So you have more money for the important things in life, like going out 5 nights a week…

Having lived in some of America’s most expensive cities, namely Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Miami, it can be quite a daunting task to stay up on all the stylish trends. In cities that are famous for their extravagant nightlife, going out 5 nights a week is a way of life, but it can be a b*tch trying to keep up without going into some major credit card debt.

One of the biggest lessons a girl can learn is how to look stylish on a budget and not wind up a broke ass b*tch because it’s 2014 (almost 2015) and you can’t wait around hoping for a Daddy Warbucks to sweep you off your feet and pay for your lavish tastes.

Some say buy a few ‘classic’ (i.e. hella expensive and boring) pieces you can wear for a lifetime and mix and match. But then you can afford two solid outfits that you have to wear everyday and wind up looking like a cartoon character stuck in a daily uniform. By following these budget friendly shopping tips, your closets will be bursting at the seams without leaving you in debt.

Forever 21

I can feel some of you cringing at the thought of Forever 21, maybe even dry heaving. But while you’re cringing, some style smart penny pinching gals out there are able to grab all the latest trends (and copycats) for next to nothing. Some of the biggest mistakes people can make is buying into fashion trends and purchasing them at top dollar, because trends come and go. So who cares if those cheap F21 harem pants look like trash after a few washes because the trend will be over before you get that last hole in the ass of your new must have item! Plus there’s nowhere else you can get $10 jeans, or tank tops for under $2 (not on sale), that’s 2 tanks tops for less than that designer coffee that’s rotting your stomach lining each morning!

H&M

This is another great place to keep up with all the latest fashion trends without going broke. You can also get a slightly better quality item here than Forever 21. The best thing about H&M is they team up with high fashion designers who roll out their collections made specifically for H&M, inspired by the runway type deals. So even if you’re not 8 feet tall and 100 lbs., you can be sporting top designer and celebrity duds from Isabel Marant, David Beckham, Alexander Wang, Madonna, Kylie Mynogue, Maison Martin Margiela, Karl Lagerfeld, Lanvin, Marni, and Viktor & Rolf who have all had lines at H&M.

Korean and Chinese Fashion on eBay

You may be skeptical of ordering from the Far East online at eBay or Amazon, but as someone who has been doing this for a good decade, it’s 90% of the time gone in my favor. Tons of American boutiques get their items from wholesale suppliers overseas. Those same wholesale suppliers are literally at your fingertips through the good ol’ Internet. Why wait for a local boutique to purchase the item and mark it up 10,000% by the time it hits a store near you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten things through eBay or Amazon from China only to walk into a local boutique in a major city and see my item on their shelves. And shipping is usually free, or under $3, just be willing to wait 15-30 days for your new wardrobe.

Faux Designer Purses

Some girls are OBSESSED with designer bags. I think they are a waste of money. I used to go to NYC’s canal street and buy knock-off bags for under $20, always got compliments on them (avoid ones with obnoxious branding like Louis Vuitton or Gucci), never had to worry about ruining the bag, or having it stolen. There are tons of these on the streets in any major city. Check in Georgetown and Chinatown in DC. Sure there’s some major garbage, but you can find some great options without having to live in your mom’s basement. Also MAJOR designers are know selling ‘vegan leather’ which is FAKE, it’s the same cheap crap these knock off bags are made of, so call your street purse vegan leather and suddenly vinyl /pleather will make you look like a real trendy animal activist.

Try this Guide to Buying Fake Handbags, it’s catering to NYC but the same guidelines can apply to spotting quality bags in any city.

Sunglasses at Night (smh)

Chances are nobody will know your shades are not top of the line. There are tons of great online sites like sunglasswarehouse.com, or zappos.com, or your city’s streets. Just like purses, street venders sell trendy shades for under $10, as do flea markets and discount department stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on something you will probably lose. If you must buy designer shades, try somewhere like Sunglass Hut or an outlet center where you can get them for deep discounts. Just don’t wear them in the club people, day clubs, pool parties, sure; sun down, glasses off, it’s that simple, unless you want to be mistaken for a pill popping raving lunatic.

Online Shopping is King

If you’re looking for bargains, online shopping is a must. You have to get over the trying on clothes part and just go with. Many sites have free return shipping policies, or you can just give what you don’t like as a gift to a friend, or sell it back for double the price on eBay, Poshmark, or similar sites. Some sites to try are Nastygal.com, Jollychic.com, Gojane.com, 10dollarmall.com, Moddeals.com, and many more. I’m talking $20 and under here for tons of items people, plus check the sale and clearance categories.

Work the Seasons

The key here is to buy off-season. By the time you put on your bathing suit for the first time this summer, department stores will be rolling out the fall sweaters and turtlenecks. Likewise, while you’re shoveling 8 feet of snow off your sidewalk, they will be pushing a shorts and tube tops. Skip the front of the stores’ full price items and head to the back where they keep all the sale racks. You’re not cheap; you’re smart.

Coupon Queen

Always check online before headed to any retail store or when shopping online for printable coupons and online coupon codes. For example if I’m going to Forever 21 I will type in something like, “Forever 21 printable coupons 2014”, or if shopping online, I’d type in “Forever 21 online coupon codes 2014”, and “Forever 21 free shipping 2014”. This works for any store, sometimes you won’t find anything current, but 90% of the time you will. There are also applications you can download on your smart phone such as ‘Retailmenot’, which will alert you to coupons on the go!

The Runway at Target

Don’t be embarrassed to check out Target to fill out your wardrobe. Some major fashion houses have rolled out lines designed especially for Target like Altuzarra, Toms, Phillip Lim, Jason Wu, Gwen Stefani, Missoni, Peter Pilotto, Isaac Mizrahi, with much more affordable prices than their runway counterparts. Check the Target website for the launch of each line because often the items literally fly off the shelves within hours of release.

The Shoe Hunt

There are several “shoe clubs” out there. Shoe Dazzle and Just Fab (both names suck) are the two biggest players in the game right now, and as of 2013 the two companies merged. Basically, you can purchase as you go, or join their “VIP” membership plan. You’re basically charged $39.95 for a member credit each month, but you can skip as many months as you want and spend your credit on something you love or save it for later! Just Fab is associated with Kimora Lee Simmons, and has better prices and deals, for example, 2 pairs for $39.95, 2 for 1, or free shipping. Shoe Dazzle is associated with Rachel Zoe and Kim Kardashian. I signed up and didn’t realize I was in a membership and they kept sending me ‘credits’ for shoes. I thought, “holy sh*t I’m getting free shoes”. No, you’re an idiot; these ‘credits’ are being automatically taken from your credit card, so read the fine print.

Swap It, Sell It, Toss It

Lastly, when you want to add new items to your wardrobe, follow the ‘one in, one out’ method. Every time you buy a new piece, take one piece out to donate, consign or sell. There are tons of sites out there where you can sell your clothes and accessories; some great ones are Poshmark, Threadflip, Threadup, or Tradesy. There are also sites designed for trading unwanted items with other users, like Bib and Tuck, or Swapdom, where you ‘pay with what you give away’. A final option is to host your own ‘style party’ with your friends. Have everyone brings items they no longer want and everyone can trade. What do they say? One’s junk is another’s treasure…

If you spend a little time and effort before you shop for that new outfit to go to the club, or wherever your days and nights take you, you’ll have extra money to blow on more adventures and still look good doing it.