Not all bargains are created equal—some are really spending traps in disguise. Calculating the cost per wear of an item before purchasing the piece will easily uncover the true value of an item. The cost per wear formula:


Total cost of the item/ estimated number of days you’ll wear it = the cost per wear



For example, if you spend $500 on a great winter coat, wear it for about 100-150 per year over the next five years, it’ll cost you about $.67 to a $1.00 every time you wear the coat. The more you wear the coat, the lower the cost per wear. On the other hand, the trendy top you bought for $20 at your local Old Navy, that you wear only three times before throwing it out, costs you around $6.50 everytime you wear it, making it almost SIX times as expensive as the coat.

So what’s the moral of this shopping trick? Value, not low prices should be your focus when budget shopping. Remember a bargain is only a bargain if you actually wear it.