The tricks to looking good while saving yourself money

HIGH-STAKES fashion events like the Spring Racing Carnival can burn a hole through your wallet - but there are smart ways to look good for less, and no-one else will have any idea.

UNASHAMEDLY I buy second-hand clothes. In some cases I’ll even hire my next outfit.

The rise in social media has made it almost a massive no-no to be seen twice in the same attire for an event.

Instead it’s all about impressing your followers.

Given I only have a small handful of Instagram followers I doubt many of them would be too upset if they did see my arrive in their news feed donning an outfit they had already seen before.

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Three trips to the races in recent weeks has made it an expensive time of year trying to make sure I find a new fascinator, dress and pair of heels for each event.

Quickly these costs escalate.

So this time around I decided to do a hunt online to see what I could find for a much cheaper price instead of getting gouged full price during the peak time of the year when fillies rush to the shops.

This resulted in a few lucky finds.

The first was an expensive hot pink fascinator that costs more than $100.

Instead I found one that would work well with my outfit and set me back just $25 thanks to second-hand selling site Gumtree.

I picked it up from a lady in the city close to my work and the deal was done.

But then came another race day — Derby Day — which involes sticking to a strict black and white dress code.

Keen to find a fancy new fascinator I tried Glam Corner, a popular site for hiring clothes and accessories and my job was done.

Again this saved me a small fortune.

A new fascinator would be more than $100, but I managed to nab one just for just $50 including return postage.

Looking good at the races takes time and money but there are ways to do it without blowing the budget.

And not one person at the races, let alone on my Instagram had any idea I’d saved a few bucks on the sly why still giving it my best shot at glamming up on the day.

Many times I’ve bought work dresses from online websites courtesy of previous owners who are clearing out their wardrobes.

All it takes is a quick dry-clean of the purchased goods when they are arrive, and to me they are as good as new.

Us consumers are a greedy bunch; we often think everything needs to be grand spanking new.

But as they say, someone’s trash is another’s treasure.

I’ve bought and sold many clothes online, or even given them to op shops so they can be put to good use by someone else.

I’m well beyond caring if something is brand new. As long as it’s in good condition it really doesn’t matter.

If it saves me a few bucks along the way it’s a win/win.

One of my work dresses I get complimented on the most is one I pulled off Ebay, and again my admirers were none the wiser.

If you can save a buck and still manage to look good, then why not?

@sophieelsworth

Originally published as The tricks to looking good while saving yourself money