I’ve decided to do a post for men who just want to look good but don’t have the money. The last thing I’d ever advise you to do is spend your last £200 on a suit. Make sure you stay in your financial lane, even if that means building an outfit for £60 – it is possible trust me. Always be on the lookout for low budget stores or the next sale at your favourite brand and sign up to newsletters. I know shopping on a budget can be frustrating and annoying but it is what it is, try to remain patient and it will get easier.
All of the stores mentioned in this post are specific to the United Kingdom unless you intend on getting them delivered to you. With that being said there will be near identical stores in your country, exact same products and prices with a different name so be sure to check them out.
[Featured Image Credit: strangeness-and-charms.com]
I must admit I consider myself to be on a modest income so I definitely am not above shopping in these low budget stores – sometimes.
Poundland
As the name suggests, Poundland is a piece of land in which anything and everything on that land is priced at £1. It’s well known in the UK and in recent years has grown from strength to strength, with stores popping up everywhere. They once sold ties, still do sell some underwear and all their stores definitely sell socks. Obviously due to the price, it’s seen as a poor mans store so beware before you brag that your boxers only cost £1.
As mentioned previously, I’m pretty sure every country has their own kind of stores in which everything is sold at the same really cheap price – so be on the look out.
Primark
Primark is well known in the UK for being the huge cheap shop no one wants to admit they shop at. They are averagely good at everything, you can’t expect too much of their products. They are pretty much everyone’s go to place for underwear and socks. My favourite thing about Primark is their incredibly cheap suits, it’s a well made suit with cheap material sold at around £40 for a two piece. This is no exaggeration when I say you could pick up a full two piece suit, with shirt, tie and some black office shoes all for £60.
Please note that on the weekends the ques in here are ridiculous so I advice going there during the week.
Next
Next is definitely one of the biggest retailers there are, they sell everything, men’s clothes, women’s clothes, children’s clothes and even home furniture. Truth be told, their menswear range is the very opposite to my taste, I find them very basic and standard. They have a very small range of shoes, definitely not their forte. Their clearance is the best time to shop there, you can pick up some amazing blazers for dirt cheap. Usually this is because the trousers would sold out or only have really huge or slim waist sizes. Next also have a really good online store, it’s pretty spot on and they have massive stock.
TM Lewin
TM Lewin might come as a surprise inclusion on this list as it looks like a very expensive store, well it is. TM Lewin is mainly aimed at corporate lads with navy suits and pink shirts on huge salaries. The average suit here will cost you around £250, with shirts costing £35 and ties costing around £25. With that being said they have earned the right to those price points as without a doubt, they have lead the way in the last 100 years and have almost become the benchmark for quality. If you’re reading this wondering why I would include such a brand on my list, the answer is simple; their change of season discounts. Between the months of April to June and October to December they start to dump all their stock that didn’t sell as they expected and £40 shirts are sold at £15 – bargain!
After shopping here for five years, I’ve loved every purchase except their socks, they lost elasticity within a month, wasn’t impressed.
My Best Buy From Each Store
Poundland
This is going to sound funny but I’m being serious, I picked up three pairs of black socks for £1. I’m actually wearing them now. They are comfortable, have a decent colour and they are cheap as chips, or even cheaper.
Primark
In 2010 I picked up a suit for a work event I went to. Cost me a whopping £35 for a two piece black suit. I also picked up some black shoes for £8. Not bad right?
Next
I have had over fifteen suits from Next, no exaggeration, many of which I still own and its hard to pick an out and out favourite. For the sake of this, I’ll go with one of my go-to suits when I need to impress – the blue pin stripe suit. The suit is a poly-blend suit, nothing special, but looks fantastic, has great colour, I’ve owned it for three years and it cost me a modest £110 for the jacket and trousers.
TM Lewin
I have and always will rant about my twill pink oxford shirt from TM Lewin, I’ve had it for over two years and it’s served me well. However it cost £35 so you would expect it too. For that reason my favourite shirt from TM Lewin will have to be my non-iron summer shirts I bagged in the winter of 2015. I remember seeing these online and thinking “what the hell – £15.” Since it was November and no one wanted to wear summery colorful shirts they were on sale from £35 to £15. I grabbed three . Without a doubt; a brilliant bargain, brilliant quality and my favourite buy.
Low Budget Stores
Wherever you live and whatever shops you have available to you, you can apply some of these tips to suit you. When the season changes as it is now, have a look at all the winter clothes, the jackets, scarves, gloves, wool or denim shirts. No one wants to buy thick clothes now when they’re expecting hot sunny days, I’m in England so I wouldn’t bet on it too much.
Also be on the look at in the sales section of your favourite websites. Check in your local “pound shop” and see what they have to offer. Enjoy the budget shopping and if anyone asks; you paid top dollar for it.