Money has and always will make the world go round. Unfortunately, with steadily rising prices for tuition, gas, and the overall price of living, we as college students have to learn how to manage our money and basically “ball on a budget.” Everyone wants to look their best but not spend their last dollar doing it. There is nothing cute about a well-dressed person with no money in the bank, thus the importance of learning to look cheap but still remaining chic.
To fit the tight budgets and styles of students, there are other alternatives to breaking the bank for a nice outfit. I found my first bargain pieces when I moved to Baltimore while in high school. After my first trip to a vintage store and finding a vintage Gucci duffle bag for five dollars, I quickly became a frequent shopper. After graduating, I brought that same sense of style with me to Tallahassee. I set out searching for vintage shops that kept decently priced merchandise while maintaining a nice variety of clothes.
I found after talking with other students that, surprisingly, a lot of the students spend a fair share of time finding the best deals in stores such as Goodwill, Consignments by Jane and Plato’s Closet. Goodwill has been known to have a few great finds and as low as five dollars. Not to mention, they have a weekly sale which is 50% off of all clothes on Mondays.
‘Consignments by Jane’ on Timberlane Road is among one of my newest discoveries. It is a store that has many older and newer designer bags and accessories. Before getting discouraged by seeing the word “designer” and turning the other way in fear that its prices are out a student’s budget, think outside the box. The store has made it policy that they cannot price their pieces for more than fifty dollars. It can’t get much better than that.