I think this is a pretty cute outfit, don’t you?  Guess what, if you ignore the Michael Kors watch, this outfit only cost about $80*.  Not one piece was over $25. Here’s the breakdown.

H+M Denim Shirt $25

Banana Republic Necklace $9

Forever 21 Dress $25

H+M Bracelets $6

BC Footwear Shoes via Ideeli $14

I don’t usually think about how much an entire outfit costs because I rarely buy an entire outfit at one time.  I just try not to go crazy and spend the rent on one piece of clothing.  I looked down one day and realized that I’m so frugal that my entire outfit was a good deal.  I was really proud of myself because it’s one of my favorites.  You don’t need to spend a fortune on designer pieces to look good.  I love designer pieces and my wardrobe is definitely sprinkled with them, hence the watch, but I like to be able to pay the rent too.  There are plenty of options for relatively well made, low cost clothing these days from stores like H+M, Forever 21, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Rue La La and Ideeli.  I just wanted to show you that you don’t have to go broke just to look good.  You can do both. There is a balance.

*I’ve rounded up the prices to the nearest dollar to keep things simple.