Lately, I’ve been doing a really great job of not spending any money on clothes for myself. I’ve been trying to stay out of stores the best I can and wear the clothes that I already have. My little purchases tend to add up. I try not to go shopping just to shop anymore. This keeps me from making impulse purchases I don’t need. What I like to do now is to keep an ongoing list of clothes that I’d like to buy if I find them for the right price. This way I know what I want and I don’t buy things, just to buy them.
Kate’s Shoes for less- Shopping finds
About a month ago I wrote a post on how I was on a hunt for some new shoes to add to my closet. I was looking for a pair of nude-colored pumps, similar to the L.K Bennett shoes that Kate Middleton is always wearing. I have been doing a lot of research on these shoes. I wanted to find a cute, stylish, comfortable shoe that was also in my price range. I looked everywhere that you might think to search for cheap shoes. Amazon, Target, Kohls, Payless, DSW, clearance rooms in department stores and even thrift stores. What I found was… it is extremely difficult to find any pair of shoes for under $30. I know that $30 is really not a lot of money for a pair of shoes, but still, I wanted something for an even lower price. Either way, I ended up settling with $30 as my max price of what I was willing to spend for my shoes.
I ended up finding a few cute pairs of shoes that I was interested in at DSW. They had a pretty decent selection, but the only downside was that the cheapest pair of shoes I could find was $39.99. I ended up getting a $10 off coupon this past week in my e-mail, so I was pretty set on buying the shoes from DSW. Just when I thought I had made my decision, I checked my Target mobile coupons on my iPhone. I had a $5 off $30 shoe purchase at Target. I really couldn’t pass up the price of $25.
Here is my biggest dilemma when it comes to discount shopping. I like to shop at stores like DSW, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s because they sell all of the brands that you can buy at the department stores for less money. Target is its own brand and when given the choice, I’d rather buy the more expensive brand for less, then the Target brand for the same price. I feel like I’m getting a better quality of a product. In this situation I ended up going with the Target shoes, and here is why… I think Target has great quality products. I spend a lot of money at Target, so I would know. Some of my favorite shoes are from Target. They seem to hold up very well over time and more importantly… they are extremely comfortable. I’ve bought the more expensive name brands in the past and they kill my feet, so why not go for the discount store like Target?
So what do you think? Do they look like Kate Middleton’s L.K. Bennett Shoes? I have to say that they’re not a bad match for $25.
I love my new shoes! If you’re looking for new shoes, but don’t want to spend a lot of money, I suggest you check out Target.
Shopping Finds
When it comes to saving money, shopping for clothes is my biggest weakness. My husband tells me every month “no spending”! I know what he means by this… Don’t buy anything that you don’t need. Well… I need clothes. I’ve gone about 2 months without buying anything new. Okay… well maybe I bought one or two things here or there, but it wasn’t much. I bought a sweater at Target that was on clearance for $5 and a pair of boots at Target that were purchased with a gift card from Christmas, so really it has been a while.I’ve been feeling like it was time to spend just a little bit of money on a few new items to add to my closet. So the other day I stopped at Kohls where they had a ton of clearance sales. I wasn’t really looking for anything in particular, but I had an idea of some items I’ve been wanting, one being some bright-colored pants. I lucked out, because sitting on the end of the rack was a pair of red cropped jeans in my size for $5. I knew I had to try them on. I’ve been wanting a new pair of colored pants for a while now, but I wasn’t willing to spend a lot of money on them. I knew I couldn’t pass up $5.
Kate’s Shoes for Less
It’s no secret that I absolutely love Kate Middleton’s style. I’m constantly looking at what she’s wearing for inspiration for my own wardrobe. After looking through many of her outfits, I realized that my closet is missing a couple important accessories. I seem to be lacking in my shoe collection.
I have always noticed these L.K. Bennett nude pumps that Kate is always wearing. I feel like they are her trademark shoes. They run about £195, which would be about $324 in the U.S. I’m on a hunt to find a similar pair before the summer, but my spending limit is $30.
Shopping Finds~ LC Lauren Conrad
I always get excited when I find a great deal, so I have to share my findings. I usually like to try to hold off until after Christmas to do most of my shopping for myself, but sometimes there are such great deals you can’t pass them up.
Plan Before you Buy
Like I have said before, it is not always easy to go shopping on a small budget. It takes a lot of discipline. One thing that I find helpful, is to plan ahead before I buy. I like to do my research first and find items that I will actually get good use out of. I try to keep an ongoing list of items that I want to buy eventually. Sometimes my list changes, but I usually keep it on hand with me at all times. This way I know what I’m looking for. I try not to buy things I don’t need. Having a list helps me avoid buyers’ remorse.
I start my research by looking at Pinterest. Pinterest is a great way to keep up with the latest fashion trends. I pin looks that I think are cute and I would actually wear, but a lot of times the clothes I pin are too expensive for my budget. What I like to do is keep an eye out for cheaper options. I usually look around on the internet first to price things out. I don’t usually buy online, because I prefer to see it in person. I like to try things on and touch it before I buy it, but that’s just me. After I have an idea of how much I want to pay for something, then I can look in the stores. Sometimes I can find something right away, other times it takes me months. It took me all summer to finally find a maxi skirt that I liked.
Here is an example of how I used a Pinterest idea and found an affordable option…
I am obsessed with Tory Burch flats. They’re so cute for everyday shoes. Well, I can’t spend $200 on a pair of flats. So, I had to keep my eyes open for something similar, that was also affordable. I got lucky. At DSW, I found a pair of Audrey Brooke flats. They look very similar to the Tory Burch flats I wanted. They were originally sold for $100 at the department store, but at DSW they were marked at $59.95. Well, I found them on the clearance rack for 40% off. I also used a coupon and ended up paying $32.83 with tax. I wear them all the time and love them! No buyers remorse here.
