I'm going to reveal to you the most valuable piece of knowledge I have. If you don't want to hear it and suffer from a new and vicious addiction, turn back now.

So, you want to buy some new summer clothes. You want to be trendy. But, you are poor, you're in college,and you've got more important things to spend $30 on than that top at Urban.

You have come to the right place. I am giving you this information out of the tender love in my heart. However, this leak could, potentially, jack up my prices if the demand goes up.

Anticipation builds… How do I get virtually the same cool top from Nasty Gal or that hot pink and black Triangl bikini for five percent of the store price?

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen friends wearing clothes from Urban Outfitters and immediately I say, "I saw that on eBay for $7.99." Most recently was last week. My friend bought this Triangl bikinifor $80:

I said “I'm going to find that on eBay," and like the big spenda I am, I did. Here is how I did it. Type in: "leather bikini;" then click the first thing that pops up -- free shipping, $15.99. Granted, it does take at least 12 days to come in, but you are not paying for shipping like you would at a normal store -- and you saved $65. You could buy a big juicy steak with that money, or five bikinis instead of just one! Imagine the possibilities.

So, I am going to make it easy for you because I always tell friends to shop on eBay and get their clothes straight from the Chinese factories, but no one figures it out.

1. Type in something simple, along the lines of “boho dress," or “crop top."
2. Click on the first cute thing you see that's super cheap -- literally $3.99, preferably with free shipping, which it says under the price.
3. There is a button that says “See Other Items" on the right side of the page in the box where it says Seller Information. Click it.
4. You should now be looking at pictures that show women modeling clothes that look like an actual store, and not someone auctioning off their track pants from the '90s (although, that's cool, too). No bidding, just "Buy It Now." Damn, I love that button. If there is other stuff being sold, like weird technology, there is a button on the right that should say “Women's Clothing," and that should eliminate some of the strain all the endless hours of scrolling are about to put on your fingers.
5. If it is coming from any Asian country, you can either look at their size chart, or as a rule of thumb, know that you always order one size up because a U.S. small is equivalent to an Asian medium.
6. Set up your parents' PayPal.

And that is the answer to the meaning of life -- simply, eBay. You will find the exact same thing at all big retailers that you can find here. A good strategy is to go onto a website of a cute store, shop, and then type in a description into eBay and purchase it for a fraction of the price! You will never be poor again, but beware, you do run the risk of items that might fit weird or be poorly made, but this is a rare occasion. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It just takes practice and perseverance, not to mention it is only a minimal loss to your bank account, so don't get too chapped about it.

Here is a recent example to motivate you.

I just purchased this for $11.99. Someone tell me how this is $11.99.

You simply cannot.