As we head into this Spring and soon, the Summer season, there’s more and more to celebrate! Graduations, proms, weddings, and vacations are quickly going to be upon us!

That said, it can start to feel a little (okay, maybe a lot) stressful and a daunting task to try to plan your wardrobe for all these special events without feeling guilty of breaking the bank.

Earlier this week, I gave a talk to the Pietra fitness instructors about the building blocks to creating a wardrobe that fits your lifestyle, body type, and budget. 

And I think this last point – about budgets – really isn’t spoken about often enough, and there really are some actions you can take to alleviate your budget (and stress!) without  directly dealing with spreadsheets.

So here are a few ‘seeds,’ that I thought I could share ‘planting’ with you in today’s blog about growing a budget-friendly wardrobe..

I would like to break it down to seven basic pieces of advice: 

1. Use what you have to build a great wardrobe. There’s no reason to waste the amazing items you have! Some people say they don’t like any of them (and some say they like them a lot) so there has to be SOMEthing in there that you DO enjoy wearing. We want to utilize that!

2. Learn from your wardrobe so you don’t buy what you don’t need. Before you give anything away, analyze the heck out of it so you don’t repeat the same choice again. Was the fabric not right? Did it hit you at a bad spot? Didn’t like the way the seams fit your shoulders? This stuff matters. It’s WHY you’re not wearing it right now.

3. Analyze what you love so you’ll buy more of it in the future (that you’ll actually wear). Why do you love what you love?! Let’s repeat those favorite details so everything you grab is enjoyable to wear.

4. Set a price limit for yourself that you don’t want to exceed for certain pieces. If you ignore a price limit for one piece, it’s likely you’ll do it for another… and another… and another… because, “It’s just one time right??”

5. Rely on sales. There is always a sale somewhere. Check out the discount racks at shops/outlets like Nordstrom Rack, Saks OFF 5TH, J. Crew Factory, Banana Republic Factory® or Macy’s Backstage. If they aren’t currently having a sale just wait…because shortly they will!

6. Second-hand shops/sites are great places to find great pieces at deep discounts. Check out spaces like ThredUp or Poshmark.

7. DON’T buy something just because “it’s on sale.” I’m sure we’ve all had that $14.99 TJ Maxx blouse that we don’t really like but bought anyway, because it was marked down sooooo much. While a good deal is fantastic, it’s only a deal if you are certain you will keep loving it. Otherwise you just spent $14.99 that will end up frustrating you and your bank balance!

And there you go! Seven steps you can start taking now to make sure your budget looks and feels as good as you will at every special event! Here are a few classic staples that I think are fantastic deals on quality pieces that I hope will serve you as well as they do my clients (and myself)! Enjoy!

Question: What is YOUR best budget tip?!