How To Stay Fly On A Dime

Looking good ain’t cheap for some. But for the lucky bunch who have a keen eye for style & who are able to find brilliant pieces in unlikely places, it is very possible to look good while keeping that bank account looking good as well. I am a self-proclaimed bargain huntress, I refuse to spend more than I need to on key pieces in my wardrobe, yet I understand that there are certain things a girl has to splurge on every now and then. Luckily, that is the beauty of shopping smart; when you find something pricey that you want to purchase chances are you will be able to afford it because of the money saving techniques you’ve been practicing all along. There are some different ways to stay fly on a dime in this world we live in. 

1. Don’t be too proud to go to the clearance rack. I understand that some people like to keep up with the trends and couldn’t fathom the idea of wearing anything “from last season”; HOWEVER I am pleased to report that I am most definitely not one of those people. If I like it, I buy it. If it fits me well, I rock it. If it’s from “last season”, who cares? Honestly, if something looks smashing on you, no one is going to care where you got it from, how much it was, or when you got it. As long as you’ve got that confidence to back that outfit up, nobody can say anything to you. 

2. Try a thrift store/vintage store. I have an unhealthy obsession with thrift stores because I have gotten so lucky at those places. Nothing quite compares to finding an incredible piece of clothing that fits you like a glove for only $1.99. I love rummaging so the time it takes to go through the clothes at thrift stores does not bother me at all. I would say the most important rule of thrifting is just be patient. You may go to one and leave with ten bags in tow…or you may go to one and leave empty handed. These places are so hit & miss, you just have to keep going until you find things you like and trust me, once that happens you will have difficulty trying to stop. Vintage stores are similar to thrift stores in the sense that the items once belonged to someone else. However, vintage stores do tend to be pricier than thrift stores because most vintage stores sort through the clothes that are donated and choose the clothes they feel reflect their stores ‘image’ and which clothes they feel will sell. Most thrift stores sell the majority of what is donated. 

3. Always keep an eye out for special deals. Some stores advertise special deals for certain customers. For example, last week Urban Outfitters announced their last chance $5 sale to their fans on facebook first and then to everyone else. I know of other stores who also have similar special deals for online members and frequent shoppers and blah blah blah. Even if you aren’t any of these things this information is not impossible to find, you just have to do a little snooping. 

4. Always look online when dealing with pricier purchases. Nine times out of ten there is somewhere else that is selling what you want for a cheaper price. Of course no one wants to drive around looking for these places so your best bet is to go online and compare prices. However you must be extremely careful for fraudulent websites and for fake merchandise. Only order things from trusted websites, and if you feel leery about a certain website you are looking to order something from then don’t do it. 

5. If you want to make an impulsive purchase, go home, sleep on it, & come back for it later. This has to be the most useful piece of advice my mother ever gave me and it has saved me so much money & buyer’s remorse. If I see something rather pricey that I impulsively want but don’t really need, I don’t buy it at first. I go home, sleep, and if I am still thinking about whatever it is the next day or the day after that and if I have enough money to buy it then I go back and get it. If I forgot about it or decided that I didn’t really need it or that I could get something cheaper somewhere else then I just leave it alone.

There are several other methods one can use to keep that wallet fat, but these are the things that I've done and that have been working for me so far. You don't have to make your own Chanel bag out of a brown paper bag, you just might find one in a thrift store for ten bucks. Looking good is not a luxury people, just about anyone can stay fly on a dime.
Photo Credit: JakandJil.com