Being fashionable shouldn’t break the bank. You can look good on a budget by making some subtle yet deliberate choices whenever you add new pieces to your wardrobe.
With a variety of financial tips and shopping tricks, this article is here to help. Follow these tips to elevate your style while staying frugal.
Table of Contents
Always Shop with a Budget
A budget shows you the true limits of your shopping budget. If this initial limit feels restrictive for your fashion style, look at other frill spending for extra cash. By limiting how many subscription services you have, you can free up more money for your closet.
While you reroute money towards clothes, stay away from your essentials. You need to ensure you always have enough money to pay your bills.
Understand How Credit Fits into Your Plans
Studies show credit makes you spend more money, but credit is necessary if you find all your best deals online. So, how can you find a happy medium between these two realities? Learning how credit fits into your finances is a great start.
You should learn how your credit cards work, how much they cost, and how they differ from a line of credit or installment loan. Take the time to compare short term vs long term loans to get a good idea of how these different personal loans fit into your budget.
Avoid Fast Fashion
Fast fashion has caused retailers to create 52 micro-seasons that convince shoppers to update their wardrobes (and spend their money) more often. Even if you don’t care about short-lived trends, you may have to replace fast fashion more frequently. These pieces are constructed poorly with low-quality materials that break down faster.
All in all, it causes you to spend more money. According to Credit Donkey, 73% of women update 25% of their closet every 3 months. Roughly 15% of those women don’t have clothing that’s more than 5 years old.
Shop Used
Why buy new at full price when you can buy used at a discount? Check out your local thrift shop, second-hand store, or consignment shop to get a better price on stylish clothes. Fast fashion fills the second-hand store, so you can still indulge in these trendy pieces.
Use Browse Extensions and Apps
Don’t commit to any checkout until you know you’re getting the best possible price. Figuring this out on your own can be challenging and tedious. So why not enlist some help?
The latest browser extensions and apps scour the web on your behalf, finding the latest coupons, sales, and rebates in the time it takes you to blink.
- https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/browser-extensions-apps-save-money/Coupons at Checkout
- Honey
- Rakuten
- com
- Shop Kick
Swap Clothes
Do you and your friends wear similar sizes? Host a clothing swap! This is a fun excuse to get together with loved ones, and you can get new pieces for your wardrobe without paying a single dime. The swapping rules are simple. All you have to do is bring clean, unwanted items to your swap; in return, everyone does the same. You can pick from another friend’s offerings and get a new-to-you shirt, belt, or skirt.
Looking fashionable on a budget is possible — remember these tips when you shop!
