Title says it all. Let’s hop right to it, then.
5. That Tube of Nail Polish
I don’t care how eclectic it will make your fingers look, or if it’s on sale for five bucks. That same five bucks can buy you a shirt and possibly a dress at Salvo’s (the Salvation Army). Put the tube down and back away slowly. And I promise you, I’m speaking from experience. As someone who wasn’t allowed to wear nail polish in High School, I thought glorious college freedom would allow me to have any color nails I wanted, at any time I wanted. So I would go out to Wal-Mart, or similar stores, see the cheapest, cutest little tubes, and stock up on them. End result? Somehow I acquired around 36-40 tubes without even realizing it. And then on top of that, they were only marginally used because of how busy college life made me. So it was definitely waste of money, since every tube (on average) set me back about $3 bucks. Easily $108 wasted, because I got a little color crazy.
My advice? Meet the other girls (or boys) on your floor who may have nail polish, and get a communal color pool going.
Just make sure to ask before you borrow and return after you do!
4. That Handbag
What’s the consensus here? I feel like the word handbag is too old for collegiate use. But seriously, that tote, clutch, purse, whatever, you don’t need it. In college, how many events do you attend where you would legitimately need one? Little to none. When partying, we’ve all learned at some time or another that stuffing your purse beneath the seat cushions at a rowdy circle can lead to stolen property. You really don’t need it unless you’re actually going to use it.
My advice? Get one of those wallets with an ID slot from the bookstore, or go get a small cross-body bag that you can legitimately keep on you the entire time without feeling bulked up. (I got one at Salvo’s for $1.99).
Worse comes to worse, there’s your bra or your spandex. But I can’t be held responsible if that doesn’t stay classy.
3. Another Scarf
This is another personal experience of mine. Short scarves, long scarves, skinny scarves, thick scarves, I used to be obsessed with them. And just like my deal with the nail polish, I didn’t need ¾ of the amount of them I acquired. And what’s worse is that scarves run upwards of $10-20, so those amounts add up even faster and start to hurt the account after a while.
My advice: Again, meet the people! With pooling, everyone has more, and everyone saves more.
2. More Jewelry
Yes. I know. Claire’s has that amazing ‘Buy 2, Get 1 free’ deal, why not walk out with six pairs of earrings? (True story. These things happen to me.) Don’t do it! Jewelry is one of those few accessories that you can wear as much as you want, for as long as you want, because it just becomes part of your look. My personal favorite is a gold locket that I wear so much that the gold is going a little bronze. People will respect your favorite trinkets as a part of you. I’m pretty sure my advice here is predictable.
Fashion. Make it communal.
1. More Make-Up
I don’t care how pretty the saleswoman in the make-up aisle at Macy’s made you look when she gave you that awesome makeover, or how shiny the counters are! You don’t actually have a need for expensive make-up or skin treatment. You’re young! At the very most, if you’re looking to refill your make-up stash, CVS and other assorted stores have very cheap makeup at much nicer prices. You can feel as spruced up as you like without your money disappearing!