Sometimes, being a parent means not treating yourself to a new wardrobe when the seasons change so you can ensure all the kids have new pool slides and shorts to replace the ones they grew out of last year.
But as a mom of five, I’ve found creative ways to still get new-to-me things when our budget is tight, such as participating in our community’s local “Buy Nothing” groups on Facebook.
They’re part of the global Buy Nothing Project, where people give away things they no longer want for free. Many neighborhoods and cities have super-local versions of these groups online to make gifting and picking up items easier.
In the past, I’ve used such groups to score baseball equipment for my sons and small kitchen appliances and to give away baby equipment and clothes, old furniture, and even mattresses.
Most recently, though, my “Buy Nothing” scrolls brought me to one of my best finds yet: a whole new summer wardrobe, just in time for the warm months ahead.
One giveaway post turned into an afternoon of fun spent mixing and matching new styles
While browsing our local group for new posts, a deep-red shirt with a chevron-looking pattern caught my eye.
It’s not normally a style I’d pay attention to, but I’d just learned in a color analysis that I look best in jewel tones, like ruby, and I thought it might be great for me.
From there, I checked out the woman’s profile to see if she had a similar build and body type.
I’m a large on top and an extra large on the bottom, so it can be hard to find a “size buddy” — someone of a similar build — giving away clothes online.
Fortunately, based on her posts, she seemed like a match.
Even better, my new “size buddy” was giving away more clothes that seemed like they’d fit me, a mix of cute Anthropologie-like pieces and business-professional attire.
I commented “interested” on a few of her posts, and she ended up gifting me much more than what she had shared online.
When I arrived at the pickup spot, the woman had set out multiple bags of clothes for me, including pieces I would’ve tried on myself in a store.
Since the clothes were already here and free, I pushed myself to step outside my comfort zone and get creative with mixing and matching new pieces with items I already had in my wardrobe.
I was pleasantly surprised. For example, there was a top with flutter sleeves in a gauze-like material that I’d never pick up myself, deeming it too feminine or “extra” for my usual style.
However, when I put it on, I found it flattering, fun, and easy to pair with white shorts I already had for a casual date outfit or with work pants for more professional events.
I’m also always on a mission to find work-from-home clothes that look professional on Zoom calls but are casual enough to pair with sneakers for a mid-workday walk.
Several pieces I was gifted worked well for this, including a silky blue V-neck that looks nice on camera but is still casual enough to pair with lightweight summer joggers.
One of my most-worn finds so far is a pair of comfortable cotton shorts that feel like sweats, but look much nicer. They’re slightly longer than I’d typically buy, and for this reason, don’t ride up.
A few pieces didn’t work for me (turns out my size buddy is slightly smaller on top), but it was easy to just pass them along to someone else in the “Buy Nothing” group.
In the end, another person’s generosity saved me hundreds of dollars
Ultimately, I took home five tops and five bottoms, all in excellent condition. A few had brand names I recognized, and several seemed to be from local boutiques.
I’d estimate my new seasonal wardrobe would’ve cost several hundred dollars if I’d purchased it new.
More importantly, though, the value of getting this wardrobe was that I didn’t have to run around town trying clothes on or scrambling to make returns in tight windows when online orders don’t work out.
Plus, this experience taught me not to rule a piece out just because it doesn’t seem like my style at first glance. There’s also a bit of fun and creativity that comes with trying on another person’s styles, and figuring out how to make them your own with jewelry or other clothes you already have.
Lastly, this was also a good reminder of how “Buy Nothing” groups can help my family save money. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for new posts from my “size buddy” as the seasons change — and maybe I’ll look for clothes for my family next.
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