Fun Games on How to Budget Your Shopping
Being Frugal Doesn't Have to be a Bore. Use These Fun Shopping Tips.
Nov 4, 2009
When you have to cut back on buying the necessities – shoes, bags, and department store make-up – it could feel like your world is crumbling down. Who knew one day you would survive without your precious MAC Lipglass? Well rest assure, soon the days will return of spending without a care and throwing away receipts without blinking. Until then try these three saving ideas.
Girls Night In Party
All true shoppers know that you can always find a good deal online. So here’s an idea. Host an online shopping night at home with a group of friends. Have everyone make a list of needed items (keyword needed), grab their laptops and some snacks, and voila! Instant shopping trip without the pushy sales women, long lines, kids running rapid, and impulse buys. And you can even add an extra layer of fun buy making it a friendly competition to see who can find the best deal – loser pays for the pizza.
A second opinion or voice of reason never hurts when shopping, so this could be an excellent way to shop, save, and feel good about it.
Look for Less Game Show
If you remember the show The Look for Less, surely this thought ran through your head more than once “I could have found that look for a lot less”. Stylists have lost touch with what a real budget is. So here’s your chance to show them who’s the real expert…minus the cameras and the big reveal. Look through the latest runway show of you favorite designer, print out your favorite look, and let the games begin.
Visit discount stores and thrift stores to see “how low can you go”. The feeling you get when you find the almost identical look for Hamiltons, Lincolns, and Washingtons is unmatched. You won’t even mind telling people how dirt cheap your outfit is, because you can’t believe it yourself! Give yourself one day to find the entire look, and then humbly accept the compliments on your new ensemble as you pass by other style junkies who are wondering how you afforded the latest Marc Jacobs look in this economy.
Use Your Tailor for Alterations
Sometimes what’s old can easily be made new again. This weekend grab two friends and dig through your closets and search for one item that you think can be made into something new. Take the pieces to your local tailor, and without letting each other know what the outcome will be, have the pieces remade into something totally new. Getting something altered is often a lot cheaper than buying something off the rack, and its cooler knowing you now have a one-of-a-kind piece.
After the pieces are complete, meet your girlfriends at a big reveal dinner. Everyone will be amazed at how the old sweater that you were going to throw out can now have a new exciting second life. During hard times it’s important to think beyond the obvious and experiment with your wardrobe (especially if it saves you money). So if you like how your first remix turned out, dig for more hidden gold!
See, saving isn’t so bad after all. While everyone else sees this as a time to deprive themselves of shopping, let your creative juices flow and enjoy your new shopping habits.
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