How to Get the Best Deals When Shopping for Clothes

I love fashion, I could shop all day but I'm also on a tight budget and over the past few years I've learned quite a few tips and tricks on how to get the best deals. Today I'm going to share with you those tips and tricks, plus I'll add some links so you'll get free credit, and possibly even FREE clothes, at the bottom of the page.

Thrifting ; I know plenty of people who find thrift shopping gross or they just can't deal with the idea of wearing someone elses clothes but I love thrift shopping, I've found some of my favorite items while thrifting and for great prices. Now you can stick to local places, I live in a small city and we only have two Goodwills and no actual thrift stores so I also thrift online. Again I live in a small city so there's alot of brands I love (Free People, Brandy  Melville, Etc) that they don't sell around here so I normally get those brands online. There are plenty of online thrift stores; ebay, poshmark, mercari, thredup, schoola, and more.

Couponing; I love Victoria's Secret but I don't always love their prices so I normally only shop when they are having a big sale or at least giving out rewards cards, last year I got around 20 Secret Reward Cards (I placed a few orders when they were giving out 2 per order) and I used all my cards when they were offering free shipping, I also make sure to use any free pantie coupons I've gotten as well. You can sign up on Victoria's Secret site for catalogs and they will occasionally send you coupons. I also always check www.retailmenot.com for online coupons when placing an order online. 

Set a Limit; Whenever I'm making a list of what I'm wanting to purchase or what I'm looking for I always set a limit of what I'm will to pay. For basic items I normally just get them while thrifting because they will cost around $3-$5. If its a certain item from a certain brand and I'm not willing to pay retail I look around online to compare prices for sold items so that I know what the item normally goes for and I base it off that.

Buy and Sell; I have alot of clothes, and I truly mean ALOT, so I sell some of the clothes I never wear or ones I get for a good deal that I know someone else might want. I used to sell on ebay and facebook but now I only sell on Poshmark and Mercari. Both apps have their pros and cons, you can find my post on Mercari VS Poshmark for more detailed information. If you do decide to sell on any selling site make sure you research your items, some items will go for a decent price, especially certain brands that sellout of items fast, for example most Free People thermals with designed cuffs sell for $40+ used, some even sell for $100+ when they retail for $68. This helps you declutter your closet or even just get rid of clothes you never wear. I normally set a monthly goal for myself, like sell $150-$100 worth of clothes then I can buy myself something nice for under $30, this also helps me save money as well. If you don't want to sell online see if you have a Platos Closet close by and take it there to sell them.

Now its time for free money ; 

Thredup - Get a $20 credit (limited time) when you join through this link ; http://www.thredup.com/r/SF7U2A

Schoola - Get a $15 credit when you join through this link (also get a $10 credit when you make your first collection) ; https://www.schoola.com/stitch?ref=cp-3X1oqmB64

Mercari ; Use invite code YYSGQZ for a $2 credit.

Poshmark ; Use referral code BMSYH for a $5 credit. 

Thrifting Tips & Tricks ; Get the Best Deals/Finds + $20 Credit!

 I love fashion but I'm on a very tight budget, so I look for the best deals meaning I thrift shop often. Most of my clothes are from Goodwill or from online thrift stores. I watch watch a lot of thrift hauls on youtube and I'm always envious of other girls finds and for the longest time I wished I could find good finds as well because I rarely did but recently I've started finding amazing items so I thought I'd share some tips I've been using to do so.

Tips for In Store Thrifting ;

1. Wear comfy clothes so that when you try stuff on its easy and not so much of a hassle. I don't always do this and I always regret it. You don't want to have to take 10 layers off to try something on.

2. Be prepared to spend time in the thrift store, when I go to Goodwill I'm there for at least 2 hours. I personally like to look at everything that I can so I don't miss something amazing, especially from my favorite sections.

3. Go through other sections, most people only stick to their sections but I always skim through the kids and the mens, sometimes the workers misplace items or customers move them so you never know what you'll find plus I've found some amazing  graphic shirts in the mens clothing.

4. Try stuff on always, I don't know how many times I've bought stuff and didn't feel like trying stuff on and regretted it. Recently I bought a gorgeous pink cardigan because I knew it would fit but I didn't feel like trying it on and when I got home I tried it on and it looked funny on me, it fit but just wasn't my style.

5. Know your brands, I personally love a good deal and I want my clothes to be good quality so make sure you keep an eye out for your favorite brands. I'm not all about brands but I don't want to buy a used shirt that will fall apart in a few weeks. I only buy cheaper brands when its something super adorable that I just can't pass up.

6. Like it? Put it in the cart, if you see something your iffy about go ahead and put it in your cart. You don't want to leave something on a rack that you're unsure about then later decide you want it and have to try to find it in hopes that someone else didn't.

7. Check your finds, look over everything you've found and decide if you really want everything you picked up and make sure there aren't any stains or holes. I found a gorgeous Michael Kors coat at Goodwill once and when I got home I noticed a hole in the back, now I always scan over my items before purchasing them, better safe than sorry.



Tips for Online Thrifting ;

1. Stay updated, I have a few thrifting apps on my phone and whenever I'm bored I'll browse my favorite brands on them. You never know when you'll see a deal too good to pass up.

2. Follow your favorite brands, most online sites have options where you can make collections or follow brands, be sure to follow your main favorite brands.

3. Check the condition, always check the condition of the items before placing your order. If you're shopping on Poshmark, ask the seller questions. Most sites have the condition or any flaws listed in the description so make sure you check them out before placing your order.

4. Research, make sure you look around before purchasing something. I had been looking for the Free People sweater below for awhile, it retailed for $98, way out of my price range plus its been sold out for awhile now. So I looked on the Poshmark app and the Mercari app, most of the ones I saw was $55+ and I'm not comfortable spending so much on a used item when I could get sooo much more from Goodwill so I held off for awhile then I was bored one day looking up random things on ebay and I found it for $15 + $6 for shipping, so I immediately bought it.

5. Ask yourself, is it really worth it, will you wear it, how often will you wear it. I find myself buying things that I never end up wearing or things that in the end, I don't find to be worth the price. Make sure you really want something before purchasing.

6. Act fast, this contradicts some of the other tips but there are other people out there online thrifting and plenty of people looking for the same things as you, so if you find something you really like add it to your cart. For some sites like Thredup, items go fast so be sure to add anything you like to your cart, you can go back later and remove items you don't want.

7. Know the rules, be sure to read up on the FAQs on the site you're on. On most sites after awhile your cart expires. For example on Thredup after 24 hours your cart will expire and the items you wanted are back up for grabs.


Links/Codes for Free Money ;

Thredup ; Join through my link for a $20 credit (limited time!)  http://www.thredup.com/r/SF7U2A

Poshmark (app only) Use invite code BMSYH for a $5 credit

Mercari (app) Use referral code YYSGQZ for a $2 credit.

Poshmark Review / Thrift Shopping / $5 Credit For Free !

I've been really getting into these thrift shop sites lately and I've actually known about this one for awhile. It's called Poshmark and the thing I love most about it is that you can find rare items and great deals. I scored this rare black floral Brandy Melville dress for $20 including shipping. I just placed my order last night so I haven't received it yet but I am super excited to get it. 

I have been looking for this dress forever and I was randomly playing on Poshmark the yesterday and BOOM there it was. I can not wait to style this bad boy. <3 So look forward to seeing this in future lookbook posts. 

Now more about Poshmark, Let's go over the basics; 

How does it work?  

You basically create an account ( Use my Code to get $5 in credit BMSYH ) and look for things you want, whether its a brand or even a specific item. I always search random things I've seen on www.lookbook.nu and like/heart them so I can keep an eye on them. There are tons of rare Brandy Melville and Victoria's Secret Pink items which I love, love, love. 

What form of payments do they accept? 

You  pay with your credit card through the site but some sellers ask that you pay via paypal and they will lower the price. Now lets go over the pros and cons of buying through paypal.

Pros

- the seller doesn't  have to deal with Poshmark fees 

- shipping fees might cost less

- the seller may be willing to accept a lower price for an item.

Cons

- although in my own personal experience Paypal has been a great form of payment outside of websites, you can get scammed. never send payments gifted, always ask for an invoice and make sure the person lists the item(s) you are purchasing on the invoice.

- Poshmarks Buyer Protector will not be able to help if you get scammed. 

With that being said I personally find it better to purchase with your credit card through Poshmark.

Is it safe to order from Poshmark? 

You are protected every time you place an order on Poshmark with Posh Protect. When you purchase an item on Poshmark, they keep your payment safe until you tell them that you've received your order. If your item does not match the description, you should notify them within 3 days of delivery. After they verify your claim (through pictures), they'll refund your payment. If they don't hear from you by 3 days after your order is delivered, they will assume everything is OK and release your payment to the seller. Once they release your payment, all sales are final and no refunds will be available.

What if I place an order and its been weeks and I haven't received anything? 

Not to worry, Posh Protect helps keep buyers safe from scams, you can go to your order page and click on

 Account Tab → My Purchases → Click on the item you purchased → Problems/Order Inquiry. 

 to inform them that you haven't received your item(s).

If you have any other questions feel free to list them below and I will reply as soon as possible.

Don't forget to use my code when you sign up for the $5 credit BMSYH 

Throwback Outfits / OOTDs / Winter and Fall Inspiration / Lookbook #2

I was going through my facebook the other day and seen a few ootd photos so I decided to post another throwback lookbook. Most of these are from 2011.

 Plaid Button Up; Miley Cyrus Brand from WalMart

                               Hoodie; DC
                           Shoes; Converse All Star

                               Plaid Flannel; Aeropostale
                                    Shoes; Converse

My style has changed so much since then, thankfully. It's nice to look back and see how much its really changed. Hopefully I'll be able to post a new lookbook soon. <3

Throwback Outfits / OOTDs / Winter and Fall Inspiration

Here are some old ootds until I can start taking more <3 

 

Cross Scarf; Family Dollar

Tank Top; Hollister

Cardigan; Abercrombie 

Maroon Skinny Jeans; Abercrombie Kids

Boots; Ugg Australia 

  Tribal Hoodie; Forever 21

Black Cami; Forever 21

Lightwash Jeans; Hollister

Socks: Forever 21

Combat Boots; Wet Seal

Maroon Beanie; Thrifting

Black Indian Headdress Top; Pacsun

Maroon Cardigan; Hollister

Skinny Jeans; Hollister

Socks; Forever 21

Combat Boots; Wet Seal

Join Twice and Get a FREE $10 Credit + 50% off Code

Join Twice & Get Great Deals.

Twice sells used but in great condition name brand clothes, they have a wide variety of brands like Hollister, Abercrombie, J. Crew, Coach, Calvin Klein, Steve Madden, and even Prada. This is great for ladies on a budget or for those of you who want to save money and be fashionable. 

Get a $10 Credit when you join here; liketwice.com/e0gDp

Get a Coupon Code for 50% off when you watch this video and answer the short quiz;

 https://www.liketwice.com/buyer-quiz/?utm_source=facebook&utm_discount=3530

Also earn more credit by downloading the Twice App on an Apple Product, you can do this up to 3 times, getting you another $30 Credit

If you find something you like under $9.95 and you use the 50% off coupon plus the $10 credit, you'll get it FREE, who doesn't like free? You don't even have to put in your credit card or paypal info. When you put in your address just click on pay with paypal then hit continue. 

I just got some cute Abercrombie Shorts and only paid 43 cents from my paypal account.

You can also send in your clothes you don't want anymore and get more store credit to get more clothes. So when its time to clean out those clothes, why not send them in and switch them out for more clothes! 

Such a great site and you'll love the deals.

I will be sending in some clothes soon and I will blog about that, plus do a haul video after I order more items. Check out Twice, you really won't regret it. 

Please keep in mind that you can only have one account per household. If you create more than one account per household they will take away your credits and cancel your order. 

About Me Tag ♥

Basics
Name; Haley Isabella, but I also go by Bella
Age; 20, old enough to know better, too young to care.
Location; West Virginia, USA
Likes; art, fashion, photography, books, new words, quotes, unicorns, cats, & the simple things in life
Dislikes; liars & onions
Occupation; I have my own shop, where I sell kawaii clay charms, resin creations & bows ^_^

Favorites
Color; Orange
Movie; Its Kind of a Funny Story
Book; there are so many... and my favorite changes a lot but at the moment I'd say "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud" by Ben Sherwood
Word; Atychiphobia;  is the abnormal, unwarranted, and persistent fear of failure
Quote; "flowers in my hair, death on my mind" I made that up myself, (;
Singer/Band; He is We

Blogging
Why?; I started this blog to get fashion inspiration and to share my ootds, lookbooks, tips, deals, etc and to meet new people. I've always wanted to start a blog so I decided to. ^_^
Whats it about?; I will probably post a lot of different things on here mainly revolving around fashion, beauty, and deals.

Social Media Links
Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Basically-Bellas-Kawaii-Creations/234153539935080
Youtube; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8z3C-P8Bj_sXFw3T-6GwwQ
Instagram; http://instagram.com/haleycreateskawaii/
Twitter; https://twitter.com/HaleyFuxksUhp

<3/Bella

Leave me a Comment & I will be sure to reply & Check out your blog!