Counting the Cost

"Switching out clothes for different seasons used to drive me crazy! Especially here in Virginia when you can be wearing shorts and sweaters in the same month sometimes. I wanted to be able to have 'off season' clothes handy for weather changes, but not have to schlep up and down the fold-down attic stairs.

I solved this problem with two actions. First, I got rid of the extra clothes (donated to others or to the trash can). I laid out all of my son's t-shirts one day and discovered that he had 28! I do laundry once a week, so he really only 'needed' 7, plus a few sentimental favorites. So the extras get removed.

After getting rid of the excess, I moved on to my second step and made sure that I had space for ALL their currently fitting clothing in their rooms, despite the season. The kids each have two dressers - mostly it is one for warm weather and one for cold - and a little hanging space in their closets. This makes us take stock of what we have and not keep too much.

I used to buy several outfits for my son for church, but realized that he really doesn't like some clothes like sweaters and the likelihood of needing 4-6 of them is slim. So I stick with fewer outfits of the kind he's most likely to wear and enjoy. Similarly, when I can't close my daughter's dresser drawer that hold sweaters and sweatshirts, I go through the pile with her and weed out the extras. It also makes us less likely to pick up souvenir t-shirts and sweatshirts.

I do shop for upcoming seasons/sizes when I see sales and I store these in boxes in the attic marked with gender/size/season so I can quickly grab what we need when a growth spurt and/or season change hits. When the season is nearing an end (cold weather clothes for us here), I get rid of all clothes that fit now (because they won't next year) and send them on to someone who can use them.

Getting rid of extra clothes (no matter how cute they are!) and storing clothes of all seasons in the same room have helped me get off the vicious "rotating clothes" cycle." ~ Anne Margaret

"Put clean and completely dry out of season clothes in a clear leaf bag. Use a vacuum to remove the excess air then tie the bag off. This makes them compact and they will not smell stale when you open the bag to use them." ~ Erin

"One winter my young daughter did not have many sweaters. To supplement her winter wardrobe, I used long sleeved cotton shirts and just layered them with an undershirt. She was just as warm as if she had on a sweater and she got additional use from her fall/spring long sleeved shirts. In addition to saving money, this also cut down on the amount of drawer space needed for bulky sweaters (and storage space during the warmer months)." ~ Jen

"I keep my wardrobe organized in two seasonal categories....Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. I keep my out-of- season clothes in a separate closet in another room (guest room). I clean my coats once at the end of the season. I separate my sweaters and place them in a plastic box. When I purchase anything new I do it knowing that something in my closet will be replaced. This keeps me disciplined so that I really must love the item I am purchasing! I also check for minor alterations at the end of the season. I have lost some weight over the last year and have chosen to alter many of the nicer pants I own. To replace them would cost me more money so altering is the best plan. You have to keep this in mind to determine what is the best course. I also purchase new clothes with the idea that I do not want to have to buy new shoes, purse etc...I try to keep my wardrobe 'tight' meaning that items are interchangeable most of the time." ~ Janice

"We have definite seasons here in Wisconsin, so we have two very different wardrobes. Each family member has a large Rubbermaid bin (I think they're 30 gallon?). For Mom & Dad, we just switch our clothes out when the weather either warms up, or gets cooler. For the kids, I also store some of the upcoming 'larger size' clothes they might fit this year (we get hand-me-downs from older cousins and also stuff I pick up at Goodwill or yard sales). That goes to thebottom of their bins, and I put a note card in there to say 'Size 16' or whatever, so I don't have to open each pile up to see what it is. Their closets have very high ceilings, so each bin is kept on the top-most shelf in their closets. Dad & Mom's bins are in our own closets in our bedroom. We have a bigger bin, in the basement, with winter coats for the kids to hand-me- down or grow into; another one with boots, X-country ski boots & gaiters, water shoes (for summer canoeing trips), and rain jackets.

And we have Rubbermaid bins to store all our camping-kitchen gear and equipment. They worked really slick when we made a cross- country camping trip from Wisconsin to Montana several years ago." ~ Deb

Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share his or her ideas!

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