How to Update Your Post-Pregnancy Style While Sticking to a Strict Budget
What is your post pregnancy style? Most of the time I find that there is quite a bit of truth behind the whole idea of “you get what you paid for”. At the same time, I am frugal. I like to have my cake and eat it too. I like to look good and wear stylish clothes but I refuse to compromise my budget. Through the years I’ve developed an entire strategy around buying stylish, high quality clothes and accessories on a tight budget. I am really excited to be sharing my tidbits of shopping wisdom with you today!
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Post Pregnancy Style-Where to Shope
My favorite places to shop for clothing, accessories and even gifts are T.J. Max, Home Goods and Marshalls. These three stores are owned by the same parent company and are famous for carrying high quality items and hot brands at deep discounts. There seems to be a giant misconception on how these stores receive merchandise. Many people think that these stores carry last year’s styles.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Over 85% of what these stores sell are current and purchased directly from the original manufacturer. Buyers stock the shelves of these stores by purchasing stock from designers left over from orders by other department stores. They strive to purchase items that can be discounted a minimum of 65% off the original price. I highly recommend any of these three stores for awesome bargains with quality that won’t disappoint.
Shopping Online After Pregnancy
If you enjoy online shopping and look for high end clothing, accessories and goods for the home at deep discounts, I highly recommend checking out Zulily. I think of them kind of like the online version of T.J. Max or Home Goods. They negotiate limited sales events with high end women’s, kids’, home decor and maternity designers. You can find designer shoes, dresses and fancy kids’ toys for up to 90% off on a regular basis.
I do offer a few words of caution about purchasing from Zulily. First of all, due to the way they negotiate sales events, returns are not accepted. I highly recommend reviewing the sizing chart for any clothing items you are considering purchasing. Secondly, items are shipped after each sales event is over. This usually means that it will take weeks to receive your order. It’s usually not a big deal unless you are shopping for a last minute gift.
Sales and Clearance
Discount stores and online purchases are not the only way to score luxury items at a discount. Get to know you favorite stores’ sale and clearance cycles. I always joke that if you ever need to buy anything from Macy’s, wait till the weekend. They seem to have a weekend sale of some sort every other week. So if you need something from Macy’s the likelihood of finding it on sale increases significantly during one of these weekend sale events. Many stores offer e-mail newsletter subscriptions. As annoying as it is to be bombarded by these e-mails, they are quite useful for keeping an eye on sale and clearance events.
I hope you found my shopping advice useful. Believe me when I tell you that finding luxury goods for dirt cheap is not too good to be true. I do it all the time! My family is always surprised around holiday time. They think I spend a ton of money on gifts when in reality I spent less than they do but get significantly better gifts.
About the Author
Becca Daniels is a self-proclaimed fashionista from St.Paul Minnesota who believes that “just because you are pregnant and on a budget, it doesn’t mean you should look and feel frumpy”. She is the momma-to-be behind Inexpensive Maternity Clothes, a blog focused on helping women find stylish and inexpensive maternity clothes online.
