Being fashionable does not necessarily mean spending lots of money. Britain has an amazing high street filled with shops offering replicas of much sought after items. If you’re a struggling student or a hard worker who is strapped for cash whilst waiting for payday, there are many ways to sort yourself out with a great new outfit on a shoestring budget.
Don’t
Don’t think that the only way to be fashionable on a budget is to head to the shops during a sale. There are plenty of shops out there that you may not have considered. Going to charity shops, vintage shops and flea markets can be quite fruitful. People regularly have an overhaul of their wardrobe so you may be pleasantly surprised by the bargains you can find in second hand shops.
Think carefully about where particular charity shops are located. Most charity shop donations are come from people who live in the local area. Head to the charity shops in the high end suburbs of your city, you will find that the quality of the items in the shop is reflected by the area in which the shop is located. High end shops usually mean top quality items.
Save money by shopping online
There are a huge number of discount voucher websites which offer online discounts to be used on the big retailer’s websites. If any of your favourite online retailers offer the option to sign up to a newsletter, always enter your details. You will find that many retailers send discounts to customers by email.
If you have a specific item in mind, rather than heading straight to the retailer, head to eBay. You may find that you can find the same, or similar item at a much lower price. Some items sell for a matter of pennies.
Avoid impulse buys
One of the biggest ways to rack up your shopping expenditure is with impulse buys. Many clothes look amazing on the hanger or a mannequin but don’t fit you quite right. Don’t make the mistake of buying clothes purely because you like them, if realistically you will never feel comfortable wearing it. Any clothes which you are unsure of in the shop are likely to head straight to the back of your wardrobe at home.
Sell and swap
Many of us are guilty of hoarding clothing that we have some kind of attachment to. Those dresses that you haven’t worn for five years but you are keeping “just in case”… get rid. You can sell unwanted items online on eBay or at a local car boot sale. You will find that the cash soon mounts up when you sell all of the items that you don’t wear. Give yourself a rule, for example, get rid of all clothing which has not been worn for two years,
There are a number of online swap shops appearing over the web and also swap shop events. You could even arrange to have a swapping evening with any friends who wear clothes of a similar size.
Olivia Lazenby is a passionate fashion blogger. She often refers to http://www.wearall.com when looking for up and coming high street fashion ideas.