3 Tips for Shopping on a Budget

Hey friends!  I did this guest post for my blogging friend Tori of My Thrifty Chic and I thought I would post it for you all as well.  Hope you enjoy! 

With the end of summer clearance sales, and the magnificent beauty that is Fall fashion, shopping on a budget can be downright frustrating.  Do you stock up on summer buys for next year?  Or do you splurge on the enticing sweaters and boots?  Decisions, decisions.

If you're like me, shopping on a budget can be challenging.  But it's a challenge that you can gladly accept, if you follow some key guidelines:

1.  Clean out your closet

• I seem to clean out my closet about every 3 months because it helps me hold accountable what clothes I wear a lot and what clothes never leave their hangers.
• Consider grouping clothes into piles: "Donate", "Sell", "Keep".  
• Going through your clothing allows you to make a list of what you need more of and what you already have.  

2.  Make a list and stick to it

• After you've purged your closet, it's time to write down those mental notes of what you want to buy.
• If you're into the latest trends, scope out some of the big fall trends from the runway and find some look a likes.
• If you're into buying vintage and/or thrifting, most racks are organized by type of clothing and so it will be easier to peruse the racks.

3.  Resist temptation and spend wisely

• If you know that you are enticed easily by a certain part of a store (i.e. jewelry, shoes, cosmetics), then force yourself to steer clear of those areas.
• I've found that the best way to stick to a budget is to pay with cash!  Swiping your credit card is too simple and it's easy to forget about how much you're spending.  If your budget is $200, then pull $200 in cash from your bank account and only use that.

As much as we'd love to be Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic, most of us need to budget our purchases and that includes shopping.  I hope you found these tips helpful.  :)

Are there any other ways you've found to help you stick to a budget?

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