I posted recently over at Wise Bread about my exorbitant dry cleaning weekly bill. If anyone can relate to spending too much money to clean clothes you don’t even really like to wear, it must be law students. Whether you’re schlepping back-and-forth to your externship with a judge, or wearing a suit to try to impress the partners at the firm you’re interviewing with, dry cleaning can put a serious cramp in your budget.

I’ve gone through many dry cleaners, and the retirement of my most recent dry cleaner (real old-fashioned Italian guy who was in the business since his father opened up shop in 1933) prompted me to take a serious look at the need for dry cleaning.

Most personal finance blogs do not go in-depth on how dry cleaning can hurt you financially, but I have found that I sometimes spend in excess of $500 a month on dry cleaning. With that in mind, I’ve developed a two-step plan to relieve my dry cleaning woes:

1. Dry Cleaning At-Home Kits

Dryel is the first product that popped into my head. I’ve seen their commercials, and it seems Dryel has the market cornered on at-home dry cleaning kits. These seem straightforward, and I have it on good advice that the Dryel product is much more environmentally-friendly then the stuff used by most dry cleaners. Also, even when you factor in the cost of running the dryer a couple extra cycles a week, this type of product should save me tons of money on dry cleaning sweaters, vests and polo shirts.

2. Professional Grade Steamer

Rowenta makes the best irons, so they must make the best commercial steamers as well. The prices might seem a little steep, but I think this product will pay for itself in less than a month. My friend has a steamer that he uses for suits and dress shirts, and he swears to me that he doesn’t even use an iron. I already have a pants press (recycled from my parent’s garbage) so the steamer, coupled with the Dryel kit should complete my trifecta of at-home dry cleaning products.

I’m interested to hear what you have to say. Who among us spends way too much on dry cleaning, and are you willing to give up the cleaner for a do-it-yourself solution? What are some other products/services that law students pay way too much for?

But at $200-$300 a pop, suits are expensive, especially for a starving law student like yourself. Here are 5 tips on how you can save tons of money on your next suit, but still look like a million bucks.

1. Buy suits on sale. Read the department store newspaper inserts religiously. Stores like Dillard’s or JC Penny have suit sales quite regularly. You can easily score a sharp looking suit for less than $200 if you keep your eyes open.
2. Avoid add-ons. Remember that department store salesman are paid on commission, so they’re going to try to up-sale you with belts, socks, and cufflinks. Buying in store will set you back. Say “no thanks” and go to a discount department store to buy your accessories.
3. Stick with classic designs. Don’t buy trendy suits for two reasons: 1) law is a very conservative profession. If you show up in suit that looks like it should be on a run way model, you’ll probably get funny looks from judges; and 2) trends come and go. If your suit goes out of style, you’ll probably be tempted to fork over more money to buy another. Go with a classic. You’ll never go wrong.
4. Don’t have your suit custom made. Custom made suits will have to wait when you are charging clients $400 an hour. In law school, saving money comes before luxury. Just buy your suit and have them tailor it in store. You’ll get the same custom made feel for a fraction of the price.
5. Buy a gently used thift store suit and have it tailored. Finding a nice thrift store suit will take a lot of patience and time; however, if you have both, you can save big bucks. I found a really sharp looking suit at a consignment store for $10. I took it in to a local men’s clothing store and they tailored it to my measurements for another $10. Total cost: $20.

You might not agree with his politics, but you have to agree that Ralph Nader is one frugal guy. While Nader has assets in the millions, he still lives like he’s a starving law student. Here are a few tips we can learn from Mr. Nader’s life

• Don’t own a car. Ralph Nader hasn’t owned a car since 1955. I guess he swore off them after he wrote Unsafe At Any Speed.
• Live in a boarding house.
• Don’t upgrade your technology. Mr. Nader still uses a black and white television. I can’t remember the last time I saw a black and white TV.
• He isn’t married and he doesn’t have kids. I plan on having a family. The money savings don’t outweigh the joy of family life. However, I can see how not having kids would save me a ton of money. Clothes, sports camps, food, and education costs can add up. As my father-in-law says, “Kids are money sucking leaches.”
• He buys clothes at the Army Surplus Store. Nader wears socks that he bought 20 years ago an Army surplus. Not only are the clothes cheap at surplus stores, they’re made to last.
• He buys his clothes at thrift stores. Sure, Ralph doesn’t have the latest fashion, but he never looks like a schlump. You always see the guy in a suit and tie. However, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on his wardrobe, he’s only spending a few bucks.

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[tags]Ralph Nader, frugal[/tags]

General Guidelines

• Work on the stain from the wrong side of the fabric. This keeps you from pushing the spot into the fabric instead of out of it.
• Always blot. Never rub.
• Consider the type of fabric you are working with. Delicate fabric requires a gentle approach.
• Catch the stain while it’s fresh. It will make it easier to remove.
• Never apply heat or put a piece of clothing in the dryer until you are sure the spot is removed

Stain Removing Arsenal

• Ammonia. Fights those gross yellow stains under your armpits.
• Alcohol. Great for grass stains.
• Hydrogen peroxide. 3 percent hydrogen peroxide is great for removing blood stains. For stubborn stains, combine ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1 teaspoon of ammonia. This is safe for whites and colorfast clothes.
• Denture cleaning tablets. Great for white table linens with food stains and white cottons with stains. Dissolve one tablet per ½ cup of water. Pour directly on the stain and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Shampoo. Work the shampoo into the ring around the collar for quick removal.
• Shaving cream. Just moisten the stain with some cool water and rub the shaving cream in. Flush with cool water. If it doesn’t get rid of the spot completely, you’ll at least have a head start on it.
• Club soda. Apply to any fabric that can be treated with water. Club soda will keep spots from becoming stains.
• Meat tenderizer. To remove protein based stains like milk, blood, and egg, apply cold water to spot and sprinkle on the unseasoned meat tenderizer. Let it soak about an hour and launder as usual.

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[tags]clothes, household tips, stains[/tags]

You’re set for a big interview with law job of your dreams. You have the suit and your belt matches your shoes. However, you have a wrinkly shirt. Don’t think you can hide the fact that your shirt is wrinkly by putting your suit coat over it. People can tell you have a wrinkly shirt on, which means the person interviewing you can tell that you have a wrinkly shirt on. In interviews, details matter. If you want the job, you better look like you have your act together, which includes a well pressed dress shirt.

The Iron Prep

• Set the iron temperature. For all cotton fabrics, set the temperature for high; lower for part (or all) synthetics. High temperatures can melt synthetics. You don’t want a melting shirt in addition to a wrinkly one.
• Iron on a padded surface. It makes ironing easier.
• Dampen the shirt. The key to good ironing is to have a slightly damp shirt. Take the shirt out of the dryer before it completely dries. If the shirt is already dry, spray a down with some water until slightly damp.

The Iron Plan

Don’t just iron randomly. It’s less efficient and less effective. Follow these 7 steps for ironing nirvana:

1. Collar. Lay it flat, wrong side up, pressing from the points towards the center. Then press it on the right side.
2. Yoke: The yoke is the panel that covers the shoulders. Lay it over the widest part of the ironing board to do the job.
3. Cuffs: Iron the insides, then the outside.
4. Sleeves: Smooth the sleeve flat with your palm and iron it, then flip it over and do the other side. Then do the other sleeve. Use the seams as a guide on how to flatten it.
5. Back: Lay it on the wide part of the ironing board, too.
6. Front panels: Start with the pocket, then do the panels. The little grooves on your iron help you press around buttons.
7. Retouch: Retouch the collar and cuffs if they need it

The Iron Finish

Hang the shirt on a hanger. Don’t put it in your closet until it’s cool or it will just get wrinkly again.

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[tags]homemaking, clothing, ironing[/tags]