About a month ago we happened upon a sale of sample clothing - great pieces at even greater prices. Most of the clothing had labels removed and some pieces were slightly damaged (mostly broken zippers which could be repaired at a small cost). At this particular sale EN picked up some fantastic dresses for a laughable amount. These included a black Grecian style Calvin Klein dress for 20$ (that's right!), a blue sequined cocktail dress so beautifully outrageous that the 15$ (I know!) it cost really was a steal, and a hot pink halter style dress with a broken zipper for 10$ (cost to repair zipper - between 20$ - 30$...still a bargain).
When gleefully sharing this shopping coup with a friend, her initial and immediate response was "Ewww...but were these dresses used??". What a strange question, we thought. In fact, these items were not "used" (they were samples)...but at 20$ for a designer dress...who the hell cares? It seems that she did. So, a subsequent survey of friends, family and virtual strangers revealed that she was not alone. There seems to be a subset of the population that thinks that used or second-hand clothing is just plain yucky.
Now, having grown up with an older sister, receiving hand-me-downs is nothing new to EN. And, when this lovely older sister had children, she saved much of their goodies and then handed those down to our daughters. Fantastic! To this day, between hand-me-downs and what they receive as gifts (and the added bonus of school uniforms), we have really not had to buy our girls much in the way of clothes and even shoes.
Our informal survey (have you mailed yours back yet? :) ) revealed however that most people do not object to hand-me-downs from people that they know - but used clothing from strangers is another story. Some of the reasons people cite for never accepting or shopping for used clothing are the following:
1. Gross! How could you possibly want to wear stuff that someone else has worn?
To this we simply ask: Have you ever eaten in a restaurant? Stayed in a hotel? The idea that wearing clothes that someone else has worn is gross stems from the fact that one believes that these articles of clothing are dirty, germy, contaminated (we guess). But think about it. If you bring home something from a second-hand shop...you wash it. So really, what's the problem? Do you think that when you check into a hotel, whether it's a 2 star or a 5 star, that you're getting brand spanking new sheets and towels each time? Sorry to burst your hygiene bubble, but that towel you're using to dry your hair...well...it's been used before. And what about when you go to a restaurant? Do you think that you're eating off of never-been-used-before dishes and that the cutlery you're using is right out of the box? Nope...used before. Now sure, the laundry machines in hotels and the dish-washing machines in restaurants are probably much more powerful than those that you have at home. Well, we hope so because in those establishments they have to wash away the yuckiness of lots and lots of folks. If you still feel that your own laundering will not get rid of the coodies, take your purchase to the dry cleaners. Germ problem solved!
2. Buying or accepting second-hand stuff means you can't afford better stuff.
Well, maybe that's actually true, but it may not be, and anyhow, that's not the point. The assumption that you're making is that hand-me-downs are, by definition, of poor quality. That is most definitely not true. Anyone who has ever shopped in a good vintage shop, gone to a fantastic estate sale or befriended a really rich somebody who only buys high end stuff and has a high turnover rate (we all need friends like this) knows that you can find some phenomenal pieces this way. And, you also know that you can wear what you've bought without worrying that your co-workers will walk into work wearing the same thing, and horrors, looking better in it than you do!
As for not being able to afford "better" aka "new" stuff, the sad fact is that some vintage items are actually a small fortune, and you can get new clothes (of pretty poor quality) for next to nothing. It's all about how you choose to use the few pennies you allow yourself to spend. Besides, if you're shopping for clothes that are beautiful and are also saving some money...all the better!
3. Used clothing is old and therefore not fashionable.
Well, we guess that this depends on what you consider fashionable. If your definition of fashion is what everyone is wearing because that is what is in all the magazines (oh, by the way...shoulder pads are back!), then you're right....shopping for second had stuff may not meet this cookie-cutter definition. But there is nothing to say that you cannot pair some current must-haves with some older finds. That way, you create a look that is uniquely your own. So long as you are wearing something you love and that you are comfortable and confident in (and that fits you properly) - you'll look fabulous. (oh...by the way...at this point Frugal Freddie would just like to say that he really has no idea or interest in fashion and has completely zoned out of this entry. Good thing he just lets EN pick out his clothes)
4. If you can afford to buy new stuff, then you should leave the used clothing for people who really can't afford anything else.
An interesting argument for sure. But, consider this, if you're going to shop from a second hand store that caters to lower income people, even if you yourself are not one, you are contributing to this organization in another way. The Salvation Army for instance uses the money that it makes on sales to put back into the community and to be able to run their stores.
If you still feel like you are shopping immorally, why not donate some of the things that you no longer wear for them to sell?
5. But it's used....
I love language and am a firm believer that semantics is everything! No wonder people only want to buy and wear new stuff when the alternative is called "used". "Used" gives the impression that something is past it's usefulness. We think of "used and abused"...well, I wouldn't want a dress that fit that description either. So, instead of "used" how about referring to these items as "vintage" (how chic) or "pre-loved" (how heart-felt) or "recycled" (how green). I for one don't have anything used in my closet, but I've got plenty of incredible, vintage fashion pieces that I saved from the garbage dump, and that I am absolutely loving.
xoxo
The Tightwads (well... mostly, until FF decided to cut the grass after point 3)
Showing posts with label saving money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saving money. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
What Not To Buy
Have you ever watched the show called What Not To Wear? It's all about kind, sweet people without a fashion clue. Their well-meaning friends decide that it would be a good idea to secretly nominate them for a makeover. Hidden cameras follow them around for a while, capturing unflattering footage of these poor souls going about their daily business. Then, in front of family and friends (and millions of viewers) they meet the hosts, view the film, get really embarassed, cry and agree to get rid of all of their clothes in order to be given a 5,000$ shopping spree and find the happiness they hadn't realized they were lacking. At the end of the show they usually cry some more, tend to look a lot better and make comments like "I can't believe I used to wear that flourescent yellow jumper" or "I'm so happy that I now know that high ponytails with ribbons are not really appropriate for a 45 year old lawyer". How could you not love this stuff?
So, we've decided to pay hommage to this show by playing a little What Not To Buy ! No, we will not be secretly filming anyone and we most certainly will not be handing out 5,000$ prizes. This is just a simple straightforward post about saving money by not buying flourescent yellow jumpers (and other random and silly things).
1. Do Not Buy Bottled Water. (see our previous post on bottled water titled "The best things in life are (relatively) free". ) We know that this is a LONG post. We got really carried away on that one, so if you don't want to read the whole thing...just skip to the part where we say "don't buy bottled water"
2. Do Not Buy Baby Food. Now of course we are not implying that baby should not be fed, just that you should really consider making your own baby food. Some of our most precious memories are of cooking, mashing and freezing our babies' meals. Knowing exactly what you're putting into your baby's mouth is priceless, and frankly, a lot cheaper than buying jars of baby food. You can find dozens of recipe ideas in cookbooks or on the internet, but really, once you know what is age appropriate food for your munchkin, it's pretty simple. Boil, mash or blend, serve and freeze the excess in ice cube trays for another day. Of course, you may have to buy baby cereal - we never figured out how to make that.
3. Do Not Buy Lazy Vegetables. It's actually not the veggies that are lazy, but the person buying them. A few months ago, at a very dear friend's house, EN noticed a little container of celery in the friend's fridge. Of course, the next thing EN noticed was the price tag - $3.50.....WHAT !!?? $3.50 for a few measly sticks of celery??? Yes, they were rinsed and cut up and possibly had the stringy stuff removed (or not), but you can usually get a whole stalk of celery for less than $1.50. Now, to her defense, this friend realized she had made a spending faux-pas, but as she was going out of town a few days later she figured that she wouldn't be able to get through a whole stalk of celery and it would end up rotting. Hmmmm....okay - but personally, we just wouldn't have bought celery.
4. Do Not Buy Baby Carrots. We know, we know, many of you have forgotten that carrots actually come in sizes other than "baby". And guess what, sometimes they even come with the green frilly stuff still attached to the tops. We don't understand the fascination with baby carrots. They cost a lot (compared to regular carrots), they don't usually taste as good, and they're often wet and, if they stay in the bag too long, can get slimy...gross. Good news : it actually takes less than 1 minute (trust us - we timed it) to peel and chop up a real life carrot.
5. Do Not Buy Clothes That Don't Fit Because They Will When You Lose "X" (enter appropriate number) Pounds. If you feel that you need to lose some weight, then by all means, go ahead. But believe me (that would be EN), if you think that having a skirt a few sizes too small in your closet is going to help motivate you....you're wrong ! It will only depress you. Focus on losing whatever weight you feel you need to lose, and when you achieve your goal, celebrate by buying some new (smaller) clothes.
6. Do Not Buy Junk Food. This includes soda, potato chips (sigh), chocolate, cookies, cake...you get the picture. None of these things are good for you and although it is perfectly fine to splurge once in a while, these items should certainly not make it onto your weekly grocery list. If you do find them there, cross them off and replace them with some grown-up carrots.
7. Do Not Buy Food In Boxes. Most frozen convenience foods can be made fresh at home with a little effort, time, and willingness. They will definately taste better and will be healthier. We know, we know, you all don't have time to cook, or you don't know how to cook, or you just don't like cooking. Sorry, but none of those excuses fly. You may think that you don't have the time, but many meals can be made in less than 30 minutes. Don't like to cook...probably because you don't know how. So, if you don't know how, learn. There are some fantastic websites with recipes for free (so you don't actually have to buy cookbooks and cooking magazines). Some of our favorites are:
http://smittenkitchen.com/
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/
http://www.epicurious.com/
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/index.html
Well, we could likely go on and on...but that's probably enough nagging for one post. We're going to find our kids and nag them now :)
Have a great day
xoxo
The Tightwads
So, we've decided to pay hommage to this show by playing a little What Not To Buy ! No, we will not be secretly filming anyone and we most certainly will not be handing out 5,000$ prizes. This is just a simple straightforward post about saving money by not buying flourescent yellow jumpers (and other random and silly things).
1. Do Not Buy Bottled Water. (see our previous post on bottled water titled "The best things in life are (relatively) free". ) We know that this is a LONG post. We got really carried away on that one, so if you don't want to read the whole thing...just skip to the part where we say "don't buy bottled water"
2. Do Not Buy Baby Food. Now of course we are not implying that baby should not be fed, just that you should really consider making your own baby food. Some of our most precious memories are of cooking, mashing and freezing our babies' meals. Knowing exactly what you're putting into your baby's mouth is priceless, and frankly, a lot cheaper than buying jars of baby food. You can find dozens of recipe ideas in cookbooks or on the internet, but really, once you know what is age appropriate food for your munchkin, it's pretty simple. Boil, mash or blend, serve and freeze the excess in ice cube trays for another day. Of course, you may have to buy baby cereal - we never figured out how to make that.
3. Do Not Buy Lazy Vegetables. It's actually not the veggies that are lazy, but the person buying them. A few months ago, at a very dear friend's house, EN noticed a little container of celery in the friend's fridge. Of course, the next thing EN noticed was the price tag - $3.50.....WHAT !!?? $3.50 for a few measly sticks of celery??? Yes, they were rinsed and cut up and possibly had the stringy stuff removed (or not), but you can usually get a whole stalk of celery for less than $1.50. Now, to her defense, this friend realized she had made a spending faux-pas, but as she was going out of town a few days later she figured that she wouldn't be able to get through a whole stalk of celery and it would end up rotting. Hmmmm....okay - but personally, we just wouldn't have bought celery.
4. Do Not Buy Baby Carrots. We know, we know, many of you have forgotten that carrots actually come in sizes other than "baby". And guess what, sometimes they even come with the green frilly stuff still attached to the tops. We don't understand the fascination with baby carrots. They cost a lot (compared to regular carrots), they don't usually taste as good, and they're often wet and, if they stay in the bag too long, can get slimy...gross. Good news : it actually takes less than 1 minute (trust us - we timed it) to peel and chop up a real life carrot.
5. Do Not Buy Clothes That Don't Fit Because They Will When You Lose "X" (enter appropriate number) Pounds. If you feel that you need to lose some weight, then by all means, go ahead. But believe me (that would be EN), if you think that having a skirt a few sizes too small in your closet is going to help motivate you....you're wrong ! It will only depress you. Focus on losing whatever weight you feel you need to lose, and when you achieve your goal, celebrate by buying some new (smaller) clothes.
6. Do Not Buy Junk Food. This includes soda, potato chips (sigh), chocolate, cookies, cake...you get the picture. None of these things are good for you and although it is perfectly fine to splurge once in a while, these items should certainly not make it onto your weekly grocery list. If you do find them there, cross them off and replace them with some grown-up carrots.
7. Do Not Buy Food In Boxes. Most frozen convenience foods can be made fresh at home with a little effort, time, and willingness. They will definately taste better and will be healthier. We know, we know, you all don't have time to cook, or you don't know how to cook, or you just don't like cooking. Sorry, but none of those excuses fly. You may think that you don't have the time, but many meals can be made in less than 30 minutes. Don't like to cook...probably because you don't know how. So, if you don't know how, learn. There are some fantastic websites with recipes for free (so you don't actually have to buy cookbooks and cooking magazines). Some of our favorites are:
http://smittenkitchen.com/
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/
http://www.epicurious.com/
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/index.html
Well, we could likely go on and on...but that's probably enough nagging for one post. We're going to find our kids and nag them now :)
Have a great day
xoxo
The Tightwads
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Up, up.... and we stay
It's about to get more expensive to live in the city of Montreal. This was the lead-in last week to a story posted on ctvmontreal.ca about the budget hikes which will be implemented across the island of Montreal in 2011. Nice. Property taxes are increasing (a substantial 4.8% in our borough), in part due to large property value assessment increases, and we will be introduced to a new vehicle registration tax. Sweet.
So what is a nice nuclear family to do? We considered marching to city hall and giving someone heck. We thought of starting a petition stating that we, the undersigned citizens, were against said tax increases and as a result, would not pay up. We contemplated moving. Although we may still follow through on our first two ideas, this nuclear family is not naive; we know that unless we wake to a state of anarchy, our taxes will increase. Taxes are going up, cost of living is going up, and yet we stay, because there really is no better city in which to live - besides, it's not like the rest of the world is basking in financial stability. So, instead of commiserating over things we cannot change, we've decided to focus on the things that we can.
And that brings us to this, the beginning of our tight lifestyle. We have spent years spending freely and thoughtlessly, secure in the knowledge that we both have job security and good, stable incomes. As a result, we often wonder: "but...where did the money go?" (Frugal Fred would like to point out that this question is easily answered by taking a peek into the shoe closet - causing Economia Nia to kick him in the shins with her designer heels). Seriously though, it is easy to say that we will spend less money by shopping less, or shopping less extravagantly, but the real challenge is to save daily, to cut costs in ways that are less obvious. Changes that can positively impact any household, regardless of income or spending patterns. We will spend this first week closely tracking our spending habits, without making any changes to our typical routine. Then we have some "experiments" that we're going to try out - and we'll both give you our perceptions of how they worked out (or didn't). So, come along and follow us...who knows, maybe cheap can be cool.
xoxo
Economia Nia and Frugal Freddie
a.k.a. The Tightwads
So what is a nice nuclear family to do? We considered marching to city hall and giving someone heck. We thought of starting a petition stating that we, the undersigned citizens, were against said tax increases and as a result, would not pay up. We contemplated moving. Although we may still follow through on our first two ideas, this nuclear family is not naive; we know that unless we wake to a state of anarchy, our taxes will increase. Taxes are going up, cost of living is going up, and yet we stay, because there really is no better city in which to live - besides, it's not like the rest of the world is basking in financial stability. So, instead of commiserating over things we cannot change, we've decided to focus on the things that we can.
And that brings us to this, the beginning of our tight lifestyle. We have spent years spending freely and thoughtlessly, secure in the knowledge that we both have job security and good, stable incomes. As a result, we often wonder: "but...where did the money go?" (Frugal Fred would like to point out that this question is easily answered by taking a peek into the shoe closet - causing Economia Nia to kick him in the shins with her designer heels). Seriously though, it is easy to say that we will spend less money by shopping less, or shopping less extravagantly, but the real challenge is to save daily, to cut costs in ways that are less obvious. Changes that can positively impact any household, regardless of income or spending patterns. We will spend this first week closely tracking our spending habits, without making any changes to our typical routine. Then we have some "experiments" that we're going to try out - and we'll both give you our perceptions of how they worked out (or didn't). So, come along and follow us...who knows, maybe cheap can be cool.
xoxo
Economia Nia and Frugal Freddie
a.k.a. The Tightwads
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