How to Shop Frugally

Shopping and being frugal seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

Whether you think it is possible or not, you can shop and be frugal at the same time. Many think that if you want to be frugal, that you can’t shop. I will be the first to stand up and say that it IS possible and practical. It will not take you hours and hours of time.

How to SHOP FRUGALLY:
1. Before you step into a store, know what you have in your wardrobe. It is easy to buy double of something because we forget what we even own. When that happens, that means we have WAY more than what we need and we are not even using what we have. If you think you may need something, step into the “closet store” first.

2. The 80/20 rule. I am sure you have heard of this rule many a times in your life. You only use 20% of what you own on a regular basis. This also applies to clothing – you only wear 20% of the clothes you own. Before you buy something knew, think if it will be a part of the 20% or 80% of what you do not wear?

3. Don’t buy anything full price. Department stores – do you ever wonder how they can make everything 50% off and we think it’s such a good deal? For example, Black Friday – do you think that those stores are losing money with all those deals? No, in fact, they are banking – hence the reason we call it black Friday because they are not in the red. If you pay full price, know that you are often paying over double what it is worth!

4. Shop at thrift stores. Because of the 80/20 rule, why spend a fortune on something that you will only end up wearing a few times? Spending only a few dollars on an item, makes it less painful when you realize how little you wear an item. Many say that you can’t find anything cute at thrift stores. I will be the first to say that that is not true – some of the outfits that I get the most compliments on, are items that I spent $2 or $3 on at a thrift store. It pays to thrift shop!

5. Trends. We all have an inner desire to be fashionable, don’t we? Reality is, how practical is this line of thinking? Trends are trends – they only last a little while. What if our wardrobes were more well-rounded, where we put different clothing pieces together? Buying base colors (black, navy, brown) and coordinating with those colors offers the greatest options. For example, if you enjoy navy, only buy clothing that coordinates with that base color.

6. Shop for next year’s clothes, right after the current season ends. For instance, if you are looking for a steal on summer clothes or bathing suits, shop right after the summer season to find the best deals – then when summer rolls around next year, you will already have a new wardrobe without having to pay full price for them.

7. Cost Per Wear. I have heard of this concept a few different places. To calculate, divide the cost of the item by the number of times you wear it. This determines if you are really getting your money’s worth for the item.

Hopefully you are more aware of how you too, can shop frugally! It is easier than you think, it saves oodles of money, and it doesn’t take hours and hours of time to accomplish! Are you in?