Building a Fall Wardrobe on a Budget

Summer has quickly come to an end. Yesterday was officially the first day of fall. Of course, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that considering the weather has been getting cooler the past few weeks! Hopefully, you're fortunate enough to be able to fit into most of your fall items from last year, if not...no worries. With a few key pieces, you can easily transition your summer wardrobe into fall—and maybe even winter!

Nothing says summer like flip-flops...which is why they have to go come fall! Swap your flip-flops for a pair of cute flats. Comfortable ballet style flats are a great buy for fall because you can wear them with jeans, dress pants, skirts and even a dress. You can find a cute pair of flats for about $20 at Payless, TJMaxx and even Target. There are so many adorable ballet flat styles available—everything from polka dot to jewel-studded. As tempting as the unique, frilly and stylish designs may be...do your budget a favor and stick to only buying yourself a neutral brown and/or black pair to start. If you end up wearing them often, then experiment with more colors and styles. Just make sure you have items in your closet that will match your new fabulous flats—otherwise they will end up just sitting in your closet.

You can still wear a lot of your summer clothes during the fall when you mix and match them with a few fall pieces. Stretch your budget by layering your summer tank tops and t-shirts with a jean jacket or solid colored hoodies, cardigans & jackets. Many of your summer tops can also be paired with a dark pair of jeans or dress pants for an instant fall look. You can also still wear many of your summer dresses and skirts by combining them with a closed toe pair of shoes, tights and a cute cardigan or jacket.

Don't think that you have to put all your floral and bright colored pieces away until next summer. As long as you don't put too many bright and summery pieces together in one outfit, you can still wear all these pieces for fall. For example, a hot pink blouse paired with a bright floral skirt may be too summery but a hot pink blouse (or floral skirt) paired with darker or more neutral colors will work great for fall.

Now is a great time to shop for fall clothes. Retailers are putting a lot of things on sale now that the back to school rush is over. You will also have the widest selection of jackets and coats to choose from if you shop now. If you can find one, a well-fitted trench coat is a great piece to buy for fall. It will not only help you transition your wardrobe into fall, but probably last you a couple years since a trench coat is a classic piece that does not go out of style.

We have a great selection of Online Coupons on CoolSavings.com to help you save while shopping for some new fall wardrobe items. Also, be sure to check out our new Halloween Savings page!

Do you know of any great fall sales going on or have any savings tips to share with the rest of the community for those of us shopping for a new fall wardrobe?