Now that I am one year out of college and in the “real world” (p.s I hate it here), I have had life bills catch up with me and on top of that I have had to start paying student loans…aka I am broke. As hell. This is not what I was expecting really when I graduated, I thought I would be making a lot of money and spending it!! Well, since that is not the case quite yet I am going to give my tips on how I shop on a budget and what items you should be purchasing. I must admit I don’t follow my own rules sometimes and I just buy things to buy but that is truly the worst thing you can do. Now, let’s get started!
First off what I have started doing is creating a mood board on Pinterest, or even your phone, of outfits that really speak to you and what you can TRULY see yourself wearing. Not a dress that is $200 and you dream about it at night, but maybe a floral dress with some fun heels. Below is a snippet of a few of the items I have pinned of pieces I truly love and quite frank you have probably seen me in similar outfits! This is what I use when I shop, so I know what exactly I will pair each item with. Before doing this I would buy a fun top then realize I don’t have anything to wear it with so I would buy more or just have it sit in my closet.
For me – I often don’t wear very skimpy outfits or deep V-neck tops so I don’t have any saved on my board. The key to this is picking items you can genuinely see yourself wearing.
Next is to think about if you want to spend your budget on, one item that may be expensive but will last much longer, or purchase something less expensive but will only live through a few nights out on the town. For me I usually buy the cheaper items since I enjoy cycling my clothes often (I always donate or resell so don’t come for me). I often buy resale (thrifting or on resale apps) and always shop the sale sections of websites..ALWAYS.
Okay, I have been so excited to talk about my all time favorite app!!! It is called Curtsy and is where I purchase A LOT of things in my closet. It is a resale app, but the pieces are all very trendy and affordable! You can find any brand you can think of and I guarantee there is a girl on there selling something you will love. The best part is if you use code MNLT and make a purchase we both will receive a $10 credit! This is also a great way to make money too if you have a few items you don’t want to take to Plato’s Closet. The app is similar to postmark where you can make bids, or can buy it now. I always joke that it is all rich sorority girls who are selling because the items you can find are so damn cute and you can get it for CHEAP! heck yeaaaaa!! Even if you just want a pair of new Nike’s I promise go check it out, you will most likely find a pair you love and you will pay a fraction of the price. I PROMISE! (Not sponsored just all love)
Fun fact: 20 tops that can go with 10 pants and 5 shorts and 2 skirts will give you 340 outfits.
Pro tip: Consider trying to shop in the stores versus online. Online can have some great deals. For people who know their sizes, it might work out most of the time, but by the time you pay shipping, realize something doesn’t fit and then pay to have the items returned, I find that online shopping might not be as inexpensive as you think. So round up some girls and go find some fun shops!
I hope this helped you!!
Xx, Lauren
dailylaurenmarie.com 