Broke and the City

The woes of adapting to a new season never seem to end when you're short on savings and want everything that shows up on the runways. It's tough to update a wardrobe without spending a ton, especially in this city. The key is prioritizing: decide what's worth splurging on, what you're going to skip (you don't need to sport EVERY trend--you'll look maniacal), and what's trendy but not worth a large price tag. Easier said than done? Here's a guide to some of the season's biggest looks from easily-accessible retailers, all under $50 (with a few exceptions).

Let the hunt begin.

One of the most irksome parts of trying to get by on little money is that inevitable time when you run out of a necessary beauty item. Buying another is more of a need than a want but it's like a pin in your side to have to shell out precious dollars on shampoo or mascara, especially if you share our opinion that it's better to splurge on a few nicer beauty products that you'll use every day rather than on an expensive article of clothing that gets much less wear. However, while some beauty products are worth shelling out for, many others you can easily make at home for little to no money. Raiding the cupboards or local bodegas can be surprisingly fruitful and yields results identical to those of pricey packaged products. Here, we've compiled a how-to of basic at-home treatments ranging from hair conditioners to teeth whitening.

I’m a huge advocate of staples. Most of my wardrobe is dedicated to button downs, blazers and black tights, which I jazz up with semi-insane accessories (including a collection of fedoras, men’s denim biker vest with an eagle on the back, leopard fur coat). I’m of the opinion that a solid white tee and crisp, cuffed jean shorts can make the best outfit when styled right. But not all staples are created equal, and it can be difficult to navigate one’s way through a sea of solids. Here's a breakdown of the pros and cons of the basics at several accessible retail giants.

As if it wasn’t hard enough to just look stylish and not semi-poor at [insert place of work], today you have to attend an event after the usual 10-6 shift. Exciting? Sure. But now you have to dress up without looking out of place in the office. This means heels. But you can’t wear them all day and you don’t want to lug them around in a big purse at said event and look like a bag lady, rather than one of the stylites who belong there (i.e. were invited and aren’t just taking the place of a boss). Shit. Time to utilize that “high/low dressing”… only it’s a little different when your low is $2 faux pearls from Salvation Army and your high means something not purchased from a sale rack at Urban Outfitters. You settle for your roommates cool yet surprisingly comfy wedges and jazz up a dress with all necklaces you own and your mother’s vintage Gucci belt, the only nice designer thing actually in your possession and which bestows, with it’s tiny one-silver-one-gold interlocking G’s, a semblance of subtle monied style.

Arguably the biggest dilemma with having little to no money (depending on your priorities) is food. In the list of things that are fun to spend money on, groceries rarely beats that Topshop dress you’ve been dying for. Food here is ridiculously overpriced, and one can find that trying to stay on budget while working several days a week is pretty difficult, even painful, such as when your office staff orders from Olives and you have to decline and cry softly into your Cup-A-Soup. The key is knowing when to save, when to splurge, and where to shop (or scavenge).