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Mr. FAF and I normally don’t shop for clothes at thrift stores.
It doesn’t mean that we’re not price conscious. We usually look for sales and balk at high prices.
Although our family was not well-off, we usually just wore hand-me-down clothes from the people we knew.
What I love about Mr. FAF is that he’s a simple guy. Mr. FAF is not particular about what he wears.
He’s not shabby by any means. Clothing is just not his priority.
Below are the four different ways we save on Mr. FAF’s clothes.
1. Shoes from Payless
Mr. FAF loves Nike shoes and t-shirts. Earlier in our marriage, he bought 3 pairs of Nike shoes when we went to the mall one time.
However, after following me to a Payless store, he realized that the shoes there were not as bad as he thought.
Mr. FAF happily bought a pair of running shoes for $19 and told me he would buy shoes from that store from then on.
Sometimes when we go to the mall, he’d like to stop by a Nike store, look at the new shoes, and walk away saying they’re too expensive. (That’s my husband right there!)
One time Mr. FAF bought a $5 pair of crocs from H-Mart (Korean grocery store) and wore them for 3 years until they broke. He told me it was his best purchase ever.
2. Free t-shirts and fleece jackets
Mr. FAF has 5 Nike t-shirts at $10 each. Other than that, he likes wearing random free T-shirts I got from school, events, and work. He has T-shirts with logos like Capital One Bank, No Smoking, and Theater Club. But he wears them every where and even to work. (Mr. FAF works in an environment where formal attire is not required.)
One time I got him two free fleece jackets from work, and he was very happy with the quality and the design (or the lack thereof). He told me those jackets kept him warm in the winter, and that he felt extremely comfortable in them.
Mr. FAF has jackets, sweaters, and shirts he’s owned for 10 years or longer. Some of them even start to show wear and tear, and the color is fading. But he just thinks it’s not important to buy new clothes.
Mr. FAF once tried to mend a pair of jeans which were a bit ripped on the bottom. It didn’t end up looking particularly nice, but I appreciate him learning the art of sewing to save money.
One time, I felt bad for Mr. FAF and bought him some nice t-shirts. Contrary to my expectations, Mr. FAF didn’t seem too happy. He complained that it was a waste of money and told me to return them. When I bring him free T-shirts, however, I always see a big smile on his face.
3. Jeans from Old Navy
Mr. FAF has gained a lot of weight (almost 30 lbs) since we got married. I’m not sure how it all happened. But one day Mr. FAF hopped on the scale and told me about his weight discovery. He can now fit into only two pairs of jeans we bought from Old Navy for $25/each four years ago.
One pair just got ripped on the bottom 3 months ago. After an unsuccessful attempt to mend the broken jeans, Mr. FAF bought another $25 Old Navy pair to replace the old one. And he needs two pairs in total to move on with his life.
4. Underwear from Costco
This might be too much information, but Mr. FAF has owned the same pairs of Kirkland-brand boxers (Costco’s brand) for 5 years. I also wear them as shorts at home sometimes since they’re extremely comfortable.
Priorities
Despite his obsession with Nike, Mr. FAF manages to rein it in and spend money on things that are more important to us (i.e. mortgage, dinner dates). He gets his priorities right. And for that, he deserves the title of a frugal husband and a family man at the FAF household.
Related:
How Frugality Brought Us Together As A Couple
The Struggle For (Financial) Power In A Marriage
Interview With Mr. FAF – Husband Of A Personal Finance Blogger
How Mr. FAF and I Handle Our Finances As A Couple
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I get underwear from Costco, bras from Target and even some cute tops from both places. Some of the tops I’ve had the most compliments on were only $4.95 at Costco. I see nothing wrong with buying this way.
Hi Janet, thank you so much for dropping by my blog! I totally agree with you. I get my underwear from Walmart (6 for ~$8) and find them very comfortable and durable. I also share some clothes with Mr. FAF at home since I find them pretty comfy.
I’d love to know what your tops look like. I’ll look for women tops next time I go to Costco. You never know what treasure you can find 🙂
Payless ShoeSource filed for bankruptcy and said it will immediately close nearly 400 stores in US and Puerto Rico https://t.co/eX0yySqt2p https://t.co/kyLlppC9SL
Oh no my favorite shoe store is going out of business 🙁 Thanks for the heads-up!
I buy shoes once a year for hubby usually around Cyber Monday. He wears it out in 1 year, just in time for the next cyber monday. He’s like my maintenance pet rock hahahaha 😉
*low maintenance
Haha that’s perfect! My hubby is also very low maintenance. That’s one thing I love about him! 😀 I’ve never been into guys that pay too much attention to their looks (i.e. using cologne, gelling their hair, brand-name clothes). It’s probably because I don’t do those things, but I also like that Mr. FAF can help me save money by being simple! ^.^
As a low maintenance man, I know your husband’s frame of mind. Just need clothes that are comfortable and not expensive. Outside of the stores you mentioned, another one that you guys should go to is Kohls. I’m guessing they have some in the DC area but if not just check out their website. They have brand names at really good prices. We signed up for a store card and we receive all types of perks like monthly newsletters with coupons up to 30% off
I just looked up Kohls, and there are indeed some Kohls stores in the DC area. Thank you so much for the great suggestion! I’ll take a look at their website to see what they have. And you’re correct about Mr. FAF. He’s a pretty simple man in terms of his looks, which I really like. =)
We shop at Marshalls, our military AAFES Exhange, and Kohls. Our biggest clothing expense is our kids. Sounds like Mr. FAF is a FA @ heart.
I shop at Marshalls too! I also like Ross. They have some really nice dresses at lower prices. I went to look at some toddlers clothes the other day. I was shocked and confused as to why kids clothes are almost as expensive as adult clothes. I even turned to Google to find out why that is 😀