The Budget Fashionista

For the last month or so, in light of the current economy, The Budget Fashionista has been focusing on extreme budget shopping—meaning as close to free as humanly possible! But we know that everyone has their own strategies for getting what they want/need for less, and we’d love to hear them all. So, what’s your best EXTREME budget shopping tip?

If im honest, mine has to be just cut down completly. Just get things when you need them. Its so hard these days with this money crisis its mad

Figure out what items I really need first. Shop only for those items I need. I try to double up sales and coupons when possible. I have also tried to look at consignment and thrift stores first for items I need. I did pretty good by finding a couple of designer wool skirts at one of the better thrifts, a pair of black dress boots (Zodiac) for $4 at a Goodwill and a very nice Brooks Brothers fitted white dress shirt for $14 at a consignment store. It looked like it had never been worn. I found a nice pair of skinny dark denim stretch jeans at of all places Hot Topic in the guys side. Our teenager swears by them and they are about $20 each. I had to take in the waist a bit but otherwise they are the most comfy jeans ever.

Both Kohls and JcPenney have been running sales Fri & Sat plus % off coupons that you can also use on the sale items. I was able to get 75% off of a pair of snowpants for one of our kids.

I have never done it, but I have heard of swap parties.  You bring items you longer want and swap them with your girlfriends over drinks and appetizers at someone’s house.

Personally, I have been glued to ebay to find deals and using the cashback program at live.com.

I like the swap party idea!  Usually my method is scour the thrift stores first, then hit Ross and TJ Maxx, then check out Target.  I have yet to splurge on department stores.  Little updates vs wardrobe overhaul.

Like K4thy, I am just cutting down. It was so much easier to be frivolous before, now it feels improper.  I am not sure that I am doing anything extreme, what was going on before was extreme. I would easily bore with my things, now I am really happy with what I have. I also think allot more about utility and longevity. If it is useful and I like it, then why replace it or add to it ?

It is funny how this crisis has just changed my mindset. Not that I was extravagant before, but now I look at something for $40 and I think, ” That is 10% of my annual car insurance premium ! ”

Buy new things, keep the tags on, wear them once, then return them! KIDDING!!
Honestly, I just avoid going to stores, or go to my favorite Goodwill store. I will have “dress-up” night at home, where I spend a few hours trying on various things in my closet, putting together some fun outfits.

Sorry for the double post, I just remembered something else. Repair all the things you have lying around! Sew the button back on, fix the fallen hem, get the zipper repaired, take those slightly-too-long pants to the dry cleaners and the wonky heels to the cobbler.

We do something that combines CaitlinV and TexanBargainHunter’s approaches. It’s called swishing - you get together with a couple of girlfriends and a whole pile of clothes you’re not sure about. Then you all try on each other’s clothes, and your own, try different accessories with them, turn them up with pins, layer them and generally see how you can make new outfits from them. Everybody goes home with a few new items and a lot of new ideas and then whatever is left in the heap goes to charity.

My other strategy is to pick one or two investment colours and buy only those colours and colours that work with them. So this year, given that the catwalk hot colour is teal, and grey and black are my ‘investment’ colours - I’ve bought teal and pink as accessory colours this winter - that means everything goes with everything and you need less outfits - if I splurged on one brown garment I’d have to buy a whole range of things to go with it. So I just invested in black T-shirts and jeans, a grey hoodie, pink gloves and a gorgeous teal silk scarf and it will all mix and match perfectly

Wardrobe woes? Worry not!
http://www.polo-shirts.co.uk

for me its looking for great deals online, thats my strategy
you can always do price comparisons that ways to find the best deal.