Learn Hardcore Chinese: Wǒ bù xiǎng huā tài duō qián mǎi yīfu. - I don’t want to spend too much money on clothes.

If you say 我想不花太多钱买衣服, you’re saying you want to avoid spending too much when buying clothes (the focus is on the plan to not spend). It’s grammatically fine but more specific and less common in everyday speech than the neutral, broader 我不想花….

Should I use 不 or 没 here?

Use 不. It negates general, habitual, or future situations and preferences.

不想 = don’t want to.

没(有) negates past or completed actions.

没想 usually means didn’t think/expect, not don’t want. Different meaning.

What does 想 mean here, and how is it different from 要, 想要, 打算, 愿意?

Here 想 = want to, feel like, intend to (soft, about desire).

要 = going to/strong intention; can sound firmer: 我不要花… is often imperative or refusal, not just lack of desire.
想要 = want (a thing) or strongly want to do something.
打算 = plan to; emphasizes a plan.
愿意 = be willing to; focuses on willingness.

For a personal preference, 不想 is the most natural.

How does 花 work? Could I use 用, 付, 花费, or 消费 instead?

花 is the default for spending money/time: 花钱/花时间.
付(钱) = to pay (the act at checkout), not the general idea of spending.
用 = use; not idiomatic for spending money.
花费 = spend (more formal/written; noun or verb).
消费 = consume/spend as a consumer (business/economic contexts).

So stick with 花 here.

Why is it “花太多钱买衣服” without a preposition like “on clothes”? What structure is this?

It’s a serial-verb/purpose construction: 花(钱) + 买(衣服) = spend money to buy clothes. The second verb phrase expresses purpose.

Alternatives:

我不想在衣服上花太多钱 (use 在…上, emphasizes the category you spend on).
买衣服太花钱了 (buying clothes costs too much; comment about the activity).

Is 太多 okay without 了? I’ve learned “太 + adj + 了” as a pattern.

Yes. With quantity words like 多, you can say 太多 + noun without 了: 太多钱 = too much money.

The pattern 太 + adj + 了 (e.g., 太贵了) is for adjectives and often exclamatory. You can also say 太多了 as a standalone exclamation.

Do I need a measure word after 多 with 钱? Should it be 太多块钱?

No measure word is needed with 钱 here. 太多钱 is correct and natural.

Use measure words when you specify an exact amount:

一百块/元(钱), 五十块. But not after 太多.

Do I need a measure word with 衣服? Is it plural?

No measure word is needed unless you specify a number. 买衣服 is general (could be one or many). If counting:

One piece of clothing: 一件衣服
Pants: 一条裤子
Shoes: 一双鞋

Pronunciation: any tone changes here (especially for 不 and 衣服)?

不 stays fourth tone here: bù xiǎng (it only changes to bú before another fourth tone).
衣服 is pronounced yīfu; the second syllable is usually neutral tone in this word.
Full sentence: wǒ bù xiǎng huā tài duō qián mǎi yīfu.

What changes if I add 了?

我不想花太多钱买衣服了: sentence-final 了 = change of state; now I no longer want to spend too much (perhaps I used to).
我花了太多钱买衣服: action 了 = past; I spent too much money on clothes.
Without 了: general statement of preference.

Is 我不想在衣服上花太多钱 more natural than the original?

Both are natural. Nuance:

不想花太多钱买衣服: emphasizes the act of buying; purpose-focused.
不想在衣服上花太多钱: emphasizes the spending category (on clothes). Slightly more neutral and common in budgeting talk.

How can I soften this to sound less absolute?

我不太想花很多钱买衣服 (I don’t really want to spend a lot).
我想尽量别在衣服上花太多钱 (I want to avoid spending too much if possible).
我不太愿意在衣服上花太多钱 (I’m not very willing).

Using 很多 instead of 太多 removes the strong “excessive” judgment.

What’s the difference among 钱, 块, 元, and 人民币?

钱: money in general; also used colloquially for amounts.
块: colloquial measure for RMB yuan.
元: formal measure for RMB yuan.
人民币: the currency name (CNY). E.g., 人民币一百元.

Can I use 不要 here?

As a statement of your own desire, use 不想.
不要 is often imperative: 不要/别花太多钱买衣服 = Don’t spend too much money on clothes (telling someone).

Can I say 花太多的钱买衣服 or 花的钱太多了?

花太多的钱买衣服 is possible but less natural inside this verb chain; we typically say 花太多钱 without 的.
花的钱太多了 is natural when making a comment about the amount spent: The money spent is too much.
钱花太多了 is also common as a comment.