Budget Friendly Shopping For Girls In Their Twenties

As my mom always said…

“You have champagne taste on a beer budget.”

As I sit here in quarantine, I have been reflecting on my favorite places to shop. What else is a girl to do but to try on all her clothes in a time like this? Like so many other people, I have always been intrigued by fashion. I love putting together outfits; the way patterns, colors and textures fit with one another has always felt like an art form. With this being said, my love for high-end clothes and my budget as a 23-year-old have not always coincided.  

There are a few questions I always want myself to answer before buying an item: 

1. Do I own anything like this?

So many times I have found myself buying something that looks exactly like what I already have hanging in my closet. I end up wasting money by buying a similar item twice. There are special occasions when I buy one item in a few colors, which I think is an exception to the “do I own anything like this” rule.

2. Is what I am buying a timeless piece?

Fast fashion is all the rage. With stores like Forever 21, Tj Maxx and so many more coming out with 100 new pieces every day, it is hard to decipher the difference between timeless and trendy. ALWAYS pick timeless!

3. Is it worth investing in?

There are occasions when it is acceptable to buy a more expensive piece of clothing that will last a lifetime. I have no doubt that there is a difference in quality between materials that come from Forever 21 and Channel. Although it is hard to budget, planning for “life-time pieces” may just be worth it. 

4. Do I have items in my closet I can wear this with?

So many times I have bought something that I “absolutely had to have” only to come home and realize I had nothing to wear it with. This became a vicious cycle for me in college. I spent way too much money having to buy entire outfits because I would have died without that Satin bow top I saw on a mannequin in the Alice and Olivia shop window.  

A few guidelines I follow when shopping on a budget:

1. Is everyone wearing this? There is a difference between trends and overdone pieces that should have been left in the 80’s. 

2. Limit the amount of shopping you do. When I moved from a small town in Indiana to Chicago, I spent way too much money shopping at the major stores on Michigan Ave. Now looking back, I should have spent a little less time in Water Tower Place and a little more time looking for the best vintage shops in the city. I stopped shopping every weekend and limited myself to once every few months. 

3. Leave your credit card at home. I have noticed that credit cards make people think they have an unlimited amount of money. I started getting in the habit of only bringing a certain amount of cash with me when I shop. This allows me to set a tangible goal of how much I can spend-- you can’t spend what you don't have. 

4. Make a list of things you actually need. Do you need a winter coat or a one-piece swimsuit for the beach volleyball team you just joined? Making a list that you stick to when buying pieces of clothing allows you to only get what you need. If you don’t do this, you’ll end up with 25 different jackets when you only need three (totally talking about myself). 

Here is an assortment of all the budget-friendly places I love to shop:

Zara

ASOS

MANGO

The Real Real

Target (don’t knock it)

H&M

TopShop

Lucky Brand

Buffalo Exchange

Chicago Based

Lost Girls Vintage

Belmont Army

Elliot Consignment

McShane’s Exchange