fbpx

Browsing tag: shopping

  • September 21, 2010

    How long does your clothing last?

    YLE Wardrobe

    Image via Wikipedia

    I ask because I still sleep in shirts that I’ve had since I was barely in double digits, and only recently purged a bunch of clothes that I just couldn’t get away with wearing anymore. Tops that were a little too short, but were in every other way perfect (grrr – waste irritates me to no end! Part of it was me growing taller, part a trend for longer tops coming in).

    I can’t really say I update my wardrobe from season to season. I just don’t shop for clothing that often. This month I bought a pair of canvas sneakers, two tops and one skirt – a veritable shopping spree! They were all pretty cheerful and cheap, so I’ll be happy if they last me two or three years.

    Prior to that, my clothing purchases for the year amounted to: one dress, two cardigans, one top, a jacket, a pair of shoes and a pair of boots. If my memory serves me correctly, that is. For some reason, that sounds like a lot, and yet I feel like my wardrobe still has a lot of holes in it. I think it’s time to get cracking with that item-by-item show-and-tell…

    Do you get rid of clothes once you’re bored of them? Once they’re too worn to pass muster? How much life would you expect from a $10 item? A $20 item?

  • May 27, 2010

    Who can say no to a good bargain?

    For some reason, NZ is home to a shedload of “one day deal” websites. Some are better than others, obviously.

    But my new favourite is Dailydo: it sells experiences and other deals that I would actually use, rather than things like cheap clocks and lawnmowers and whatnot. There’s a new offer everyday: if you choose to purchase it, they then email the coupon to you. For example, I got a “buy one, get one free meal, along with two free house drinks” voucher for a local pub/bar for just $1. I also bought a fishing charter boat trip for less than half price – that can either be T’s birthday present, or he can take some of his guy friends out on a weekend and make the money back easily.

    A lot of their sales would also be ideal for gifts. I’m actually kicking myself for not scooping up a really great discount on a facial at a spa – that would be a great birthday present for a girlfriend and save me pounding the pavements/shoving through crowds at the mall. I’m also hoping to find a great, EXTREMELY belated birthday present for a friend who’s currently overseas; with a few months left, I’m sure something will come up.

    Now, I know you guys in the US have restaurant.com and all sorts of other crazy bargains. What are your favourite sites for snapping them up? Do share.

    Bookmark and Share

  • December 9, 2009

    XXL shopping

    People always say that men spend less than women, especially on clothes. But that so isn’t true! Krystal hit it right on the head when she says that the way guys shop isn’t conducive to saving. They get in and get out. They go for one thing. And then they leave.

    It’s difficult enough to shop secondhand for guys, let alone in extreme sizes. Outlet stores are also usually out of the extra big sizes. Which leaves T (who’s 6’3, stocky and maybe 120kg) just SOL most of the time. He really hates shopping, and although I love to stalk stores waiting for a bargain, that’s his version of hell. He also really hates to wait for stuff (no delayed gratification here), not to mention that it’s hard enough to find things that fit him, so instead of thinking “let’s wait till that goes on clearance” it’s “quick, snap it up before all the big sizes go!”

    Did I mention he is also really hard on his clothes? He’s the typical boys’ boy, likes to mess around with cars, wrestle, roll around in the mud etc. (Kidding about the last one…sort of). He’s either vegging out being a couch potato, or being super active. Clothing never lasts long – it stretches, rips, gets irreversibly stained, etc.

    His sturdy Dickies are finally giving out, and I’m dreading shopping for him. No $20 pants for this boy, not like me. And he needs a dress shirt or two. And a light jacket. And jeans.

    Anyone got great tips for shopping for an extra large person?

  • September 23, 2009

    Wishlist

    There are so many things I need to buy right now.

    For the house: A toilet brush, new kitchen and bathroom sponges, bulldog clips to hold up my hanging shoe organiser, and new sheets – I’ve had most of my bed linen for almost four years! Am loving my new duvet though – the old one must have shrunk, because it didn’t fill out the covers anymore. SO annoying, having empty fabric all around the edges.

    For me:  new facial moisturiser, a short jacket (my long coat looks ridiculous with casual outfits), a new bag (have my eye on one at the moment, but have only set aside $30 towards it so far and it costs $50), socks and underwear. I’d also like a long line cardi and some tops, and sandals and casual shorts for summer, but they can wait. In the meantime, I’ve cut off the legs of some old jeans and now have a pair of somewhat cute denim shorts. I just have to sew up the hems…

    T needs a new wallet (his is literally falling apart), singlets, and a jacket. Earlier this year (or late last year?) someone decided to start a fight at a party, bottled him in the head (yeah, REAL classy) and I awoke in the middle of the morning to him coming home with a bleeding head. To top it off, his awesome checkered jacket was stolen. Honestly, it was the styliest thing he ever owned, and it didn’t make him over heat – a thankless task – as it had a nice cool lining, even in the hood.

  • August 6, 2009

    This one’s for the girls

    Following my recent laundry mishap (I lost THREE bras to a single wash/dry episode) I really, really badly needed to go bra shopping. I don’t know about anyone else, but three bras is a lot to me…it’s almost half of my entire bra collection. I don’t exactly have a large chest, so it’s not uber important to me to have a super well made, super comfortable bra…as long as it fits fairly well without chafing or riding and isn’t fussy and lacy, I’m on board. Thanks to rock bottom sales, the Bendon outlets, and Dress Smart, I think the average price I pay for a bra is between $5-10. I wear them till they give out and then reluctantly begin the hunt all over again.

    Luckily for me, I managed to pick up three brand spanking new bras for just $21 at BnT in DressSmart :D. Considering they were all originally $40 to 45, that’s a steal. I kind of want to describe them or even post pics, because I’m kind of in love with them, but I think that verges ever so slightly on TMI.

    And then the checkout girl asked if I wanted the matching underwear. BLANK.

    I’ve never in my life bothered to buy a matching set. I just don’t see the point. But I’ll note it down on my list of things to do before I die (along with flying first class…somewhere, anywhere). I’d be too disorganised to actually wear them together, and despite being told I should never wear the same bra two days in a row…well, I do. Methinks it would make more sense to buy two matching bottoms for every one bra.

    I’m pretty sure I break a lot of the rules when it comes to bras. I don’t spend much. I wear them more than once before washing them. I don’t replace them every six months and I don’t buy matching bra/knicker sets. And I don’t lovingly arrange them in a drawer organised by colour/fabric/X-factor. I have a lingerie wash bag, but I don’t always use it (plus, it seems to unzip itself in the wash about half the time, voiding its purpose entirely).

    Come to think of it, that’s probably why those three bras gave up the ghost on me. It’s karma.

  • June 3, 2009

    My plan was to buy me a dress for under $50 for my friend’s party next weekend. The only stipulation is we can’t show up in black! I was keen for something in one of these colours:

    twelve-by-twelve-dress-9 red_white_dress 819_10_1

    Combed Recycle Boutique, the chain stores, the crazy minimall of Asian fashion shops in Atrium on Elliot and DressSmart.  But nup, no luck.

    We did however, scoop a major bargain for BF at the Dickies outlet in DressSmart. Grey Dickies pants (go for well over $100 retail, were $69 at the outlet branch, and $52.50 after a further 25% special Queen’s Birthday discount)! Something I’ve been wanting for him for ages, but Dickies aren’t cheap. So instead of buying me a dress I don’t really need (I still don’t know what I’m wearing for her birthday, but I’ll sort something out…two of my dresses are too casual, one is black, and the other two far too formal; might have to work the separates), we got him some sturdy, NICE pants to wear to the party.

  • May 3, 2009

    Picky, picky…

    I was recently given a really nice, stylish black wallet. I even went as far as moving all my stuff over, but once I’d completed the changeover I went right back to my old fat purple wallet with the bow. It wasn’t big enough to fit all my cards in, the layout was weird, and it just didn’t feel right.

    I get the feeling my hunt for my new bag will also be long and arduous. It’s gotta be the right size, and shape. It’s got to be cute. I want two handles, long enough to wear on my shoulder, and preferably rounded with some structure, not soft and floppy. I’d like brown or tan, with a few different pockets for my bits and pieces.

    We also got a new kettle, as our old one stopped working. The new one is strange to me. The button is in a different place and the water level strip is a totally different colour and in a different place.

    I know, I’m strange…but I like to think I’m just set in my ways.

  • May 2, 2009

    I love the Warehouse’s return policy.

    I don’t know so much about their 10c plastic bag charge, but that’s why when I bought a new kettle yesterday I decided to spend 99c on a pretty red reusable canvas bag.

    Then I got home and found our flatmate’s GF already got us another one.

    Luckily the Warehouse lets you return anything within 12 months as long as it’s in a resaleable condition with a receipt.

    They didn’t used to require a receipt at all, but apparently too many people were abusing the system. It’s still way more generous than most retailers though!

    So, no poorer than when I started (minus the red bag). I wonder if I still get to keep my rewards points from the purchase, or do they retract them along with the refund?

  • April 28, 2009

    I actually NEED to go shopping!

    Today I realised something: I really, really badly need new underwear.

    And a new bag.

    I’ve had my silver handbag for, oh, three years? It only cost me about $15 and has held up pretty well, but is starting to wear pretty heavily. The fabric is fraying and the underlayer is showing through around the seams.

    Maybe something along these lines…

    arva-ground-serpent camille-large-red_resize image1l 1

    As for underwear, well, when when things start to lose their elasticity and go seethrough…..

    And I’m due for a couple of new bras – just can’t afford it!

    The $60 refund I received from DTR came through, but it’s going to have to go towards just paying the bills this week instead of paying for new contacts.

    Why? Well, mainly because of our huge power bill. Now that we know the culprit (the evil power sucking water cylinder, soaking up electricity yet not heating our water…what’s the point of paying exorbitant power bills if it’s not delivering you any benefit?), once it’s fixed our bills should return to normal. Yay!

  • April 11, 2009

    Shopping adventures

    Finally got around to visiting Dress Smart today! The cute blue woollen top that caught my eye in Portmans (the city branch) a wee while back is now mine. I went back to buy it a couple of weeks ago, only to find them all gone. I spoke to the sales girl, who told me they had JUST literally shipped the remaining tops over to their outlet store.

    Anyway, I went to the Dress Smart store today. It was marked down another $10 to $20, and when they scanned the label it was another 20 per cent off! So just over $15 for a top that was originally $60. Go me! I must NEVER EVER shop anywhere else but Dress Smart.

    SO, very happy and feeling pretty pleased with myself…

    Then onto grocery shopping. We splashed out on some chai tea, two cute mugs (red and yellow, drinking receptacles NEVER last in this house, they all get broken. Our bowls and plates have all pretty much also mysteriously disappeared. I hate it here), got some flour and sugar (I anticipate some baking) and some Worcestershire sauce along with the usual suspects. I’m trying to get more greens into our diet, so there’s going to be a lot of salads this week for dinner.

    Our checkout girl today wasn’t very onto it. She forgot to process one of our mugs, and I had to pay for it separately (luckily I had a lot of change and paid in cash, it would have really annoyed me to have to swipe my card again). I did my best to check the items as they went through the checkout, but they whizzed through so fast I missed one of the 2 for $5 specials. It cost us about 6.60 instead. I did catch that on the receipt as we left, but figured a dollar something wasn’t worth going back for. It did annoy me, though.

    • Previous
    Next