CPW Budget Experiment - YouLookFab Forum

Last week I considered whether I could set a clothing budget using an average CPW of $1. I had lots of great comments on that thread. Thanks!

I'm going to try this budget this year. I'm using my start date as September 1st.

Some things upfront. I already have a good working wardrobe. Most of my wardrobe is less than 4 years old. I have a moderate sized wardrobe, a four-season climate and a very casual lifestyle. I think I might also be a uniform dresser. I think I have a few seasonal silhouettes and somewhat limited colour palette and little need for lots of variety in function of clothes besides seasonal concerns. Except for some specialized gear for activities like camping and exercising, my wardrobe works across all of my roles - mom to young daughter, full-time teacher, social activities.

I do have a small special occasion capsule. I'd like to add a wool winter coat to this capsule this year. Everything else is in good shape.

I am embarking on this experiment for curiosity's sake. I don't have an unlimited budget for clothing but nor do I need to restrict myself to this extent. I am, however, looking for some efficiency, both in how many dollars I spend and how many wears I get out of an item before I tire of it. I would also like to achieve further efficiency in my closet.

I am basing my numbers on average wears per clothing category and I concede some categories will have a lower CPW and some will be higher. I'm less concerned with actually achieving these CPWs for each and every item and more concerned with just meeting my needs/wants in each category while maintaining this budget.

I don't tend to spend a lot of money on one item. I do spend on winter coats but once I have one or two good ones, I'll round out that capsule with good buys. I will spend on footwear but have no interest or need for designer. Because I work with kindergarteners, it just doesn't pay to buy and wear expensive items. Too easily, it could get ruined. I'm also quite casual in other aspects of my life and don't often enjoy dressing up - special occasions excepted.

I'll let you know how my experiment goes. For the record the budget is $1540 for the year or about $130 a month.

8 years ago

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Looking forward to hearing how it goes. I'm realizing some of my CPW's are still quite high, and my basic pants I've worn to death are down to almost nothing. Some of my purchases this summer are still high CPW's but off the chart JPW (joy). I think it will also be interesting to think about expected CPW's as I make purchases.
It will be interesting to think about expected CPW's along with adding some special pieces as someone posted, and along with adding updated basics.

chewyspaghetti

I'll be really interested to see how this goes for you.

LaPed

I think this is a great experiment. I lead a similarly uber-casual life; with lots of time spent around young children and outdoors it does not make sense for me to invest in items with a huge price tag, however I do try to be picky about quality. Cheaply made items that tear or pill easily do not earn their keep even if they seem like bargains initially.

I find that my own CPW varies a lot from garment to garment. I have a 12-year-old wool coat that cost a lot but is down to practically nothing, so I'd say a good fitting wool coat is a wise addition. On the other hand, the last high-end rain jacket I bought for outdoor/gear use cost just as much but only lasted me about 4 years. I got many days of wear out of it in that time, but now I'm experimenting with cheap ponchos as an alternative for hiking/camping/backpacking, because I really don't like to invest so much in an item that wears out quickly (4 years feels quick to me -- I'm sure for others that's a lifetime!).

One big change I've made is avoiding pants with any Spandex content whatsoever -- I find I get a MUCH lower CPW out of all-cotton jeans that mold to my shape, vs stretchy denims that bag out and pucker over time. I like the character and natural distressing real cotton denim acquires as it wears. Last year I bought my first pair of skinny, stretchy corduroys (from what I thought was a pretty reputable brand) and my toddler managed to rip a huge hole in one of the seams just by tugging at my pant leg! This year, I think I'll replace them with a pair of men's cords in 100% cotton and have them altered to fit me.

Anonymous

Your plan sounds really good.

shedev

$130 sounds like a good budget.

La Pedestrienne -- Your comment was very helpful. I recently purchased this jacket for hiking/trail running. I fully anticipated that it would last more than four years time (I have some jackets that are more than a decade old and still going strong). Based on your comment, I am going to go home and carefully review its construction and overall quality. Thank you.

Nordstrom

Adidas 'Xperior' Softshell Jacket

$129.00

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