2. According to the National
Association of College
Stores, college students
spend an average of $69 a
month on fashion clothing,
not including accessories
and footwear. When
doing back-to-school
shopping, college students
spend 61 percent of their
budget on clothing
(National Retail
Federation).
3. Facing rising costs in
school tuition, food, and
other things, DU
students like Lexi
Dienstbier and Grace
Mader have learned to
go clothing shopping on
a budget. Clothing
prices alone have faced
a 10 percent increase in
cost due to the rising
price of raw materials.
4. Quality over quantity: many
college students look for
something that will last them a
long time instead of looking for
as many cheap pieces of
clothing as possible.
“If I’m going to go big on
something, it will be something
nicely made that catches my
eye,” said DU student Rachael
Scoggins. “I need to be able to
use it more than once.”
“In order to buy something, I
think you either have to really
need it or it has to be
something you’ve seriously
thought about and really want,”
agreed Mader.
5. Certain stores offer
student discounts to
individuals with student
IDs. College students
shopping on a budget can
visit stores such as J.
Crew, Banana
Republic, and Target.com
to take advantage of
student discount offers.
Rewards programs can
also provide discounts and
free items to frequent
shoppers.
“I use rewards points and
coupons at stores I
love, but I can’t always
afford,” said Scoggins.
6. College students that
shop on a budget suggest
making a list before
hitting the stores.
Knowing what to buy cuts
down on overspending
and maximizes a budget.
It provides a balance to
window shopping
temptations and impulse
purchases.
“I look for the things on
my list when I go out
shopping,” said Mader.
“But I won’t buy
something unless it’s
absolutely perfect.”
7. According to Cristina
Desposito, REDBOOK fashion
market editor, it’s crucial to
know when clothes are marked
down for a season. Shopping
during a sale period can make a
budget go further and
significantly lower the price of
quality pieces of clothing.
“I usually find what I like in
stores, then I watch and wait for
sales,” said Dienstbier. “Stores
will usually have a sale once
every couple of months. I can
get what I want for less.”
8. Dienstbier tries on a
pair of shoes she
bought at Designer
Shoe Warehouse.
Stores like (DSW)
provide designer labels
at marked down prices.
DSW’s lucrative reward
program for frequent
shoppers enables
shoppers to get the
best quality for their
money.
9. “It’s hard as a college student to find
places to shop within my budget
which is why I make the majority of
my clothing and luxury purchases on
Ebay,” said Mader. “In my opinion,
buying things at the mall isn’t worth
it.”
10. According to the statistics
website, Statista, US e-
commerce sales
amounted to $289
billion, up from $256
billion in 2011. The
largest share of online
revenue was generated
by retail shopping
websites.
A survey conducted by
SheerID in 2012 revealed
that 77 percent of college
students had shopped
online within 30 days of
taking the survey.
11. Dienstbier takes full advantage of
the Internet, searching for the best
prices on items she wants.
“If I know exactly what I want, I
can go on Google and compare
prices,” said Dienstbier. “It’s a
good way to find the best deal
possible.”
12. Websites such as Gilt, HauteLook,
RueLaLa, and Ideeli offer brand
name labels at significantly lower
prices. These websites have
clothing marked at 50 to 60 percent
lower than their original sale price,
and most of them offer options for
men and women.
“They have some really good
clothes for cheap,” said Diesntbier.
“Name brands and stuff, if you’re
into that.”
