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One of the things that my mom and I have in common is our love for shopping. She passed down the gene to me, and I hope someday to pass it down to my own daughter because that’s just how much I love doing it. I am a shopaholic, but I also hate spending my money.
To balance the two opposing parts of my personality, I have learned and mastered the art of bargain shopping. It’s one of my favorite things to do, and I’d love to share some of my tips.
Thrifting.
This is one of the more obvious answers, but thrifting really is probably the best way to bargain shop! Personally, I prefer going to some of the higher-end thrift stores where the budget is still friendly and the clothing pieces are of good quality and also super cute. My favorite is Uptown Cheapskate, but they only have a limited number of locations. This is one of my favorite thrift stores (and really one of the only ones I go to) because it’s extremely shopper friendly. It smells good, it’s clean, and the staff are really nice. It makes for a great shopping experience. You can also exchange your own clothes there and get cash or store credit, which will make your shopping trip even cheaper!
Department/off-price retailer stores.
These are my second best bargain shopping options that will still get you really cute clothes for almost half the price they’d normally be. Department stores such as Macy’s and JCPenny, or off-price retailers like TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls always have name brand clothing for half, or over half, of the original price. You can find brands like Michael Kors, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger, and so many more for very cheap prices. I love these stores because they offer great deals for quality clothes. You never really have to break the bank when shopping here!
Sale sections.
It’s extremely hard for me to not go to a nice mall when I see one because I still love shopping at malls and going to actual name brand stores. Some of my favorites are Pacsun, Aerie, and Zara. The trick is: don’t linger! Go straight to the sale section. Oftentimes they have off season pieces (summer pieces when it’s fall or winter, and fall or winter pieces in the summer) that they are trying to sell, so they mark them down. The best time to go is when the season starts changing and they need to get rid of items. The trick is to shop for summer clothes in the winter, and winter clothes in the summer, you’ll almost always pay less than you would shopping for seasonal clothes during their actual season.
Set a budget.
I know this one sounds obvious, but it’s really helpful. If you go in with a set budget that you don’t want to go over, it’ll force you to really weigh your options when looking to buy something. When I have a budget, it forces me to be more nitpicky about the clothes I buy and how much I pay for them. Truthfully, I’d never pay $25 for a t-shirt, but if that t-shirt was on sale for $5, it might be worth it, only if I really, really, wanted it.
Don’t just buy.
This last one might sound a little silly, but don’t just buy. Ask yourself a couple of questions first: how often will I really wear this piece? Is the price worth it? Can I find it cheaper somewhere else? Is it worth going over my budget? Can I wait to buy it later? Is there something similar that is more cost-friendly? And, do I really need this in my closet? If you find yourself hesitating to answer any of these questions, you should probably not buy it or at least wait until you’re sure about it. Don’t rush the shopping processes if you don’t have to. Many times I ask myself these questions and I end up putting a lot of clothes back with no regrets later on, because I knew they wouldn’t last me long or I wouldn’t wear them as much. It’s okay to not buy something, get comfortable with it.
Shopping is so much fun, but it’s even more fun when you can find a way to do it without breaking the bank. Here’s a little secret: window shop, bargain shop, and then if you really need to, splurge. There’s a process to having cute clothes and saving money, you just have to be willing to do it.