In this second installment of determining where to budget your money, let’s take a look at the things that are worth spending a little bit more money on
Denim: Jeans can easily be a staple of your wardrobe, if you are willing to invest in quality denim. There is nothing more frustrating than buying those perfect fitting $15 jeans, only to wear them once and they’ll never fit you again. Denim can lose its integrity quickly without proper care, and the easiest way to make sure that you are caring for your denim the right way, is to invest a little bit more money on them. This ensures that not only will they last longer but they will look better too. Jeans are one of those pieces of clothing that in many cases the more worn in they look, the better they look, but you don’t want them falling apart after a month. *Tip: Consider selvedge denim. It is raw denim that wears naturally according to your own body movements rather than a cookie-cutter distressed way. Check out Levis 711 Selvedge Skinny Jeans
Shoes: I always used to be a believer that as long as my feet were warm and dry, my shoes didn’t matter. A $10 pair of shoes was the same as a $150 pair of shoes. Well, they’re not. The less you spend on shoes, the more often you will have to repurchase them. Those $10 boots are going to fall apart after a season of wear, or sooner. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg, but much like denim, the higher the price, the better the quality, the nicer the age/wear. *Pro tip: don’t buy shoes online unless you’ve tried them on first. You will save your feet a lot of trouble, and your wallet a lot of money.
Handbags: Being in grad school and working part time, I have found that I am packing a bit more for the day, usually taking my laptop, lunch and dinner, and various notebooks. Since the working world asks for a bit more preparedness, and while that beloved, stained canvas tote might be the bag you reach for on beach day, the office calls for something a bit cleaner. Consider looking at leather totes or a sleek backpack. These can take you from the week to the weekend and back again while being able to hold all of your office necessities and things you carry on a day to day basis.
Outwear: Let’s face it: winter can be brutal. Jackets can take a beating for four months every year, so the last thing I want to do is repurchase them every September or October in preparation for the upcoming season. Look for sturdy seams and a heavy duty material that won’t break down after repeated wear. Another thing to keep in mind is a classic silhouette or style. Canvas jackets are super on trend right now, but most styles have a timeless quality to them that gives the jacket a longer life. And you can never go wrong with a peacoat in a bold color, or warm neutral.
While these items can have a pretty large price range and can be found at a variety of different stores, make sure that you are looking at prices within your financial means. Investing doesn’t mean you have to spend thousands of dollars but a few extra bucks will make all the difference.
Featured Image Credit: “Spending Money” by 401(K) 2012 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
A Pretty Professional 