Who doesn’t love saving money whenever possible? If you’re on a budget, there are many ways you can save and stretch your money when shopping. Bonus: this can also help you feel less guilty about buying that shirt that you didn’t really need.
Below I share a few specific ways you can save money and/or earn cash back when shopping, so you can buy more with less. The tools and sites below are ones I’ve tried and/or currently use. I’ve personally had only positive experiences with all of these and have saved a lot of money in the process. Plus, it allows me to treat myself more often!
Shop Pre-Owned
First, shopping pre-owned is a great way to save money– and it can often save you a significant amount of money. Plus, it’s become an extremely popular way to shop (understandably so). There are, now more than ever, tons of online and in-store consignment stores, so you can easily find second-hand clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, and almost anything else you could ever want or need. Not only do second-hand clothes save you money, they also have a very positive environmental and social impact.
Second-hand shopping helps reduce waste, as clothes are given a “second life,” instead of ending up in a landfill or incinerators. Buying pre-owned also reduces pollution and saves several natural resources, water, and energy. So, second-hand shopping can save you money and help save the planet!
Below are several of my favorite places to shop for second-hand clothes.
- Poshmark
You can shop my personal Poshmark closet here. I often have petite-friendly styles available at very affordable prices. - Ebay
- ThredUp
- Tradesy
- TheRealReal
- Gilt
- Italic
Italic offers high-quality products at low prices. Their products are created by the same manufacturers of top brands (like Lululemon, Sandro, Armani, Stella McCartney, FRAME, Alexander Wang, and many more), but without labels, logos, or markups.
Use Coupon and Cash-Back Sites & Plugins
There are many coupon and cash-back plugins that can help you save money when shopping online. These plugins automatically search and apply coupons or offer cash back for shopping at specific stores. My personal favorite is Rakuten.
I’ve never has much luck with companies that offer coupons, savings, and/or cash back, and felt that they always required too much work for way too little savings in return…Until, I discovered Rakuten. Rakuten works by partnering with thousands of stores that pay them for sending them shoppers. Then, Rakuten shares the money with you as cash back.
Rakuten has over 15 million members and is free to join. They offer cash back for shopping online and in-store. Your cash back is paid out via PayPal, check, or it can be transferred to your credit card in the form of points that you can then use to pay your credit card bill (or use however you wish). I think these are some of the reasons they’re so successful:
It’s extremely easy and requires essentially zero work (no sifting through and clipping thousands of coupons, submitting receipts, etc.). Start by shopping directly from the Rakuten site, app, or browser extension. I personally use and love the browser extension. If you visit a website that Rakuten partners with, the plugin will automatically notify you that cash back is available, at which point you can select “activate cash back.” That’s all there is to it.
They partner with over 3,500 stores of all categories, so you can receive cash back for nearly all your purchases, and for things that you already buy on a regular basis. Categories include clothing, electronics, health & beauty, travel, restaurants, office supplies, pets, home & garden, events & entertainment, streaming services, outdoor, fitness, and many more.
Receive a bonus when you sign up with my referral link.
More Helpful Info For Using Rakuten:
- Here is a short guide on how in store cash-back works and how to set it up.
- Rakuten & American Express Membership Rewards
- How to add the cash-back button extension to your browser (Chrome & Safari)
Opt For Renting Over Purchasing When Possible
Third, clothing rental services can help you save money, especially if you need a specific outfit for a special occasion that you’ll very rarely be able to wear again. Renting clothes can also be a good option if you have expensive taste and buying an item would cost you much more than renting. There are several instances where renting can be easier on your wallet than purchasing. Here are some specific occasions I have benefited from renting over buying:
- Galas
- Themed Parties/Events
- Interviewing
- Business Trips/Conferences
- Weddings
- Bachelorette Parties
Rent The Runway is a petite-friendly clothing rental service that I’ve used several times. They have clothes available to rent for almost any occasion, from everyday wear to evening gowns. Purses, jewelry, and accessories are also available to rent. When browsing their collection online, you can filter the results by body type, including petite, pear, apple, straight & narrow, full bust, athletic, bump friendly, and hourglass, so you can quickly find pieces that are best suited for your specific frame.
One of my favorite things about Rent The Runway are the Customer Reviews. Customer Reviews are available for almost every item, including customer photos. The reviewer has to provide their height, weight, and size worn, so you can easily review how an item fit someone with a body type similar to yours. The customer photos and reviews are an excellent resource and offer important information regarding size that you just don’t get from the product description and model photos, like whether the item fits true to size, if the sleeves are extra long or short, how the material feels, and much more.
As seasons change and styles constantly come and go, it can be extremely tough to keep up with the latest trends. Buying pre-owned clothing over new, using cash-back apps and coupon plugins, and renting instead of purchasing are a few great ways to keep up with current fashion trends without breaking the bank.
ibotta
Similar to Rakuten, Ibotta is a website and app that gives you cash back on everyday purchases. Ibotta is partnered with over 2,700 brands and retailers at over 500,000 locations and offers cash back on purchases made online, in-store, or on the app. So, you can earn cash back on not only clothes, but almost everything that you buy.
Ibotta offers cash back on the following categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Clothing, Coffee & Tea, Electronics, Entertainment, Groceries, Health & Beauty, Home & Auto, Kids & Baby, Pet Supplies, Restaurants, Sports & Outdoors, Subscriptions, Toys & Games, and Travel. Ibotta also offers cash back on gift cards for over 150 retailers. Sign up via my referral link to receive a bonus.