Aspiring to be a thifty recessionista

The world is still crippled with financial blues and the worst is not over yet.

People coin words like “recessionista”,“staycation", etc. The bottom line is to save money. This does not go well for me as I am feeling the heat and not in the rat race at this moment. Hence, I aspire to be a thifty recessionista.

Gone with the lifestyle of chalking up huge credit cards bills, chilling out at certain places over the weekends ~ yup, you get the idea.

When it comes to shopping and sales, my eyes will immediately light up and there goes my saving plans. My downfalls were bags and shoes ~ my true delights. Let's not imagine the space devoted to these items.

Now, I scout some of my treasures and ideas through flea markets, internet and of coz, fashion blogs. I would say items in some of the flea markets are not in some good working condition. Hence, you have to do your own homework.

Had tried thifting in second-hand stores, I could say that it's definitely expensive, items are limited and some of the items were swept by eager fashionistas already. I seriously doubt that some of the prices truly reflected on the condition and it's simply based on brands. Some of the handbags that I saw looked very fake. Well, that's my opinion (I did scored with a nice shirt ~ still trying to find ways to wear it). The other option is hand-me-downs. I have quite a number of hand-me-downs and retro theme is still kinda in trend, isnt it?

Here are some tips that I have that helped me to pull this difficult period.

a) Food
~ Eat cheaper options that includes places that does not have service charges, taxes, etc. Sounds difficult? Not so. Why pay for service if you as a consumer can choose to eat elsewhere.

~ Prepare your meals which could translate to more work (cooking and cleaning up) but you could be healthier in terms of selection of ingredients. It could also be a romantic dinner with you and your significant part to discover the joy of company.


b) Beauty (not for everybody)
~ If you can make do with certain products with a slightly cheaper alternatives, you should try. Cant give too much advice on this as everbody's skin types are different. Well, I have been using BB gel eye liner for a while till a make-up giant (L) came up with one for their economical brand (M). The price of BB is perhaps double and the look using the cheaper alternative (M) is priceless. I simply love it!

~ I am sucker for a certain brand of cotton wipes to remove my make-up. A tip is to tear each wipe into half and you can use up the packet at a much slower rate than normal.


c) Finance
~ Recently, my mum celebrated her birthday at NH (a famous restaurant group that serves good food at not so cheap rates) as my sister had checked her credit card discounts. They were offering 3+1 deals (I think) and we had saved a far bit. It pays to do some homework on the deals the credit cards are offering.

~ Paying credit card bills on time is my mantra coz I hate being slapped with a late charge as these are huge interests to pay. Besides, having to argue with the call centre is a nerve wreaking experience. This will also affect your credit rating.

~ I had a recent scare as I had not been using a particular credit card. They were kind to inform me of a fraud case using my credit card. It prompted me to realise that I do not need so many cards and called to cancel the card. It was a good thing that I've called them as the membership fee was about to start. Now, all my expenses are from 1 card only. Sounds silly for missing out the promotions but when it comes to membership fee, it will be different story.

~ Calling banks to threaten to cancel the cards maybe the oldest trick but it may not work all the time. You may want to check your bills carefully to make sure that no annual fees incurred.

~ "Members have their privileges" and " Never leave home without it"are famous slogan from AMEX. If you are a student, there are many cheap rates off museums, cinema tickets, fast food restaurants, etc. Taking along that student pass helps even when you are travelling overseas to enjoy certain peaks. Went to the famous 101 in Taipei and got myself a reduction in the admission price. (The view of the area was obstructed by clouds - that's another story.)

~ Remember to take your membership cards along to patronise your favorite shops to get discounts. Had an encounter with another female shopper (somebody I did not know not even remotely) who insisted of using my card to get her discounts for her shoes just because she 'conveniently' forgotten to take hers along.


d) Others
~ The libraries are a good source of information and of coz, new books. Recently, I borrowed "Confessions of A Shopaholic" (still into it) and it's brand name. A good place to browse without being disturbed by " Excuse Me, you are not supposed to browse through." A warning is some of the books and mags (local & foreign) are not exactly in tip-top condition and updated.

~ There is a famous bi-annual shoe sale that most females will know through adverts or their mailing list. Consumers should get into some of mailing lists to know the huge discounts offered by some of the fashion houses.

~ Public transport is relatively easy. The only problem is when midnight strikes on weekend. I felt the pinch when we have to cab from one end to the other end of the country till the bus companies come up buses for the night owls. Hoooorrrrraaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy! A cab ride will cost like $60 plus from East to West. Yet, the bus ride will cost a mere $4 (approximate). Now, you do the maths.

That's all folks. My 2-cent worth (based on my country, hopeit applies to yours, too!).

Ta