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When it comes to saving money on swimsuits, the old saying is actually true: you get what you pay for. Take it from this native of Phoenix, a girl who grew up with a pool and spent many hours in and out of dozens of pools. Between the heat, chlorine, and weight fluctuations, the right swimsuit will end up costing you much less in the long run than a poorly made suit.
Luckily for us frugal-minded people, swimsuit shopping doesn’t have to be a costly, dreaded affair. I can’t guarantee you’ll love every swimsuit you try on (and yes, try them on!) but you at least will be able to save some money up front and over the long term.
These swimsuit money-saving tips aren’t just for women! Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, men’s swimsuits are also becoming more ornate and expensive. Of course, men don’t have the plethora of choices women have, but men’s swimsuits can also be pretty expensive. If you’re curious about how to save money on the right swimsuit, for men and women, read on!
Shop Off-Season
Right before and after summertime is the best time to go swimsuit shopping. The months leading up to summer (March-now) and after (August-maybe October) are the best time to score deals on a swimsuit. Especially right after the summer, retailers are trying to clear their shelves of leftover merchandise and often put most swimsuits on clearance.
However, don’t wait too long after the season to get a deal on swimsuits. By September or October, stores have moved on to the holidays and typically closed up their swimsuit deals. If you’re able to combine some coupons with the swimsuit sale, you can get an even better deal!
Shop Sales
Don’t fret if it’s summertime and you still need a swimsuit – retailers often have sales throughout the summer as well. You may be able to score a great deal on a swimsuit right now simply because the retailer has an oversupply.
Do consider shopping online for swimsuits too, as many retailers offer online swimsuit sales that allow you to shop from the comfort of your own home. However, make sure shipping is free if you choose to order online in case you don’t like the suit you ordered.
Looking for suits right now? Check out ThredUP! ThredUP is one of my favorite online sites to shop for clothes, because you can get crazy good deals on items people have owned or wore. Personally, I wouldn’t buy a worn suit, but that’s the beauty of ThredUP: tons of stuff on the site is brand new, never worn, with tags still attached. They’re just purchases people made and didn’t end up liking – it happens to all of us!
Mix and Match Your Swimsuits
This advice is more for women than men: if you want to buy a two-piece suit, consider mixing and matching your swimsuit purchases. Many stores sell swimsuit separates separately, even if they’re “supposed” to be paired together. Break that rule! If you love a pair of swimsuit bottoms, but the bikini top isn’t your style, pair it with another bikini top, tankini, or even an old swimsuit top you still have laying around.
One thing I like to do is match my old swimsuit bottoms (a black skirt) to a new bikini top that I purchase almost every year. It’s like getting a new swimsuit every year, but I’m only buying a new top. Black bikini bottoms go with almost every top on the market, plus I get to wear my old comfortable bottoms.
You could also mix some running shorts into your swimsuit mix, too. You’ll want to make sure your running shorts can get wet, won’t chafe and won’t be damaged by chlorine, but this is a great option for people who will be in and out of the pool. The right shorts (swimming or running) will make it easy for you to hop in and out, plus you can re-use the shorts during the year for exercise.
Consider Your Body Type
Here’s when that saying “you get what you pay for” kicks in – if you’ve got any type of flaws you want to cover up (and most of us do!), you’re going to want to pay a little more for the right swimsuit.
The right swimsuit will hold you in when you need it, won’t ride up and give you wedgies, won’t fall down and scare small children, and will just in general make you feel great. However, it’s not impossible to find the right swimsuit for a good price. Mixing and matching can help, as can following these swimsuit tips:
Picking the right material. Most swimsuits are made out of nylon or spandex, which will work for some people, but think of material outside of the box. For example, neoprene helps to mold your body and hold in your shape. Neoprene, or a blend of spandex and nylon can be the right pick for you if you’re looking for something to hold you in.
Consider different styles. Certain styles can help to minimize anything you want to hide, such as ruching around a stomach you’d like to hide, or a higher cut leg to make your legs look longer.
This is one of the best reasons to also use ThredUP – ThredUP has a ton of affordable options in different sizes, meaning whether you’re small or a little bigger (junk in the trunk!), you’ll find the perfect option for you.
Care for Your Swimsuits, and They Will Last!
After swimming in a pool, immediately try to rinse off your swimsuit in the sink. If you can, let it soak for an hour or so to completely remove any chlorine. If you want to do more than wash with water, you can use some gentle hand soap or detergent made for delicates.
You don’t need to wash your swimming suit in the washer, and you should never put it in the dryer. Even on low heat, you’ll wear out the elasticity and shorten your bathing suit’s life.
You can hang your swimsuit up in the shower, or outside on a line, to dry it out. Laying it flat and letting it dry is optimum, but I’ve hung up suits and it’s been fine.
By following these guidelines (from a pool and swimsuit expert!) you’ll save money on your swimsuits and prolong their lives. Given how expensive the right swimsuit can be, it makes sense to take care of it so that you can use it for several years!
How do you save money on swimsuits, and have you mixed and matched before to get different styles and shapes?
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Hayley @ Disease Called Debt says
I’ve just bought a swimsuit from Hot Tuna online. I was a bit worried as to whether it would fit, but I mixed and matched top and bottoms and because it was in the sale, I thought it was worth a go. I’m really happy with it! I think being guided by your body shape in the most important thing to consider. Once you know what suits you, it’s possible to look (and perhaps wait) for sales.
Melissa says
That’s such a good point, Hayley. Once you find your perfect swimsuit cut and fit, it’s a lot easier to wait for sales because you’re not buying things just to have a swimsuit. It’s definitely a lot of trial and error though, so it can take a while to find out what your ideal swimsuit is!
Gary @ Super Saving Tips says
Great advice. My wife definitely follows what you’ve written, from hand washing the suit in the sink to mixing and matching the tops and bottoms. On the other hand, I find that my suits seem to be sturdier (isn’t that often the case with men’s versus women’s clothes?) so I can just throw it in the washing machine, and the dryer, and not really see a difference. We both shop the sales though, and that saves us a bunch.
Melissa says
Ugh, that’s so true! Lucky guys 🙂 My fiance is able to ignore his suit in a corner for a few days, then rinse it off, and it still looks like it’s brand new. Your bathing suits definitely seem to be better made than ours – thanks for pointing out guys can probably get it away with putting their swimsuits in the washing machine! I think a lot of guys would prefer that than treating their suits delicately 🙂
Mel says
The best bathing suit I ever bought, I found at Marshall’s. It was the perfect bikini, because you totally do have to fork over a small fortune if you have any sort of boobs at all and actually want them held in.
I have a great one piece from ModCloth that was a splurge at $80, but it’s held up great for 3 years now and I still love it.
Melissa says
Oh my gosh, love Marshall’s! Also, love ModCloth. Last year I splurged and bought a $90 suit at ModCloth and I treat that thing like GOLD. It holds me in in all the right places, is a great color, and very well made. I plan to have that suit until I die… or radically change body shape. Whichever comes first. 🙂
The Frugal Exerciser says
I just wrote an article on finding activewear for the inverted triangle body. Anyway, I bought my last swimsuit at Target 5 years ago and I still have that suit. This year the weather in Chicago has be conducive to swimming. Thanks for the article and visiting from Financially Saturday link up.
Melissa says
Wow, your suit has lasted 5 years? That’s awesome! I think my longest lasting suit so far is 3 years, but I think some of that reason is because I do get bored of suits. Target has pretty great options – it’s easier to save money when the Target suits fit, but not all do! I’ll have to go check out your post about activewear – I find it hard to find well-fitting activewear too!
Holly@ClubThrifty says
I always shop off-season. The end of summer/early fall is a great time to get a nice suit at a drastic discount.
Melissa says
Holly, that’s so true! If you can wait until the end of the season, that’s when you can find the best deals!
Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life says
It’s been at least 7 years since I bought a swim suit but mine are facing some serious wear and tear. Now I take the better half of each and mix and match 🙂
Melissa says
Wow, 7 years?! That’s phenomenal! You really must take good care of your suits 🙂
Tre says
I got a great Nike 2 piece at the end of last summer for a steal! I also mix & match to get the look I’m comfortable with.
Melissa says
That’s awesome, Tre! End of the summer sales are the best!