Real Simple Tips for Shopping

I love to shop just as much as the next girl, but I do have a method to my madness. Here are my real simple tips for shopping!

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1. Shop online.

I would say that at least 90% of the things I buy are purchased online, and a good portion of those items are bought on eBay. Why should I spend my money on gas driving around from store to store, only to find out that they don't have the size or color I'm looking for? Plus, coming home to a package at your doorstep is just so fun! And better yet, you can shop in your pajamas if you want!!

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2. Find a few stores/brands that you really like, and try to stick with them.

I used to shop at several different places, but because of that I never knew how their sales worked, how things fit, etc. Now that my style has evolved over the years, I have a few stores that I buy most things from, and since I know what their policies are, when things go on sale, and how their sizes fun, it makes it so much simpler to order online!

3. Follow a "fashion icon" or define your own style and stay true to it.

One way to prevent yourself from spending too much money is to stick to a certain style or color scheme and don't stray from it. I used to buy things just because they were on sale and I thought they were kind of cute. I didn't think about how much I would actually wear it or if it would look good on me. But now, I stick to a certain style and only buy things I love, or things that some of my "fashion icons" have and recommend. (By the way, my fashion icons are not celebrities and supermodels... they're just regular bloggers like me!) It's also important to buy colors that work well with your skin tone. So many times, I'd get something home and put it on, and then realize the color completely washed me out! Now I know which colors work for me and which ones don't, and I won't buy something that makes me look sick!

4. Try to never pay full price.

There's usually no reason to pay full price for something. It will eventually go on sale. And if you're afraid they'll run out of your size or color before it does go on sale, try to find a coupon. Especially when you order online, you can almost always find some sort of discount, or free shipping at the very least. Follow sites like retailmenot.com and do Google searches for coupons. Some sites like Gap, Old Navy, J. Crew and LOFT even post the coupon codes directly to their websites!

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5. If you can't justify wearing something several times, don't buy it!

Even if you think it's a great deal, it's not worth it if you're only going to wear it once. Make sure you buy things you love and will get a lot of use out of. I'd rather pay more for something I'll wear often, rather than getting a steal on something only to decide later that I don't like it.

6. Get more mileage out of your clothes.

By this, I mean that after you're done with something, try to sell it on eBay or consignment. You may only get a few dollars for it, but isn't that better than nothing at all? I try to sell most of my things that are still in good condition, and then I use the money I made on eBay to buy new things. That way I'm usually not spending much at all! It's just a continuous cycle!