You probably think people who wear luxury items like Louis Vuitton and Gucci are rich. But that’s not the case at all! (Well it could be, but I guarantee half the time it’s not!) I used to think like that too – because I never imagined I could ever afford a Louis Vuitton bag. And now I have almost 10. But good news, you can too! It’s all about saving and sacrificing other things to get what you want.

If you’re interested in knowing why I love luxury and how it makes me feel, be sure to read a previous Micala Musings post about it here.

Here are 10 tips that I personally do to afford luxury items! These tips can also be applied to save money in general, not necessarily for luxury items. These may not all work for you depending on your lifestyle, but these are things that I do that help me save for myself and luxury goods.

 

     1. I Buy Pre-Loved. I Vintage Shop. 

One of the best ways to save money on buying luxury items is purchasing them pre-loved! There are so many gently used luxury goods out there that someone hardly ever used and are willing to sell for under retail price! There are a lot of great consignment shops that have excellent condition items for cheaper! Fashionphile is one of them, and they also have a free layaway program that  let’s you pay off your item in 60 days with a 25% deposit! Check them out here.

I also love vintage shopping, for home and decor. When I got a new place, most of the furniture and decor I got was from vintage stores. I saved a lot of money going vintage rather than new, and I also found unique items in excellent condition that you would never be able to find new. Read about my vintage decor and how to furnish your house for less here.

     2. I Don’t Get My Hair or Nails done.

Getting your nails done can be over $60 a month! That’s literally like a bill, and over $700 a year. I don’t like the feeling of getting my nails done so I just don’t do it. I just paint my own nails. And save tons of money! I also cut my own hair and dye my own hair. That’s also saving hundreds of dollars right there.

     3. I Don’t Have a Car Payment.

A car payment can be $300-$600 a month. I saved up to pay cash for my Lexus IS300 three years ago, so all this time I haven’t been paying monthly for a car. It’s also a reliable car that I haven’t had any issues with, so I don’t constantly spend money trying to fix it.

     4. I Don’t Have Kids.

I know most people can’t say this, but for me it’s true. I don’t have any kids to support. I know having kids takes up a lot of time and money, and since I don’t have any right now I’m able to save a lot more. I have a dog, who is my child, but she definitely doesn’t ask for a lot like a kid would. 😂

     5.  I Don’t Have Cable.

Having bills can definitely add up every month. One thing I sacrifice is not having cable. I don’t need cable in my life and haven’t had it for years. I do use Netflix and Hulu, but that’s $26 a month compared to a $100 cable bill (or more, as I’ve seen!)

     6. I Spend Less On Clothes. 

I love luxury bags, so I would rather spend less on the rest of my outfit. I don’t buy clothes often, but when I do I normally try and get cheaper clothes from stores like Marshall’s and DD’s Discounts [even as a fashion blogger, this still works out!]  And if I do get branded clothes like Adidas and Levis, which I love, I always wait for a sale, and never pay full price. The blue dress on this post was from Kohl’s and only $11 on clearance!

     7. I Buy Less Makeup.

I went through a makeup frenzy phase and used to love buying tons of high end makeup. I would experiment with different types of blushes, bronzers, and palettes – a lot that I didn’t even need. One year I even became Sephora VIB ROUGE, which means you spent over $1000 in one year on makeup. That $1000 could have been a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag! Now, I only buy the essential makeup I need when they run out. I use a lot of the same products everyday and just replace them when they are finished. Makeup is expensive, and you can definitely save a lot of money cutting back on it.

     8. I Don’t Buy Drinks. It’s All about WATER.

Buying drinks can definitely add up. Especially if you’re out at a bar or dinner, it can definitely add $10 or more to your bill. I only drink water 98% of the time, which is always free at dinner, so I save a lot of money not buying a drink (whether it’s soda, beer, margarita, etc.) If I spent $10 on an alcoholic beverage every Saturday at dinner, that’s $480 a year! I only have water at home as well, so I never spend those extra dollars on other drinks. Water is also healthiest for you!

    9. I Sell Stuff I Don’t Use.

If you have items you don’t use, sell them! Whether its the Gucci bag that’s been sitting unused in your closet for a year or the wood table you’ve had in your garage for 6 months – sell it! The key words: if you haven’t touched it in over 6 months, and it’s not sentimental, then you probably don’t need it! Craigslist and OfferUp are great places to sell locally [your trash is another man’s treasure!], and you can also sell online through Ebay, Facebook groups, or consignment stores like Fashionphile and The Real Real for luxury.

    10. I Work More Than 40 hours Each Week.

Lastly, of course you gotta work to have money! (Unless you were lucky and born into money, of course!) I work full time, but I also work on my blog. So I’m working over 40 hours a week on everything I do to make my luxury money! If you work hard, it will definitely show. It’s never too late to start your passion or business, so get to it now!