A Few Rules
Sept 6, 2010
In my pursuit of fashion flyness I also keep my bank account in mind. In order to keep the purchases in check I tend to do some mental calculations, several of them actually (it’s a good way to keep the mind sharp):
1. Budget for the Day
Before you leave your house and begin the hunt, get a number in your head that you plan on spending for the day/will not spend over. This will help to curb some of the impulse buys that you really don’t need. Or the purchases in which you ask yourself a month later “Why did I buy this?” It also saves you precious closet space and of course, most importantly, moolah!
2. Price Benchmarking
Some of this comes with bargain hunting experience but certain things I refuse to pay over a certain price for and that is usually due to quality. Basically when you are holding a garment in your hand, examining whether or not you like it, a few things should run through your head:
“Do I already have something that looks like this?” (I like what I like, and sometimes that results in my buying similar pieces! Waste of money when diversifying the closet is a part of the goal).
“How does this piece fit into my wardrobe? Can I wear it with lots of things? Do I have to buy certain things to actually even get a first wear out of it?” If you buy something you like but you actually don’t have any shoes to wear with it, or lack the right pant or top to accompany it then it may not be worth it to buy it at this juncture. Buying the pieces to go with it may take you forever to find or a pretty penny to acquire.
“How much am I willing to pay for this garment?” You’re eyeing this piece and are just loving the stitching, the color, the shape, AND it’s in YOUR size! What now, look at the price tag of course! NOO! Before you look at that tag, figure out what price you are willing to pay for the piece, then look at the ferment. If it’s within the price range you have mentally set out, great! You are the proud owner of a new garment! Hmm way out of your league…no worries keep looking, there are plenty of other racks. Hmmm sticky gray area, it’s just 5 dollars out of range! Well that’s when you weigh it out, how much you love it, how well can you mix and match it with the rest of your wardrobe, how one of a kind is it, and what discount are you receiving?” The decision is then yours. You may be thinking, “Really? All that agonizing over $5?” Yes, yes all that agonizing over $5, in the bargain shopping world that is a lot of money! Besides that, setting rules and boundaries are important, and if you bend the rules here and there, it will soon become a habit and before you know it, your bank account is much lower than you would like for it to be.
3. Know when to say No and when to say Yes
Again, bargain shopping is all about setting appropriate limitations given the circumstances. Sometimes, it is worth it to go above the limitation that you have set for yourself because:
- it is something that you have been searching for
- it’s an unbelievable deal (even though still above your limit)
-or it’s a very unique piece
Other times, you may not be paying too much for a piece BUT it is of such poor quality that after the first wash, it will already look very worn…. Just leave it, it’s not worth it!
4. Understand the Game
For me, my bargain shopping is about creating diversified looks that look like quality but may not necessarily always be quality. At times, I am sacrificing quality for quantity but with quantity I am able to rotate my clothes more often to reduce wear and tear which allows me to keep my lower quality stuff for longer periods.
