A Femme on a Budget

To quote the wise and everlasting Kermit the Frog… it isn’t easy being femme! You know what’s even tougher than being femme? Being a femme on a budget.

To put it simply, being fabulous costs money. And when you don’t really have money that isn’t going towards bills and taking care of family (even if the family consists only of fur-kids), it’s hard to be fabulous! Let me tell you, I get edgy when I’m craving new tops or shoes and I can’t afford them. Or even when I need new work clothes because mine are all getting worn down from so much use, and I still can’t afford it. To be frank… it sucks!

So really, what is a femme to do when she can’t afford to clothe herself as a queen? Well, Bahamadia says it right: she gets her shopping on in Wal-Mart and dollar stores. (Oh, and I want to add eBay to that list. The world can be bought at a cheap price on eBay, as long as you know how not to get yourself ripped off.) For example, last night I bought two pairs of insanely cute shoes – one basic black fabric Mary Jane style, wearable for work and anywhere else, and a pair of green polka dot slingback flats that couldn’t be more perfect for the upcoming summer – for less than $15 total. The green pair were already on clearance for $7.00, and all clearance items in the store were going for an extra 50% off this weekend, so that amounted to less than four dollars for a pair of shoes that literally made me squee when I saw them. Now THAT is how to make a frugal femme happy.

So yeah, we less financially comfortable femmes have more work to do. We can’t just walk into Tiffany’s or Saks Fifth Avenue and charge all the fabulosity we want on our American Express. But it’s doable if you know where to look and how to shop wisely. For me, discount stores are my friends, sales are my love and clearance is the Holy Grail of my consumer existence.

And in the end, much like a double bacon cheeseburger after weeks of cheap ramen noodles, finding femme perfection on the shelves after long, torturous bouts of window shopping is sweet, sweet satisfaction.