Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
The first suggestion I’m going to make may sound a bit scary, but try not to ignore it completely: Pretend there are no price tags when you shop for clothing. Why? Because we should only buy the things that grab our attention and have great appeal to us. Otherwise, we end up with a spent budget and a closet full of clothes that we don’t feel good about.
As long as you’re not on 5th Avenue in NYC and don’t shop everyday, you should be able to afford to shop without thinking of the price at least a few times a year. Of course, you probably have a general idea of what a particular item may cost based on which store you’ve entered. As long as you are comfortable with the store’s prices, it should actually make it easier for you to try shopping without looking at the tags.
I know that it can sometimes be tempting to walk directly to the back of a store for the sale racks, but there is a catch. You might skip over the clothing that would get the most wear and compliments, just to spend the same amount on several pieces that will end up on the bottom of the closet because their price tags caught your eye. If you notice yourself passing up clothing that draws you in to the bargains you felt too iffy about to wear, try to change your attitude when you shop for clothing. The fact is, if a shirt that costs $50 will become a wardrobe staple, it is better to buy that one shirt than to buy five shirts at $10 that you don’t feel comfortable or confident wearing.
There are a few exceptions to the no price tag rule. If you want to take part in a trend but aren’t sure if it suits you, or that you will want to continue to wear it once it goes out of style, try buying the cheaper version of the style at Target, Old Navy or another moderately inexpensive store. Work uniforms are probably safe for bargain shopping. The same goes with Halloween costumes, since you won’t get a lot of wear out of them.
Although I do not advocate racking up a credit card debt, charging can sometimes help you budget for the more expensive items that you can’t afford out of pocket. This way, you can put aside a chunk of money each week for a month that you might have spent on cheaper shoes and clothing to pay the bill. Since you will have paid it off within a month, you won’t incur the charges that scare people away from credit cards. This is also a decent way to build credit.
Remember, you are shopping at your own risk. If you don’t have the means to pay for what you want, put it on your card as long as you will have the money within a month. If not, put it on your birthday or Christimas wish list, or snap a picture and some details and search Ebay periodically. Make sure to try it on and note your size if you’ll be asking for it as a gift or ordering online. Happy shopping.
Bangor Daily News