the most stylish penny-pincher of them all

moi (: the secret to it...

1. Join online sample sale sites. Receive up to 80% off current designer goods. Best part is they send you emails when a new sale comes up so you're always in the know.But fair warning, most are invitation-only. i.e. Gilt, Hautelook, Ideeli, RueLaLa

2. Always search for discount codes and printable coupons. This has DEFINITELY been handy when it came to helping the BFF with wedding planning! google a store name or brand + coupon code or discount. you can also try RetailMeNot, Styleforfree, and Reesycakes

3. Sign up for sales alerts. I haven't personally tried this, considering i already get a bajillion emails, but you might want to see if it works for you (good idea, set up a separate email account for this though). they send you info on sales, and some are even personalized to whatever brand or style you're interested in. ShopItToMe, Stylenotes, Shefinds, StoreAdore

4. Do a little research. ...or in this case, have someone else do it for you - bloggers do the work and find all the deals. check them out (their names say it all, no?): TheBudgetFashionista, TheBudgetBabe, TheCheapChica, Bargainist

5. Compare prices. Without having to get up from your seat! Dealio, ShopStyle

6. Shop off-price sites. Designer goods, minus the designer prices. Yoox, Bluefly, SmartBargains

7. Get money back for shopping. Kind of like "keep the change" with bank of america. doing trasactions through Ebates deposits a portion of the sale into a separate account; then later on you get a check. there's about 900 stores within their network, so check before you buy!

8. Support unknown designers. Always an advocate for the up and coming, guaranteed to be unique and inexpensive. Etsy.com

9. Swap. Sounds like the perfect girls' night in to me...especially if your girlfriend has impeccable taste, with an even more impressive wardrobe [; you can also do it through websites: SwapStyle (goes international, which is totally cool!)

10. Consider used. This has become the epitome of my shopping habit - thrift stores, vintage stores, etc. Definitely try it, it's super fun just looking through everything they have to offer. and for those who prefer the comfort of their homes, there's always Ebay and ShopGoodwill


For more tips, read the article in this month's People StyleWatch, "15 Ways to...SAVE BIG $$$$! - Use the Web to stretch your fashion and beauty budgets."