Ok, here's the situation: I was given a $200 mall gift card after losing 30lbs. I was in desperate need of clothes that fit, so I went on a mini shopping spree. I'm a good shopper and managed to get a dress, a jacket, three pairs of jeans, two shirts, two camisoles, and a pair of underoos. The problem is almost nothing fits now. I can wear a belt with the jeans, but that doesn't change the saggy butt of the too big pants. The shirts hang awkwardly, and the dress would take some serious alterations to look right again.

I know it's probably dumb to be complaining about this but I don't know what to do. I do not have ANY spare money since I took a $5/hr paycut when I left my old job last fall (that was why a family friend got me the gift card. She knew I was broke, but all my clothes were falling off of me.)

Has anyone else had this problem??? I'm going to be starting a new job next week which will give me a little spending money. But I guess I'm a little nervous about buying clothes now. I'm at goal, but am planning on maintaining between 130 & 135. I also don't know if I'm mentally ready to get new clothes. When I went shopping last time I refused to try on anything smaller than a size 12 cuz I was convinced it wouldn't fit. A week after I'd used up my gc I decided to try on a 10 and it fit. I think I'm worried about doing the same thing.

So, did anyone else wait a bit before buying new clothes til they were mentally ready? Or am I just being a weirdo???

Can you take the clothes to a consignment shop and look there for other things - then you're getting discounted nice clothes, while also making a little money if your items sell. Try on a variety of sizes - if you know that's an issue when you go, bring a friend to help you choose items and ask her to pick the sizes, as you try things on.

Yep, when I was losing pregnancy weight, I went the consignment route. I ended up getting several nice items (a pair of black Banana Republic dress pants for $2, a pair of brown Gap dress pants for $2, a Banana Republic sweater for $3, and several button down shirts for similar pricing). I suggest going to a very high end neighborhood. I also picked up a Burberry handbag for $15.

Oh, and skip Salvation Army for Goodwill...at least that's the way it is around these parts.

Seconding the consignment shop idea. You can bring it your old clothes and earn store credit towards purchases. It's a great way to pick up a few much needed essentials until you start your new job and earn some extra spending money.

Also, if you are near an Old Navy, I got an email that you can get 30% off of your entire purchase in-store by using the codeword "booty". Weird, but true.. March 17-20th. http://www.mavenofsavin.com/2011/03/...reciation.html

I just took on a new flute student intending to use the extra cash for clothes. I need them, especially heading into a new season. I'm funny about buying the right size too. If the number is too small, regardless of if it fits, I'll hesitate to buy it. Silly, really.

Once I'm at goal I plan to shop. I have no problems doing so! But I understand your reservations. Who knows if our bodies will actually stop there?

I bought $200 worth of pants when I reached goal, four weeks later they were an entire size too big. Unfortunately, I haven't bothered to replace them so am still wearing them now two years later too big.

Do you know anyone that sews? Maybe you could trade services; they could do alterations for you and you might cook, clean or babysit for them?

I don't know anyone who sews. :/ and I failed home ec back in the day cuz I can't sew to save my life (I aced the cooking part of the class, but sewing was 50% of the grade .)


I like the consignment idea. Especially for pants. With the light but constant Seattle rain all my pants end up warn and ragged at the hem. I still might wait a little bit till I feel a little more stabilized with my weight.

BCOutlet.com is a great online source for cheap clothing. Some of the discounts are small, but some are incredible. For example, I recently bought some t-shirt knit pants for $2.99. They only had gray left, but I was intending them as jammies, so that didn't matter. I also had a coupon code pop up for free shipping.


I also suggest consignment shops for selling - and also for buying (as well as thrift stores and garage sales). I don't necessarily recommend shopping where you sell, though. You want to sell to the shop that will pay you the most (but that's the shop that is selling at the highest price). And you want to buy at the shop with the best selection and the lowest prices (surprisingly that's oftent he same store).

I sell a lot of stuff at consignment shops. Not just clothes, but shoes, craft supplies, paperback books, cookbooks.... I don't pay full-price for anything I can get cheaper, and I don't throw away anything that I might be able to sell.

When I sell, I start at the highest end shop that will take the merchandise. Anything they don't take, I take to the next highest-paying shop. Anything they don't take, I donate to my favorite charity shop (I've thought of adding more stores to the process, because I suspect that I could go to four or five stores and sell even more, but that means we always would have a trunk-full of stuff to get rid of - and with current gas prices I'd have to start figuring in the cost of gas).

Perhaps, surprisingly, the shops with the snootiest reputation don't usually have the best selection and they never have the best prices (though they rely on that impression to draw in customers). The best selection and the best prices are generally is found in the humblest shops (the charity-run shops). Sometimes the obvious choice, isn't the best. In our area, Goodwill runs the largest shop, and it has a great selection, but it's one of the higher priced shops except for their 50% sales (every week, merchandise with a specific price tag color is 50% off).

I browse all of the shops, even the higher priced ones, because you can sometimes find a hidden treasure anywhere, and it also gives you an idea of what they sell and how much they tend to charge.


I've even sold clothes at a profit. For example, I bought a beautiful sweater at a church-run shop for $4. It was a high-end brand and the tags were still on (with a $60 price tag). I wore it for a season, and then took it to the high end consignment shop. They sold it for $15, so I got $7.50 (so I didn't just get the sweater "free" I made a $3.50 profit).

I've never bought items with the sole intention of selling them on consignment for a profit, but I know women who do. And I do occasionally gamble on a piece because I think I can get a good price for it if I'm wrong. My "gambles" are usually color-related as I'm color-blind, so I'll sometimes buy something thinking it will match something I already own - and it turns out I'm wrong.

I'm often tempted to buy things to resell, but I don't have the time to put into it, and I don't have the money to "gamble."

One thing to keep in mind, is that depending on your size and the demand for it, you may succeed in finding stuff only one in several trips. My size is rare, which means I do sell high, but I also have to buy high (unless I'm really lucky). I have found though that I don't have to buy as high if I'm willing to shop more frequently. I may only find what I'm looking for 1 in 10 times, but the price I pay is worth the 9 extra trips. If I had to travel far, it wouldn't be, but I'm able to shop on our way to other errands, so gas money isn't part of the equation at this point (with gas prices going up, that may change).

Omg! So I totally forgot that a friend wanted me to house/dog sit for them this month! Yay for spare money!!! I still think I'll just use a little bit and maybe start putting money aside for a "clothing fund" for myself. I bartend occasionally and can use the tips for that too.

One more in the consignment camp. You could try Plato's Closet. They're a classier thrift shop, and they're picky about what they take. I used to sell my clothes to them when I was in normal sizes and get great money. You could spend the credit there or take the cash.

Lordy, do I EVER understand your post! I have a bunch of 16's in my closet and wore those through my size 14 stage. Then I hit size 12 (still not my goal tho) and I couldn't get away with wearing anything in my closet. Not even my 14's. So a couple nights ago I only bought 2 pairs of 12's. I do NOT want to spend more money because my fear is exactly what you mentioned..... that soon I'll be in 10's. I am bringing a few skirts to a tailor next week and I'm going to check out a few consignment shops.

And not only do I need to replace pants & skirts but I have to replace shirts, pajamas, stockings, bras, panties, workout clothes and rings. Even my feet are getting thinner.

It's a good problem to have physically and emotionally but financially? NO WAY!

I think the thrift shops in the upscale neighborhoods have the lowest prices and best quality. (Go figure!) I think a mix and match is the best way to go while losing. Buy sweaters and jackets on the smaller end so you can grow into them. Two or three shirts, black, navy and khaki pants with a variety of sweaters and jackets will do the trick until you are at your goal weight.

I've found this to vary tremendously from community to community, and even when you think you recognize a pattern for your area, you'll find remarkable exceptions. It pays to keep an open mind.

I've lived in communities in which it was true, but also have lived in communities in which the opposite is true. Each community seems to have it's own "flavor," in regard to the second hand stores.

In our area, the charity run shops (especially those run by churches and church schools) have the best prices and the best variety, though the organization can be a bit iffy. My favorite is a shop in a lower-middle class neighborhood. The church itself is in a very upscale neighborhood and has a lot of wealthy members. I feel like I've almost gotten to know two of the women who donate regularly in my size. I assume it's two women, because the styles of clothing and brand choices are very different, but they're both expensive brands. One woman seems to donate mostly clothing that's never been worn (the tags are still on). The styles are always very classic and timeless - very much investment pieces. The other woman is more trendy, probably younger (I'm guessing). The price tags are removed, and I'm guessing the clothes have been worn, but you'd never guess it - there's never so much as a snag or a loose button anywhere.

It's a large church, and it gets a lot of donations, and the shop-space is small, so their prices are dirt cheap compared to every other store in town. It also looks shabbier than most, because it's so crowded.

If you like antiques, it's one of the best stores in town. Much is mixed in, but they also have display cases filled with known collectibles and antiques. Items in the cases are sold at inflated prices (compared to everything else in the store), but even so they're 1/4 the price of any of the "antique shops" in town.

Their prices are ridiculously low. I've bought never-worn designer clothes with the price tags still attached for $2.50. I've seen similar styles in the same brand sell for $15 - $20.00 in the upscale shops (usually the upscale shops in our area sells items with the pricetags intact for between 1/3 and 1/4 of the price tag. Sometimes as much as 1/2 for in-demand brands).

They could charge more, but because they want things to move fast, they don't. They're the only shop that never runs sales (except senior discount days), but their prices are so low, they don't have to.

The shop has such great deals that it's the only shop I tend not to recommend by name to anyone. I'll be honest if someone asks my opinion of the shop, but I don't go out of my way to mention it by name, because I really don't want any more competition than is absolutely necessary. It's one of the least attractive shops, inside and out, so it tends to get overlooked except by the people who know better.

I live 15 minutes north of Seattle and we have no shortage of consignment shops. And since I seem to be wearing between a size 6 and an 8, I wouldn't think it will be too hard to find something that fits.

Jeans are the toughest for me to find though cuz I've had a baby and definitely have wider hips from that, I have a pretty ghetto booty and I'm short(ish) with short legs. I usually do pretty well at finding dresses, so maybe I'll start there. I live in dresses come summertime.

Summer...*sigh*... can't wait.