Since being at university I have come to terms with the fact that the saying 'A girl can never have too many clothes' in completely incorrect unless you are Paris Hilton and have about 15 rooms to put them in then it's a different story. The idea of having many different outfits to wear day and night is great, but realistically, how many pairs of leggings do you need in your life? Lets be honest. Now, I'm not going to lie, I'm defiantly a fan of a Topshop purchase. Probably not the best place to be shopping on a 'student budget', but somehow I always manage to avoid Primark and magically end up in the more expensive shops. Lets just say budgeting isn't my strongest point. But anyway, back to the point. When packing up my room to go home for the summer, I realised how many clothes I had that I never actually wore. Stupid I know. I'd buy maybe 2 or 3 jumpers at a time, telling myself I'd get lots of wear out of them, and by the end of the year, it seemed I had only lived in 1 of the 3. Ridiculous! If there's one thing I've learnt, (after a big clear out of all the many clothes I have and never wore, or completely forgot about' it's that, half the time, at University, unless your going the extra mile for a night out, is that no one actually pays any attention to what you look like.
Before coming to my senses and realising I had far too many clothes, half of my problem was that I had far too many, and I didn't think I had enough. It wasn't until I came home and unpacked that I realised that I'd wasted far too much money on clothes that I'd hardly even worn. Silly mistake.
Lesson learnt, my wardrobe is now cut down to clothes that I love and wear all the time, which is a lot easier to decide on what to wear when I'm in a rush to my 9am lectures.
Tips to save money as a student -
Make Primark your new best friend - it may be known for 'cheap' clothes, but you can buy 3 jumpers for £30 or 1 jumper for £30. Easy decision!
Ask yourself the same question - 'Do I NEED it?' Most likely the answer will be no. And if you choose to buy it, give it a week and you'll wish you saved the money for that extra night out on the town.
If you've seen something in Topshop, chances are the same thing will be in Newlook, River Island and most likely Primark, so try and save yourself that extra £5.
Get wear out of things. It's so easy to get bored of a item of clothing, (I'm guilty of this one) yes, you may of worn the same pair of jeans to uni 3 times in a row, but if you know you have had good wear out of something, you won't feel as guilty when its time to buy a new pair.
Accessorise. A few pieces of jewellery, studs or some sequins can instant change an outfit. So instead of chucking it away or to the back of your wardrobe, think of a few ways to jazz up your top or shirt. Cut off the sleeves, add a few studs to the shoulders, and you have a brand new top.
Are you guilty of having too many clothes? Does your student loan burn a hole in your pocket?
Rachel
