How To Look Expensive While Being Cheap

I am queen of the Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, and whatever name brand that comes with a hefty price tag. Which may sound odd to you knowing that I talk so much about being frugal and ways to save money. Most people don’t believe me when I tell them how much I manage my household on, and how I can afford such luxury brands. Here are a few pointers I have notice keep you looking amazing without hurting your money goals. Plus who wants to compromise quality!!

REWARD POINTS

I don’t know how many times in my blog I talk about getting credit cards with good rewards. My household has 2 cards, an american express card and a bank of america card. I use both and earn over $250 a year in cash and gift cards (click here to read about how). With the extra $250 a month I use this to buy items I love, like right now I just put in a request for a $25.00 gift card to Athleta. It takes me about 2 months to net around $25 worth in point. I also get 2X the points if I use my Amex card to make a purchase. So I carefully wait on a sale and boom I order some super cute athletic wear. Get 2X the points back on the purchase plus I used Acorns (my investment app) that earned me 2% cash back in my portfolio. My total was $133 and my final cost to me was $30.44 From that one transaction you can see how credit card rewards add up.

LESS IS MORE

When I worked at Nordstrom rack I found these amazing Tory Burch sandals for $35.00 all leather. Not only was this a steal I knew once I bought them I wouldn’t be buying $15 sandals from Charlotte Russe every summer because the last pair wore out. Its been 3 years and they are still holding strong. Instead of opting for cheap materials and bad quality try buying the nicer better made brands and buy less of that item. Do your research before you buy and focus on the item being a classic rather than a fad item. Check out some cool blogs and dabble in the idea of being more minimalist. It’s a cool journey and worth looking into.

DIY

If you know how to do something then do it well. If you can do your own hair or nails eyebrows, etc. Do it and practice getting better at it. This is money you can stop paying someone else to do and use it on something worth your while. I typically do my own hair and nails. With me not spending money on a beautician I am able to buy items with a bigger price tag. Everyone gets a personal care budget, Jeremiah (my 1 year old) get $25 usually goes to play gyms he gets 1 haircut once every 3 months, Jamal get $40 2 haircuts a month and I get $25, however mine always ends up in the offering pail!!

A GOOD FIT

With my many years of retail experience I can tell you a good fit on anyone makes your clothes look more expensive and well made than the price tag. With a great fit you can fool anyone. I am 5’0 and anything that is baggy on me looks awful no matter the cost. Once I started buying petite sizes, it change the game. Many retail companies are doing their best to appeal to all sizes and shapes. Whether tall, short, plus or petite there is something for everyone.

CARE OF CLOTHES

I once cried to my mom when she washed and dried my favorite tee. It had beads on it and you couldn’t put in the dryer or it would fall apart. Reading the label on clothes is so important to the care and quality of your clothes. Once you start really putting some money and time invested into your closet you should really dab into caring for your clothes. Now I don’t buy things that are dry clean only, but many items I don’t dry and I do my best to wash on a delicate cycle.

GO HUNTING

I spend hours looking at deals all day!! If you have the time then it will pay off, I also like to do this so its more of a hobby for me. I typically go add a lot of items to my cart and then I work the basket like the stock market, buy low and sell high. I keep tabs on all items and once they go on sale I tend to buy the items. Sometimes the item will sell out and you have to be okay with that. For mothers day I was able to buy  at Nordstrom 2 dresses for $30 each due to me scouting them a whole 2 months before.

Don’t get caught in new trends that will die fast, get you a good few classic pieces and build from there. While looking expensive is fun and all, always remember its more important to have money saved up for emergencies. Rocking Gucci while your car is getting repo isn’t the best “look”. Stay true to who you are, and enjoy life. When you can find ways to enjoy your passion without breaking the bank go for it!!