Since becoming a stay at home mom , I have picked up a side gig of doing laundry for an App. I normally do pick up’s in the town over. A lot of the clients specifically are Ivy League. And more on the geeky side, and are definitely very frugal.
A lot of of underwear are really ratted and completely soiled even after washing. I even notice there’s a lot of kids hand me downs that look atrocious, because they are so badly stained.
As a grown woman I get new underwear maybe every few months. I keep it simple some comfy black one for that time of the month and a few skims that last me forever. This customer has had these for atleast 20 plus years and her husbands ass was basically completely blown out. And I know it’s a frugal thing because their home is beautiful. Are all frugal people living like this ?
How often are you buying new underwear?
byu/thisisdy inFrugal
Posted by thisisdy
49 Comments
I buy new underwear when I have fewer than 10 good pairs left due to rips, tears, or elastic snaps. If I am close to 10 and see something on sale, I buy it then..but otherwise I wait until needed.
Unless they are ruined beyond repair I almost never replace my underwear. I have some pairs from over 20 years ago that I still wear on occasion.
I realised that I was only reminded to buy myself new underwear when I had to buy my son new ones as he grows. I will literally wear them until they fall apart, so now when I order him some I buy myself a pack. (Probably my ADHD, as a couple of holes in a pair of pants seems to be a ‘not now’ problem to my brain)
I consider myself a frugal person and I buy a 6 pack of cotton underwear from target (auden brand) about every year. They’re not expensive and buying some every year allows me to throw away underwear that are stained, ripped or ill fitting. They cost $2/pair.. I don’t understand not replacing underwear.
Every few months is a lot. I get them once a year.
Only when they are uncomfortable to wear. I have torn up underwear that are exclusively at home, lounging underwear for when I dont want to wear pants.
A lot of people just don’t refresh the mundane things. They don’t find the time, or don’t really think about it. I finally went to get more of the boxers I like and they’ve been discontinued. Now I’m just dragging my feet because I want the ones I like.
Once every few years I buy new ones from aeries. They’re $50 for 10 when on sale but will last you a very long time.
I’m not sure why the brand you buy only lasts a few months but consider looking into aeries panties
As long as my testicles or penis isn’t sticking out or the waist band doesn’t keep them up, I’m likely keeping them.
I have some nicer ones for the rate time I think they might be seen, date or Drs appointment, usually DRs appointment.
Haven’t bought any new in at least 5 years 😆
When I get down to less then 10 pairs I’ll buy more and buy like 10 pairs and just add them to the rotation.
Kirkland/Costco boxer briefs last me at least 5 years
I get a multi pack a few times a year, amounting to probably 15 pairs a year. I have over 50 pairs in rotation, 12 of those being period panties. I throw them away if they get misshapen too much. Some pairs are bleached but none are stained. Wtf are these people doing. Even period blood washes out fully in cold water.
I buy a dozen pairs of underpants and 16 pairs of identical socks every 2-3 years. Then I go through my existing knickers and socks, and compost or throw out any that are ratty or developing holes.
My underwear are five years old and going strong.
I used to wait for a big sale, then buy the same style once a year or two. I get rid of holes, though.
I wear them until the elastic gives out typically. They’re my least priority for clothing because it’s just extra layering in the end. I change them every day and they’re the most frequently washed item along with socks. So they’ll go thread bare and battered quickly but aren’t gross to me.
Have you ever tried to get a man to part with ratty old underpants?
I wear mine until they fall apart or the elastic fails and the underwear won’t stay on tight any longer. So maybe 8-10 years?
I never buy underwear for myself. I get them at Christmas from the matriarchs in the family.
46M, I didn’t seem to have an issue with staining my underwear and the brand I like seems to last a very long time (Pair of Thieves).
Undershirts are a different story. They get sweat and different stains requiring regular replacement probably annually.
Maybe that’s why they can afford the nice home, because they are spending money elsewhere.
I line dry my underwear and throw them out when they get stains or holes or lose elasticity, but I’m guessing mine usually last 5 years, give or take. What are you doing to yours that they need replaced so frequently?
Getting new underwear every few months is wild to me. That’s so wasteful.
This is confusing because if they were really frugal they wouldn’t be paying someone else to do their laundry.
I don’t have stains, but I have some holes in my boxer briefs from wear and tees where my dog has jumped on me. My reason for not replacing them is that they are merino and cost more than I have ever spent on underwear before.
After trying merino underwear, I don’t want to wear anything else. I run hot and the underwear has been better than anything I have tried at keeping me more comfortable. Seems like it shouldn’t be the case with wool, and I can’t explain it., it just works for me.
Same as new wallet
Every 10 years
We arent frugal per se, more so we have no money for anything but bills. We dont get new underwear ever, nor socks, clothes in general. Nor do we thrift for those items. We are very careful with what we have, as its all we have. We patch things up and sew it back together, new (or even used) clothes aren’t something we do in our family.
when it rips / has holes – like many holes!
Do you people buy 99 cent underwear ?
I get rid of underwear when the elastic band around the waist starts to bunch.
I don’t think it’s a frugal issue. I buy undies as needed. Which is definitely not every few months, unless you’re buying total junk. I have underwear way older than my teenaged kids in great condition. Old and holey underwear are reserved for that time of the month when I don’t want to ruin my underwear (which is how my nice undies stay nice). As long as they are comfy and the holes aren’t big enough to make them useless, I’m good to go. Stains are no problem if no one will be seeing them. I definitely wouldn’t send out those pairs on their last leg to a laundry service…I still have SOME dignity.
I’d buy nicer underwear if you are going through it every few months. Way more frugal to buy pricier underwear every few years. I personally haven’t NEEDED new undies for at least 5 years because I have plenty, and only need to toss a pair or 2 a year.
> are definitely very frugal
Being frugal while also paying someone to do your laundry seems incongruous.
You buy new underwear every few months?!?
Every few years. The key is having enough pairs to not wear them out in a few months.
Man, I can’t imagine being so hard on undies. I buy them about every 5-7 years. No holes, rips or bad elastic, just cute little floral underwear. If mine were gross I’d totally buy more. But it’s the same with socks. My husband rips through his socks every 6 months. I’ve had some of the same socks for 10 years. And they are still in excellent shape. I do live in Texas, so I’m in sandals for like eight months out of the year.
My mother’s friend replaced the elastics on her.husbands underwear twice. The third time she insisted they buy new.
I have some underwear 10+ years old. It all still looks brand new, not a single stain or discolouration. I replace them when the elastic goes, they no longer fit, the fabric starts to wear.
Some people are just unhygienic, that’s all it comes down to.
I admittedly don’t wear underwear much when I’m at home, unless we have people over, I’m on my period, or I’m wearing a dress. If I’m on my period, I wear a liner as well as a tampon to avoid leakage, and I wear a pad to bed.
I have never once had any kind of backside mark on underwear, and I cannot fathom how this could even happen to anyone following basic hygiene practices. My husband doesn’t either (I should know, as I wash all his underwear). If I happen to have a leak during my period, I rinse immediately (or asap) under cold water which generally removes most of the stainage, before soaking overnight. This is 100% effective for removing any sign of discolouration.
Underwear in my household is worn once and washed within 1 day. It’s washed in warm-hot water, colour-separated, with anti-bacterial detergent and usually line-dried in the sun, otherwise in the dryer in bad weather.
Never, they’re unnecessary.
Is OP a plant from the underwear industry? Who needs an underwear subscription? If they’re “unsanitary” after washing you need to assess your laundry room.
Every few months? I get underwear about every year or every other year when what I have is too torn, or the elastic is all stretched out.
Every 10 years
I will specifically state that the cost of kids clothing has gone up tremendously while the quality has gone down. Many kids clothing companies have also gone out of business.
I could buy Gymboree when my daughter was young and it was $20-$40 for a shirt but they would easily go through the wash without stains. Gymboree is only online now and their clothing quality has dropped since being purchased by the Children’s place.
Children’s place and Walmart have similar quality of clothing, and it stains if anything even touches it. I have my kids wear the stained clothes anyways, because I can’t afford to buy them new clothes every time these ones get stained. I do try to just buy darker colors so the stains don’t show up as much. Spray and wash does not help.
So almost all of my kids clothes look ratty and second hand.
I still have a couple
From 20 years ago in regular rotation
Whenever I sell one I buy a new one.
Haven’t bought new underwear in years. I lose maybe 1 pair a year from wear and tear. When you buy 20 pairs that means they last a loong time.
Why are you getting new pairs every few months if the Skims last forever?
Every few months? What are you doing to them? 😭
When Costco has a closeout.
I buy new underwear when the ones I have are destroyed. Three or four times a year is nuts.