All seasonal wear requires a little (or a lot of) strategic adjustment no matter how delayed the anticipated weather might be.
Shopping strategically means to shop smart. Just as we can buy our groceries with a list and save a whole lot more than we could without one, we can accomplish the same goal when wardrobe shopping for an entire household.
Even though shopping malls still become crowded today with eager spenders - especially during holidays and certain weekends - consumers now have the advantage of options that offer various ways of saving shopping money.
That doesn't mean we don't find ourselves scrambling for new much needed outfits that will fit our bigger/smaller body size or rushing to find new clothing for our kids' growth spurts. For many of us, most of our scramble comes from scraping up a budget to buy new clothing and shoes. The following tips can help make such experiences easier to process:
1. We don't have to keep up with the Joneses. (Never did really.)
There was a time when today's term, "vintage", meant "second-hand" in a negative sense. Thankfully, a generation of Millennials have grown into a fresh, bold part of society who love to confront what didn't make sense in the past. Among the masses of issues, they've redefined fashion and given us a label that continues to sound trendy every time it is spoken. Vintage. Indulge the word for its positive approach to fashion.
2. Fit in by being "different".
This is another practice for which we have the millennial generation to thank. These days, few styles are considered to be out-of-style during a time when "different" is widely embraced. There's no longer any pressure to keep up with the latest designs from high-priced designers. So, as we shop for our clothing, we can allow ourselves to be as creative as we'd like within a budget that's as gentle as it has to be.
3. Support Indie Fashion Designers.
In our indie-filled culture, there are many up-and-coming fashion designers who offer lower-costing yet creative designs as competition among the well-knowns. Dare to show your own sense of trend-setting fashion and support them, especially if they're more affordable.
Earn an occasional "big fat check" that is periodically payable to shoppers who link to their favorite stores through Ebates.
To sign up costs nothing. Yet you can save with every purchase made to major online stores just by first linking to them through Ebates.
4. Consider the possibility of greater savings when shopping online.
There are a few significant reasons why online shopping can save us considerable more money than shopping trips.
1-----Browsing by hand is faster, time-saving, and less exhausting than shopping on foot. (Of course, as a salad-eater, we could look at the benefit of exercise walking from store to store. Or, we can look at saving time for other exercise with online shopping. Individual choice.)
2-----There's a temptation to grab a high-calorie bite to eat when shopping. There's just something it does to some of us psychologically. Sure, there are the fresh smoothie places and decent eateries in many shopping areas. But so are the bakeries and fried chicken places.
3-----Finally, for the sales hunters, the hunt never ends when browsing from store to store. Sales items run out. People push and shove for few items left. Online there is an ease that can keep us in a calmer state of mind for the next task after shopping.
5. Prioritize the clothing that's already in the closet.
Unless there are several children in the house who can pass outfits to the younger, this rarely applies to kids. But for the rest of us, there is a way to care for clothing and make them presentable enough to wear out. Bedazzle a few necklines, add a layer of lace over a few areas, or dye a few shirts. Videos on social media have given us several ideas on adding value to what we already own.
Fashion will never go out of style. Right? It may be in high-demand for years to come unless some recession forces us to reprioritize the more important things in life. In the meantime, there are wiser ways to groom and then experience a sense of preparation to function with every season. Save, strategize, and shop smart.
Prepare for your favorite season.