Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Saves & Splurges

Most people have a mix of things they prefer to save money on & things they'll spend a lot of money on. I think only a few people are complete scrimpers or total spend-thrifts. Some people have heavy leanings, sure, but even the super-budget-shopper may regularly indulge, while big spenders still can't stand to pay a lot for certain stuff.

So I thought I'd share my own fashion saves & splurges -- please share some yours in the comments!

My top cheap-outs:
Things I can't stand paying full-price for or buying fancy brands...
  • Sandals (they're just going to get beat up, besides, there's hardly any there there)
  • Underwear (plain cheap cotton bikinis in a 3-pack, thanks)
  • Most accessories (hair pins, scarves, belts, flashy jewelry; I might make jewelry out of expensive materials, but I'll rarely buy it)
  • Skin care products (plain drugstore stuff only)
  • T-shirts & similar "layering" pieces (solid color, boring-but-necessary basics that will be worn underneath sweaters & jackets -- why spend more? I buy a bunch of cheap ones in black & a few other dark colors, replace as needed)
My top indulgences:
Things I have a hard time passing up, even tho' they're pricey...
  • Lipstick (so creamy, such deep pigments, so many colors! hard to find all that in the cheaper ones)
  • Tights (I'm a convert -- expensive brands tend to last longer & also have a wider range of sizes, unlike the "one size fits some" cheapos)
  • Perfume & scents (I don't wear them often anymore, but what I do like is always high quality, such as Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs or a couple designer scents like Anna Sui; my husband has this same addiction, & oh boy, does he smell great!)
  • Hangers (Joan Crawford was right: No more wire coat hangers! they wreak havoc on your clothes -- but that said, I sometimes find my fave. padded, reinforced steel hangers on sale at Ross or TJ Maxx...)
  • Jeans that fit (my petite plus-size holy grail, especially if they're black! I will pay any amount of money if/when I find jeans that feel & look good on me; they're so dang rare)
My shopping may seem pretty arbitrary at times. But these are the things I'm most consistent about when spending my wardrobe dollars.

5 comments:

  1. I show on my blog that I have splurged in a big way with handbags. I'm trying to quit.

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  2. Interesting post!
    I definitely wouldn't skimp on skincare (pure ingredient health store brands for me) and though I buy cotton undies now and then, I prefer designer brands for looking sexy and lasting longer.
    I had never bought nice lipstick (not from a drugstore) until this week--bought MAC online (so much cheaper that way!).
    I love good perfume too.
    I skimp on: salon visits (I prefer to do things myself) and eyeshadow (cheap ones do just fine).
    I spend more on boots, purses, foundation and concealer, and hair products, especially hot rollers on irons.

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  3. It's embarrassing that it was much easier for me to think of splurges than saves.

    Saves: Salon visits (most hairdressers don't know what to do with my hair anyhow, so I've just been trimming it myself), pantyhose (the cats just destroy them), and casual socks.

    Splurges: I spend more on purses and shoes because the cheap ones tend to fall apart on me. My ultimate splurge is Fluevogs: their Mini heel is the *only* heel I can wear comfortably all day, so while I stalk eBay and the Fluevog sales page to get cheaper prices, those purchases do add up quick. (The red Dollface heels were so worth it, though!)

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  4. Wow, I just found your blog and I love it!
    I just started blogging about being a Goth in the Grown-Up World myself and here I find someone who's been there and has done that. :)

    Sal
    from stilldark.wordpress.com

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  5. Well...I really don't splurge on anything! I have come to appreciate higher quality in many things, but when I want them, I look hard for ways to get them for less. For instance:

    - BPAL I only buy in imp size (it takes me a long time to go through scent).
    - I never remember to put on lipstick and I'm very mixed on how it plays on me anyway, so I don't spend on it!
    - Underwear: find good brands retail, then buy on eBay (bras) or TJMaxx/Ross (bottoms)! As a 34F I can't just buy normal-range bras either. And, unlike a lot of people, I couldn't care less if my undergarments match or not.
    - I also don't give much of a fig about handbags. I have a few, bought them at a discount, my attention to them stops about there.
    - Makeup: I now prefer certain high quality, high performance Wet n' Wild, E.L.F., L'Oreal H.I.P. etc. for shadows. No more department stores.
    - Skin care: olive oil from the supermarket, couple of Paula's Choice items, a few other carefully vetted things with few ingredients. I pay serious attention to what's in things and not paying for the sham stuff that is marketed at us.
    - Salons: I go to mid-price places because they are better than the cheap ones, but no more often than twice a year.

    And so on!

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