Cheap Chic: Deals on bags that are perfect in the springtime
By Brooke Bigda
Comment Columnist

In celebration of the first week of spring, it’s time to put all of your winter accessories in the back of your closet and get yourself the perfect bag for spring. Here, I’ll give you the best tips on how to save some extra cash on the latest trends on all types of bags.
When searching for your favorite accessory, you should know what type you’ll need. Whether you want a clutch, handbag, tote, shoulder bag, or hipster, you need to have an ideal style in mind.
The next thing to do is to figure out your budget and the stores that sells bags within your budget. It’s not the best idea to go to an upscale boutique where you’re going to spend your entire bank account on a pretty keychain.
After doing some research, I’ve narrowed down my favorite stores to shop for bags. For the girl who loves bright colors and bold prints, shopbando.com is the perfect online store to shop.
With their unique styles and low prices, it’s a great shop for the young, trendy college student. Another benefit to shopping online is the money you’ll save by not driving your car all over town to get to all of your shopping destinations. Plus, by subscribing to their email list, you’ll save 10% off your next purchase.
Here, I collected some of my favorite bags I got at T.J.Maxx and their online store. I had my best bag finds here over anywhere else. I found my favorite designers, styles, and all these bags were each under $50.
The essential colors to have this spring are orange, blue, red, and bright pastels. My favorite style is the oversized clutch. These bold clutches by Violet Ray are the perfect little bags that will make you look like an in-style fashionista. Both these bags are originally around $40 each, which I got for $19.95 each.
When walking around campus, I like a large tote to keep all my papers, notebooks and all of my makeup. No ordinary bag is going to cut it. This orange tote by Miss Gustto definitely fits my high expectations. Not to mention it’s cute, durable, and I use it as my everyday bag.
The hipster is also an amazing bag for any college girl who wants to keep all her small item essentials close and easy to reach. This one by Steve Madden was around $40.
Another tip to keep in mind when buying a bag is getting one you know you’re going to use often. If you have to make an excuse to buy it, then you don’t need it. Let’s be honest, you’re not going to need a rhinestone covered clutch to go your friend’s dorm to watch Netflix. If you have plans to go somewhere and you know you’re going to use it on a regular basis, then go for it.
Before you set off on your adventure found search for the perfect purse, I have a final note for you to take down.
After a while, we find ourselves treating our bags like garbage cans. Take a quick look in your bag. I will guarantee that when you look, all of you have random papers, trash, and around 5 tubes of chapstick that you thought you lost and never found until this very moment. Maybe once a week, take some time to dump out your purse, backpack, or tote and organize it.
Your life is in your purse, so treat it well and it will stay with you longer.
Brooke Bigda is a Comment Columnist. Follow her on Twitter @bbiggs900.