Tips For Shopping On A Budget

I love every tidbit I can get my hands on for tips for shopping on a budget. Shopping and adding special, timeless classics to my wardrobe is a favorite pastime. I know what I like and how to dress my body type and am always looking for fun in season favorites. But keeping up with seasonable fashion trends and staying on budget can be a challenge.

That’s why it’s important to live intentionally with savings in mind. Knowing when to spend, when to pause and where to save is a huge part of keeping my wardrobe minimal and full of classics.

I’d love to share some of my favorite tips for shopping on a budget whether you’re online or picking around brick and mortar clothing retailers.

Tips For Saving Money Online

I love saving money and the thrill for me is in not only finding a bargain but finding something I really want and need.

Look For Free Shipping

This is such a great tip for shopping on a budget. Shipping costs can be expensive as clothing can be heavy, which makes shipping expensive. But most online clothing retailers will have free shipping if you hit a minimum. Be careful not to waste money just to hit that number and be intentional with your shopping choices.

Leave Items In Your Cart

As much as I love shopping online, I love to keep myself from making spontaneous unnecessary purchases by abandoning my cart. This helps me pause on a purchase and see if I still love the item the next day. It’s a great way to shop intentionally. Added bonus: some online retailers will incentivize you to purchase items in an abandoned cart by following up with a discount if you purchase. This can be a great way to save money online shopping.

Use Multiple Email Addresses

Any time I get a discount code for signing up for a mailing list, I will always use a couple of my email addresses to get more than one discount code. I even have a friend who loves online clothes shopping as much as I do and we regularly send each other any referral codes we come across to multiple email addresses as well.

Look For Online Coupons Or Offer Codes

Use a search engine to look for offer codes for the website you are shopping on to get the best price possible. You might even find a cheaper website in your search where you can get the same timeless classic from a better priced online clothing store.

Shop On Bidding Sites

Bidding sites like Ebay, The Real Real and Poshmark can be a great place to score an amazing online deal. Check out used online retailers as well for high quality second hand pieces.

Tips For Shopping On A Budget

There are tons of tips for shopping on a budget that I have picked up over the years. Here are my top 10 tips for shopping on a budget to help you save money on fashionable timeless classics.

1. Don’t Be Afraid Of Second Hand

I have found some of my favorite wardrobe classics while thrift shopping. Consignment shops, yard sales, and thrift stores are a shameless way to get great second hand clothing. There are many Facebook groups where you can purchase second hand high end fashion such as designer handbags.  If interested in specific ones, contact me and I can invite you to them. As with any online shopping, do your due diligence to ensure they are legit. Sometimes you have to spend time digging for that perfect timeless classic to
add to your wardrobe.

2. Take An Inventory

Take an inventory of what you have and know what pieces you want to fill the gaps in your wardrobe. This will help you shop more intentionally with a minimalist approach.

3. Buy Off-Season Clothing

Spring wardrobe favorites are the most expensive at the beginning of Spring. Shop for your winter coats in March and grab your favorite summer shorts in September. Buying clothing at the end of a season is a surefire way to find amazing clearance prices for stores looking to stock with new in season trends.

4. Spend Money On Quality Clothing

This may seem counterintuitive, but higher quality usually comes with a price tag. But sometimes you get what you pay for. Spending money on the right high quality, pricier item can ensure that this wardrobe staple stays in your closet for years to come. Be intentional about buying expensive purchases and save money long term by not having to replace worn down pieces.

5. Take Care Of What You Have

Pay attention to the care instructions when you buy something. Read the tags in the store so you know what to expect. If you know you’re not going to go to the dry cleaner, don’t invest in dry clean only items. Take care of your clothing and it will last much longer, saving you tons of money on worn or destroyed pieces of clothing.

6. Dress Your Body Type

There are so many times in my life when I’ve had the intention to lose weight, or shop for a goal size only to never reach an unrealistic standard I set for myself. Today I love my body, and it looks amazing when I wear clothes that fit comfortably instead of trying to hit a smaller number on a tag. I have bought clothing that was too small that just ended up collecting dust in my closet. Spend your money intentionally by dressing the body that you have to get the most from the clothing you buy. Learn about different body types in this post about wearing the perfect jeans.

7. Shop The Sales

Seasonal sales or clearance sales can be a great way to save money when shopping for clothing. But don’t use a sale as an excuse to spend money you would not have otherwise spent. Trust me, I have been guilty of this only to have the item sit in my closet unworn. Stay on budget and know what you want before you go. It’s okay to fall in love with something you had not intended on buying but use that sale wisely, if you overspend you’re not really “saving” money on that clearance purchase.  About once a month I have noticed there is a “retail” holiday in which your favorite stores will hold a sale. This is a good time to grab the items you have on your wishlist and save some money.  I rarely buy items that are not on sale since I know in just a few short weeks, they will be discounted.

8. Have A Plan

When you shop, use this tip for shopping on a budget. Know what you want and stick to it, like you would when trying to save money grocery shopping. Make a list and know what gaps in your wardrobe you are trying to fill.

9. Don’t Always Buy On First Sight

Similar to abandoning your online shopping cart, if you are ever unsure about a purchase or spending money on clothing you had not planned to, pause on the purchase. If you can’t get that amazing sweater out of your head, you know it’s time to go back and buy that piece you loved. Or maybe you will find you were being too spontaneous and feel great about not spending the money the next day.

10. Stick With The Classics

As much as I love shopping the newest trends, one of my favorite tips for shopping on a budget is to stick with the classics. They will last in your wardrobe for a long time and not go out of style. Think of all the wacky trends we have gotten on board with that didn’t stick around for long. Those things just ended up sitting in the closet for years after.

Of course these days most of us shop with cards to try to keep things clean, but if you’re shopping in a brick a mortar bringing cash and leaving the cards at home can be a great way to save money. I would love to hear your tips for shopping on a budget. Tell me how you save money shopping for your favorite timeless classics in the comments. Happy Shopping!