by Chelsea Carlson

It seems that in times of economic woe, the fabulous, albeit frivolous, is the first to be cut from our newly revised budgets. A slashed budget however, does not necessarily mean you have to give up your penchant for shopping altogether. These are the times to look at shopping as a (fierce) challenge.

1. Target – When your wallet is hurting, but you still want something shiny and new, Target is the place for you! Beside the fact that that last sentence rhymed, Target is simply the best all around recession friendly store. From perfect birthday gifts for under $20 to funky new sheets to change up your humble abode and cheap chic clothing collections from some big (and hard to pronounce) names in fashion, Target seems to have a recession friendly solution to just about any shopping need you may have.

2. Dillard’s (at least for the time being! ) While you may feel like a vulture, I encourage you to saunter on down to our dying Dillard’s. While this store
may be beginning to fill with eerily naked mannequins (possibly for sale?), there are still a few sections yet to be completely raided, namely shoes and jewelry. If you are looking for a steal, and don’t mind the newly instated no returns policy, drop in and see if you can clean up on some formerly expensive duds.

3. Golden Girls – While it isn’t exactly free, the wares at Golden Girls Antique Mall are what you might call “fiscally responsible”. You will pay a little
more, but what you get are vintage goods that are sure to only sweeten with age. From an extensive random, but cool, vase collection, to a small but potentially brilliant formal dress section, Golden Girls is the wild card in this group. If you are into vintage, and love the thrill of the shopping hunt, Golden Girls is the place for you, especially if you are looking for some statement earrings or a Coca Cola bottle on any product imaginable.

4. Macy’s - I know all of you just barely got the “One day only at the BonMarche” song out of your head, but although they may have changed their name
since those delightful commercials were on the air, the message, of the one day SUPER SALE still holds. If you, or one of your parents doesn’t already received the at least once weekly red glossy advertisements from Macy’s, get on that mailing list if you can stand it, because those fliers put the “SUPER” in the SUPER SALE. While on a “normal” day Macy’s can get quite pricey, if you plan your visits accordingly and be sure to use those every so handy price check scanners, you can get upwards of 50% off without breaking a sweat. The key here is patience, you should never pay full price for anything at Macy’s.

5. Your parents high school digs/ your own closet – While it may involve the most legwork of the options here, it also is the only
one that can potentially reveal a veritable jackpot of blackmail on your parents. Your success rate on vintage parent/relative closet raids is limited only by your imagination and your ability to pull off a purple pleather jumpsuit. For the non-vintage lovers out there, I recommend digging through your own closet and trying new combinations of clothes. You never know when a brilliant outfit is going to jump out at you from the well worn corners of your closet!

Regardless of your style or budget, shopping is nearly recession proof. If you love it, you will, a Tim Gunn says, “Make it work!”