Hello everyone! It' s been a very busy couple of days for me, from covering some events at the African Fashion Week Toronto to attending a local blogger brazaar to hosting a small get together at my place. However, what turned out to be, a wonderful few days has turned into a nightmare. I FORMATTED my sd card by accident. I lost all my pictures from all my recent events, including other personal pictures, we are talking about losing over 1000 + of photos. The bad news is many of the pictures were not backed up and the good news is I may be able to get them back, so I'm just praying that everything works out.So, lesson learned, please back up anything important because you just never know.
In the meantime, I am back with a post that
is a bit different than the others. Fortunately or unfortunately for you, this
post will consist of me doing a lot more writing. However, I felt compelled to
write this because I have gotten many questions pertaining to this subject.
Hopefully this information will be helpful to independent style/ fashion bloggers, anyone
who loves fashion, or for my shopaholics.
I
have gotten many questions like “how do you maintain your ability to blog as an
independent fashion blogger, while still maintaining financial sustainability?” or “where do
you buy your stuff at such reasonable prices?” All that will be answered in this post,
which hopefully provides tips in sustaining your unique style and blog. I' m
not in any means worthy or have extra resources to spend money on clothes. Therefore, it’s
a matter of being patient, creative, and money conscious. These are my seven tips in no particular order.
1.
Thrifting: Thrifting has saved my butt
on so many occasions. The advantages to thrifting are the low prices, the quality, the thrill of the hunt, it’s
better for the environment, and it's a way to help support organizations in the community. Please check out Looking Fly on a Dime’s post, where I
was featured, here , where I talk about some of my thrifting experiences. My favourite thrift
Stores are listed below:
·
Salvation Army: No taxes on
clothing and accessories. Click here to find a location near you.
·
Goodwill: You can collect points for
discounts—however, not at all locations. Click here to find a location near you.
·
Value Village: Very organized, and
if you join their discount club, you can receive some additional savings. A bit pricier than
the other thrift stores listed above but you can find some nice things. Click here to find a
location near you. Attn: Value Village is have a 50% off sale on Aug. 26, 2013 ( Canada) and Sept. 2, 2013 ( US).
·
Talize: Very organized, also
has a discount program. It’s also a bit pricier but has nice things. Click here to find a location near you.
·
Plato’s closet: Sells trendy and
brand name gently used clothing for young adults. Also buys your gently used clothing. Click
here to find a location near you.
·
The Black Market: Awesome vintage
store; most of the time nothing is over $10. (Location: 256 Queen St W, Toronto ).
2. Warehouse Sales/ Sample Sales:
I have gotten so many great things such as bags, shoes, and clothing between
50-70% off the original price. Warehouse sales can often include long lines and
a mad rush, but partnering up with a friend can make things bearable and well
worth the mayhem. Most of the time, the items are not current season. Sample sales are similar, but often offers items not available in-store.
3.
Outlets: I love a sale! Outlet
stores often carry the largest selection of sale items from the previous seasons than the regular selection of sale items at the store.
4.
Wait for a sale: As I said, I love a
sale and when I see an item, I wait. Some stores have amazing sales, that it's hardly worth buying at regular price when the item will be on sale in a couple months. If I can't wait than I may buy at regular price.
5. Up cycling: Up cycling is a cheap and
simple way to remain chic and on budget. If you’re a DIY queen or king, and/or
possess creativity and sewing skills, up cycling an old garment
and making it new can be a piece of cake. Why not even ask a friend, or check out some of the
millions of diy tutorials out there—anything, to rethink throwing away something which
may still have life in it!
6.
Reusing: If you are not,
sewing-or-DIY-savvy, and don’t have a friend who is, re-wearing your clothes on multiple occasions is a simple idea. While some may think this is obvious, you'll be shocked at how many people refuse to be pictured or seen wearing things twice due to the age of social media, However, if you’re creative and invest in
quality wardrobe pieces, you can easily wear items over and over again without anyone really noticing. Change up the look by switching up items and accessories, like pictured below.
7.
Selling: Another option is selling your
clothes. There are multiple platforms that you can sell them on such as kijji, selling to consignment shops, opening up your own online store, and many more. It not only earns you a little extra money but also
gives you an opportunity to clear out items that
you don’t need anymore
Anyways, there you have it, seven tips to help save you money and look fly on a dime. If anyone has any other tips please share in the comment box below.
Until Next time,
Sincerely Miss J
