I’m Shauna Miller, the founder of the budget blog PennyChic.com. I started Penny Chic as a resource for women who want to look good without spending their life savings! Everyday, I have a new budget-friendly outfit that is styled with clothes from big-box discount stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. The idea is to use the stores that everyone has access to and put them on a fashion pedestal. It’s easy to look chic when money is no object. It’s more of a challenge, and ultimately satisfying, to spend less and look amazing. Here are some tricks to help you along a shopping extravaganza.

1. Gather Store Details - Figure out where your preferred stores are located. If there are a cluster of stores in one area, which store would be more convenient to hit up first? Get the business hours of each store so you know how to time everything.Trust me, the more you map out before hand ,the happier a shopper you’ll be!

 2. Bring inspiration - In order to stay focused on what you want to buy and not get sidetracked with afterthoughts, bring cut-outs of things you find in magazines that you like. Writing a list is great but I prefer bringing something visual to remind you of what inspires you.

3. Wear comfortable clothes - The worst thing is to put aside a whole day of shopping and fun, only to have your feet give out on you. To get the best mileage out of your day, wear flats or sneakers and keep the clothes simple. For example, wear jeans and a tee, a maxi dress, or leggings and a tunic.

4. Set a Budget - You can’t go budget shopping without setting your budget first! Don’t bring more cash than you are willing to spend and avoid bringing small bills, because it’s easier to get distracted with small things when you have small change.

If you’d like more from Shauna, check her out on Facebook, Twitter & her budget-friendly blog. Tweet this post using the hashtag #salerackskinny or #srs.