Thrifty Shopping

So I did a little shopping this last weekend for the new job. And I'm pretty proud of my thrifty find, so I thought I would share with you some of my rules. I have a few tips on how I have curbed the once shopping addiction and how I keep my spending on track. I think how we spend our money is very important and excessive spending is not necessary or biblical. I also think it is okay to treat ourselves something and that is something you need to decide on your own. These are just personal guidelines I follow.

Now that I'm buying clothes again I'm really careful to follow some rules.

1. I never window shop, don't go to the mall unless you actually need something. How you decide your need is a personal thing but try to go with the replace not upgrade thought process. If things don't fit or a ripped or worn out it is okay to replace them. In my case I got a new job and did need new dress clothes because I had none!

2. Decide what you need before you go to the mall. If all you need is a new sweater, go in, find a sweater, and leave.

3. Don't buy too fast, sometimes it is worth it to shop around and find the best deal. I also try the thrift stores first, you don't always find something there but when you do it is well worth it. It takes a bit more work but is worth the savings.

4. Set a budget and don't go over it. For me I would not spend over 15 dollars on a shirt, so if it was more than that it went back on the rack. I don't even try it on if it is over the budget. This is a great way to not fall in love with things that are more than you would want to spend. You tend not to really love stuff until you see how it fits etc.

5. Always try it on! Make sure it fits right otherwise it will sit in the closet and be a waste of money.

6. Try to arrange your closet in a way you can see everything. I used to have so many clothes that things would be lost and I would forget what I had. I find that continually donating stuff that doesn't fit or is ripped etc. allows you to see what you actually have and therefore know what you actually need.

7. Try to buy things that work with everything else in your closet. This weekend I fell in love with some grey shoes but they would not have matched with my tan pants so then I would have needed to buy another pair of shoes for those pants. So I walked away. Later I found the same style shoes in black and knew they would work perfect! Was so glad I held off.

8. Spend the majority of your money on things that are timeless. Anything trendy try to find on super sale or at the thrift store because it is unlikely you are going to want to wear it after it is out of style.

So what did I buy this weekend?

I got three great pairs of dress pants. I bought some fantastic grey slacks at the thrift store for $6. I found dress pants I liked at target for $25, since they were regular I kept shopping and figured I could come back if I found something cheaper. When I went back to target the next day they had restocked and organized the sale rack and I found two great pairs of dress pants for $6. Same price as the thrift store, I was very excited.

I treated myself to a dress. I don't really have a fall dress for weddings and I found a great black classic dress for $7. You can't really go wrong at that price and I have a wedding to wear it to next month anyways!

I thrifted one cardigan at $8 and splurged on another at $25.

I bought myself some great white Gap jeans for $10.

I thrifted a blouse for $6, bought one at $15 and a nice dress sweater at $15.

Last but not least I bought me some shoes! I needed something I could wear in winter, wanted a flat and a heel for the office. So I got these great oxfords for only $20 and some super cute ankle boots with a small heel for $30.

Shopping is all about balance, something you might spend a little more than you wanted to on something but getting everything else at a great price balances things out!

It is also about remember that it is important to look good, because if you look good you tend to feel good but our worth cannot only come from outward appearance. We are children of an amazing God who pursues us passionately and we don't need to put anything on to please Him. He loves us exactly as we are!