This morning I saw a segment on Rachael Ray about shopping like a fashion editor on a budget. She had Zanna Roberts Rassi, Senior Fashion Editor at Marie Claire head to Target to pick out an entire outfit (SHOES, too!) with nothing more than a $100 bill. That’s it. So she had no choice but to stay within that. She was actually able to put together a really cute outfit, top, pants, statement jacket & shoes for $98.97! (Here’s the link to the video) https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/25695_how_to_shop_for_clothes_on_a_budget/
Now anyone from my family reading this is probably thinking this is a joke because me & the term “budget” don’t get along very well. I am notorious for overspending. For example, last week I went to the Bruno Mars concert at the Boston Garden (great show! The hangover lasted a day & a half) so I wanted to get something new & fresh to wear to it. I told my husband that I was running out to find a new shirt for the show. Since it was the night before (I tend to be last minute) I figured I’d try my luck at TJ Maxx (I always seem to forget this store) because we have one in town. Well long story short, I went in for a cute new top& came out with 2 cute tops, an AMAZING chunky sweater, a new pair of jeans & some earrings. Over spending at it’s finest, people! But I pretty much broke every rule that I learned on the Rachael Ray segment, so here are some tips on how to stay within budget & still be able to look fabulous.
- Set a budget. This was kind of obvious, right? If you’re only looking for a shirt then budget for JUST that.
- Bring cash. NO debit cards or credit cards. This is where I fall victim every time because I never carry cash on me. But think about it, when we have our credit cards on us, it’s so easy to just swipe away & not pay much attention to the cost. If you only have cash you obviously have no choice but to spend within the amount you have…even if you really want those perfect fitting jeans in a different color.
- Find something you like/love (especially if it’s on clearance) that you know you will wear at least 5 different ways on 5 different occasions. If you can’t, don’t buy it. This is another tip I could learn from. I tend to have an issue wearing the same thing more than a few times.
So there you have it! Shopping like a fashion editor on a budget & it doesn’t actually seem too hard! We’ve all learned something here today. Now I have to go convince my husband that I need to go shopping to try out this new method…you know, for research purposes of course.
Happy Shopping!
