Are you a frugal fashionista on a budget? These days everyone is trying to save money in any possible way they can, which unfortunately for many means spending less on new clothing. If you love fashion and designer prices but are on a budget, then you’ll love our frugal fashionista tips below:
1. Clean Out Your Closet & Clothes: If you love clothing, then there’s a good chance you already have quite the selection in your closet but may have forgotten about what you already own. The best bet for organizing your clothes is to first drag it all out and then lay it out in piles where you can see everything. You might just be surprised how much you have and what new combinations you can make. Set a special pile for clothes that no longer fit you or you don’t really wear too much anymore.
2. Organize a Clothing Swap: Organizing a clothing swap can not only be a great free way to update your look but also can be a lot of fun to do as well. Invite up to as many friends as you’d like and tell them to bring a bagful of clothes they no longer wear. Then lay it all out on a pile and let everyone fight for what they want. (Hopefully there really won’t actually be any fighting!) You may want to set a few ground rules such as all trades final. If you find that there are leftover clothes, you can always donate the to thrift stores or charities near you.
3. Choose Solid Basics: The cliche of the little black dress remains true: having a few solid anchor pieces can greatly stretch any wardrobe. Rather than buying all new clothes, consider having just a few basics that can be dramatically changed just by a few accessories.
4. Look for Designer Trends in Cheaper Clothing: If you look at what styles you like, the prices of high end designer items can be daunting. However, many times you can find comparable items and styles shopping at most discount retail stores. Nobody is going to realize or notice that what you’re wearing isn’t the name brand designer label.
5. Thrift Shopping is Cool: A lot of people roll their eyes at thrift shopping or second hand and consignment stores, but there is a lot to be gained by going to these types of stores. Often times you can find the designer labels if you have the patience to look – you can also almost always find something that imitates the style as well.
6. Set a Spending Limit: It’s important that you set a spending limit if you want to save money when shopping for clothes. Try to stretch the dollar as far as you possibly can – you can either buy one pair of jeans for $48 or you can go to a discount or thrift store and get 5 or 6 items for the same price. Keeping a budget will help you make sure that you are getting value.
7. Avoid the Temptation of a Sale If something regularly $159 is on clearance for $79 it sounds like a great sale, doesn’t it? However, tempting as it may be, think about how else that money could be spent or if you could find something similar somewhere else for less. If you’re spending money, you’re not really saving it.
8. Read the Care Labels: Clothes that require dry cleaning, steam cleaning, or other special care can cost you money in the long run, or you may even not wear it that often because it does require special care and that extra effort in keeping it clean. If something can be washed in the washing machine instead that can save you much more than taking it to the dry cleaners.
Do you have any frugal fashionista tips you’d like to share? Tell us what you do to save money on clothes and fashion in the comments below!