Staying Stylish on a Budget: More Tips!

via Fashion Gone Rogue

On my last post about budget style, my friend Michelle left the following tips in a comment. She had some really great ideas, and I wanted to make sure you didn't miss what she had to say! Read on for some great advice:

I'm not the best bargain-hunter I know, but I do have a rule that I will never pay full price for anything. Here are a few of my tips:

1. Sign up for a Gap credit card. You can use it at Gap/Old Navy/Banana Repulic/Piperlime AND cardholders often get a better discount during a sale. Additionally you get rewards certificates that are basically gift certificates you can spend in the store. I pay mine off at the end of every month to avoid interest charges.
   
   
2. Make a list of your top wants/needs each new season. It's your list so you can always change/add to it, but I find the list keeps me from wasting my money on things I'll regret later. (Note from Casey: I completely agree with this. For years now I've been making a "to look for" list as each season approaches -- it keeps me on track and helps me determine my priorities as I shop.)
3. Buy seasonal items toward the end of the season. This takes a lot of patience BUT pays off. You can get really high quality clothing for the price you would have paid for a knock-off at the beginning of the season.
4. Know what days your favorite stores mark down their merchandise. Also know when they tend to have a really big seasonal sale. I read online that the two biggest mark-down times of the year are after Christmas and at the end of June. But you can also get great deals over Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. I tend to delay purchases until one of those big sale times arrives if at all possible.
5. Here's one I don't take advantage of enough: if you're ordering online, use Ebates. If you have an account with them and purchase through one of their affiliate links, you get cash back at the rate of 2-8% depending on the store. They will actually mail you a check that you can deposit in your bank account!
6. Don't buy anything you don't love. Also, don't buy anything that doesn't fit well unless you know you can alter it or have it tailored for a reasonable price.

Thanks for reading and sharing, Michelle!

If you have tips like these you want to share, leave a comment or email me!