Why you should shop at Plato's Closet instead of the mall

I am and forever will be a bargain shopper. I don't believe in spending $40 on just one shirt (unless it's like, super cute and I absolutely must have it.) When I was younger, I gave in to all that pressure that I must have the latest brand or else I'd be a total loser. I followed the crowd, the latest trends, and didn't really care what it cost because I was your typical selfish and clueless teenager who didn't know the true value of money. Now, I am the complete opposite. 75% of my closet comes from thrift stores, consignment shops or the sale racks. And I love it. For one, you tend to have a more unique wardrobe this way. Secondly, you're saving a BUTT LOAD of money. Believe me. It's a beautiful thing. You just have to know where to go, how to look and most importantly, not be skeeved out by the fact that someone else you don't know has worn the clothes before (come on now, people.) We live in a tough economy. Most of us are broke as hell (or at least trying to start saving up your hard earned cash) but you still want to look cute and stylish. That's where Plato's Closet comes in.

If you haven't already heard about it, Plato's Closet is a type of consignment store that can be found in various locations throughout the country (and appears to be a growing chain.) They carry a variety of items from handbags, jewelry, woman's clothing and shoes as well as some men's clothing. Everything is "gently used" and it is not like your typical thrift store. Items you find here are the latest trend and practically new. They tend to carry a lot of name brand items and at seriously awesome prices compared to what you would pay at full retail price. You can also SELL your stuff! Don't expect to make a bajillion dollars out of it, though. I've tried selling some of my clothes a few times and have only gotten money for things once. I brought in three bags worth of clothing and they only bought one bag's worth- but I still made a $40 profit. You also get a 10% off coupon if you sell anything and then decide to buy items from them that same day. They also have one of those "punch cards" in which you get a stamp every $10 you spend, and once you get 20 stamps you get a 15% off coupon for your next purchase. As a bargain shopper, I couldn't be happier.

Although I consider myself a "bargain shopper," I tend to go overboard when I realize I'm getting so many things at reduced prices. While yes, it's great that I'm saving money and getting so much for what I'm paying - I still need to take it down a notch when I visit Plato's Closet. During my most recent visit I ended up spending around $75 for 9 items. I would have bought more but they don't have shopping carts so my arms could only carry so much...

I want to share with you guys what I bought so you see the type of items this chain carries. They really have something for everyone and I've seen all age groups shopping there (from teenagers to moms.) Below are pictures of each item I purchased, along with the name brand and the price I paid. Check out the deals!

Five Friday: Best Online Shopping Sites

Let me start off by saying that online shopping, or even shopping at a regular store, is a rare occurrence for me (okay, not that rare but I swear I try to stay away as much as possible.) As I've grown older (and learned the true value of money) I have turned to department stores that always have sale racks, or go nuts searching for clothes that's on sale at the mall. But even that has started to become too expensive.

I love clothes, I have a ton of them. And yet I only use a third of my closet (ha ha.) In the past year or so, thrift stores have become my ultimate source of clothing. I've become an expert thrift shopper and plan to write a post about my experiences with that in the near future. Until then, I wanted to share some of my favorite online shopping sites (in no particular order!)

1. SHOPRUCHE.COM

My style tends to be very bohemian, rustic, vintage and classy (a mix of all the good stuff, just like my brain.) I stumbled upon this site a couple weeks ago and spent hours browsing through, ready to purchase just about everything. My favorite part was the dresses. They have so many styles, but they all stay true to that vintage-y flare. They are lady-like but still cute, sexy but still modest enough to wear for a day out on the town. Most average out to be about $40, which I think is reasonable for a nice dress you can wear on more than one occasion.  Their jewelery also has a vintage flare and they have many styles that are in right now.

2. 6PM.COM

First of all, it's free shipping on all orders. Brownie points for you, 6PM. They have a huge variety of clothing (men's as well) and SHOES. I spent way too long looking through all their shoes. They have great discounts on their shoes. They cater to a lot of different styles and carry a huge variety of designer brands (at discounted prices.) It's one of those sites you probably have to really look through to find that special something you absolutely must have, but it's worth checking out. I'm actually in the process of purchasing a new pair of booties as I write this post.

3. EBAY.COM

Yup, your eyes are not deceiving you, Ebay is on my list. Why, you might ask? Because it's awesome. I've found so many cheap (by cheap I mean inexpensive, not cheap material) items that it's become dangerous for me to go on the site. I've never really purchased clothing on Ebay, but they have just about anything your heart desires. My most recent e-bay purchases included a butt ton of jewelry and I swear I spent less than $20 for a good amount of pieces. You just have to be willing to search for what you want. Always check the user's ratings for credibility. Do not go crazy with the bidding if your item is one you have to bid on (I get super competitive with this part...)

4. SHOPMIEUX.COM

The cool thing about this site is that they have this feature where you can get paid for any clothes of yours that you no longer want (kind of like how Plato's Closet works.) This online shopping site is basically like an online consignment shop. Which is a really cool concept, the only problem is you might find something that you like but they won't carry your size, or even worse - someone beat you to it. Browsing through this site kind of gave me anxiety. I felt like I had to rush through everything before someone bought what I had my eye on. They also have these annoying pop ups that let you know whenever someone bought something, and it happens A LOT. Thanks for adding to my anxiety. Besides these cons, I still wanted to add the site to my list because I like the idea behind it and if you're lucky you really can find some fairly new/gently used designer brand item at an inexpensive price. It's also good for you if you're into adventurous, nerve wrecking shopping.

5. AE.COM

American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie are pretty awesome stores. Their jeans rock, they have simple tanks and t-shirts, Aerie has a great collection of bras and panties, and the best part is they almost always have some type of sale going on (have you caught on that I'm 100% a bargain shopper yet?) They have tremendous deals around holidays. They always have some type of free shipping deal and you can combine orders from both of their stores (American Eagle and Aerie.) I actually prefer shopping online for this store rather than going to the mall, because A. you don't have to deal with people and B. you're more likely to find your size and you have more options to choose from.