Guest post from Laura of Life as a Loewen
Finding adorable clothes on a shoestring budget can be challenging, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not impossible.
Enter eBay clothes shopping!
It should take you less than 5 minutes to set up an eBay account (if you don’t have one already). Then you can link your PayPal account for easy payments, or pay using a debit or credit card.
Here are a few tips for getting the most bang for your buck on eBay:
1. Know your sizes from a specific brand.
eBay has a number of different search features so you can narrow down exactly what you need (i.e. petite, tall, color of item, etc.)
Have you been eyeing a specific brand of clothing, say jeans, but don’t know what size you are in them? Go to a store that has them, try on a few sizes, write them down or enter into your phone and then you’ll be armed for your next eBay purchase!
You can also look on some store websites to see if they have sizing charts which would eliminate the need for a trip to the store!
2. Buy used.
You can search for items that are new, used, or unspecified. I’d suggest buying second-hand items to get an even lower prices on your clothes. Nearly all items I’ve gotten used from eBay come to me looking either new or nearly new!
3. Take advantage of bidding and offers.
Many items can be purchased through bidding (auction-style) on an item. Another way I’ve gotten steals on trendy clothes is by making an offer on items that indicate “or highest offer”. You never know until you try!
Offer less than the “buy it now” price, but what you feel is reasonable (and still a good deal) for the item.
4. Don’t write off high-end brands.
I personally adore the style of Anthropologie. But spending $100 on one top at the store? I couldn’t possibly.
What I do is keep a search saved of Anthropologie items in my size, and the types of clothes I’m looking for — such as short-sleeved blouses and cardigans.
eBay then saves that search and I get to look for the best possible deals, getting higher-end clothes that are actually in my price range.
5. Sell your own items.
Selling gently used (or new) items is a great way to boost that clothing budget. Having 3 little kids on one income means there’s not a lot of wiggle room for the clothing budget, and especially not for this Mama to get new threads.
By selling some of my clothes on eBay, I’ve earned a little money to use toward future purchases by letting the balance sit in my PayPal account until something really strikes my fancy. You can also deposit the money from PayPal into your checking out to use it for general purposes, as well.
I’ve gotten lots of cute, trendy items using eBay, and I hope this helps you have another budget-friendly way to spruce up your wardrobe!
Laura is a mama of three littles {and in the adoption process}, delighting in the Gospel of grace. Attempting to be genuine and raw, Laura seeks to find the humor in everyday life. She shares her journey through faith, motherhood and marriage at LIFE AS A LOEWEN blog. Passionate about issues of social justice, and always up for a Motown dance party, Laura seeks to live with spirited intentionality.
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