky (in the best way) with what they allow to come into their closet, they are the kind of shoppers that make retailers crazy!


Once you have learned to define your own unique style and decide to only shop for top-quality items, you can stop buying into the same sneaky tactics marketers have been using for years.


Ignore the red flags

Instead, minimalists walk into stores buying only the items that truly speak to them, not just items that are located under a big, red sale sign. Because of this, minimalists are less likely to over-purchase because they tend to choose quality over quantity.


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See more of Christine’s (Afro Minimalist) classy minimalist style


Plan your splurges

Don’t think for a single second that you just have to go totally cold turkey on shopping once you decide to be a minimalist. This was a huge mistake I made!


Instead of tricking yourself into believing you’ll never shop again, try making smarter moves when it comes to shopping so you aren’t kicking yourself for over-spending!


Smart spending plan

The easiest way to stay on track with your spending is to simply allow yourself a little wiggle room in the budget.


You can set aside cash each month to help float the cost of your spending sprees, or you can do what I do and give yourself a small allowance via the Cash App!


I love using Cash App for my fun money every month because it’s easy to transfer from my regular account and I get access to a super stylish (very minimalist friendly) looking debit card!


After I use my Cash App debit card on a purchase, I get a text notification letting me know how much I spent and I can easily log in to the app to see how much money I have left to spend. (Anything that helps me do less math is OK by me.) Click here to start a Cash App account.

Have an abundance mindset

If you have ever rushed to the store in a panic to find an outfit for a friend’s wedding, you might know the kind of issues that can go wrong. You scoop the first thing you find, settle for something that feels ok and head home hoping it all comes together and nothing breaks.

Instead try deciding on what you want first and refuse to settle for anything less than you deserve.


I have found applying this at-peace, abundance mindset to my shopping has helped me fill my closet with clothing that I love and usually allows me to find it for cheaper. When you trust that a sale will come, it often shows up!


Live by “HELL YES” decision making

You have no idea how many times I would try something on in the fitting room and when I didn’t really like it at first, I would try different poses to see if it looked better.


Hand in the pocket.


Hip popped out.


It was like I would do anything to try to convince myself to like a new shirt that I really just wasn’t feeling.


One of the best decisions I ever made for my wallet and my wardrobe was to only buy things that made me go, “HELL YES,” the second I put them on.


You deserve to love everything you own and when you do, you are more likely to hang onto that item even longer — and less likely to fill your closet with a ton of stuff that will never be worn again!

Debbie from The Mayes Team always has the perfect casual minimalist vibe going on.


Ignore the trends. Find what feels good for you.

One thing we can all be certain of is that trends are ever-changing. But, remember, a you have a pre-determined personal style , and if you need help finding your style, I have a FREE guide for that!


When you avoid this constant need to keep up with trends, you learn to be content with what you have. That means you end up going to the store even less.


One tool a lot of minimalists use to avoid falling into trend temptation is to create capsule wardrobes. Capsule wardrobes are great for cycling through your clothes seasonally.


One of the best things about capsules is that each new season, when you open up your wardrobe, it kind of feels like shopping all over again because you instantly get to hang new (old) things up in your closet!

Clothes last longer

Once you have started being a more high maintenance shopper and making sure you really love each item that you bring home, you are more likely to have more time (and energy) to care for these items.

You know that one pair of pants that fit you perfectly that you hope stay with you until the end of time because of how good they make your butt look? Imagine your entire closet being good-butt pants! When you feel amazing in everything you are less likely to give into new temptations and are sure going to try to keep that amazing wardrobe going for as long as you can.


Continually re-evaluate

None of this is to say that minimalists never buy anything new. On the contrary a lot of minimalists tend to truly value their things, which is why being minimalist and loving stuff is totally possible.


Each season (give or take) a typical minimalist will re-evaluate what is taking up space I their closet. Are they wearing certain things less? Are there certain things they find themselves wearing more? Because they have gotten rather good at discarding unused things, the occasional closet evaluation and declutter is fairly common.


This again allows them to intentionally seek out new clothing they might find themselves wanting or creates more room for time and energy that is spent elsewhere other than on clothing.


Rather than getting swept away by a moment or giving into emotional spending, minimalist are always working (whether they realize it or not) to be aware and purposeful in their spending (or not spending) habits.

Think bigger than your wardrobe

By creating a healthy balance between living fully in the now while wisely planning for the future minimalists become less and less worried about the clothing on their back.


Minimalists have chosen what they value most in life. Things like:


  • People
  • Experiences
  • Travel


These things all take precedent over spending money on new styles and clothing.


Minimalists have taken the time to understand their emotional spending habits and realize that often times when we over-spend it is because we are truly seeking something more.


For the most parts, practicing minimalist are already choosing the “something more” instead of believing that their wardrobes will provide it for them.


More minimalist reads you’ll love


Choose your dream

At the end of the day, you make the choice of where you want your money to go and what is more important to you.


If you just gotta have the latest trends and styles to feel your best, then go for it!


This is your life and if fashion is what fills you up, then don’t let anyone tell you there is something wrong with that.


Just be smart about it and make sure you are also financially taking care of yourself so you don’t wind up adding more stress!


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Renee | The Fun Sized Life
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