• Research- Before each shopping trip, take the time to look up the best places to spend your cash. Try newspapers for nearby yard sales, search engines for local flea markets, or friends to see what they recommend.
• Take Your Time- When looking for the best deals, it’s important not to rush. Make sure what you’re buying is something you’ll use frequently or something that’s really unique. It also helps to shop alone so you don’t have any pressure or time limit.
• Negotiate- The best thing about bargain shopping is that most times the seller is willing to negotiate with you. By questioning an item’s price or asking for a discount, you could walk away with a great deal and more money left in your pocket.
• Quality v. Quantity- In order to be a smart discount shopper, you need to determine whether quantity or quality is the goal. Usually yard sale or flea market items aren’t in perfect condition, and therefore you should try to get as much as you can. But sometimes you’ll find a real keepsake that’s on the pricey end. Go for it and spend the cash because chances are no one else has it.
• Pass it Along- Once you’ve found some great deals and bought some great pieces, don’t just stuff it in the back of your closet to collect dust. Put them to good use or treat the buys like collector’s items. Bargain buys are good for passing down or re-selling again. And who knows, maybe somewhere down the line, they’ll be worth something someday.

**Check out Bargain Bill’s Flea Market on Rt.113 once you’re back in DE!**

Photos by Teagan Thomas

1. Go solo. Shopping is a blast when you go with your friends but trust me when I say going by yourself is so much easier! You are free to explore the stores you want and you don’t have to wait for any stragglers. When you shop with friends, you can get too caught up in their opinions and end up buying something you regret. If you really need a second opinion, you can ask sales associates questions about fit. Ultimately, shopping is for YOU. If you feel comfortable and confident in the clothes, then that’s all that matters.

2. Make a list. Before you even step foot into the mall, make a list of the things you are looking for. You will go into the mall with a plan of attack instead of wandering around for hours. Having a list makes you organized and feel good knowing you are buying things you really need.

3. Be adventurous. One fun game I play at a store is I dare myself to try on something I normally wouldn’t even think about picking up. There’s no harm in venturing into the fitting room with a questionable item. Don’t think rompers are your thing? I dare you to try one on! If it looks good, you just found a new addition to your closet. If it doesn’t, who cares? Put it back on the hanger and move on.

4. Splurge a little. Take it from the biggest frugal fashionista around: it is okay to splurge once in a while! Just make sure to be smart about what you splurge on. Good items to splurge on are the ones that you wear the most often. Some examples of splurge-worthy pieces are good handbags, jeans that fit and flatter, and comfortable everyday shoes. Items you splurge on should not be trendy or go out of style quickly. Stick to classic styles and neutral colors. If you spend all that money on one item, you want it to be in style and last for a long time.

5. Buy what you love. I know it sounds silly, but you should be in love with every piece of clothing you own. You know you love an item when you obsess over the color, stroke the soft fabric, and marvel at every detail. If you are contemplating about buying an item here’s a good rule of thumb: if you don’t buy the item, will you still be thinking about it when you get home, or is it forgettable? Another shopping crime: buying things just because they are on sale. I confess, I have been guilty of this crime, but I’m learning that I need to fall in love with everything I purchase, not just purchase because it’s cheap. What is the most important rule of all? Have fun! Shopping should be an enjoyable experience.

Take a Hike: Put on some sensible sneaks, grab a water bottle and walk someplace you’ve never been. It could be to the nearby bookstore for a bagel or on a nature hike through the woods. Walking is the perfect opportunity to reflect, sight-see, and even practice your photography skills (it feels awesome when you get that perfect shot!). And as an extra bonus, it’ll get you in shape in time for fall semester!

Blog it: Take it from me, starting your own blog is a great way of filling time and expressing your voice. It can be a fashion blog like mine, one about your favorite books, or just a blog about your daily events and interests. Popular bloggers of such sites as Style Rookie, BryanBoy and Sea of Shoes have even made fashion headlines and money in the process. So join the current blogging craze and start typing away.

Playing Dress-Up: Bored of your wardrobe? Need a style re-vamp? Well this summer is your chance to experiment with the latest trends. Look through your grandmother’s closet and scan your local thrift stores for new looks that suit you. You may even find yourself taking more fashion risks and wearing items you were too nervous to try before.

Flashback: Re-read your favorite books, watch reruns of your childhood shows, and look through old magazines. You will discover details you’ve missed and laugh over past fashion trends you once thought were cute. Feeling creative? Get out your scissors and make a cool collage using old magazine clippings. Re-doing is an entertaining and resourceful way of seeing how things were back then and how they are now.

MapQuest: Take a couple day trips to new places like local museums, nearby flea markets, and music festivals. The best part? This doesn’t require much planning, cash or driving. You’ll be surprised to find that there are a lot of cool places near you.

Image from mediabistro.com

Have free time on your hands, bored of watching reruns, or simply looking for another book to read this summer besides the Twilight series? Well look no further! The following five books are sure to keep you reading well into those lazy summer nights. So instead of gluing your eyes to Facebook the next two months, put your nose in a great page-turner.

1. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Written as a series of memories, this book follows the life of Jacob, a young college dropout who finds himself pulled into the wacky world of The Benzini Brothers Circus after the death of his parents. It’s also being made into a movie starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon as the leads!

For those who like: Romance, tragedy, and happy endings

2. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutrone and Meredith Bryan

If you are like me and followed Kelly Cutrone’s show on Bravo, “Kell on Earth”, this book is like a gift from the fashion gods. Cutrone, the founder of top PR firm, People’s Revolution, shows the fashion world in its true light, a place of hard work and sleepless nights. It is the ultimate guide to surviving in today’s society and getting what you want.

For those who like: Fashion, great advice, and the brutal truth

3. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Having read this memoir last year for an assignment, I can testify that this inspiring book is one that you won’t want to put down. It is about how one man puts his life on hold to bring education to the masses in struggling Central Asia. Mortenson teaches us that we must fight the current war with textbooks instead of guns.

For those who like: Inspiring people, and rags-to-riches stories about changing the world

4. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz

Summer is the perfect time to do things you have never done before. This book by Schultz will gave you the information you need to discover all those fabulous places you should visit at least once during your lifetime.

For those who like: Traveling, new experiences, and long plane rides

5. Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard

The series follows the lives of four teenage girls, each dealing with secrets after the death of their friend. When they all start receiving mysterious messages from the presumably dead Allison, the estranged friends come together to solve this scandalous case. Don’t forget to tune into the new television series on ABC Family based off these intriguing novels.

For those who like: Drama, romance, and catty girl fights