So, You Wanna Shop Eh? 

So, you wanna shop eh?  Flexing my Canadian linguistics I am going to tell you that depending on your financial situation, there may be a few ways for you to shop and not break the bank. 

For those who have a shopping budget for new threads right now there are heaps of End of Season sales going on and let me tell you not all of this stuff is just for summer. 

Just a few real life examples of what kind of discounts you can be looking at if you hit stores at the right time.  I was in one shop and all of their “summer” denim is on sale for 50% off and it is DENIM!  You can were jeans all year long, it is just “last season” so slight variations in the cut.  Dresses are slashed down to a third of the cost which are classics and will never go out of style. 

My boyfriend hit up one of Halifax’s finer shops and scored some great dress shirts and pants which he will be able to wear into the fall, a couple of items even into winter.  If you have money burning in your wallet, it is best to just hold off if you can for an “end of season sale”. 

If you are lucky enough to live in a larger city sometimes you can find expensive designer wear which would normally deplete your savings account for a fraction of the cost at a “sample sale”.

The problem is with sample sales is that the clothing is designer and even at a fraction of the cost it can still be a lot of shekels.  

I was in New York City with my bestie Jenn and we felt like the retail gods had blessed us as we were handed a flyer to a Sample Sale.  We were all set to put some fine haute couture finds on our shiny plastic cards.  I saw behind a glass pane a sparkling authentic Fendi bag and I am not sure what I was thinking, but I asked how much it was and it was over $1000.00, marked down from $5000.00 or some ridiculous price. Jenn and I knew in that moment that even a sample sale was out of our credit card budget.  We looked around and coveted an item or two, and left the room full of racks of clothing empty handed. 

Another problem with sample sales are the sizes tend to be in the petite range.  If you’re a wholesome girl (my Mom’s words to describe me) like myself, you most likely will be out of luck.  Sample sizes tend to be size 6 and under. 

If you have next to no money to spend, you should really look into a clothing swap! 

Recycling clothing is gaining popularity as people are trying to get away from the lure of consumerism and pay off debt or save money for traveling or retirement.  This trend is catching like wild fire and you can have a lot of fun with these stylish swaps.

I found the above invite to a clothing swap on Pinterest. 

Another example above for an invite. You can make it an intimate affair or you can get organizations involved to raise money & host a huge swap like the picture below shows.

Some use fancier titles such as a fashion exchange, some have different rules.  Some have entry fees, some you pay $1.00 an item and all the money collected goes to a charity or an organization, and then what isn’t bought or swapped is given to charity. 

Another example above of someone’s invite for a swap. 

I went to one a year ago and there was wine, and nibbles, and it was great fun getting together with girlfriends & I came home with a decent haul.  

There are also buy and sells all over Facebook, and of course there are thrift shops which I adore. In Nova Scotia we have a chain of thrift shops called Frenchy’s and I love rummaging through the bins. Most of the stuff is a bit too well worn for my liking but what a feeling it is to find something which fits, is designer and is like new for under $10.00. 

Above is my overstuffed closet.

I haven’t done any clothing shopping as of recent because of my shopping ban, but I am also trying to reduce what I already have. When I do have the urge to shop again, I will be hitting either a sale, a swap or thrift shop until I get to where I want to be financially.

Peace & Love – Rachel