The 7 Rules Of Shopping On A Budget

So you want to look effortlessly sleek and stylish but you still have pesky things like rent, bills and your latte habit to shell out cash for. Ugh. Thankfully you don’t need a wad of cash to look stylish. Our seven step fashion plan means you can still wear the best gear and look hot to trot.

1 Look for items that are versatile

Think basic tees, denim skinnys and block colour pieces so you can mix and match to create lots of different outfit combos. You’ll have something different and deadly to wear every day. You’re welcome.

2 Don’t impulse buy

Ah, the temptation at the checkout. There’s always a budget buy or five that we just can’t help but purchase but from now on if you don’t need it then you don’t buy it. Those are the rules. Be strong.

3 Think about cost per wear

€80 on a new pair of everyday jeans might seem like a splurge but it’s better than spending €40 on a dress you might only wear twice. Do the fashion maths. And remember your wardrobe should consist of 70% classic, essential items and 30% trends.

4 Don’t rely on the internet

We love to trawl for bargains on the web but with the cost of shipping, the price of returns and competitive bidding getting the better of us (we’re looking at you eBay!) you can actually end up paying more. Evaluate the true cost of your online purchase. Are you really getting a bargain, or just getting excited about being sent something glitzy in the mail? If it’s the latter, shop in-store.

5 Sign up to your fave stores’ newsletters

Stores will sometimes send out exclusive discounts and sample sale invites to their online fans. Think of the top five stores you love to shop at and go like their Facebook page or join their mailing list so you’ll be the first to know about any thrifty threads they have to offer. Uh hello discounts!

6 Don’t bring a friend

How often have you been on the verge of placing that ridiculous impulse purchase back on the rack only for your friend to pull a ‘go on, just get it’ on you? If you truly want to budget then shop solo, or just don’t give in to SSP. (That’s social shopping pressure, FYI.)

7 Do treat yourself

Saving your pennies can be a massive buzz kill and restricting yourself too much will only increase the chances of you caving completely and running to Topshop to buy all of the things. Try and allow yourself little treats along the way. And by little treats we mean a new shade of nail polish, or a cute hair band. Not that sequined shift dress from River Island.

Pic credit: Dorothy Perkins

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