Winter is almost upon us, and that means that it’s almost time to gear up against the cold. What with accessories that keep us warm, winter coats, heftier shoes to save our toes from frostbite, and more clothing pieces that we need to wear daily, outfitting for winter can be much more expensive than for spring or summer.

The best way to prepare for the winter season and save some money? It should come as no surprise that preparation and planning ahead can save you a bundle on all your winter needs. Whether you learn how to make clothing or accessories from other clothing or used items, or utilize items from your spring or summer wardrobe, getting ready early will ensure that you don’t get caught unprepared out in the cold in the first big snowstorm.

Take a look at some of the easy ways you might be able to save on all your winter clothing needs this year:

Don’t Pack Away All Your Spring/Summer Clothing

Generally, it would be easier to make winter stuff into summer stuff. You can always cut and trim to make less of something. But how can you turn summer things into winter wear? It can be done!

• Layering with Summer Dresses: you know those cute sun/summer dresses you thought you had to pack up for the cold weather? Well, you don’t need to do that if you’ve got some plain long sleeved shirts to layer underneath them. You can also add pantyhose/tights, scarves, sweaters, knee-high boots and anything else you’d like to make the item work for winter apparel.
• Summer Vests: vests worn by themselves were very “in” this summer, so now that it’s winter, you can use them as an extra layer over long-sleeved shirts.
• T-Shirts: you can easily throw a tighter, long-sleeved shirt under a summer t-shirt to make for instant winter wear.
• Shorts With Tights (or Leggings): this is definitely a popular look for 2010. Don’t pack away those shorts just yet!

Click the link for more ideas from TV Lesson:
How to Wear Summer Clothes in the Winter

Make Easy Clothing/Accessories

Scarves

• Easy Fringe Fleece Scarf: here’s a tutorial that shows you how to make a fun scarf out of 1/4 yard of fleece.
• Turn an Old Sweater Into a Cowl Scarf: use an old sweater or a cheap one from a thrift store to make a cool cowl neck scarf for winter.
• Make a Ruffled Scarf Out of a Sweater: get out your sewing machine and turn a hideous old sweater into a trendy scarf that will keep you warm.
• Make a Scarf Out of Old T Shirts: pick 2 t-shirts and easily transform them into a stylish scarf.

Other Accessories

• Make Your Own Arm Warmers: DIY Fashion shows you how to make arm warmers out of an old, long-sleeved shirt that may not fit anymore.
• Hats, Hoods, and More Out of Halter Tops and Sweaters: check out some great, thrifty accessory ideas from Squidoo.
• Make a Winter Hat from a Sweatshirt Sleeve: this easy craft can make use out of a small or stained sweatshirt.
• Mittens from a Sweater: learn how to craft mittens out of sweater you don’t wear.

• Make a New Winter Coat Out of an Old One: just because a coat isn’t your size doesn’t mean you can’t transform it into a fabulous fitting coat.

Saving on Shopping

Here are some general shopping tips for preparing this year’s winter wardrobe from eHow:

• Generally, January and February are the cheapest times to buy winter clothing if you can hold out until then. You’ll benefit from all of the post holiday specials.
• Take a peek at sites like Free Cycle or Craigslist’s free section to see if you can score free winter clothing. Exchange with friends, neighbors or family members. Don’t forget about clothing swaps!
• Take your old, ill-fitting winter clothing to consignment stores and swap out the old stuff for new wardrobe pieces.
• Make sure to buy separate pieces that go with many other pieces in your wardrobe. Having a sweater that you can wear with many different outfits can make for several different looks without buying tons of clothing.
• Get to winter coat shopping as early as possible to get the best deals. You don’t want to hit the stores after first snow has already fallen.

Some of My Favorite Tips?

• For ladies, leggings and a belt make any outfit possible and appropriate for Fall or Winter. Stock up on multi-colored cheap leggings to make dresses and skirts work year round and long-sleeved solid colored shirts to make camis and short-sleeved tees into winter garb.
• Make sure when you purchase winter items, you go for quality pieces. You may be excited to score a cheap Winter coat or sweater, but if that piece doesn’t even last one season, you’ll end up buying more clothing and it wasn’t worth the purchase.
• Scarves can really make an outfit. They don’t have to just be for keeping you warm when you’re outside. Instead of spending a ton of money on lots of stylish tops, transform simple tops by accessorizing with a cute handmade or cheap scarf.

What are some of your favorite tips for saving money on winter gear? Do any gentlemen out there have any more tips specifically for men’s wardrobes? We’d love to hear your best ideas! Thanks for being a Tip Hero!

Photo credit: geckoam