Being Stylish on a Budget

Everyone can have style; it’s just how much are you willing to spend to get it, right?  Nope.

It’s easy to be the one with the fashion sense everyone admires and you don’t have to break the bank. Here are ten simple tips to help save you money and give you the looks seen in magazines and on TV.

1. Take Time to Shop

So many times we're in such a rush to get-in and get-out with what we're looking for that we make a simple mistake -- we overpay for something that's not quite what we’re looking for. By just taking some extra time to research sales, compare prices and simply allotting ourselves time to shop will prevent the horrible feeling of overpaying and regret commonly known as "Buyer's Remorse"

2. Watch for falling prices

Walk past the front of the store and the most expensive items and head to the clearance racks. Most every store has them and it just takes finding it to find the bargains. Since these are usually toward the back of the store and in a place window shoppers with little time to shop rarely visit, their placement never changes. The clearance racks in January typically are in the same spot in July.

3. Designers for a Discount

To attract the bargain style shoppers, discount chains are now offering designer-label lines for less-than-designer prices. Isaac Mizrahi for Target. Simply Vera (Wang) at Kohl's. And this trend doesn't seem to be fading anytime fast as more and more designers are jumping onboard. Plus, factor in Tip #2 and these once expensive labels won't take a bite out of your budget when you find them on the clearance rack.

4. Balance your buys

More of a philosophy than a tip, I like to be sure that at the times when I splurge on fashion -- whether it's a Cynthia Steffi dress, a pair of Kate Spade shoes or a new Coach bag -- I have a comparable bargain piece to balance my spending. A $20 pair of Tahari jeans found at Marshalls, a $6 pair of Cynthia Rowley flats acquired from Plato's Closet, a $10 Prada tote found at a garage sale. For every $150 pair of shoes, you need a $3 t-shirt to go with it.

5. Shop the Web

The wonderful advantage the Internet brings with e-Commerce is the ability to be a smarter shopper. Just about every store has a website where you can look up weekly circulars to know what's on sale this week, to compare prices and to just simply find what you're looking for. Plus Internet-only retailers like Amazon.com and Overstock.com, along with auction sites like eBay, offer more places to find what you're looking for. Since there's more competition for your spending dollar, you have the benefit of choosing how much you'll pay. But pay attention; don’t let shipping costs eat up all your savings.

6. Sign up for that e-list

Yes, giving out your email address for voluntary marketing does mean you’re going to get more emails, but signing up to receive mailings from the designers and companies you like has its benefits. A lot of Internet email marketing hits the consumer before print ads -- which means getting the first look at new products from Gucci and the first chance at sales from J Crew.  And if you’re really worried about giving out your personal email, companies like Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail offer FREE email and you can dedicate one address to just marketing emails. But don’t forget to check it often.

7. Know your style

Sounds really simple and it is. Just know what you like and don't waste your money on clothes or shoes or a handbag that you're not in love with. If you're going back and forth with yourself when buying clothes because you're unsure how much to like it, just put it back and wait for something better. It'll be worth the money if you REALLY like it.

8. Last Season is just Next Year Early

Most fashions do not go out of style in 3 to 6 months or even a year or two. Capri pants and Matchstick jeans will still be in style from this year to next and if you get that Juicy Couture jacket at the end of the Season on clearance, you can put it away for next Fall. It'll still look just as good.

9. Second-hand is not a hand-me-down

Some consumers have convinced themselves that they should always buy clothes brand new from the store, but for real bargains check the consignment stores and yard sales. At many places, clothes are like new, only worn once and someone was just tired of it hanging in their closet going unworn. A great example is Plato's Closet that buys very gently worn mall-brand clothes (Abercrombie, J Crew, Gap, etc.) and resells them. The clothes are many times less than what you would pay for the identical item at the actual store. Same with garage sales - sometimes you luck out and find a $1 Juicy Couture tee, a $5 Ralph Lauren sundress or a $10 Marc Jacobs cashmere sleeveless sweater, but always inspect the garment thoroughly to see if it really is a bargain or not even worth the dollar.

10. Just because you're done with it doesn't mean it's done 

Old clothes aren't valueless. If you've barely worn it, resell it. Take it to a consignment store or if you never wore it or only wore it once, sell it on eBay. Sometimes you can repurpose your own wardrobe. Walk past any Brooks Brothers window display and the style for women is to use a man's tie as a belt. You can do that too! Just raid your husband's old ties or find a tie secondhand (see tip #9) and get the look without the painful price tag.

Sounds simple doesn't it – ten little tips that will help your stylish side and your wallet. And the truth is it IS that easy to get designer looks at bargain prices. It's not how much money are you willing to spend, just how much effort you put in to having style without paying the price.