I feel like I have mastered the art of finding good deals and making affordable clothing look like it’s expensive. It’s not about the money that you spend on your clothing...it’s about how well you take care of your clothing and the effort that you put into tying everything together. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned that have helped me to save money while still being fashionable:

1. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls should be your bffs

Honestly, I never understood why people give TJ and Marshalls such a bad rep. It amazes me that people prefer Forever 21 over TJ or Marshalls. At Forever, you get low quality clothes at a low cost. At TJ, you get high quality clothes at a reduced price. You can even find designer clothing at TJ and Marshalls for a significantly reduced price.

2. No more “Fast Fashion” stores

I try to shop as little as possible in stores like Forever 21 and H&M. In the long run, I am convinced this strategy saves money because clothing from these stores, although cheap, is very poorly made. They don’t stand more than a season and I end up buying a whole new wardrobe every year. I think it's worth it to save up and buy fewer, higher quality things at a higher cost because they won’t need to be replaced.

3. Home(goods) is where the heart is

This is a little off topic from beauty, but I don’t think I have ever shopped anywhere else for home decor. Homegoods is the same deal as TJ and Marshalls--high quality (sometimes designer) just at a reduced price.

4. Say goodbye to traditional manicures….and hello to "Kiss" Press-On Nails

For $7.99 and less than 10 minutes you can literally have a manicure that looks professionally done.

5. Always match your bag and shoes

No matter how much money you spend on a bag or a pair of shoes, it will never look right unless they match.

6. Washing your clothes matters!!

I have definitely learned this the hard way. My first semester of college I didn’t know know the proper way to do my laundry...so I just threw everything in. Nothing was ever sorted. To make matters worse, I put everything in the dryer...and I mean EVERYTHING. Needless to say, a lot of my clothes were left with faded/mixed colors and so small I couldn’t fit them over my head. So yes...the way you wash your clothes definitely matters.

7. So does the material of your clothes

Stores like H&M and Forever 21 often use synthetic materials that just don’t look nice or last long. As I mentioned before, you’re better off spending money on some higher quality clothing made with natural fabrics.

8. Match your accessories

Nothing pulls an outfit together like matching accessories. Although I might be against buying a ton of clothes from Forever 21, I do own a fair share of accessories from there. I don’t put my jewelry through quite as much wear and tear as my clothes, and it’s nice to have a selection for every different outfit. It ties everything together.