Hi, everyone! I’m back with a super exciting post: affordable shopping tips! This post is so much fun to write because I LOVE to shop, but I actually hate spending money. Since my love for clothes constantly has me opening my wallet, I’ve developed a couple tricks to keep me from going completely broke and I think it’s gotten to the point where I can consider it a talent to find good deals. If you don’t believe me, the adorable shirt in the picture above only cost me $6! That’s insane right? Yes it is, but it’s way easier to find these type of deals than you might think. Here are some of my tips and tricks for looking cute on a budget:
- First and foremost, keep an open mind. I find that if I go looking for a certain piece of clothing I spend much more than if I would’ve just shopped for good deals in general. Don’t get too set on finding one specific thing because you can miss out on the best deals by overlooking them. For example, if you shopping for a denim jacket specifically, you might not look around a miss a great deal on a leather jacket. The best finds come when you aren’t looking for them, so keep your eyes peeled always. The weirdest purchases are always the most fun anyways.
- If you do have to buy a specific item, set a budget and stick to it. Be prepared to spend a little more because there’s no guarantee that item will be on sale, but don’t spend more than you’re willing too. Set a limit and don’t go over. If there’s one item you really want but is too expensive, wait for it to go on sale in a couple of months, because eventually it will.
- Buy out of season. Most people miss out on great deals for, let’s say, spring clothes because they’re too busy summer shopping. Stores HEAVILY discount clothing when a season is coming to an end. And most of the time, the discounted clothing can pass for any season, so it’s a great opportunity to stock up without breaking the bank.
- Visit thrift stores and consignment shops for hidden gems. Most people think thrift stores are full of dirty and outdated clothes, but there are actually a ton of unique vintage clothing pieces that you can find at ridiculously low prices and, if you go to a decent store, are in pretty good condition. The retro trend is popular right now and people pay loads of money for clothes that you can find for dirt cheap if you take the time to sort through these kinds of stores. Thrift stores also are great for finding very basic staple pieces, such as jeans and jackets, for way cheaper than department stores. One of my absolute favorite thrift stores/consignment shops is Plato’s Closet. Additionally, consider selling your clothes to consignment stores rather than getting rid of them to earn extra cash and continue the cycle of thrift!
- Sign up for company newsletters and emails from your favorite stores to never miss a sale. Most clothing stores and brands have an email newsletter that will personally alert you when they are having a sale or a good deal on something. It can be annoying to have them clutter up your inbox but the savings are worth it. You should also be checking the internet or local newspaper for local sales that might not be offered nationally. For example, some brands are franchised and have separate sales at different locations, and the only way to make sure you don’t miss them is to keep up with your local store.
- Shop locally! This is my biggest tip. Shopping locally keeps you from having to pay shipping fees, and there are lots of flash deals you can find locally that aren’t offered online. Also, there are many of stores around town that don’t have a set inventory, like Ross. These stores are able to offer such good deals because they are considered discount stores and inventory is always changing, so shopping in-store will allow you to get better deals than online. Besides that, I almost never shop online because I’m so picky about how things fit, and if I don’t try it on beforehand I’ll probably end up returning it. And shopping locally helps to support your local economy! Which is great. If you insist on shopping online, look for free shipping deals or codes.
- Adding onto my last tip, when shopping locally try shopping at stores that are considered “off-price” retailers. Some of my favorites are Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Burlington Coat Factory. These places are great for finding really cool, unique clothing and house ware items. These places aren’t for finding specific items or brands given their nature, but they are great for wandering and just picking up neat finds. They contains lots of cute little treasures if you go in with an open mind, especially in regards to house decor.
- Don’t be afraid to head straight to clearance. This is my favorite way to shop. I find that if I head to the clearance section first and find the best deals right off the bat, I’m less likely to overspend on not-so-great buys.
- Before buying anything anywhere, online or locally, search for coupons or coupon codes. One of my go-to places to find coupons and deals is RetailMeNot, which is a website base for coupons, codes, and deals for hundreds of popular brands and stores. If you can’t find anything there, there are plenty of similar sites. Don’t forget to sign up for their newsletters as well to avoid missing an opportunity (excuse to shop).
- Make sure your purchases can be returned. The worst possible thing is when you buy something and doesn’t work out, and is nonrefundable. All that money goes straight down the drain. Also, my favorite shopping tip of all, if you can’t decide between two products, buy both and take them home to decide which you like better in real life. Once you decide, return the other. This will keep you from stressing about decisions while shopping and save SO much time and effort, as long as your purchase is returnable.
That’s it for my budget-minded shopping tips! I hope this helps at least a couple people. Comment some of your money saving advice down below!
-Vanessa 🙂