I also have stopped buying clothes that require dry-cleaning. When the cleaner charges $16.95 to clean a winter coat, that adds a lot to my clothing budget.

Ditto, Jannine! The prices of dry cleaning absolutely shock me!

and you guys don't live in NYC!

I bought a silk shirt during my internship here--getting it cleaned was $4.50 (this was in 1981).

i brought it back to Missouri with me for my last year of college and thought I couldn't afford to wear it. But I did wear it once, and took it to be cleaned--for $1. I was floored.

I won't buy dry-clean only stuff.

I try to remember the price per wear, but I'm also pretty good at tossing stuff I won't actually wear, esp. if it doesn't fit or isn't in good condition anymore.

If I hold it, it's because I'm trying to hold onto the dream of myself as being a person who would wear those clothes. They may be slightly out of style, or require dry cleaning, or something, but I liked how I looked when I wore them--that's why I keep them.

I have a really cheap leather skirt--when you consider price-per-wear, at least. It probably cost me 25¢ per wear, I'm guessing. And I've still got it, and still occasionally wear it.

I don't do this with clothing, but with bigger ticket items. Our mattress and springs cost $2,400. A ten year life span means it costs $0.65 a night. Not bad. Glasses at $300 for frames, but worn daily for four years. Four cents a day. Not bad.

I really don't do this much anymore because I have changed my buying habits so much. Before, I would buy for the style first. Now, I'm looking at fiber content, do I really want to bother with a red shirt I'll have to wash separately, etc.

Gloria

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it -- but I haven't used a dry-cleaner in 7 years.

I have a front load machine with a handwash cycle. I wash cashmere sweaters, silk blouses and lined wool blazers. I love luxury fibers but I don't have the money to dry clean it after every wearing. You have to learn to press and block but since I sew and knit this was no problem.

And just to let you know -- all my clothes come from GoodWill or consignment shops. I have bought 6 cashmere sweaters this year and never paid more than $10 (and that was a sweater set) for any of them. Many people hate the expense of dry cleaning -- they would rather give it away.

And the silk blouses and cashmere sweaters make me look presentable to my mother --- she hates the fact that at 50, I still won't wear anything but Levi's!

Cathy

I just finished a big wardrobe clean out. I had a baby last fall and as I grew out of clothing, I put them away. Then when I went to take out my pre-baby clothing, I only took out what I liked and what fit (or would after the baby weight was gone.)

I got rid of a many boxes of clothing. I felt rather sick looking at the money spent on clothing that never really fit well. Luckily I have a friend who is a bit shorter that I am and could use the clothing.

So, I have made a promise to myself that I wouldnÂt purchase clothing that I didnÂt think fit well and would continue to do so after I have washed and dried them several times. I am on the tallish side of life (5Â10") so this means mostly buying only tall clothing. This severely limits my bargain shopping ability (try finding tall shirts for women not so easy).

So, yes, I have thought about price per wear and have decided that it is much better for me to buy tall at a higher price than to buy clothing that I canÂt wash and dry without making them no longer fit right.

The result is that I now have fewer clothing, but I what I do have is generally better made and I will wear more often.