By Blogger Jess Tamburo
As Coco Chanel once said, “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Although both are essential, she forgot to mention one major concern: the cost.
As the seasons are changing and my school-related stress continues to skyrocket, I find myself constantly wanting new clothes. This usually means convincing my parents to give me some money. Then, I go on escapades throughout the mall, limited to a only a few items because fifty dollars isn’t even enough to get a shirt or two, right? With the number of times this occurred over the past year, I decided I had to find some way to stretch that fifty dollar bill. And there was only one to do it.
I was on my way to Oak Brook to make my usual rounds between Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and finishing at my personal favorite: the newly renovated Juniors section at Nordstrom packed with BP, Savvy, and TopShop. As many of us are aware, these brands do not usually run cheap, so my fifty-dollar spending limit was going to be stretched.
Sitting at a red light a few blocks from the mall, I looked up to see Nordstrom Rack. This observation just so happened to salvage my hope of snatching more than one article of clothing to add to my closet for the upcoming winter season. They have many of the brands I love, but at lower prices, which was perfect considering my budget. Places like the Rack can be a bit overwhelming at times because they are often crowded with many anxious shoppers trying to find deals on their favorite designers, especially around the holidays. Luckily, this store is laid out well so the chaos is easily avoidable.
One of the brands I have fallen in love with over the past year is Free People, and thankfully it is one of the main brands the Rack offers. Similar to my all-time favorite stores in the mall, Free People tends to run a bit pricier than I would like. But here, all the prices are remarkably reduced so something you would regularly find for $100 you could find for $30. I managed to snatch a dress for the holidays (Free People of course), reduced from $118 to only $37, a sweater, and even some gifts. All without going insanely over my budget!
As much as I love spending a day shopping at my favorite stores, I would much rather have extra cash in my wallet. So, for all of you who love shopping as much as I do, save yourself the frustration and a couple of bucks. Next time you are out, think about locations other than the mall that offer similar brands and don’t break the bank. You may not initially like the idea of shopping other places, but you’ll thank me when you have all your new clothes and can still look in your wallet to see that you have enough for Starbucks.
