Fashion

[gthomas]

Check out our local resale shops. I have several around where I would that I shop. Once you find the shops close to you check out their facebook postings. I have gotten several good deals on D & B purses under $50 never used. Quaker Factory, Susan Graver, Logo and other brands you find in the stores. Most of the time they still have tags. Good Luck!

[Lovely]

I agree with the people that suggested Goodwill. I get more compliments on the items I get at Goodwill for $2.50 than I get from items I've bought at more expensive stores. I shop almost exclusively there because the variety is great, price is great, and it's like a treasure hunt for me. You should see some of the things that people give away.

[MartieHugs]

You've gotten lots of good advice here. Especially the post from fthunt about taking care of yourself, looking sharp, being the best you can be with what you have. As a retiree with lots of medical expenses, I don't have the disposable income I once thought I would have.

Believe it or not, I got a great haircut at Walmart for $12 that was every-bit as good as a few embarrassingly expensive ones.

Buy the best you can afford when it comes to cosmetics and skin care. I discovered that TJMaxx often has incredible things very inexpensive. Keep it simple.

My wardrobe is full of well made shirts and jackets. A well-fitting jacket - always on sale - with a fabulous scarf will look expensive and chic. Classic is the way to go, but if your style is a bit more edgy, then head to the consignment shops.

BTW, have you ever thought of having a clothing swap/exchange with friends who might be in a similar situation? Handbag swaps are great. New to you!!! And never be afraid to let people know you're in a financial pickle. True friends will be willing to help.

Good luck! And SMILE ... you'll always look fabulous.

[rhinovodka]

As many have mentioned, thrift stores are great, as well as Ebay and shop off season (I get some great deals online, especially if I wait around a holiday weekend, as many companies send out coupons-J.Jill is wonderful when on sale and combined with a coupon). I also shop at Kohls as well, again they are great about sending out coupons.

As far as work clothes, I stick to black, brown, tan pants and wear more colorful tops. Know what works for you, as far as styles and colors, just because it's a great deal does not mean you have to buy it.

Cosmetics I buy from the drugstore and I get my hair cut at Great Clips (my hair is straight though) and I dye it myself. There are two things I recommend you may want to spend a bit more on and those are bras and shoes, you don't have to spend a lot of money but look for quality in these items (fit and comfort are important here).

[Squirrel Lover]

On 3/5/2014 Trix said:

It's been analyzed that most people -- including those who buy a lot only wear about 20% of what they have. On a strict budget that means you have to adjust your thinking to only buy that 20%. Money you don't have is for: clothes hanging around with the tags on them, or seldom worn; buying an item which matches up with nothing you already, therefore requires spending more money on items to coordinate with it which might not work with anything else other than that one item. A good thought process is to:

1) Stick with a wardrobe of colors which coordinate well together;

2) Keep it simple with core basic pieces in colors you like, but sticking with rule #1. I don't subscribe to the it must be black or tan rule. The must haves are: a tailored trouser (slim leg or full); pencil skirt, or you can substitute a long gored skirt if you don't like your legs; jeans-- in this world of being able to wear them almost anywhere every wardrobe needs at least one pair; a well-tailored blazer preferably in a winter weight fabric and a softer one for warm weather, ditto on the blazer rule with cardigans, at least one dress (if you don't wear dresses a lot it can even be a print) dress; if you do opt for the bottoms and blazer/cardigan to be neutral or black try wearing colored tops to keep it from feeling drab. Of course if color isn't your thing thing an all neutral wardrobe can be quite sophisticated.

These are pieces which have no year attached to them. If they are quality fabrics and well made, and you are careful laundering and drycleaning them, they will last year after year.

3) Accessories are most important items for a budget conscious wardrobe. You can take the same outfit and wear it ten different ways by switching the accessories. All of your jewelry doesn't have to be expensive real metal and all scarves don't have to be designer silks. Just because you're wearing a $200 cashmere turtleneck doesn't mean you can't accessorize it with an inexpensive trendy necklace or scarf.

As for shoes and handbags-- I will say keep it quality here and neutral. Less is more. You don't need a bag and shoes in every color. One of the reasons for the sticking with a few select colors in the wardrobe is so that if you do buy a colored bag or shoes they will coordinate with 90% of your closet.

4) SALES!!! Since I put myself on a tighter budget I rarely pay full price for anything. These days I tell myself why should I buy clothes in February which I won't wear in Chicago until at least May. The exception might be that perfect raincoat or winter boots which won't be around at sale time. It requires patience and a good attitude of walking away if the price isn't really what you are willing to and/or able to spend. Oh yes, this means you might miss an item here and there, but you have to learn to tell yourself "so what because that isn't the last such and such which will ever be made." Another theory I use when I walk away without buying is that I may see something I like better next week or next month, and prices could be marked down lower than they are on the day I'm taking a pass at buying anything.

It's hard to give up splurge and impulse shopping, but like most human habits the thinking can be adjusted to the point where you feel it's no big deal. I feel that having more extra money to do things like taking trips and going places is more important to one's psyche and mood than buying another $300 handbag.

Trix, this is a very smart post. I also believe if you stick to colors that are your season and go together you can make your closet stretch farther. I am a soft summer so i have lots of blues, aquas, teals, pinks, mauves, purples and grays. This way I can mix and match all of the items of my wardrobe. Last year I donated all of my clothes that did not fit and did not go with my skin tone to our church. My closet is so easy to navigate now and I never have trouble finding something that I need.

[chick b]

If you like specific brands and styles I think Wish Lists can be a good way to go. I flag everything I'd seriously consider purchasing; it gives me time to evaluate the purchase while waiting for the merchandise to go to clearance. Clearly I miss out on many things that sell out before they ever become affordable, but I do have a lot of luck - especially with shoes.

Also - if you post items on Pinterest, they sometimes send notifications when those items are reduced in price. If you don't want to advertise an item b/c you fear the stock will deplete, post it to a "hidden" board so it will only be seen by you.

Finally, I have to recommend the Last Call web site. Yes- sizes are really limited & you really have to search through a lot, but the bargains are unbelievable. I wanted to buy my brother something nice for Christmas; I spent $100 on 4 designer pieces that retailed in total to $600. Score.

[busygirl]

On 3/5/2014 GoodStuff said:

On 3/5/2014 magicmoodz said:

First let me say I hope you are thankful that you don't need a wardrobe for 4 seasons like many of the rest of us do! Lucky you, hc!

Sharp is subjective, but this is what I plan to do for my spring/summer wardrobe. I am going with a neutral color palate with very limited pieces in the hopes that I can mix and match to create several different looks/outfits.

A beautifully thought out and selected neutral wardrobe. I love that you can combine these pieces in many ways to create different outfits for various occasions. Very tasteful and very practical.........and I sincerely mean that.

On the other hand, I personally would just go NUTS without color in my wardrobe! My wardrobe includes lots of black, gray, and navy neutrals/basics -- but I have to spice them up with colorful jewelry and scarves, bright tops, bags, etc. Neutrals are just the background for me. Gotta play. Gotta have color! That's just me, my style.

I like these items and a lot of must haves for a wardrobe I think but for me I like color and would use these as a base and start adding to it to give it some pop or replace some of these items and add a different color that goes with to create different outfits.

[peachesncream]

I have been shopping from a list for a couple of years, and it's saved me from impulse buying.

The list covers two seasons: spring/summer or fall/winter.

My best strategy I call "stalking the good stuff." When I see something wonderful that fits my list (say, on Macy's, Talbots or shoebuy's website) I save that page on my computer in a Favorites file called Clothing. I stalk those items, wait until they are on sale and/or I have a coupon or gift certificate to use. Then I buy.

Don't ever apologize for being careful with your resources. That's just smart.

[Mindy D]

Walmart has cute, inexpensive clothes. Certain times of the year, in store or online, they have almost give away prices. Marshall's and Ross are fantastic. Look at their clearance racks, too. Thrift stores and garage sales are also great. Look for clearance shoes at Marshall's and Ross. Ebay has some deals.

[mistriTsquirrel]

I trim my own hair (it is long, and a little trim straight across isn't a problem). I also dye my hair at home instead of going to a salon.

I shop for clothing and some other items at Goodwill or Savers (we no longer have a Salvation Army store in the area). You can find new or like-new items for a fraction of the cost you would pay if you bought them retail.

I use oils to cleanse and moisturize my face and body. My favorites are avocado oil and coconut oil. They don't cost very much, and they do the job.

I'm learning to formulate my own skincare and cosmetic products from food-grade ingredients. You'd be surprised how much money you can save by making a finishing powder from arrowroot powder, cocoa powder, beet root powder and bentonite clay. Also, if you buy USDA certified organic ingredients, you can feel better about what you are putting on your skin. My next projects are to make blush and bronzer from mostly the same ingredients, just different proportions.

I bought a large bottle of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (Baby Mild, which is fragrance free). You can use Dr. Bronner's Soap in an almost infinite number of ways, which means you can quit buying a huge amount of body care and home care products and use one product to tackle most of your cleaning duties. I also bought the tea tree version of his soap because tea tree has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and there are areas of my home that could use the extra help.

I use white vinegar in the rinse-agent dispenser of my dishwasher, instead of using a rinse agent. It works just as well. It also works to clean windows. And you can use it to clean slow drains...just dump in some baking soda and add vinegar.

I use dryer balls instead of fabric softener. They help my clothes dry faster and my towels are more absorbent when I don't use fabric softener.

I like to repurpose things instead of throwing them out. I've made some organizers from old storage items I thought I couldn't use anymore, and I keep all of my glass jars to store any of my food-grade organic goods in until I'm ready to use them in a recipe. I use old socks to wax the car. I use old nylons to make scrubbies to get caked-on food off of my dishes. I use old containers to house some of my homemade creations. There are so many ways to repurpose old things, you just need to be creative, and you can make useful items that save you money because you aren't buying new things you don't actually need.

I use demerara sugar to exfoliate my face and body. I just add whatever oil to it I choose, and it makes a great scrub. I also use demerara sugar in recipes that I don't care to use stevia for.

I buy BPA-free plastic food storage containers from the dollar store. I also buy gift wrap, gift bags, tissue paper, basket bags (when you want to give someone a gift basket covered with plastic for a neat presentation), ribbons, greeting cards and various other odds and ends there.

If I wind up hating a product I've purchased, I try to think of another way to use it. I'm using a facial moisturizer that makes my face break out as a moisturizer for my dry elbows, and it works quite well for that.

I find inexpensive items that I use to create my own decor items. I'm picky about DIY decorating, so if something I create isn't up to my standards, I disassemble the thing and start over...but sometimes I come up with something I love more than anything I could've purchased at a store.

IMO, it's best to approach saving money as a fun hobby. If you can look at it that way, you won't feel so bad about being on a limited income...you'll feel good about the things you were able to create--or the creative solutions you came up with--and see them as a source of pride. Have fun with it, I say!!!

YouTube and the internet in general are a wealth of information...if you don't know how to begin making your own [fill in the blank], all you have to do is search the internet to find out what others are doing.