Throughout my whole life, I have been told that I have champagne taste and a beer budget. Meaning, I crave a millionaire's lifestyle without having a millionaire's salary. I wasn't going to let that stop me though from having the luxury wardrobe I craved. I just needed to find a way to afford high end merchandise with my income level, and I did! It just takes a little patience, savvy budgeting skills and perseverance to make it happen! Here are my three favorite tips for shopping with champagne taste on a beer's budget:

1) Create a shopping savings account. As some of you may know, my day job is an accountant, so I love making budgets, creating savings plans, etc. I never thought to use my accounting skills to help with my shopping habit though till I saw this nifty savings plan on Pinterest a couple years ago. You basically start the year by saving a dollar the first week, then $2 the second week, $3 the third week, and so on and so on.

At the end of the year, you will have accumulated a little over $1300!! That's enough to buy items like these:

Now it does get hard when you get later on in the year and have to save $40+ a week. So what I did to make it easier was reverse the process and start at $52 and work my way down each week. Either way, it's a great savings plan and will allow you to splurge when you find a certain item you can't live without!

2) Shop at high end discount stores. Now, I know this sounds like a complete oxymoron, but these places really do exist, and some are even online! Before going to the mall, first check stores like Saks Off 5th, and Neiman Marcus Last Call. These places are filled with very similar (if not identical) items as the luxury department stores, but they're 1/2 the cost at the discount stores. These stores are perfect when you're looking for staple items for your wardrobe- little black dress, button up collared shirts, suit pieces, etc. For example, I was on the hunt for silk blouses that can be worn for work or for a date night. I first went to Bloomies to see what they had, and I couldn't find anything for less than $250! To me, that is insane! So I went across the street and checked out Saks Off 5th. I was able to find the same exact shirts for 60% off!!! I was able to buy these two Equipment shirts for less than the regular price of one. Talk about savvy shopping!

3) Shop the seasonal sales for seasonal statement pieces. Usually the department stores have great finding during their big sales. And why buy something full price when you can wait a month or so and get it for a bargain?! The only problem is you need to know the exact date the sale starts, so the best stuff isn't already picked over. I suggest getting friendly with sales associates at your favorite stores to figure out the exact dates of the sales, and even better, try and figure out what items are going on sale. Not all sales people will have this info, but it never hurts to inquire! By doing this, you'll never have to pay full price for swimwear, summer dresses, coats, and other seasonal items again!

Hope you guys liked my tips! Have a great rest of your week!

Xo,

Caitlin

Affording Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget