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| Want some more of these guys in your pocket? Of course you do |
Disclaimer: That's not my money, so don't ask if you can have any. And no, I didn't mug someone for it.
Today's blog title comes from Clark Howard, a radio dude that my mom used to listen to in the car when I was younger. It applies perfectly to what I'm going to talk about today, though, so I thought I borrow his trademark line.
Anyways, you can probably tell I'm going to talk about saving money. So often I see people complaining on the internet about how expensive it is to dress cute. Liars. Don't listen to people like that, they are downers and will make you want to turn into a hermit and never go outside ever again.
So without ado further ado, here are my tips for getting more bang for your buck.
1) Thrift shop, duh.
I know a lot of people have issues with buying used clothes... I used to be one of them! I thought I was too cool to buy second hand stuff. If that's where you are right now, close your eyes and say the following sentences 5 times very slowly. Repeat as needed.
Even cool people can go thrift shopping. Thrift stores are my friend.
OK, now that you've been brainwashed, set aside a few hours of your day to go thrift shopping. The key to thrift shopping is to remember that not every trip is going to be a success. Thrift stores (at least the ones I go to) cycle through clothing very quickly. Just because you go once and don't find anything you like doesn't mean you should never go back. Try again in a few days or weeks.
2) Only Buy What You Will Wear
This isn't as big of an issue for buying new clothes, because most people are usually pretty good about only buying things they really like. But when you go thrifting and see stuff for only $2 or $3, it becomes more of a problem (at least it is for me anyways, maybe I'm the only one!). The most important thing to remember when thrifting is that even if the shirt is only $3, it's still wasted money if you're not going to wear it. Try on everything that you are considering buying and don't buy anything unless you are at least 90% sure you will wear it. Sure, it may be only $3 lost if you end up not liking it, but if you buy two useless items each time you go at $3 each, that can add up pretty quickly. When I first starting thrifting I didn't think it was such a big deal to get something that I would end up not wearing, but now I've wasted a good $20-$25 that I could have saved and bought something I like better next time.
3) Use Coupon Codes
RetailMeNot.com is my favorite, but there are others. Never buy something online without searching for coupon codes first. You won't always find one, but if you do it will be well worth your time searching. I have never bought anything at Alloy or GoJane that I didn't have a coupon code to go with.
4) Surf the Sales
This one is pretty much a no-brainer, but really, there are a lot of people that think the sale sections are only the ugly stuff that stores are trying to get rid of. For some stores, that's true. For others, not so much. Urban Outfitters always has a huge sale section that they update often, and most of the clothes in it are cute and not out of style. The bottom line is, you won't know unless you look. Never skip the sale section.
5) Spend According to Your Clothing Cycles.
I know that sounds dumb but I couldn't think of a better way to word it. Do you like to wear things twice and then get rid of them? Or do you hope to keep that new sweater you want until you're 50? If you cycle through clothes often (as I do), you shouldn't be spending much on individual items. But if you hang onto clothes for years and years, let yourself spend a little more on them. I go through my closet every few weeks and get rid of things I haven't worn in a while, so for me to spend $50 on a top that I'll probably get rid of in June would be silly.
6) Compare Sites
Check out my Here Not There tab if you don't know what I mean. Many online boutiques buy from the same suppliers and sell the same items for different prices.
7) Read the Reviews
Urban Outfitters, ModCloth, and many other sites lets buyers submit reviews of their purchases. Lots of time items are a lot different than they look on a website, so you can save yourself some time and shipping fees by reading what others who have bought the same thing to say about it.
8) Make Yourself Wait Before You Buy
I'm an impulse buyer. I see something I want, and I want it right now. Buying that way is an awful idea, though, and more than once I've come home and had buyer's remorse. This is especially difficult when I'm online shopping. All I have to do is type in a few numbers and that gorgeous pair of shoes is mine.
To help combat my impulse buying habits, I usually make myself wait before I make any big purchases (I'm not talking about thrift store purchases here, this applies more for $30 tops, $70 shoes, etc.) After I've loaded my virtual shopping cart and am ready to check out, I go do something else. I eat dinner. I play piano. I take a shower. I sleep on it. A few hours later, after the initial OH MY WORD LOOK AT THOSE CUTE SHOES I NEED THEM! feeling has worn off, I return to the computer and ask myself if I still really want them enough to pay $XX for them. Almost always I decide that I do not.
The same applies for shopping in real life as well. Unless there is only one left of the item you want, go home for a few hours and then ask yourself if you want it enough to get back in your car and drive to the store again for it. If yes, then by all means, go buy it. But if not, well, then you have your answer about whether it would have been a good buy.
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What are your money saving tips? Feel free to add them in the comments!
