5 Tips for Looking Good on a Budget

31 March 2015


Growing up, I've never had much money. However, I've always had an interest in fashion, make up & accessories (along with many other bank-draining activities). This is quite clearly a conflicting matter, but being the stubborn, hard-headed girl that I am, I was never going to let the issue of 'not having enough money' bring me down.

I learnt (over time) how to be able to indulge my love for shopping and all things pretty without breaking the bank, and still manage to look great (well, I hope so anyway)!

Here are my five helpful tips for looking good on a budget!



1. You don't need to buy all of the latest trends! The latest trends come and go, and if you're spending all your cash on a passing fad, you're gonna run out of money - fast.

2. Have a wardrobe of basic pieces that you can wear with just about anything! I have basic pieces from several years ago that I still wear to this day. A black cardigan, for example, can be added to just about any outfit. A simple white crop can be dressed down with some jeans or shorts, or dressed up with a colourful bodycon skirt.

3. Buy things when they go on sale! Things go on sale a lot more often than you may think. I recently found a gorgeous scarf in Cotton On for $20, new in for the Fall season. Despite absolutely loving it, I decided to pass on it as I only had the $20 and still needed to pick up some other things. Well, whaddaya' know? This scarf was now only $10. That's a 50% reduction on new stock, two days after seeing it full price. This wasn't an advertised sale either, but trust me, stores randomly mark down their products a heck of a lot more than they're willing to share! And the leftover $10 meant I was able to grab some lip gloss to go with my new scarf!

4. Get creative with your old clothes! Do you have a bunch of now out-of-fashion items? Have you lost or gained some weight? Do you have old clothes that are ready to go into retirement? Why not pull out your scissors and get creative! An old pair of jeans, for example, could be turned into a pair of shorts and a purse with a bit of D.I.Y! You'll still be making good use of your old clothing, and have something totally one of a kind to show off!

5. Shop around! If you see something you absolutely love, then by all means you should be able to get it! But before purchasing it (love at first sight, aye?), it's always a good idea to check out other stores to see if they have the same thing at a better price, or of a higher quality. You should always try to get your moneys worth!

I hope my tips for looking good on a budget were helpful to you! If you have any of your own tips you'd like to add, let me know in the comments below!

xx Chontelle Louise

60 comments

  1. Great post ! really good tips,

    http://crazy4ties.blogspot.co.uk/

    xoxo

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  2. Love this, was a really interesting read! x

    www.stylepetal.blogspot.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, glad you found it interesting! xx

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  3. Thankyou lovely! x
    I've followed your blog too xx

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  4. Very cool tips! Thanks for sharing Miss!
    XO
    Jeanne
    http://fashionmusingsdiary.com

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  5. I love upcycling clothes, although I'm not very good at it aha! I also shop in charity shops a lot, I find some reallyy nice pieces and they are so cheap!

    The Velvet Black // UK Style & Beauty Blog

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    Replies
    1. I really want to shop in charity shops more, I've just moved to a new city so I've got to go and check out the op-shop capital of Melbourne (Brunswick) sometime soon, when I have the chance! Yes they are! x

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  6. Hi! Thank you for your kind comments on my blog. Yeah, of course we can follow each other on gfc. Do you start with the follow? let me know! I will follow you back. =)


    Anyway, this is really good tips!!

    http://www.tomntins.com/2015/04/lovely-beddinginn-car-seat-cover.html

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    Replies
    1. No problem lovely, just my honest thoughts <3 Yes I will GFC follow now! x

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  7. Great advice!! I try and buy most of my clothes in sale as high street stores make such HUGE margins, it doesn't make sense!!

    www.rockonholly.com

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  8. I totaly agree on buying clothes during sales. This year I have tried a "new technic" which is to buy clothes 2 or 3 days after the official end date of sales and I've found some fantastic piece at zara :)

    Zenaide

    www.zenaidekey.worpress.com

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    Replies
    1. That sounds like a technique I'd like! Getting a discount at Zara is ALWAYS cause for celebration! <3

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  9. I'm a big fan of sale shopping - always on the hunt for a bargain!

    www.aprettypostit.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Definitely, I always feel great when I get something I've wanted for a bargain! x

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  10. Such a great post! Thanks for the tips babe :)
    Have a nice day! Come and visit my blog if you want!

    xx
    www.modacapital-blog.com

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    Replies
    1. Thankyou lovely! You're very welcome! x
      I'll stop by for sure! x

      Delete
  11. Great article, your blog is also very nice :)

    www.taimemode-fashionblog.com

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  12. i followed on gfc! love your blog, you deserve so many more followers tho:) x x

    all these tips will benefit me in some way, but i think i love shopping a bit too much haha :) x x

    http://millieerosee.blogspot.co.uk/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks lovely, that means so much to hear that! <3

      I'm glad they'll be of benefit for you, I know what you mean though - but a little splurge here or there won't hurt so much if you're budgeting pretty well the majority of the time, so never feel bad! <3 x

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  13. hi dear!!! thanks for ur comment. i like ur blog. i'm following u now on GFC and g+..i hope u follow me :-)
    Xx
    S.
    www.manthroughclothes.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. No problem, thanks for checking out my blog! I've followed you also, can't wait to see more! x

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  14. I totally agree that you don't need to buy the latest trends, they can date very easily anyway! Have a lovely week :)

    Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice

    x

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    Replies
    1. Exactly, trends go out of fashion, basics never do! You have a lovely week too xx

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  15. Replies
    1. Thanks lovelies, glad you found them helpful! x

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  16. Tip #3 is why I spend too much! I justify buying things because they're on sale lol
    RachelShuchatMakeup

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    Replies
    1. It can be a bit of a contradictory tip, I'll admit! But at least you're not overspending on full priced items, hey? :3
      xx

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  17. I almost exclusively buy things when they are on sale (except for high-end makeup, because lets face it, it rarely goes on sale). But some of my favourite pieces I've grabbed for amazing deals! Like my Club Monaco cashmere sweater that was mis-marked to 18$ during a sale. Another great tip is try entering all the contests you can. Last year, I won a 1000$ gift card to my favourite mall, and I won about 500$ combined through other contests. If you don't enter, you can't win!

    -Katherine
    http://thegreenbows.blogspot.ca

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    Replies
    1. I get you with the high-end makeup thing - it's annoying, but it is what it is! Wow, 18$ for a Club Monaco cashmere sweater, that's amazing, I'm jealous haha! Love your advice to enter competitions, personally I've never won any (yet) but I've got friends who have, definitely worth a try! xx

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  18. Great post! I love these tips they are so important for not breaking the bank!

    www.tailoredandtrue.wordpress.com

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  19. These are amazing tips lovely and exactly what I would suggest too. You definitely don't need to spend lots to blog, rework old items, shop your stash and invest in classic pieces :)

    Elle
    www.theellenextdoor.com
    xx

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    Replies
    1. My thoughts exactly - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading <3 x

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  20. Perfect tips to be beautiful on budget :)

    www.taimemode-fashionblog.com

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  21. This was such a helpful and interesting post xxx great tips my lovely x Check out my latest blog post at http://xbeyoutifulx.blogspot.co.uk !! Xx followers are desperately needed xxxxx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks lovely, glad you found it useful! xx I'll check your blog out for sure <3

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  22. I really like the idea of making use of old clothes, sometimes I look through things at the back of my wardrobe and find some right gems!

    Sarah xo | PolkaDotLemon

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  23. Loved the number 4! It is just perfect for me. I have a bunch of old clothes that somehow I managed to revamp into some really cool modern ones. Thanks for the tips! with love,
    Vera

    The Flash Window | Bloglovin

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  24. You have a lovely blog :)
    These are some great tips and I used one of those today
    I saw someone reeeeally pretty and I wanted it so bad
    I ended up shopping around and found something I wanted even more :)

    Neeny x

    neenyslittleblog.blogspot.co.uk

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  25. Having the basic pieces is really really useful! They'll never go out of trend, they are easy to mix and match and you can use them everywhere!
    Lots of love!
    http://woodlandhalls.wordpress.com

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  26. good tips! i've been trying to buy more basic/versatile pieces as i tend to get sick of my clothes easily haha

    xx danielle // shades of danielle

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  27. Wow, such a cool post. ^^
    Lovely greets Nessa

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  28. Great post, and wonderful advice!! Thanks for stopping by my blog, I'd LOVE to keep in touch!! <3 <3 - www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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  29. Great post, and wonderful advice!! Thanks for stopping by my blog, I'd LOVE to keep in touch!! <3 <3 - www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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  30. this was so insightful and I love your adorable blog layout!! followed you with GFC, hope you will do the same <3

    xoxo
    Chic Dream Jar

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  31. Yees this is so true! And a lot of cheaper brands have been putting out cheaper versions of expensive stuff lately so you can always snatch those things up.
    Tegan xx - Permanent Procrastination

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  32. this is great!! love your tips and advice!

    Happy April!
    Animated Confessions

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  33. I always shop sale because you get amazing quality clothing at like half the orignal price! The majority of my wardrobe is Topshop and River Island sale pieces :)

    I definitely need to incorporate 1 and 2 into my budget though as I am awful for just buying the latest trend x

    Lauren | shynature.blogspot.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. I need to start looking at the sales in TopShop, I just rarely get to the side of the city where it is, but I know that there would be some great bargains! Yeah 1 and 2 are really helpful for me anyway, I've saved so much since going with basics rather trends! x

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  34. You have awesome tips. I pretty much by 95% of stuff when they're on sale but when they are too many brilliant sales happening at once, saving money isn't something that happens for me since I buy too many things.

    http://themakeup-gypsy.blogspot.com.au/

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  35. Totally practice all of these...I have a "never buy anything full price" mentality and it has gotten me SO many bargains. Also, check websites for coupons! Even places like Target have apps like "Cartwheel" where clothes/accessories/etc are sometimes 15-30% off. Every bit helps!
    ~ Samantha

    ReplyDelete

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