Shopping... On a College Budget

We all love shopping (if you don't... then we can't be friends - sorry not sorry), but sometimes it can be hard to find clothes/shoes/accessories within our budgets, and by sometimes I mean 9 times out of 10. But, it is especially difficult to shop within one of the most restrictive budges of all time... a college student's budget. We've all been there, when you have to choose between new shoes, eating dinner, or getting smashed at the bars. And we all know that alcohol always wins this internal battle. Going to school in Arkansas was especially hard. We didn't have a great mall with great department stores, but we did have some pretty great boutiques. This made it especially sad when I couldn't afford to shop at them. Why? Because some of them were pretty pricey for a college student with no job, which is hilarious considering they are in a freaking college town!

Sure, students have the option to shop at stores like Forever21, Francesca's, and Target (don't get me wrong I freaking love Target), but sometimes it's nice to have the opportunity to broaden your shopping horizons and be able to find quality pieces, at a lower price range, from brand name stores! When I am shopping within a budget my favorite places to hit up are Reddressboutique.com, the BP department in Nordstrom, my favorite Arkansas based boutiques (Riffraff.com, Eleigh's - which sadly doesn't offer online shopping, Maude Boutique, Savoir Faire, and Impressions), ZARA, and the sale rack at J.Crew and Banana Republic. If you play your cards right, take advantage of sales, coupons, and student discounts, you can totally underspend at your favorite stores. TIP: always, always, always have your student I.D. on you, and don't be afraid to ask if any and all stores you shop at offer student discounts!!! Places like J.Crew, Banana Republic, Madewell, Topshop (online only), ASOS, Kate Spade, and so many others will give you anywhere from 10 - 20% off your purchase if you show your I.D. (insert your bank account screaming out of joy). Trust me, that student discount definitely helps, even if it just takes care your tax! I graduated almost a year ago and I still show my I.D. anywhere I go - no shame in my game. Thank God our I.D's don't have an expiration/graduation date on them, am I right?!

So, today's post is dedicated to all of my friends still in college - woo pig! I know you all want to look cute for going out, formals, and day to day wear, so I have chosen some of my favorite pieces, all of which are $50 or less, perfect for those tight wallets of yours. Happy shopping, and yay for staying within all of your budgets!