How to be Stylish on a Budget: Grandma's Lessons

My grandma's number one shopping tip for my sisters and I while growing up was to immediately go to the back of the store upon entering and work our way to the front. She said the back is where the hidden deals were tucked away, and since she always seemed to have an eye for amazing finds, that advice stuck with me. Since then, I've learned many more tricks from my grammy's frugal lifestyle and I'm proud to say that I'm pretty seasoned at ballin' on a budget myself. I know to never buy anything full price, never spend more than $15 on a t-shirt (or any shirt for that matter), and never ever buy something that you can make yourself for a cheaper price. There are so many ways to suit yourself in unique pieces of clothing, jewelry, bags, etc. without having to break the bank. Below I've shared with y'all some of my favorite tips.

1. Make your own jewelry

As we all know, there are different fads with jewelry such as the popular chunky hoop earrings, dainty ankle bracelets, and now chained layered necklaces. Rather than ordering pieces online full price, I head to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and make them myself. You can find a Value Kit of around 20 plain silver and gold dangly earrings and buy different beads or jewels to hang on them. This way, you can make tons of pairs with jewels you picked out yourself for sometimes half the price. These cross jeweled earrings I made for a total of three dollars!

2. GABE'S!

My other style icon grandmother -- Mammaw -- who also loves a good bargain -- put me and my cousins onto this store when we were barely teenagers and it is still my go-to place for absolutely any article of clothing.. or shoes.. or purses. I’ve found bathing suits, sunglasses, bags, t-shirts, sweatpants… just about anything you can imagine is at this store. It is a retail store comparable to TJ Maxx and it often carries designer brands such as Express, but not too many people know about it. It’s such a diamond in the rough! It’s a big space and there’s definitely a lot to pick through, but with the right eye and some determination, you’ll leave the place with bags upon bags full of new stuff, all such great deals. Some of my favorite finds are this unique Gucci-looking leather bag, this checkered Urban Outfitters jumpsuit, and some fun dresses.

3. Of course, thrifting

Nowadays, the wonders of thrifting are pretty well-known, but I thought I’d share my opinions on how to have a fruitful thrifting day. I say “day” because I think thrifting is a meticulous activity, so I usually like to make an adventurous day out of it to have the most success. The thrifting day necessities are as follows: A good attitude. This may sound obvious but if I ever find myself tired or stressed, I’m not going to have a good day thrifting because it takes a lot of work. That leads me to determination. Sometimes you’ll go through a whole store or maybe even two and still not find anything you love. If you’re still wanting something good, go to the next store homie! Don’t give up, there are so many pieces waiting for you to find them. And lastly: Go through those racks like it’s your job. Don’t miss anything! I’ve learned to look through each hanger quickly yet successfully so that I don’t feel like I’ve easily skipped over an item that was perfect for me. When you hear those metal racks squeaking from the hangers, you know you’re doing it right.