When we were kid-free, it was so easy to be stylish. Between putting out those figurative fires at work and possibly literal fires at home, it’s easy to forget about how cute, fashionable, and glam we once were. The fact that we were able to snag our significant others because, not only did we have an amazing personality, but we were the most delectable thing working the room! You could go shopping for hours looking for that perfect pair of shoes or pants, followed by a trip to the salon to make sure your tresses are perfect and split ends are at bay, and lastly a much needed mani-pedi because you’ve OBVIOUSLY had a long and stressful day. After you have a child(ren), suddenly you just want to make sure that you got to change your shirt (which is actually your husband’s) with baby vomit all over it. We now delight at not wearing a ponytail for once, and that we got to take a long shower! Everyone always says that it’s important that we moms don’t “lose ourselves”. That we make sure that we are taking care of ourselves just as much as we are taking care of those around us. But who has the time for those things these days? Better yet, WHO HAS THE MONEY!?!

Below are some of my favorite places to get stylish clothes, shoes, and purses but WITHOUT breaking the budget.

ASOS

ASOS is seriously one of my favorite places to shop. ASOS is an online fashion and beauty store where you can find anything from dainty socks to a heavy-duty parka. Shoes, bags, pants, skirts, blouses; you name it, THEY’VE GOT IT. They always have sales going for both men and women’s items, but their most appealing feature is that they ALWAYS have a 70% off clearance selection. SERIOUSLY! EVERYTHING IN THAT SECTION IS UP TO 70% OFF. This is a major score for those of us with children that may just not have as much disposable income as we want to, or for those of us that are just always looking for a bargain. With this being a mostly online-base store (I believe that have actual store-fronts in some countries), it is easy to do all of your browsing online while the kid(s) are napping, and have that perfect handbag delivered right to your doorstep. From their app, to their “save for later” feature, I could go on and on about why this is usually my go to when I feel like my wardrobe needs a bit of a revamp on a budget.

Target

Everyone knows about Target. However for some reason, it’s not usually the first place that people think of when they are talking about going shopping for clothes, shoes, and accessories. Target is a store that I spend a lot of time in (sorry, not sorry). I’m usually there a couple times a month to get household basics like bathroom cleaner, or whatever toy my son is squealing about at the moment. This makes it easy to mosey on over to the clothing or shoe section after I’ve picked up toilet paper. There is a Target everywhere, so I don’t really have to be in a specific area or city to find one. Target makes it easy to be a one stop shop which is CRUCIAL when you’re a busy mom. We just don’t always have time to make special trips to specific stores for stylish apparel. Not only is Target convenient, but they often have sales/coupons on their app, and and awesome clearance area. Their clearance is typically broken down by percentages ranging from 30% to 70% off, each clearance percentage having its own rack of clothing. This makes it easier and quicker for you to navigate by deciding from the get-go how much you would like to spend (or save). This is crucial when you’ve also got a cart full of diapers to pay for.

H&M

I love H&M! It’s not always my first stop, as the store fronts are typically in the mall, but their fashionable clothes for affordable prices canNOT be ignored. While you can shop with H&M online, I tend to actually go into the store so that I can try things on before I buy them. Even though this takes a bit more time (so I have to plan a bit more for the trip), it is well worth it. H&M has tons of very affordable and stylish clothes, purses, shoes, and accessories. My favorite thing to get from H&M are their items in their “basics” line. This can range from t-shirts, dresses, leggings, etc. They are always affordably priced, and perfect for mixing and matching. This allows me to take my new “basics” dress and match it with a cardigan that I already have. They also often have sales, but like most stores there is ALWAYS a clearance rack. This clearance area isn’t full of all of the ugly stuff that no one wanted. I always find the trendiest in the clearance section for a fraction of what the original price is, and then I can pair it with my “basics”!

Thrift and Consignment Shops

Last but certainly not least are your local Thrift of Consignment shops. I must admit, it took me a while to take the plunge to thrift shopping. While I had no problem buying someone’s second hand sewing machine (I got one for 30 bucks! SCORE!) wearing someone else’s clothes wasn’t a part of my germaphobe plan. This all changed when I was looking for an ugly sweater for an upcoming party at the thrift store and stumbled upon a pair of white, straight leg, green-label Ralph Lauren trousers for 6 bucks… 6 BUCKS! I couldn’t believe it! I Googled them and found that similar Ralph Lauren pants were going for about 80-90 dollars at stores like Macy’s or Boston Store. These pants were seriously barely worn (it would have been obvious if they had been abused because they were white) so I had to get them. While continuing on my “ugly sweater” search, I actually found about 4 really cute sweaters from brands like Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren. All of these sweaters were 8 dollars or under, and then on top of that THE THRIFT STORE WAS HAVING A FREAKING SALE! ALL SWEATERS WERE BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! I felt like I was in the twilight zone. By what stretch of the imagination did I think I would go to the thrift store to get someone’s grandpa’s ugly, scratchy, wool sweater and leave with several designer fashions for under 30 bucks?!? The thrift store had proven itself worthy. While it’s not always ideal, because it’s not as convenient and you won’t always leave with a bag of designer clothes for next to nothing, I can’t fight the price point. If affordable is the most important part of the trip, then the thrift store is where you should head. But if you need something chic to wear to tonight’s party, it may not be the best stop.

Let me know ladies, where are some of your favorite affordably fashionable places to shop?

-Sea