How I Shop on a Budget

I've always been a shopper. Whether it be in a boutique, or in my sister's closet growing up- I love looking at ways to expand my closet. And unfortunately- my situation is best described as "champagne taste on a beer budget". As I've shared before, I function on a pretty tight budget and am trying to stick to an aggressive savings plan. All together that doesn't leave a ton of room for shopping in my budget. Thankfully, I've found some tips and tricks to help me satisfy my urge to shop while sticking to my budget. And I'm here to share how I shop on a budget!

Shop at bargain stores. TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Nordstrom Rack have easily become my favorite stores thanks to the deals they harbor. I love being able to find my favorite designers for discounted prices! Not only do they carry awesome brands, but they have a broad selection of products. In my opinion, the key to success at these stores is to shop frequently and decisively. If you try to go back to find something that you passed up on a previous trip, 9 times out of 10 it will already be gone. They have a quick turnover, but this is also good news because they are constantly ushering in new merchandise.

Mix high end with low end. As much as I'd love to have a closet full of designers, I don't. I actually have a ton of pieces from stores like Target and Kohls that didn't break the bank. I think stores like that are great places to pick up basics like tees, tanks, scarves, and accessories. There's absolutely a place in my wardrobe for cheaper products, but the secret to pulling them off is to mix them in with some of the nicer products in your closet. Pair your new Target statement necklace with your favorite JCrew sweater. Wear your favorite tee from Kohls with your new Loft blazer. The possibilities are endless and mixing these pieces together can help to give off the look you're going for!

Utilize outlet stores. Many brands have their own line specifically designated for their outlet stores. This is great news! Instead of getting items that didn't sell from a prior season, these outlet stores are getting clothes that are seasonally appropriate and on trend!! If you don't currently know where the closet outlets are to you, look them up and make sure that you check here before buying something full price in a retail store.

Check out thrift shops. I know some people have negative stigmas associated with thrift shops, but I beg you to reconsider! Depending on the area, you can find amazing items and deals at a local thrift shop. I've found some amazing statement pieces- like cowboy boots and coats- from stores that were practically new! And if you're lucky, you can find brand new items with tags on the racks. You just need to hunt.

Hit up the clearance racks. Back when I was in high school, I had a job in a retail store. I was constantly surprised at the hidden gems I could find when we moved clothing to the clearance racks. These aren't just the rejects or odd sizes- there are some great steals in there! Make sure you do this when you have patience and time, but perusing the clearance racks can be gold. One of the things I do to make this easier is to have a clear idea of what I want to find before diving in. I'll shop Pinterest or magazines to find a particular idea, then search the racks to find deals on similar pieces.

These tips just scratch the surface, but are all ways that I use to stay in budget AND satisfy my urge to shop. Looking for some more ideas? Head over to my lovely blogging friend Rachel's blog, Sweet Simple Living, for the second half of this post! Her blog focuses on embracing the simplicity of life and she has some amazing frugality tips! Rachel and I were paired up as January Solidarity Sisters (kind of like blogger pen pals) to get to know other bloggers. Are you interested in participating in something like that? You can read about it and sign up for February's parings here.

How do you manage to shop without disrupting your budget? What are your favorite shopping tips?

Recent Purchases

Hey, y'all! Happy Monday! Are you having a nice start to your week? To be honest I'm a little homesick. I'm soo ready to see my family over Labor Day weekend! I'm counting down the days.. literally. I've been bitten by the shopping bug more than usual lately, does that ever happen to you? I'm pretty disciplined when it comes to my budget and rarely go crazy with my spending. Maybe something's in the water but these sales/items have been too good to pass up lately! I wanted to share a couple of my favorite recent purchases with y'all.

Recipe Box. If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don't, you should!), you've probably already seen my post about this cutie! I have been looking for a recipe box for some time now but couldn't decide exactly what I wanted. I'm headed to my Grandma's house for Labor Day weekend and we will be spending plenty of time cooking during my trip. This box comes with adorable recipe cards included! I can't wait to fill them up with delicious family recipes! I purchased mine here.

Shift Dress. Unless you're not a Lilly lover, you knew that the After Party Sale happened on Monday and Tuesday of last week. I was lucky enough to snag this cute Janice Knit Shift in these adorable stripes! It shipped extremely quickly and was at my house on Wednesday after the sale! Now THAT'S service. I've already worn it to work once, as well as the photo on my new "About Me" page, and know that I will get so much use out of it.

Clutch. After this post, I was on the serious hunt for a clutch! I was pretty decided before I stumbled upon Mark and Graham's website. I immediately fell in love with this clutch and knew it was the one for me. I got the gold monogram added on- it's adorable in person! The material feels amazing and holds a surprising amount.

Bath Soak. I've been having some serious trouble sleeping lately. I've used some sleep aids before, but that isn't something I aim to make a habit of. So I've been working to create a relaxing evening routine, and nothing works better than a luxurious bath. I've been a huge fan of The Body Shop's facial products, but have been amazed by this soak. It has a soothing scent and I feel so relaxed after a dip with this!

Elsa Top. I've shared my love of Lilly's Elsa tops before, but I'll reiterate- these babies are GOLD!!!! They are perfect for work and play. I love the bright colors and the cut is great for work. It's flowy without looking overly casual. I've been eyeing this print for a while and was thrilled to grab it from last week's sale! I can't wait to wear it!

What purchases are you loving lately?

My Current Favorite Cover-Ups

Happy Memorial Day, y'all! Today is a day of thankfulness for me. I hope you're having a relaxing long weekend and wearing plenty of sunscreen! I'm thrilled for the official start of summer. My pool opened on Saturday and I have been at leisure all weekend. It's fabulous! This is the first time of the year that I usually start thinking about my pool gear and making sure that I have what I need (replacing anything old or getting anything I missed in years past!). I always buy a new bottle of sunscreen each year to ensure my ingredients are still active. I don't like to burn, and since I am so fair that takes extra effort to avoid it! One of my recent loves this time of year has got to be cute bathing suit cover-ups. I never gave much thought to them before- I would throw on a sun dress or t-shirt and shorts. Now, I appreciate the value of a good cover-up: not getting sunscreen/sweat on your clothes, lightweight materials, and of course, modesty. You never know where you might be headed after a morning at the pool/beach, so it's nice to have something that covers you up if you're going somewhere besides home! Here are a few of my current favorites right now.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

I will typically wear my dress cover-ups alone, and will throw on a simple tank with my shorts cover-ups. And voila! All you have left to do is grab your bag and head out for some relaxation. I am still excited to break out my Lilly For Target shorts that I got last month- they are just perfect as a cover-up! Super comfy and bright. Have an awesome rest of your long weekend! :)

What do you wear as a cover-up? Do you prefer shorts or a dress? Which is your favorite?

My Lilly for Target Experience

Hi readers! I hope you've been having a great week so far. Mine has been wild so far, but nothing compares to the wildness that I saw this weekend at the Lilly for Target launch.

That's right, y'all- I was one of the crazies who got up to do the launch in person! I went to a wedding on Saturday night and was leaving on Sunday to head back to VA, so I wanted to get some sleep and couldn't stalk the online launch. When I woke up to head to Target, I was hoping to pick up a few of my online only picks. I quickly discovered that they were all sold out. At 7 AM. 7!!!! I still can't believe that. That just solidified my mindset when heading into the store that I had to be strategic if I wanted to get any of my top picks!

My mom, sister, and I met at our local Target at 7:30 and were the second group in line. It was a rainy, chatty wait as everyone discussed their surprise at the online sell out and their wishlist for inside the store. They opened the doors promptly at 8, however we received a lecture beforehand about wet floors and where the different items would be located to help minimize frantic behavior.

When the doors opened, carts were grabbed and people began RUNNING towards the racks. We planned to go straight to the clothing and I just went for the prints that I loved online. I was able to get several dresses in my size and prayed that they fit. I kid you not, the racks were completely cleared within 5 minutes. I wasn't even able to make it to any other section before all of the goodies were snatched up. We gathered in the outdoor section to sort through our finds- we didn't want to hoard anything we weren't seriously considering purchasing in hopes that others would be able to enjoy them. We put back a few things that were grabbed in the wrong size and headed to the fitting rooms. Women were crowded around the fitting rooms waiting for people to discard their items. They were snatched up so quickly. The crazy thing was that people stopped discarding their items. Unwanted items were held onto and traded for others that were desired. How nuts is that! I seriously couldn't believe the tense energy within the Target.

I walked out with a nail polish, a bathing suit, three dresses, and a pair of shorts. Only two of which I intended to purchase, but I fell in love in the fitting room with items off of my list! I am hoping to pick up a few of my wants in returns (although I highly doubt any returns will happen), but I refuse to go pay a higher price on Ebay. I don't mean to get on a soapbox, but I think those mark-ups are ABSURD. If you wanted to pay $100 for a Lilly dress, go to their retail store and buy one made to be $100. I think that the prints for the Lilly for Target collection are beautiful but the way that they are able cut costs to sell them so cheaply is to make them with cheaper materials. You would not pay a 3x price gauge for a dress that didn't have Lilly on the tag, so just don't. Treat yourself to a dress worth your money. End rant.

Here are a few photos of my picks from shopping on Sunday!

Look familiar from Instagram? This was one of my must haves!

This was my other must have that I got- so happy to have snagged it!

Did you brave the lines on Sunday? Did you get any items from the collection? What are your thoughts on the Ebay situation?