My mom once told me

That I try to live a champagne kind of lifestyle on a beer budget. It's kind of true. I go to a school whose tuition increases exponentially every year in a city that demands a fabulous style. Oh, Boston. So I've decided to throw together some looks to show that you can totally look awesome without having to splurge on EVERY article of clothing you wear. Disclaimer: I love to splurge and I feel like spending money on things that are worth it, is worth it. It's not quite time for spring and skirts yet, but I'm getting into the spirit with the prints I'm putting on my body.

(Cardigan) Express - I bought this floral cardigan from Express and I can honestly say it made me happy all day. Online it is only $19, even though I bought it in a store for $39 just the other day. The happy feeling, confident gait  and carefree mood the sweater gave me was well worth the extra $20 that I unnecessarily spent. Wear a tan or gray simple cami under it because it's very floral and bright and I feel like a super colorful top underneath it will overpower the look.

(Jeans) Charlotte Russe - I bought these jeans online recently and just typed in my size and bought the tall version since I'm 5'9 and they fit phenomenally. It raised my confidence so high to finally be able to wear low-rise jeans that didn't make my hips look like a permanent muffin top. They were $29.50 (plus shipping for me) and I'll probably wear them for the next 2 years.

(Ring/Necklace) Charlotte Russe - $4/$8.50 If you're going to opt for a tan undershirt and you're into gold jewelry (I prefer silver myself) these are perfect. I just wore my silver Michael Kors Watch and my silver lion necklace I wear every day with my outfit.

(Belt) Charlotte Russe - $10.50. Add one of these OVER the cardigan to show off your shape a bit. Go for the gold or the pink, they both match great. Just don't do a floral on a floral. You could go with another print, though, like polka dots or stripes if you like to mix patterns!

Total for this outfit: $71.50. You can re-purpose the jewelry and the belt with anything and as long as you don't get something on the jeans, wear them later on in the work week!