Are you sick of never being able to afford the things you REALLY want? Well I hear ya sister!

As a personal stylist and fashion blogger, I’m constantly exposed to new and fabulous things! And of course I want them all! But my bank balance says otherwise.

I know that most of my readers and clients have the same problem – so many clothes, so little time…. BUT the reality is, as a professional style coach, I actually try and get my clients to consider making SMART shopping choices, rather than cheap ones.

Start making SMART shopping decisions

Here at Chasing Cait, one of my driving forces is to find things to share with you guys that I consider VALUE FOR MONEY. Sometimes that might mean you have to spend a little more on something, but in the long run, it will be better value for money for you than just buying the cheapest option.

One of things that helps define value for money, is to look at the potential Cost-Per-Wear of an item.

The theory behind this is that if you buy something VERSATILE and GOOD QUALITY, and that you can get variety out of using it in multiple ways, then you are going to wear it more times over it’s lifetime, therefore lowering the cost of each item.

So with that in mind, here are three gorgeous things that I think are excellent value for money, and worth every penny!

The Saben Tilley’s Big Sis bag RRP $350

This magic purse reminds me of Mary Poppins bottomless bag! It looks like a clutch, but can expand out to be a full-on handbag, or even a compact baby bag if you need it to be!

Like the dress below, this is a quality item! It’s designed right here in NZ, made with the highest level leather and finishing and in this great neutral colour, it will go with EVERYTHING.

It has a shoulder strap so you can go hands free, but it’s small enough to just pop your phone, lippy and credit card into for a night out.

Time to do the maths.

If you had this as your everyday bag (or even if it lived IN your everyday bag) over two years (the quality and make of this bag suggests it will last a LOT longer than that, but lets start there), you’re looking at $350 over 2 years – which equals 50 cents a day! FIFTY CENTS!

Totally worth saving up $350 for in the first place right?

The Sacha Drake little black dress RRP $265

This Aussie designer is the QUEEN of the little black dress. And if this isn’t your style, she has about ten other options. But I do love this kimono version, it’s definitely a flattering style for everyone, plus the use of the jersey fabric makes it wearable both day and night.

The beauty of a LBD too is that you can add your own stamp to it, add colour, print, accessories, change your shoes etc to make it look different. The dress is just the starting point of any look.

Now let’s do the sums.

If you wear this dress just ONCE a month for two years (trust me, it will last you 10!), whether it’s to work, or out one night to a special event, or to brunch on a Sunday – that totals over 20 times over 2 years – with a cost per wear of just over $11 per wear!!!!

Sure, you can go and buy a cheap and cheerful dress for say $50 for that special night out. But chances are it is not going to be as good quality or fit, or it will be a colour or a print that is more distinct (and therefore you won’t wear it so much) so you’ll probably just get sick of it after a wear or two. And hence the cost per wear will be far higher than the better quality garment!

The leather ankle boot from Bared Footwear RRP $350

You KNOW I love a good pair of leather ankle boots, in fact, they are probably the MOST useful item in most women’s wardrobes, and one that I definitely recommend buying the best version you can afford.

Again, you could just buy the cheap, synthetic pair that might look the same on the outside, but anyone who has worn a pair of those for more than 2 hours will tell you it can turn into an uncomfortable experience, plus they never last long with all the rain and cold of Winter.

Numbers time again.

You want to spend your hard-earning money on something that is comfortable, excellent quality and that is going to LAST the distance – these boots will do that for you. They are also designed by a podiatrist, so they actually GOOD for your feet!

It’s time to prioritise your spending

If you are REALLY serious about getting your hands on that gorgeous bag, or that perfect LBD, then maybe it’s time to start looking at what you spend your money on.

I’m sure (like all of us) if you ACTUALLY looked at how many takeaway coffees, or store-bought lunches you spent your money on, you’d be shocked!

Even adding up all those little “oh this top only costs $20” moments will surprise you.

So when Westpac came to me and asked me to try their new money-tracking app, CashNav, I thought it was a great opportunity to show you guys about how you could use it to get your hands on those things you REALLY want!

Here’s how it works…

The app keeps an eye on everything you buy and then categorises all those transactions for you into different groups. Then, with a quick swipe, you can see how much money you have spent on eating out, or on that extra glass of wine, or even on your fave online store (eek guilty!).

This app isn’t so much about budgeting, but more about seeing what you a buying, so you can then prioritise to get what you REALLY want. Ie that perfect little black dress, or that dream bag.

So now that I know where my money is going, I can focus on spending on the RIGHT things!

Until Next Time, In Love & Style Always,

This post was brought to you by the Westpac CashNav App. Please support the brands that support this blog. If you’re a Westpac customer download the app now, if not click here to find out more about Westpac and CashNav and how it can help you – it only takes a few minutes to join!