Monday, March 15, 2010

Je Suis Michelle and I am on a budget?



Fashion on a budget as I so aptly described in my epic first post..is officially out the window. Spent around $100 $86 yesterday (I returned something). That's steep considering I have no income at the moment and I'm trying to save every penny towards "the dream." FYI: I'll pretty much allude to "the dream" constantly which is basically me moving to New York (and since last week apparently Paris).

I've been trying to develop a shopping process so that I can avoid impulse purchases--a budget shopper's downfall aside from the SALE rack which is the biggest trap of them all (more on this at the end). So I went shopping because I'm going to Vegas next weekend. I already had an outfit planned out but I just needed a statement necklace to pull everything together. This did not go over well. I ended up buying an entirely new outfit and more. Here's an overview:

BUFFALO EXCHANGE

Statement Necklace $14 

URBAN OUTFITTERS 

Lingerie Bodysuit $10 $68 

Silence & Noise Lace Sleeve Bodysuit $28 

Over the Knee black socks $8

FOREVER 21 

Black ruffle skirt $10 

Cocktail Ring $7 

Necklace $5 

H&M

Bow Clips $4 

Grand Shop of Shame Total: $86 (I ended up returning a sequin racerback tee from Freepeople)

Why Sale racks can be the devil in disguise:

I don't know what's wrong with me, but whenever I see a SALE rack, a light bulb immediately goes off in my head yelling "SALE, must buy... can't walk.out.of. store without at least something!" This is a trick people! Especially for those on a budget. You think you should save money, therefore you should buy now, because it's on sale! Think again. You are probably more likely to buy something out of courtesy to yourself.  There will be times when you will come across a bargain or a steal and you will get this gut reaction as soon as you see it or try it on. However, more often than not, you probably wouldn't look twice at the piece if it didn't have a sale sticker on it.

Lesson learned: Don't bring your Debit/Credit Card shopping especially during a sale. If you're on a tight budget bring the exact amount of ca$h you are willing to spend and spend accordingly. If you're not on a  budget, you suck. JK :) Happy Shopping!

How do you tackle shopping? Do you like to shop with specific items in mind or is shopping for you a constant free for all? Do you usually head straight for the sales rack? 


4 comments:

  1. ahhh lucky! i feel like i havent gone shopping in so long and im kinda depressed over it. if youre on a budget, you could just do your best to avoid shopping as much as possible because NY is expensivee. or take up sewing and you could look at what you want, and then try making something similar with your own twist. thanks for the commentt thoughh doll! i completely aggree with what you said. and keep writing!

    http://www.littlevoguette.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Mariam! Thank you for commenting :) You know, I was doing SO well not buying any clothes until this Vegas thing came up. For sure I will be on a strict shopping diet after this though! Thanks for the idea about making my own clothes. I've always wanted to make my own skirt. Maybe I will try it. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I must go shopping soon. You've inspired me!

    Thanks for your commentsx

    ReplyDelete
  4. You're welcome! Thank you for your comment as well!

    ReplyDelete