My 5 Tips for Shopping Smart!

Being a college student with limited funds makes being a shopaholic really difficult. I wish there was a fund for stylish students so we could afford all of those gorgeous designer clothes. BUT! This is reality, not fashion dream land, so I have to try and be practical when I go shopping. This past year, I began thinking about how it's time to spend the least amount of money on clothes possible (a horrifying thought, I know). Well, there are ways to shop smart, and that's what i've done even when I had money to blow.

For all you broke college students, or anyone struggling in this terrible economy, I'd like to share my top tips for shopping smart! (details of this outfit coming soon)

1. SALES. It may sound obvious but timing your purchases is key. Sure that top is hot and fresh right now...but wait a month or so and it will probably be on sale! For example, I just got some Zara jeans for 20 bucks. Get to know the sale schedules of your favorite stores.

2. KNOW YOUR STORES. My top shopping places are Foreign Exchange, ASOS, Fashion Nova, Forever 21, Zara, Fashion Q, and Nordstrom's Rack. Before you buy something you like, check around to see if you can find a similar item for cheaper at another store. I can't tell you how many times this has happened to me!

3. WATCH OUT IF IT'S TOO CHEAP! Example, I LOVE the prices at Fashion Q, and actually have found really cute stuff made of decent material. But recently, I got a knit top for 9$ that I washed and it frayed everywhere. The price may be cheap, but if the material is done after one wash, it's not worth it. Save up for another time.

4. USE THE INTERNET AS A RESOURCE. The internet is the easiest way to see if you are getting the item you want at the best price. Try going on Shopstyle.com, they pull up sources where the item is found so you can compare prices.

5. DO YOU REALLY LIKE/NEED THIS? If you aren't instantly drooling over it, chances are you should give it a second thought. Give it a day or two and look at a picture of it online several times (if possible), and see if you don't get sick of it. I've done that many times and I've found that something I was initially crazy about was no big deal. And also try to think of how wearable it is. Will you only wear this once? Can it be styled in a number of ways? Is it YOU??? Hmmmm...

REMEMBER! YOU DONT HAVE TO SPEND BIG TO LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS ;)