Let’s face it. We are all broke college students but all of us want to, “live our best life”, as social media influencers would say. You want to travel the world and look your best at all times. Unfortunately, we are all drowning in stressful schoolwork and getting a job or career that can support the lifestyle you want is out of the question.

So now, what do you do? Stick to the bummy sweatpants days and just wait for a millionaire to drop into your life? Or do you continue through school and just wait until you make it to “live your best life”?

Well, for me neither option was good enough. I found some budget friendly solutions to “living my best life” and looking my best when needed.

I’m going to share a secret with you guys. People on social media swear that Fashion Nova web store is the only place you can look good and stay on a budget. I don’t know about you but sometimes, even Fashion Nova doesn’t fit my budget.

There are times I have $20 in my bank account and I have an event that I need to attend. When it comes down to it, those $19.99 dresses on Fashion Nova don’t work for me because there’s still shipping and tax and let’s say I get a free shipping code, I still need to eat that day or at least have emergency money.

From there, my first stop online is to look up Shein.com. Shein is a Chinese based company that has fabulous sales and trendy clothes. They have tops for as low as $4. If you are looking for a beautiful dress for a night out or date night, Shein has dresses as low at $7.

Your purchase takes about 3-5 days to process and after that your package takes the standard 7-10 business days to get to you. When I order from them, I always get my package about 3-5 days after processing. They sell everything from swimsuits to that holographic fanny pack that you’ll definitely need for your vacation to Miami this year.

If I don’t find anything there, my next stop is Amazon.com. I have been shopping with Amazon for my entire college experience. Anyone who knows me knows that every week they should expect to see me with an Amazon package. All my sheets are from Amazon and are under $30. I even have silk sheets for under that price. The trick for Amazon is to investigate.

Read all reviews. Even if you have to spend a couple days going through reviews to make sure you get the product you want, then do that. The most beneficial reviews are ones that have pictures. Make sure that you are able to see what the item will look like before you buy.

One of my last stops is always Aliexpress.com. For years, I have been buying bundles of hair from here but I have never thought about buying clothes up until recently. Aliexpress is a Chinese based company as well. It is made up of thousands of stores. Here you can search for whatever your heart desires.

Recently, I bought a gold chain with a pendant in the shape of Africa for around $2. I’ve bought jumpsuits for as low as $3 as well. Just like Amazon, the catch is to read the reviews to know what others have to say about the product. Also with Aliexpress, you usually get cheap shipping options. The only thing is that you must be ok with slow shipping. Order your items at least a month before you need them.

With these tips you can look fabulous and like you’re living your best life on any budget, anytime, anywhere.