How To Buy Inexpensive Clothes

I'm a big believer in investing in good quality, classic pieces, to last your wardrobe a lifetime - but that doesn't mean you won't find me rummaging the rails of Primark from time to time. There's definitely a place for 'fast fashion' in my wardrobe, but inexpensive clothes don't have to look cheap. When shopping in more affordable stores, I have a few rules I stick to.

Pick good fabrics. Anything thin, nylon, or scratchy is a no go. There are plenty of inexpensive fabrics that still look and feel nice, so make sure you have a good feel of the fabrics beforehand. Primark do some incredibly soft sweaters for around £10, and I always give leggings a stretch to check they don't go see through. Pick dresses and skirts in heavier fabrics, they'll hang nicer and look more expensive!

Be wary of buttons and hardware. Cheap buttons or dodgy zips and buckles can be a massive giveaway of price. I always steer clear of plasticky buttons or anything with a name printed on, and look for shirts with hidden or cute buttons. When it comes to handbags, I try to steer clear of anything with too much metal hardware, as it can fade, crack or look tired much quicker than it should. 

Check the stitching. I always leave things with a wide stitch, not only does it look cheaper, but they tend to fray or come unstitched after a few washes. The hat I'm wearing in these photos, for example, has the tiniest little stitches you've ever seen, making it look and feel more expensive than the £9 it cost. 

Match your metals. Because this dress had rose gold buttons, I opted for rose gold earrings, and a watch with rose gold details too. It helps keep things looking put together and purposeful!

What are your tips for buying inexpensive clothes?

WHAT I WORE

DRESS - PRIMARK // HAT - PRIMARK // SADDLE BAG - PRIMARK // BOOTS - ASH // WATCH - SKAGEN // EARRINGS - ACCESSORIZE // LIPSTICK - NYX MATTE LIP CREAM IN MONTE CARLO

5 Things: Creating A Budget and Sticking To It (Finally)

Anyone who knows me well will be more than aware - I'm something of a serial spender. I've always been something of an emotional shopper, I practically have qualifications in Retail Therapy, and I'm pretty impatient (read, no good at waiting for what I want).

This means that on the whole, I've always been pretty crappy with money. I ran up a massive overdraft during my time at uni, and often picked a new £25 lipstick over paying the internet bill - not an attitude I'd recommend. 

It's taken almost a year since I finished my degree, but I'm in a place now where - no, I'm not good with money, but I'm a damn sight better. I've payed off my overdraft, and I manage, somehow, to make my paycheck last til the end of the month. If you're like me and struggle to stay on top of your finances, here are my top 5 tips.

1. Address the situation. Burying your head in the sand will achieve literally nothing. Sit down with a print off of your bank balance, and look at where all your money is going. I usually go through and highlight everything I've spent with different colours for bills, food, meals out, and then clothes/makeup/other unnecessary bits I buy, so I can easily see a breakdown of where things are going. 
2. Pay back. Make getting your bank account into the clear a top priority. Pay off overdrafts, outstanding bills, and any money you've borrowed from friends and family first - or at least come up with an achievable payment plan to pay it back over a couple of months. 
3. Identify your non-negotiables. The things outside of necessary monthly expenses (bills, rent, food, etc) that you don't want to be without. For me this is coffee, because I work for myself, I often work a day or two a week from a coffee shop to stop me going stir crazy in the house. 
4. Make a plan. Work out how much you need to allocate for essentials and your non-negotiables each month, so you know exactly what you have left to spend each month. I find that moving all the money for my bills & food shopping into a separate account at the start of the month helps me make sure that money goes where it's meant to! 
5. Stay accountable. Check your bank balance every few days, write down every transaction in a Budget book (I use this one and it's great), and tell your friends & family you're trying to spend less. That way they're more likely to stop you from eating out unneccessarily, or buying things you don't need!

What are your tips for sticking to a budget? Are you money-savvy, or a spender like me? 

What Nobody Tells You About Working From Home

For a lot of people, working from home is the end goal - because who wouldn't want to spend all day in their PJ's or work from bed? 

The reality though, often isn't quite so glamorous. 

You'll work more. This is two-fold, you'll get more work done at home in the same time you'd have spent at work, but you'll also spend lots more time working. First it'll be working through your usual commute time, and eventually you'll find yourself struggling to tear yourself away from your laptop for evenings and weekends. 

You'll clean more. Because if your home is a mess, you'll find it near impossible to concentrate on getting work done. 

Your Starbucks bill will be huge. Because you will just be desperate to get out of the house and work anywhere else.

You have to be your own boss + editor. Which means you have to be a lot harder on yourself than you are used to. You have to stay on top of yourself, do things you don't want to do, and be aware of your own weaknesses & errors. 

Everyone will always assume your free. Your friends will think you are free at all hours of the day, and probably be offended when you decline invitations due to work. 

It's lonely. You'll pounce on your significant other as soon as they walk in the door, desperate for someone to talk to. Which is why it's so important to have fellow freelancer friends!

5 Things: Curating a Timeless Wardrobe

I'm not a big clothing shopper - I find it hard to find clothes that fit my shape (tall with broad shoulders, big boobs & hips but no bum whatsoever) and that I like, so I tend to buy things and wear them to death. Because of this, I tend to gravitate towards great quality clothes that I know I'll love and wear for a really long time. I want my clothes to be timeless, because it took me so long to find them inn the first place!

I didn't used to be this way, I used to be a ride or die fan of fast fashion, splurging on a monthly basis in Primark. Turning my wardrobe around wasn't easy, but it was well worth it - and this is how I did it. 

1. Start over. Eliminate clothes that don't fit the brief, clothes you've only worn once, clothes that have holes in, clothes that feel cheap or uncomfortable. Get rid of the 'filler' clothes, and keep what you really love. 
2. Simplify. Do you have the basics? Do you really need that neon pink skirt with laced overlay and scalloped edges? Look for clothes in classic cuts and colours that you know you'll still love in 5 years time. 
3. Choose flattering cuts. If your bum looks great in Skinny Jeans, don't buy boyfriend jeans just cause they're in season. Stick with clothes that suit you and your body shape, rather than trend led pieces. That doesn't mean to say you can't buy on - trend clothes, just look for pieces that follow trends whilst flattering you, that you feel 100% comfortable in. 
4. Invest in staples. Good jeans, a great coat, handbags - that kinda thing. Spend money on the things you know you'll wear for years and years. 
5. Pick fabrics carefully. Timeless, beautiful pieces don't have to cost the earth. Look for more budget friendly pieces that are made out of great fabrics, and have expensive looking embellishments. Steer clear of anything with cheapy zips or buttons.

Are you a trend follower or a classic kinda dresser?

Being Productive When You Have Nothing To Do

Maybe it's a quiet week, or maybe you've just totally bossed your to do list - but you've done everything you needed to by 2pm and you're wondering how to fill the next three hours. 

Sure it might be nice to grab a carton of ice cream and settle in to watch cat videos & read Buzzfeed articles - but what about using the time productively? 

Sometimes, the most satisfying thing in the world is to keep being productive even after you've done everything else. But how to fill that time? 

- Organise something. A cupboard, your planner, your desk or the files on your computer. Tackle an organisational mess you've been putting off forever. You know what they say - tidy house, tidy mind. 

- Put a date in the diary. A coffee catch up with friends, a course to help you further your social media skills, a meeting with a great contact. Use the time to make your time ahead even better. 

- Set new goals. Take some time to reasses your goals, and create actionable steps to achieve them. Plan out dates to achieve them, and rewards for getting there!

- Prep Instagram photos for when you're busy. The key to a successful Instagram account is regular content, so spend some free time shooting great Instagram photos for the next time you're busy. 

- Tidy up your Pinterest boards. The Pinterest algorithm favours content that has lots of interactions, so delete stuff that didn't do so well, organise your boards into a system that makes sens, change up your cover photos, and get pinning! 

- Learn something new. Sign up for a new class on skillshare, look for a new webinar on creating awesome content, or look for a class near you on a skill you've always wanted to hone. 

- Read an inspiring book. Currently on my bedside table is Big Magic. 

- Fix broken links & update blurry images on your site. One of those things that needs doing regularly, but we always put off because it's so time consuming. 

What are your top tips for filling time productively?