Plus size clothes are not cheap. Especially if you are in the larger sizes and can’t fit into clothes from the cheaper stores like Forever 21 or Gstage. And sometimes when you are on a tight budget it’s really hard to see all of these great fatshion bloggers buying new things all of the time and showing off all of their new outfits in haul videos and photo shoots. Realistically, a lot of us can’t do that. We don’t have the money to be buying new clothes all of the time. And our lack of extra cash flow can discourage us from being part of the fatshion community because we can’t keep up with new trends. I have felt it and I still feel it. I start to look at what I have and think it’s old and not good enough, but that’s simply not true. But the seasons are changing for a lot of us. Spring is here and summer is close by, so a lot of us are going to want to buy at least a few new items to prepare for warmer weather. So I compiled a small list of tips on buying clothing on a budget.
- Always check the clearance sections first. You would be surprised at what you might find. Most of my clothing comes from sales and clearance. I haven’t bought an item at full price in a very long time. Target and ASOS are two of my favorite places to shop because their sales are always excellent. And ASOS has free shipping!
- Try things on. If you are like me, trying things on can be a nightmare. For a long time trying things on meant having to come to terms with how awfully things fit right there on the spot. It often left me feeling dejected and I would leave the store feeling worthless. These days, it’s a lot easier for me personally to find things to wear because the selections are so much better than they used to be (and they still suck, so imagine being a fat teen in the 90’s when nothing fit). Anyway, back to the point at hand… TRY THINGS ON. If you leave the store without trying something on, you risk it not fitting or you just not liking how it looks on you and that sometimes means you won’t take it back or you will forget to take it back or lose the reciept or whatever. Or maybe the store you bought it from can’t return the money to your card or in cash so you have to have store credit. And a lot of times if you bought the item on clearance, it’s nonreturnable. Either way, try it on and save yourself the hassle of wasting money on something that doesn’t fit or you don’t like.
- If you are shopping online always look and see if there is a promotion code or coupon code out there in internet land. All you have to do is google “(insert store name) coupon code” and lots of different sites will come up with options. Some of them might not work for what you are ordering, but it’s always worth a try. Even if it is just for free shipping or 10% off, you will be saving money. And the nice thing is, most of the sites are fairly up-to-date and tell you if people have used the codes that day and were successful.
- When shopping online, sort the items you are looking at by price “low-high.” The option is always at the top and it’s become the first thing I do when shopping/browsing online. It’s helpful because it shows you the things if your price range first and when the items start to get too high in price, you can just stop looking. Some shops like ASOS even have a little price slide bar that lets you to sort the items in price ranges. So if you know you only can spend $30, just slide the bar to only show items up to that cost. Even if you are like me and torture yourself by looking at items out of your budget, being able to see what you can afford rather than what you can’t is a nice feature.
- Don’t buy something you only kind of like. I have done this and it is very rare that I actually like it enough to wear it regularly. There is no point in wasting money on something you are on the fence about it. It’s a waste of money. I can’t count the number of times I’ve bought something I was iffy about and then it just sat in my closet or dresser for 3 years only to have me give it away or donate it. Save your money for something you love.
- Don’t buy something that doesn’t fit. Just don’t do it. Wearing something that doesn’t fit, will make you feel uncomfortable and you won’t ever want to wear it and it will be a waste of money. If you buy something that is tight or cut too high or low or whatever but that’s what you want you love the way you look and feel in it, then by all means, do your thing but if you are uncomfortable and don’t feel good in it… it’s not for you.
- Go back in your closet and look at things you haven’t worn in a long time. You might find some gems that you forgot about and are suddenly like a new item. Maybe the fit is better on you, maybe it’s just more your style now, maybe you just want to give it a try again or maybe you are crafty and can alter it. Sometimes old items can be like new when you take another look at them.
- Check out discount retailers. Stores like Marshall’s, TJ MAXX, and Ross all have plus size sections and they often offer really great items for really cheap. For me personally, I have had the most luck at Ross. They have sizes that go up to about a 24 or 26 and their dresses are usually very cute.
- Since it is almost summer, go to garage sales. Craigslist is a great place to look at local yard sales/garage sales and a lot of times, they will give a description of items they will be selling. One of my favorite items is from a yard sale that my neighbor was having a couple of years ago (my awesome “Super Model” tank) and it was only .50 cents.
- Clothing swaps can be a useful resource. Facebook is a great place to find plus size clothing swaps. The items are usually very cheap and include shipping. I have never personally used them, but I know of a lot of people who have (not just clothing either).
- Thrifting is always worth a try. While thrifting can be hit or miss, going into Goodwill or whatever store might be near you might be worth it that day. And if you are crafty, you might find something you can at least alter. Or you know, if you can’t find clothes maybe you will leave there with a nice new coffee mug or some VHS tapes.
