Guest Post// Melon Heart// Smart Shoping

So here is the first of (I hope) many guest posts for le'LOVE. I am excited to bring you a great post from Melon Heart- you guys remember her from my feature last week. She has some great tips for smart shopping. 

There comes a time in a young woman’s life where she becomes what is known as a “label whore”. Labelus Whoreus is a beast commonly found in large shopping malls filled with department stores and designer goods. She can be seen on any day of the week, at any time of the day buying even the simplest of sheaths at the most inflated of prices. You don’t even need to be shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue to become this beast! Many times we buy new items on impulse, or we don’t think to find a place where we can get them at a better price.  For example, I love Modcloth. It’s a great website that has adorable items and fits my aesthetic quite well. However, I’ve noticed that you can get the exact same items at other websites at a much better price! I’ve had my eye on their Dear Creatures Boathouse Brunch Dress since it came out. It’s not a cheap dress. Dear Creatures has the same dress (which they call the Par Avion Dress) at half the price! That’s a pretty dramatic difference with just a simple google search. It’s still not an inexpensive dress, but it’s much more attainable now.

You can also find many gems at thrift stores for very little money. Many times what happens to me with thrift finds is that they’re ill fitting. Sleeves are too big, skirts are too long, and tops are too wide, among other issues. This is a quick fix. Most dry cleaning establishments have a seamstress who will work wonders with these clothes! Alterations are not very expensive. The most I’ve ever paid for a very difficult alteration involving lace and all kinds of details was $25. That’s still not that bad. Many times I prefer this because it means the clothing will fit you perfectly! Fit is everything when it comes to your clothes. Even better, if you have someone in your family who knows how to sew (or if you know how to sew!) you can spend time with them while they fix your newest addition to your wardrobe. Win-win situation!

The outfit I’m wearing in these pictures could have cost SO much more. The dress is thrifted, but it still had the tags on it when I found it. It was originally $50 I bought it for $7. The pink cardigan is from my very favorite store, Anthropologie. It was originally $88. I paid $20 because I waited til it went on sale. (Anthropologie usually puts everything on sale. It’s rare for any item to stay at the elevated price. Just keep an eye on it and you’ll save a bundle! Lots of times it’s out online, but you can call them and they’ll find the item in another store. The shoes were $127. I got them for $60. Don’t ever leave coupons at home. If it’s something you might even be interested, tuck the coupon in your purse. You never know when you’ll need it!

The necklaces were gifts so those were free! Let’s tally up the savings then shall we?

            Original Price              Sale Price

Dress:         $50                          $7

Cardigan:   $88                          $20

Shoes:         $127                        $60

Necklaces: FREE!                              

       Total: $222                         $87

That means I got all this for almost a third of the price! Spend your money wisely ladies, it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort.

            Shop Smart!

1.    Search/wait for sales

2.    Never leave coupons at home

3.    Keep an eye on the sites

If you follow those three simple little rules, you can save a whole lot of cash at the end of the day.  Good luck!




Note: More info on Jacqueline's excellent nails can be found on her blog here. Take a minute to visit her blog my guest post. Remember I love comments about as much as I love diet coke- a lot. 
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