If you guys have picked up on anything from reading my blog, it would probably be that I do
not let myself spend a lot of money on clothes/shoes/accessories/
anything. 90% of what I post is "thrifted" (which is actually probably annoying if you liked it and were looking to buy it...oops, sorry). I'm a broke teenage girl in high school without a job...so, needless to say, I don't have a ton money to be throwing around.
I
am, however, VERY good at finding sales/deals/saving money and things of that sort.
Generally, when I'm reading a fashion blog, I see things like this:
"Picked up a top today at SAKS for only $200! Such a steal!" or "These boots are on sale for only $150! Can you believe that?!" and so on and so forth. And those are generally the items on the
cheaper end of the spectrum for most bloggers.
Which is fine! ....if you have that kind of money. But, again. H-i-g-h-s-c-h-o-o-l. I have other things to worry about spending my money on! My car, food, going out with friends, paying for school functions, my phone, school supplies, books, etc! With or without a job (especially without), these things are hard to keep up with when you're 14-18 years old, on TOP of keeping up with your school work, and
TRYING YOUR HARDEST TO LOOK CUTE WHEN YOU'RE GETTING UP AT 6AM.
So, I thought I'd share a set I put together of
everything you need to go back to school for UNDER $200. Everything in that set, put together, totals to under $200. For the most part, I think I got all the basics covered in there. Almost everything I put in this set can be mixed and matched with whatever else you have in your closet. Versatility- that's what it's all about.
And even if what I featured isn't really your style, remember these things before going back to school shopping:
- LOOK ONLINE FIRST- If you see something in the store that you like, check and see if it's online. Tons of things go on sale on a store's website long before it will go on sale in stores. And sometimes, the sale will be better online then it will be when it does go on sale in the store. "But what about shipping?" Around August/September, most websites have "Back-to-School" sales where they offer free shipping/huge sales/etc. ALSO, google "Coupons for _______" (whatever store) and see what comes up. Sometimes websites will have codes that can get you 10-20% off your purchase at checkout (which could end up saving you close to the price you'd be paying for shipping).
- FIND OUT WHAT DAY NEW MERCHANDISE GOES UP- When you find out when stores are putting out new merchandise, you are also finding out what day other items start going on sale. Therefore, you will be the first person to get to the sales before all the good items/sizes are gone.
- DON'T BE SHY- If you see something you like at a store, but it's still a bit too pricey, ask a sales associate if they know when it's going on sale. Sometimes they'll be completely clueless and look at you like you're an idiot for asking them something like that. Sometimes they'll tell you "Come back in a week and it will be 30% off." It. Never. Hurts. To. Ask. Questions.
- THINK ABOUT IT FIRST- I am the queen of impulse buying. I see something that I like, and I buy it. Oh, and then it sits in my closet for a year without ever being worn. Now (what I try to do) if I see something I want and it's over $30 (and isn't the last one in my size in stock) I give myself a few days to think about it. If I come home and I'm still thinking about it, then I go to my closet and see what I could pair with it. If it's something I know I'll wear more than once or twice, I'll go back and get it. But you'll find that half the time you'll go home and you won't think about it again, which means you probably didn't really want it/need it in the first place, and now you have extra money in your pocket for something else.
I hope at least one of these things comes to mind when you go shopping now. Even if you (or your parents) have all the money in the world to spend, it doesn't hurt to be wise with it!
