Summer Fashion for $50

I cannot tell you how many times I have lusted after what accomplished fashion bloggers are wearing, but the harsh reality is that I am not an accomplished and successful fashion blogger who has money to spend on Céline handbags or Charlotte Olympia heels. I am a college student who has to buy textbooks and pens. Once in a while, I have to go get my laptop fixed (vs buying a new laptop) or an used phone (vs a new phone) just so that I still have money at the end of the day to buy more pencils and pens. This also means that I am always on the lookout for good products. I have learned over the years that this mission does not mean "buy the cheapest and hope for the best," but more "buy an item, within your budget, that is worth the price you pay." To reiterate my point, an example: Target purses are usually sold within the $20-$40 range, however, most are of an odd, flimsy, faux leather material. On the other hand, Forever21 purses are around the $30-$40 average, but higher on the quality scale. In this case, although you could buy the $20 purse from Target, the Forever21 is a better buy because it will last longer and give a better impression to others. Today, I made it my mission to find a summer outfit for under $50. I have no shame in admitting that I purchase items from a variety of sources. After all, you cannot expect to find good deals if you never try different sites. Today, I made a challenge and limited myself to Amazon.com. Amazon has a global platform, so on the off-chance that you are reading this internationally, maybe you can find something similar for yourself on the Amazon site. Dress: Allegra K Elastic Waist/Sleeveless Dress ($9.82, free shipping) Aliki'i Peacock Tube Dress (other colors available) ($19.99, listed as free shipping/free returns) + Allegra K's Brown Belt ($4.20, free shipping) = $24.19 Shoes: Max Footwear Silver Flip Flops ($8.00, $6.00 shipping = $14.00)

 What do you guys think?

One last piece of advice: I know a lot of people do not do this when calculating online shopping costs, but always remember the shipping fees! I count that into how much the items costs, and then decide whether or not the item is worth it. If you do not count the shipping, it becomes a lot easier to surpass the original budget you gave yourself.