deals // sandal collection // buying shoes on a budget

 i get SO many questions about my wardrobe, shoe, beauty & accessory collections, that at this point i have no choice but to start blogging about them so all of your questions can be answered. after i uploaded the picture above on my social media sites, i received a lot of feedback on the who, what, when, where, why & how? so i decided that i would start a new series on here, beginning with shoes. like who doesn't love new shoes & a lot of them. 

so here's the breakdown.

want vs need: i understand that shoes aren't needed, but at least one pair per different occasion isn't too bad. growing up i always had a lot of shoes & clothes due to my family buying me something for different occasions (holidays, vacation, school, etc.). once i began earning my own money, i began treating myself, and once i started modeling & getting into youtube, it became even more of an obsession to fill my closet up.

however, for the past year or two, i've cut back a lot. just go look at some of my old youtube videos of all of the hauls i have posted. clothes & shoes were a major part of my life because for me, looking good adds to me feeling good. & believe it or not, being able to spoil myself is a form of self-care.

i haven't spoiled myself in the past two years like i have since 2015 began. i also pay very close attention to my budget and make sure that all of my necessities are taken care of before i indulge in other things.

budget: not to get too in depth when it comes to my accounts, but this is the 2nd most important factor when you have the urge to go shopping. before i buy anything, i always check my accounts, decide on an amount that i want to spend & search for coupons (online & within my email). depending on what i'm trying to get (either a particular item or to splurge on 3+ items), i set aside a certain amount of money. because i get my shoes from places like ross, tj maxx, marshall's and XX1, $100 goes a long way. $100 at ross will get me at least 5-6 pairs of shoes. 

bargainista: yeah, i know you know that i am a beast at getting great deals. ross typically has women shoes $30 or less. even with the designer brands, those can be marked down to around $50. they don't distribute coupons, however they give a 10% senior citizen discount on tues. they get shipments in mon. through fri. & usually start unloading on the floor around lunch time. i suggest if you want to get sizes 7-9 (these sizes go quickly), i'd go around lunch & at least twice out the week for the newer shipments. tj maxx & marshall's shipments are fewer throughout the week & i believe their shipments come on either weds. or thurs. they are also about $10-$15 more expensive than ross, even XX1 or Charlotte Russe, depending on the style/brand of shoe.

typically the only time i purchase from XX1, Charlotte Russe or Target (check online, mobile & cartwheel app for coupons) for shoes is when i have a coupon. Beall's Outlet gives a 10% discount for people with their rewards card under 55 y/o on fridays, which is the only day i shop there. don't forget about the clearance sections, because there have been many times i have purchased shoes as low as $4. to add to that, if you purchased a pair of shoes last week, & you see that they are on sale/clearance this week, take them back! as long as they are unworn, there is nothing wrong with getting an even better deal.  

another good time for super low prices are at the end of each season.

dupes/alternatives: there have been times when i wanted designer shoes & literally months later i came across the same style just with another brand name on them. sites like amazon, jolly chic, alixpress, asos, justfab and shoe dazzel will carry the same exact style of shoe that designer brands have, but at a lower cost. if you can't afford prada, michael kors, kate spade or even zara, i suggest finding copies on those sites. you can also check out ebay or poshmark to sell, exchange or purchase shoes from people just like you & me.

so, i hope this post at least answers some of your questions. if you have anymore, leave a comment down below because i'll answer it in the following shoe series.