I cringe a little inside as I had the cashier my money. $20 for a new tee. “It’s on sale,” she says, “so no returns.” No words come out of my mouth. I simply nod.
Here’s the thing. I’m probably going to end up wearing that shirt maybe once a month. I just spent $20 dollars on it, and now I’m out twenty bucks I could have saved to buy something else that would have been useful.
I love shopping, and unfortunately, no matter how much it harms my budget, that’s not going to change. So if you’re like me and need to spend less, how about you do it by getting more for less?
Cheap fashion. That’s what I’m talking about. I want to spend $20 and get 3 tees and a dress. How realistic is that? At the mall, not realistic at all. But if you know the right places to go, it’s a given.
Buffalo Exchange in Seattle. Known as “not the usual thrift store” will buy, sell, trade with you. They have vintage clothes that are cheap, in good quality, and will be something like that “gotta have it” leather jacket you saw some girl at the party you went to last night wearing.
Crossroads Trading Co. is similar where every once in a while, you can find the perfect article of clothing for super cheap. It can just feel like searching for a needle in a stack of hay, with the hay being clothes you see older people wear.
Alike in quality, is Good Will. It’s extremely hard to find something there, and once you do, there is probably a hole or grease stain in the clothing. However, Good Will has many benefits. There are days where certain colored tags are discounted. I go to Good Will once every two months to check out picture frames and will browse the clothing sections. One time, I found three pairs of brand new Converse, all my size, $7 a pair. That deal was enough to make me want to go back.
If you visit the Good Will in Bellevue, go down 20th street and check out Plato’s Closet. They may market to a younger age group, but they still have some amazing products. Plato’s Closet generally has clothing that is very in style and wearable. I’ve found leopard print Steve Madden pumps, countless dresses, skirts, tanks, and even the current giraffe print clutch I carry around everyday there. It will take some time to go through all of the clothes, but there are some great deals there to be discovered.
Not into used clothing stores? I don’t blame you. It can be weird to think that some stranger wore the same thing you’re wearing. There are some great regular clothes to find inexpensive fashion.
Forever 21 is known for having very cute clothes for very cheap. The downside for it is that it often sells poorly made clothes. You can wear it, but be warned! A lot of clothes from there have fallen apart and ripped. The fabric can be cheap. They do have some good things there, but I love the very low prices that Forever 21 has.
If you know me well, you will know my absolute favorite store is H&M. They have very inexpensive products at great qualities! I love getting my basics there like tees and tanks. I also love their cocktail dresses and accessories. Also, it has a nice big section for guys, unlike Forever 21.
Don’t settle for expensive clothes, especially when you know you shouldn’t be blowing all your money on shopping. Look for cheap fashion. If you like stores that generally are expensive, know that a lot of stores have their for sale section near the back. When you enter, march to the sale section and see what you can find.
You don’t have to stop shopping overall, just create a budget and find places that will support it. Cheaper can be better!