It can be difficult to get excited about the mommy stage of life when what consumes your thoughts is how you are going to be able to manage everything. As a single mom especially, the financial strain can be quite overwhelming. Not only are you dealing with the excessive expenses of getting the baby room set up, but also, since your body is changing so rapidly and none of your clothes fit you anymore, you have the added expense of updating your wardrobe as well. As if those stretch marks weren’t bad enough!
I have always been a bit of a fashionista, so when it came to maternity clothes, I not only wanted something comfortable with room to grow, but I also wanted it to be fashionable instead of looking like I was wearing a sack. Of course, I also needed it to be reasonably priced as well, since I was on a budget. Unfortunately, all of the maternity shops in my local malls were so expensive – even on sale – which caused me to become very discouraged. The following are steps that worked for me to remain frugally fashionable.
1. Stay Out of the Malls
Of course consignment and thrift stores are always an option, but more so for post-baby buying, since often maternity clothes get too stretched to still look good second hand. I do know, however, that not everyone feels comfortable wearing clothing that someone else has already worn, however consignment stores can still be worth a look or two, especially for outer-wear options like sweaters or coats.
Online is not the enemy. Though some mommy blogs out there will caution away from shopping online on a budget, I had a good experience with the maternity clothes from Zalando, which offers name brands at competitive prices. To be fair, I only made purchases that were on sale, but there is usually a pretty good selection of sales items. Plus I got a coupon for signing up for the newsletter.
When shopping online, though, you should go with something that has a free delivery and free return policy. Since you can’t try anything on before purchasing, being able to return something is key. And of course, being on a budget, who wants to waste money on shipping charges? Although I didn’t actually need to return my purchases, having the option was nevertheless comforting.
2. Out With the Old
It’s never easy to purge your wardrobe, but sometimes it makes the most economical sense. Selling clothes that you are no longer wearing can be a great way to free up some extra cash as well as necessary space in your closet. Maybe keep that favorite pair of skinny jeans as motivation to lose the baby weight, but anything that you don’t currently wear and most likely won’t wear again post-baby, you should look into selling on Poshmark or similar websites.
While we are on the fashionably frugal subject, you may also be interested in the June article on “How to Get Clothes for Free”. Remember that in the end, fashion is not just about looking amazing, but also feeling amazing!
