Moms can dress nice without spending a lot of money. We plan our cleaning, grocery shopping , vacations and the the family wardrobes. For ourselves, if we pass by, and the rack is on sale then it lands in the cart. That is how I shopped for so many years. It is ok to take a little bit of time and shop. Busy moms can and should get ready every day and feel like they are ready to serve their family.
I used to get ready for my office job, and never would I have shown up in sweats or yoga pants. No make up and my hair in some kind of a bun was not the office look I went for each day. No, each day I woke up earlier than when I had to be there to get showered, put on my makeup and dressed nice.
Now that I choose to take my time at home with my children with the same sort of “going to work” mentality, I dress nice. My family deserves my best. I love them and want them to see me taking care of myself.
Getting ready with makeup, shoes and hair done is part of my morning.
Have a List
Keeping inventory of a seasonal wardrobe is key to not overspending. Just like at the grocery store a clothing list helps with expenses. When I go consignment shopping for a coat, my list helps me to look for a coat, and nothing else. The style of coat, color, size and other details are on my list.
Lists are also helpful in piecing together a good wardrobe. Five good pieces to mix and match all season avoids burnout and clothing boredom. Updating the list when necessary for the next shopping day moves it from an idea to an action.
One way that I have found to keep track of my clothing needs when I need something new is a mini dry erase board. I use this board on my refrigerator for groceries, and the one in my closet for my clothes. Whatever it is that I am out of or looking for gets written on my board. Dry erase boards help me to keep things fresh in my mind, and are easily erased when found.
Shop Out of Season
Busy moms can be very fashionable, and dress nice without spending a lot of money if they shop smart. Out of season clothes will be cheaper and really, no one will notice. Set up a Pinterest board for fashion ideas. Choose a few outfits that would look nice. Add the complimentary pieces to your list of existing clothes. Jewelry that can be worn with more than one outfit does help with clutter. Nothing I dislike more than rummaging through too many earrings.
Make a list of how many tops you need, what shoes will be worn with the outfit and so on. Plan the a shopping trip and shop with cash. Aimless shopping will result in going out of the budget.
On my iPhone I use my reminders app for the list section. So, I take my dry erase board where I have been jotting down clothing and add it to my shopping list under reminders. I label this list “clothes” to keep it separate from my cleaning and grocery shopping list.
Shop in Person at Clothing Stores
Shopping online goes without saying that more money can be spent. We don’t feel the pain upon the submit button. Cash in hand lets us know we have a clothing limit. Challenging myself as I enter stores to only have a certain dollar amount in my hand to make a purchase. Using these tactics, I have avoided overspending, duplicate clothing and the remorse felt upon seeing my bank account.
Instead of purchasing every color of the great looking shoes that were at a crazy low price, cash in hand helps me to pick my favorite. All of my lessons have been learned from overspending on my debit cards. My final tip on this is…don’t have a credit card. The guilt later in life is not worth it. Looking back at all of the unnecessary purchases and interest paid makes me sick realizing the better purchases I could have made.
Keep a Minimalist Closet
Minimalist are both thrifty and fashionable. A well put together wardrobe does not have to involve thousands of dollars. White shirts go with a lot. Long sleeve shirts can be put on under short sleeves. Figure out a few key pieces with some jewelry that will help you feel like a million when you wear the outfit. A nice warm wardrobe for winter can be a simple, workable and look nice. No need to have 20 pairs of jeans.
Jeans, jackets, and plain colored skirts can make 3-4 outfits alone. One more tip…..have two very nice outfits that can be thrown together quickly for a date night or church. Alternate the shirts and skirts then everyone will think you have a ton of clothes.
When shopping last summer during the 4th of July sale at a consignment shop, I found two gorgeous dresses. Someone had spent a lot of money on these dresses. After the sale price, I took them home for under $30.00.
Great deals can be found if moms’ want to dress nice without spending a lot. The key is planning, budgeting, and the mentality of “less is more” strategy.
Subscribe to my newsletter to enjoy more posts!
Leave a Reply