How to Read Fashion Blogs and Stay Within Your Budget
In an attempt to not buy unnecessary clothes this year, I’ve had to put a plan in place to ensure I don’t sway from my budget.
The reality is, when I read fashion or interior blogs, I do get tempted to buy. In fact blogs are my biggest weakness when it comes to buying clothes because they do the hard work for me.
I don’t have to trawl online or through bricks and mortar shops, when I can read a blog post that will show me where and how to wear an item. With a few clicks I can instantly buy that item. But it’s not always good for my budget. And if I’m honest, the clothing purchase is not always what I need, it’s usually what I want.
There is nothing wrong with buying what I want. It’s good to indulge every now and then. But what are the little purchases costing me? A purchase here and a purchase there… if I add up the sales, the money could have been put towards an experience rather than something else to hang in my wardrobe.
Yet I don’t want to give up reading my favourite fashion blogs either because I enjoy them and for those of us that understand the business of blogging, it’s good to read and comment on similar niche blogs.
So how do you read fashion blogs and stay within your budget?
Here are some strategies that I used last year and will do again this year to prevent a fashion blowout.
1. Know my favourite blogger’s posting cycle. I know that some of my favourite blogs share their outfits or a ‘what I wore’ type posts on certain days. I also know that often the day they share about their new outfit, it often gets sold out within a day. So I read these posts a day or two later so I don’t get tempted to buy straight away.
2. I withdraw money from my paypal account so I don’t have money to spend. This one can be counteracted if you have your credit card. But it’s a good habit to keep limited money in your paypal account so there isn’t much money to spend on random clothes you may not necessarily need.
3. Make a wish list. If there is an item that I have to have (or need to have), I put it on my wish list. Right now I am wanting some new Bohemian Traders jeans. I won’t be wearing them till Autumn so I have a bit of time to get them. They have been put on my wish list. This gives me time to save to make my purchase.
4. Only buy what I need. Fashion blogs are great for recommendations. When I read a blog post offering outfit suggestions, I ask myself is it something I need or want? Visualising where I could spend that money also helps curb my purchases.
5. Sell something. If I really have to have something that I read in a blog, I have to choose one item in my wardrobe to sell to make room for the new purchase.
I guess the easiest strategy is to avoid reading fashion blogs altogether, but reading them is one of my hobbies and I can’t not read them.
Each week when I do share different clothing options, they aren’t there to tempt you to buy (although of course it’s good if you do buy an item), they are there to show you options and save you time researching yourself.
Some of my best clothes have been bought on the recommendation of a fashion blogger. Yet it can be hard to not buy if you can be easily swayed or have the means to buy something new.
Before you spend your money, why not see if you could imitate the outfit with clothes you already own?