When I had a job with a set paycheque every 2 weeks, I’d spend HOURS imagining what I would do with that money.

I make up spreadsheets upon spreadsheets of dreams, and play with the numbers and cells for many hours.

And I still find this a lot of FUN.

Most of it was dreams of how fast I could use the money to clear my debt, but it got to the point where the MINUTE the money deposited into my account, I’d have paid all my bills and allocated the cash in 3 minutes, tops.

There was no agonizing, or wondering what I should pay or do.

I had already spent hours (of fun not torture) doing that before.

I just like playing with numbers I guess.

It feels slightly obsessive, but if this is my idea of fun and I am actually enjoying it.. I’m going for it!

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

© FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com for Fabulously Broke in the City, 2012. |
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The most amazing thing I’ve ever done with my money is…

To use it to clear my $60,000 student debt.

Cheesy but true.

Here are some other amazing things:

• Paying $1800 for a used car and having it be a great vehicle that does its job
• Using it to travel to countries I’ve always wanted to visit

And the stupidest thing I’ve ever done with my money?

Getting into debt in the first place.

Does that count? I could have probably pinched to have only been $30,000 – $40,000 in debt, but I wasn’t very frugal in college.

Okay, if that doesn’t count I have plenty of other stupid things:

• Paying for an apartment I never used – I was traveling all the time, so I finally gave it up after paying $19,200 in total for a year
• Paying for parasitic people in my life – This stopped after I realized they’d never change and I cut them out of my life

What are some of the most amazing and stupidest things you’ve ever done with your money?

Related Posts

 

There is such a thing as being too frugal

 

Is there ever such a thing as being too rich?

 

Everybody* has money

 

Are you suffering from frugal or debt fatigue?

 

Would I change my view on money if I made less?

 

Re-commit and start your money goals: Keeping yourself in check, and on track

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

© FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com for Fabulously Broke in the City, 2012. |
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THE COST

Women spend $7 billion a year on makeup, around $100 each (although that’s not true, some of us *cough* spend more than others) (The Gloss).

Vanity Fare says in the U.S. alone, 68% of the 70 million women in the country (48 million) work and have money to spend on beauty, and $17 billion dollars is spent on makeup in the U.S. alone.

Women purchase 2-3 times on average more makeup than they need or use.

The average woman owns:

• 7 Lipsticks but use only 2.6 of them on rotation
• 12 Eyeshadows but only use 5 of them on rotation <– the biggest category!
• 2-3 Mascaras but only uses 1 daily
• 3 forms of blush in various shades but only uses 1 daily
• 2 foundations and they use one or both daily

So we own more than we need (no surprise) and there’s always a demand to look and stay beautiful.

QUALITY FACTORS IN THE COST

The cost also matters in terms of quality and how picky you are with it.

If you want, you can spend only $7 on foundation or concealer, but for the most part, it won’t be as good as if you shell out for other more expensive brands.

This is from experience by the way… I’ve worn very cheap to very expensive, and I find the mid-range brands (mostly available at Sephora) are the best.

Let’s break down what a basic kit would have:

BASIC MAKEUP KIT

• Foundation or Concealer – $50
• Eyeliner – $10
• Mascara – $10
• Eyeshadow – $15
• Blush – $15
• Lip Colour – $15
• Subtotal = $115

EXTRAS TO ROUND OUT A MAKEUP KIT

• Makeup primer – $50
• Eyeshadow primer – $30
• Bronzer – $20
• Concealer or Foundation – $50
• Brushes – $50
• Subtotal = $230

Total = $315

Then imagine variations of colour on blush, lip colour, eyeshadow, foundation, concealer… and you can see how and why women spend so much on makeup.

Granted, the above can last me a good 5 years, so it’s really $295 / 5 years or $59/year, but they tell you to change your makeup every year or so.

THE QUEST

It took me a while to find the right products, and it was just a question of cost.

Spend where it makes sense and save on the rest.

Funny, but true.

I’m not talking about spending $100 on a designer foundation, but if you can afford to splurge, go up to the mid-range costs of makeup products. The extra $20 per tube or compact is worth it, trust me! I cringe every time I pay, but I can’t go back to the cheaper drugstore brands for certain items like foundation, concealer and blush.

The rest, like eyeliner or eyeshadow, can be found in lower-end drugstore products such as Annabelle (which is amazing!), and there’s no need to pay $20 for a great eyeliner unless you want to.

THE HOLY GRAILS

• Foundation: Powder CoverFX covers beautifully and is SPF15
• Concealer: Time Balm TheBalm or CoverFX covers everything with SPF15
• Eyeliner: Marcelle or Annabelle has amazingly soft eyeliners
• Mascara: Covergirl or Maybelline
• Eyeshadow: Annabelle Mono Eyeshadows (Gleam is beautiful)
• Blush: Cargo Blush
• Lip Colour: Rosebud Salve Lip Balm
• Makeup Primer: Tarte Clean Slate
• Eyeshadow Primer: Too Faced Eyeshadow Insurance
• Bronzer: Annabelle Zebra Glow Bronzer works on all skin tones
• Brushes: The Body Shop, Quo or Sephora

The TOTAL? Around $250

Naturally, I have more than what I am listing above, but that would be my current Holy Grail of makeup items and how much it would cost to replace everything.

Want to learn more makeup facts?

Read: The Argument for Wearing and Using Less Makeup (The Everyday Minimalist)

What about you?

How much do you own in makeup and what’s in your essential kit?

Related Posts

 

Saving money on beauty

 

How much is your face worth?

 

Cost of a (Second-Hand) FB Mobile

 

How much does your pet cost in a lifetime?

 

The Cost of Obesity in the United States

 

True Cost of Watching & Owning a TV

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

© FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com for Fabulously Broke in the City, 2012. |
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Note: This post is for guys too. I know that there are some of you out there that actually like to have nice skin, contrary to popular belief, but don’t want to look like you get facials or to wear makeup This is apparently a big-seller for men, and a lot of guys buy the device and buy a second one for their wives or girlfriends!

I am a huge skeptic of devices like microdermabrasion facials at home and other devices for the skin, particularly because I loathe carrying that stuff around if I rarely use it and I only do it because I spent a fortune on it.

I also don’t get a lot of acne from my earlier years, mostly due to the fact that my diet has changed drastically — I try to eat as natural foods and as unprocessed as possible, cooking from scratch and avoiding things in a frozen box or can.

I’m thinking of never going to a restaurant again.. or at least, only going to sushi places from now on where the food is raw.

I rarely get acne now, and when I do, I know it’s because something I ate outside somewhere, had some additive in there that gave me essentially what is an allergic reaction in the form of a pimple, because my body couldn’t process it.

So when I heard about the Clarisonic At-Home Facial brushes, I was thinking:

PFFFT! $100 – $200 for a device that is nothing more than a glorified washcloth? You’ve got to be joking.

….until I bought it.

My reasons for buying it was unrelated to my face, and more that my body was starting to experience some throwbacks to eczema problems.

I was seeing a lot of layers of dead skin pile up, and using scrubs or brushes were either not doing enough for my skin, or scrubbing them red and raw (also not good for my skin).

When I heard about this Clarisonic brush that could be used on the body and on the face in the shower, I was curious.

I don’t believe in that “sonic cleansing power” stuff, but I tested it in Sephora, and I liked that there was a moving, whirring section in the middle of the brush so that I don’t have to try and move a static brush around in a circle to mimic its effects.

WHAT CLARISONIC MODELS ARE AVAILABLE

• Clarisonic Plus = $225
• Clarisonic Classic = $195
• Clarisonic Mia 2 = $149
• Clarisonic Mia = $119    <— the one I chose of obvious reasons

WHAT ARE THE OTHER DIFFERENCES?

• Clarisonic Plus = 3 speeds, not as portable as it comes with a charging stand, can use the Body Brush head
• Clarisonic Classic = 2 speeds, not as portable as it comes with a charging stand, can use the Body Brush head
• Clarisonic Mia 2 = 2 speeds, portable, cannot use the Body Brush head
• Clarisonic Mia = 1 speed, portable, cannot use the Body Brush head

WHY I CHOSE THE CLARISONIC MIA (ORIGINAL)

1. It was $119 and the cheapest of the bunch
2. The brushes are the same as on the higher-end Classic & Plus models (I felt them up)
3. The motors are the same too (sometimes smaller models are made with cheaper parts)
4. The ‘Mia’ is quite portable and travel friendly (the higher-end models have a huge charging stand)
5. It’s slightly smaller than the higher-end models, but only in the length of the handle, not much else
6. It only has one speed, but frankly, Fast vs. Normal vs. Slow felt the same to me
7. I didn’t need extras like timers, speeds and so on, if it would be $50 – $106 more expensive (ouch!)
8. Any brush can be used with it except the body brush, but the ‘normal’ brush head works fine on the body

The brush is pretty compact, as pictured beside my compact digital camera case:

This is the brush on the device itself. The little black bristles and the white section in the middle, rotate. The outer bristles don’t, which keeps in the water from spraying all over your bathroom and face.

THE COSTS OF A CLARISONIC MIA (UP-FRONT & FOREVER)

It costs $119 USD to buy it, plus taxes, but it doesn’t stop there!

The brushes are around $25 each, to be replaced every 3-4 months (like my electric toothbrush), but you can buy them in twin-pack deals for $40, which works out to $20 per brush head.

Now, each brush head has to be separate. One for the face, one for the body (makes sense, actually… I’d use ‘sensitive’ on my face, ‘normal’ on my body).

They recommend using the facial brush twice a day and replace it every 4 months. I plan on using it once daily at night, and replacing it every 8 months, then.

They recommend using the body brush every day and replacing it every 2 months (twice as long to cover your body). I plan on using it every other day (or less as not to irritate my skin), and replacing it every 6 months.

I am not a fan of being obsessively clean.

Read: The Great Unwashed and our Obsessive Cleanliness

So $20 per brush head, because I like deals and if I can stock up when they go on sale or discount or something, I will.

• For the face: Replace every 8 months= ~$30/year
• For the body: Replace every 6 months = ~$40/year

I am looking for a final upkeep cost of about a maximum cost of $70/year in brush heads, if my assumptions above are correct.

I’ll have to try it for a year and keep track of my expenses in my budget.

WHAT COMES IN A CLARISONIC MIA BOX

• The Mia
• Charger
• Small bottle of some face polish stuff (you can use any cleanser you have, however)

I think the higher end ones look sexier because they come with different face polishes in larger sizes, but all that frou-frou for extra money is not my cup of tea. Couldn’t care less, I don’t bother with the products given, I only want the brush.

I haven’t even used this face polish thing..

DID THE CLARISONIC MIA COME IN ANY OTHER COLOURS?

Yes. In these ones below:

The classic/standard pastels looked ugly, so I just chose plain ol’ white.

It looked the most normal.

CAUTION: Do not buy the black or grey ones in the store, if you ever come across them.

I know for a fact that they use different dyes in the plastics for the colour black (and very dark grey), which compromises the plastic and makes it more brittle/vulnerable.

Stick to any colour but the very darkest like black or grey.

They also had patterns (leopard at the time), but it was another $10 extra on top of the $119. I think the other darker colours (above) are ‘limited editions’, and must cost more money.

I was NOT (and still am not) willing to pay $10 more for another colour or pattern. Who is really going to see it?

USING IT

Waiting 24 hours for it to fully charge was agony, but absolutely necessary to make sure the battery doesn’t get ruined (ALWAYS fully charge your electronics properly before using it).

On the very first day of using it, I felt immediate results. My skin was softer, the layer of dead skin was sloughed off and by the end of the week, I was hooked.

One minute sounds like a long time to be rubbing stuff on your face, but frankly, it isn’t. It goes by so quick, sometimes you think: wait, I needed another 30 seconds!

I just lightly swipe it across my forehead, down the sides, onto my cheeks, on my nose, ending at my chin. By the end of that, depending on how slow or fast I go, I am pretty much done.

Then I just rinse my face, pat dry with a towel and apply my moisturizer.

To clean the brush, I run it under water, hold the handle tight and flick it dry.

One thing I will say is that you must use the brush twice a day.

I stopped for a day or so (only used it at night for 2 nights), and my skin was really unhappy. I broke out a little, and it was like my skin got used to using the brush in cleaning it, that if I stopped, my skin got angry.

Now, I just use it twice a day and my skin has never looked or felt better. I’m amazed and I’m not convinced a washcloth and rubbing it in circles on my face would have done the same thing in the same amount of time.

I could definitely use a washcloth, but I’d take 3 minutes longer to try and mimic the inner rotating brush.

ALL of my moisturizers, serums and lotions absorb a lot better now.

The minute I put on two drops of my argan oil on my face, it disappears almost instantly. That has NEVER happened before, I usually have time to rub it all over my face from one place and spread it around, but now, I have to dab oil on every part of my face before rubbing it in.

As for the body, you can do the test I did. I put the Normal brush head (Body Brush won’t fit, it’s too larger for the Mia), and you scrub one arm. Then you wash both arms and apply lotion to both.

Immediately, I could see the arm that was brushed, absorbed everything immediately. Even BF felt a difference when I tested him (he’s a super skeptic) and told me immediately which arm wasn’t absorbing the lotion as well.

MY QUICK PROS & CONS

PROS

1. It actually works and my skin feels much better with all those dead cells sloughed off
2. It is only 1 minute to wash my face really effectively
3. My products work better — my lotions absorb better rather than sitting on my face like a layer

CONS

1. Replacing the brush I really hate removing and replacing the brush because it’s unwieldy. You have to snap it on and twist, and the twisting part is hard because there seems to be nothing to grip on the brush to get it on the brush body itself.

2. The charger falls off easily because it isn’t snapped on or a cup of any kind. It’s two little connectors that you have to place carefully on the device, and make sure you don’t touch or move it accidentally.

3. Obviously, PRICE. Ick to the pricetag, but I am not willing to compromise on quality to be cheap, because I heard lots of reviews that the other imitation brushes DO NOT WORK as well as the Clarisonic and people waste $30 – $50 more by trying to be too cheap.

 RECOMMENDATION

BUY. IT. (Preferably on sale if you can score that some how)

The hype is to be believed.

I spent the money, choked on spending it, and am still not loving the price tag, but now I am not going to spas to get my face scrubbed, exfoliated and cleaned.

I’m going to use this brush twice a day, forever.

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

© FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com for Fabulously Broke in the City, 2012. |
| Permalink | 26 comments |

The bloom is off the rose, folks.

I, a formerly avid Starbucks lover, am never going to patronize that store ever again.

I HATE STARBUCKS AND I WILL NEVER RETURN WHILE THEIR WIFI PROVIDER IS BELL HOTSPOT

Why?

All because of their association with one of the rudest companies I’ve ever had the displeasure of coming across.

For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been going into Starbucks periodically to buy drinks, enjoy the atmosphere and read a little bit on my iPad.

I had NEVER had a problem before with their Wifi service, provided by Bell Hotspot, and even though they originally made you jump through hoops with Starbucks Card registrations and so on, it always connected me and it always worked.

(Note: I am on an iPad, iPod Touch or Laptop like a Macbook Air, and those products ALWAYS connected to Starbucks Wifi before)

Not any more.

Today, for the 15th time I’ve been into a Starbucks location (various ones all over Toronto), I was given the error message of something along the lines of:

“ERROR

Sorry, we couldn’t process your request at this time.

Please close the browser window and try again.

You can also call 1-866-768-8005 for customer service.”

I was trying for HALF AN HOUR.

I finally decided to call Bell Hotspot to see if there was anything that could be done, because it was starting to get on my nerves that I’ve never been able to connect to any Starbucks wifi since I returned.

Here’s how it went:

Bell Customer Service: Hi how can I help you?

Me: I’ve been trying for the past half an hour to connect to your Wifi at Starbucks and it keeps giving me this Error message.

Bell: Oh, well has it happened to other customers?

Me: *thinking WTF?*… Umm I don’t know, and frankly I don’t care. I have been trying for the past half an hour, and it keeps giving me an error message. I haven’t POLLED the customers in the store, so I am going to assume they all have the same problem.

Bell: Well if you knew if other people were experiencing the problem then we could do something.

Me: ………. [This is "customer SERVICE"?]

Bell: Could you go talk to the Starbucks manager and ask them if anyone else has been reporting the same problem? You have to talk to the Starbucks manager and then ask them, and then have them tell me.

Me: Look, I told you that I’m the one without connectivity here, and this is not the first time this has happened. I’ve NEVER been able to connect to a Starbucks wifi lately, and it’s the first time I’m calling in. You probably don’t get a lot of calls for this because people give up, but I thought I’d call and give it a try.

Bell: OH NO. Trust me, we ALWAYS get calls of customers complaining [And this is a good thing?] but we haven’t received any calls in the past 3 weeks. It has to be your device.

Me: Probably because no one has called in. I’ve been having problems for 3 weeks but this is the first time, and frankly, it isn’t my device. I’ve been using this same device before January when it connected perfectly fine to your network, and it’s only been in the past 3 weeks since that it hasn’t worked

[They probably cut down the bandwidth to be super cheap at Starbucks locations to make more money, or because they're just trying to be CHEAP]

Bell: You need to go talk to the Starbucks manager and ask them if anyone has had problems.

Me: Why? I shouldn’t have to do that, it’s really your service you’re providing to them, not their service that I’m complaining about… [it's not even my job, it is YOURS, BELL.]… I’m the client of Starbucks, and their clients are your clients indirectly, so you should be helping me.

Bell: But I don’t know who you are!!!! I need you to go talk to a Starbucks manager and ask them! YOU should go ask the Starbucks manager!

Me: But really, what does it matter?   [YOU ARE THE CONTACT NUMBER FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!] I’m a client at Starbucks who cannot log in, and hasn’t been able to for the past 3 weeks to your wifi at different Starbucks locations all over Toronto.

Bell: You know what? Forget it. *hangs up*

1. ANY CLIENT OF YOUR CLIENT, BECOMES YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Especially if your number is the contact number for problems with your service.

If they put YOUR customer service number on there to call rather than writing: “ERROR: Go see a Starbucks manager to resolve.“, then it means it is YOUR responsibility, Bell, to take care of the customers. Period.

YOUR. RESPONSIBILITY.

There is no ifs, ands or buts about it. Your service sucks, the end client of your major client is complaining, and you better damn well do something.

2. BLAMING A CUSTOMER IS A LOSE-LOSE SITUATION

She didn’t even ASK ME what I was using to try and connect to their Wifi Network, she just said: Oh it must be the product you are using to connect.

Telling me that my iPad, iPod Touch AND Macbook Air are all the source of your lack of proper hosting for your client, is not a good thing to do.

And really? Apple products are ubiquitous in Starbucks cafes, and if they are having problems like I am, they may be too polite or lazy (as I was in 3 weeks) to call and complain each and every time.

3. SAYING YOU HAVEN’T RECEIVED X NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IN A WEEK IS BULLS**T

I told her it happened every single time I went to any Starbucks location in the past 3 weeks, and having her parrot back to me: Oh but I haven’t received ANY complaints in the past 3 weeks from customers, is not a good way to serve customers.

For the record, the last one I was at was not even close to being near a busy area, with 3 customers on laptops, if that.

And to have her say that in EXACTLY 3 weeks it’s been all rosy at Bell, just because I said I had been trying to use it for EXACTLY 3 weeks and getting annoyed, is utter crap.

If I said: In the past 2 months, she probably would have denied receiving any complaints in the past 2 months.

4. HANGING UP ON A CUSTOMER EVEN IF YOU ARE ANNOYED

It is not my job as a client of Starbucks, to do YOUR job by talking to the manager.

I am calling on a phone, on MY time, on MY dime, and you should say: I will take care of it.

None of this “oh it’s your device“.. “oh I haven’t received ANY complaints in 3 weeks“…”oh, it’s you that should make sure that everyone is also not getting wifi too, or talk to the Starbucks manager“.

Does that sound like it should be my job to do that, as a paying end client of Starbucks?

No honey, YOU should ask the location of where I am at (she didn’t even do THAT), and then you should take it upon yourself to say: Let me call the store directly and talk to the manager and work this out. I apologize for the inconvenience.

YOU. NOT ME.

5. UNPROFESSIONAL: NOT APOLOGIZING AND BEING DEFENSIVE

In summary of the above, she didn’t ONCE apologize for the service being down.

She was defensive for everything.

…without even once asking me where I was located, how many times I experienced the problem in total, and taking it seriously.

She shined me on, HUNG UP ON ME and I’m angry and annoyed enough to not only blog about it, but to not go back to Starbucks until they get their #$*$(! act together

6. STARBUCKS IS NOT BLAMELESS

So why boycott Starbucks in general?

Frankly, if Starbucks is the kind of company that can hire such UTTER CRAP to be your Wifi Service Provider for your cafes, and you don’t even know how horrible they are to your clients who are paying for what is essentially overpriced (albeit delicious) drinks, then you don’t deserve a penny of my money.

In that pricey drink I was taking (usually lattes), I thought accessible wifi was part of the deal and I was willing to relax with a cup and browse the ‘net.

I was willing to pay, and I have been paying for years, as well as being quite a rabid fan. Not any more.

You also probably trusted that Bell would be nice to your clients right?

Well the woman I got, was not, and this is how angry I am.

If you want to make sure that Bell doesn’t f*#$ up your relationship with your clients, then SWITCH SERVICE PROVIDERS and vote with your money.

I vote with my money, and my money stays where it is — with me, and not with Starbucks.

Bell, you just don’t understand business and it shows in your so-called ‘customer service’ reps.

You don’t even know the meaning of customer service.

You’re only growing profits and revenues by screwing over your clients and trying to lower the quality of service, but charging the same amount.

It’s like this company can only make money  or turn a profit if they screw clients, but they don’t even realize that their crappy customer service to their clients’ end clients is what is the problem.

I hope you die a slow and painful death, and I’ll do my best to help it along, seeing as we already refused your crappy service for TV, Internet and Telephone at least 3 times in the past week.

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

© FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com for Fabulously Broke in the City, 2012. |
| Permalink | 29 comments |

I’m going to probably catch a lot of flack for this, but have you ever noticed a problem with making friends?

Specifically, making friends of the same social status as you are in.

Credit

I have a friend who is a doctor, and she just moved to a new city all by herself to start the job. Most of the girls who are there and around her age, are receptionists or nurses and they don’t seem to feel very comfortable in hanging out with her, just because she’s a doctor, and she has to tell them what to do.

It made me think of Grey’s Anatomy where you never really see nurses hang out with the surgeons at the same lunch table, and it’s rare to see higher-ranking surgeons hang out with the newbies.

I’ve been somewhat sheltered from this aspect, seeing as most of the clients I am with, tend to not have many women in the department, let alone women my age to hang out with and bond with.

It’s mostly guys around me, at least 20 years older with a wife, kids and there is no real connection other than work for the most part.

On top of all of that, I’m a lone wolf on projects, seeing as I’m a freelancer working among employees. I have to be uber careful about what I say and do, and how I project myself, so it can be hard to fit in.

Being a consultant means having to be an Every Woman/Man, and though many won’t show it, it can get lonely at times to not have a work friend to talk to, especially since I switch projects and clients so often.

I also find it hard to bond with a project manager, manager, executive or person way higher up than me in general. It just doesn’t happen, I’m on guard all the time.

The one thing my friend mentioned being uber jealous about my job was that I actually had to interact with people on my team — my project team, the client, the people I’m helping and just in general. I’m forced into social situations that can lend themselves easily to a rapport of some sort, even if it isn’t a strong one I can build on outside of work.

With her, she only hangs out with the other doctor in the field, who is again, older than her, not the same gender and just for the plain fact that she is sick of talking about doctor-y stuff all day (she thankfully spared me the details), and wanted to talk to other professionals not in her field or industry.

Have you come across this in your life?

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

© FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com for Fabulously Broke in the City, 2012. |
| Permalink | 23 comments |

It all started while I was looking for a black sweater in a decent price range.

Specifically, a pullover, perhaps with 3/4 length sleeves, in a nice fabric.

I saw this lovely sweater online at J. Crew (love the blue too!), but the minute I looked at the prices, I knew I wouldn’t be buying it, let alone buying any more clothes in Canada.

Let’s just take a look, shall we?

$65 USD for the sweater, $8.95 flat rate shipping (I could also go in-person in Toronto), but free shipping if you order over $175.

But wait!

For Canada, the price jumps up a whopping $21 USD, never mind the fact that they have a bloody store here IN TORONTO (Yorkdale mall), and they don’t even offer free shipping, but it is $1 extra:

Conclusion? I am not buying clothes in Canada any more. I can hold off, and this is a huge motivation to NOT shop.

I will only buy Canada-only products or second hand items

Aside from shopping on Etsy (love!), I will only go into those stores that don’t exist in the U.S., and/or are not U.S. owned at least.

For instance, Lululemon prices are about the same in the U.S. as they are in Canada, save for a couple of bucks, but nothing like a 30% price jump.

I also like independent designers, which is why I frequent stores on Queen Street and I like knowing the designer is in Canada, for instance.

I am not squeamish about secondhand items, although I know some people are (I totally respect that). If I can save money off the retail price of something, why the heck not!?

Even better if I can buy from fellow friends

I am patient, and frankly this stuff is unnecessary

Besides, I don’t really need any of this stuff.

I “need” a black or navy sweater, but to save 30%? Heck yes, I’ll be patient and wait all year if it takes all year.

This applies to everything I want to buy, even travel stuff. I’d rather wait and go across the border and save a good 30% or more, than buy it now and not really have an immediate use for it.

USA versus Canada: Taxes and Currency Exchange

We’ve been flirting around par (above and under) recently, and while I understand that they cannot put a fixed retail price based on a hope that the CAD and USD will be about the same (seeing as the numbers have been fluctuating since 2000), 30% is really quite a price gouge, especially since I can just wait and cross the border to buy it.

Not to mention the fact that Ontario charges a very unfriendly 13% sales tax, compared to the 8.25% in Texas, or 4% in New York, including this little gem:

On September 1, 2007, New York State eliminated sales tax on all clothing and shoes if the single item is priced under $110.

Wuh-WHAT!?

I know where I’ll be shopping from now on.

All this means for me, is that I will not be shopping as much, reminding myself that there is a 30% premium on U.S.-owned stores, and if I don’t need it right this instant, I can wait.

Thank you J. Crew, for your 30% price hike for Canadians. You’ve saved my wallet!

Related Posts

 

The Almost Purchase of the Facile Camp Shirt(s) a.k.a How I Curbed My Shopping Temptation!

 

Shopping to fill an emotional void

 

How does it feel after going through a year long shopping ban?

 

Making food for cheaper at home or eating smart when eating out

 

Shopping strategies to save money, time and space in your wardrobe!

 

Celebrity Shopping Sprees: Annie Leibowitz

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

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Disclaimer: I am fully aware that this is a First World problem, to complain about prices and money in general, but as I am living in a First World and not a Third World, this is my reality for now especially as a PF blogger.

This comment on my Everyday Minimalist post — Paris, France Part 1 — amused me more than it annoyed me:

In case it’s hard to read, ryan wrote:

$250,000 in the bank while travelling europe, and all you can do is complain about the prices? liberated indeed.

My answer is:

I don’t have $250k in the bank.

Wherever did you get that idea?

Also, just because I have money it doesn’t mean I can’t be careful with my money. Perhaps you shouldn’t read PF blogs if you’re going to get mad with people saving money & wanting to save more of it in their lives.

1. I have $155,000 not $250,000

My goal is to reach $200,000 this year but it looks a bit bleak because I am also trying to move to the U.S. and it’s getting complicated.

Still, setting a high goal is a nice thing to do for 2012.

I’m going to need to think of another strategy to make some money in the meantime.

2. The prices ARE shockingly high in Europe

They are shockingly high almost anywhere in Europe, which makes me quite glad to be across the pond, to tell you the truth.

Cost of living must be a bitch there — no wonder people can’t go out to cafes to chill out any more. They’d be poor in no time, especially without access to easy credit like here.

I was mad about having to pay good euros for crap (Laduree’s day old croissants), or a lot of money for what I consider to be cheap drinks (hot chocolate, pop), especially if you knew how much the old franc was really worth in comparison to the EUR.

To put it into perspective of why I was shocked at the prices:

6.55 French francs = ~ 1 EUR

A coffee in Paris used to cost about 5 francs, or less than a EUR.

Now, a coffee is about 2 EUR, or 13 francs, a 100% increase.

Guesstimating: 5 francs for a coffee in the past, and a hot chocolate at the most would have been 7-10 francs.

I was charged 4 EUR for that simple hot chocolate I took, which would have been 26.2 francs.

26.2 francs is murderous!

We are talking about more than a 150% increase in prices just because of a little currency exchange that was supposed to facilitate buying and selling among European countries, nothing more.

So if 1 EUR = $1.30 CAD, then I paid $5.20 for a cup of hot chocolate.

Even for $2 here in Canada, I wouldn’t pay for a cup of hot chocolate.

With chai teas and green tea lattes? Yes. A tall for $3.62, but not that same price for a simple, powdered mix hot chocolate.

(Even so, I am starting to drink more tea at home and foregoing the Starbucks route to save $$.)

I find any kind of drink overpriced considering that I know what goes into it — cocoa powder, sugar, some milk if you’re lucky, but it’s mostly water.

What is that really in cost? $0.50 in total?

You can see where I was a bit shocked at the prices, commenting on its huge price tag. I wouldn’t even really buy it for myself here, in Canada.

In Europe, I had the same reaction EVERYWHERE. It was the same not just for the hot chocolate or the drinks, but for everything except wine and cheese (fabulous prices at an amazing quality, even converted into CAD).

3. Where do they think I got the money anyway?

From a money tree? From a leprechaun? Maybe a magic money fairy who comes and visits every night?

Heck no. I SAVED EVERY PENNY OF IT, damn it.

I didn’t spend the money, and that’s how I have the money in the bank.

How didn’t I spend the money? By not buying $5.20 hot chocolates, and seeing that purchase as a one-off, overpriced, expensive TREAT.

That’s how ALL people who have savings have money.

They saved it by not spending it.

What I’m slightly melancholy about is that I could have saved MORE last year by not spending it so willy-nilly, but I had a great time so 2012 is another year.

So how am I NOT going to spend the money this year? I am going to avoid restaurants.

I am hearing too many gross stories I’d rather not share on this blog in fear of making you ruin your lovely computers by retching all over it, and I am going to stick to just eating food I or BF make at home.

With all that money, I’m going to keep my savings and watch it grow with the magic of compounding interest.

Getting Rich = Saving Your Money and Not Spending It Wastefully

Anyway, just thought I’d share this amusing comment with the rest of you.

Carry on.

Related Posts

 

Poor people aren’t always lazy people

 

Acting rich is not the same as feeling rich

 

What do you consider “rich”? Comments please!

 

Why people think $20 is more expensive than a $20 increase

 

Do poor people have a complex when they climb the social ladder?

 

“G”, If I Were A Rich Girl…..

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

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New year, new clothes.. right?

Okay no really, I need to make more space for my wardrobe (this closet purging is getting harder and harder, I tell ya) because I don’t want my suitcases to look like they’re bulging. I want to leave about 25% of empty space so that it looks well packed, but not stuffed to its gills.

Enter my THIRD closet clean out.

NOTES:

• I’d like to get everything sold ASAP
• E-Mail me here for what you want to buy: Contact Me or if you have any questions!
  
• First come, first serve, and if you don’t contact me or pay within 2 weeks, I will sell it to the second person who emailed me
• I only accept PAYPAL payments
• I can calculate your exact shipping costs using Canada Post online
• I will package everything as cheap as possible unless I need to buy a box to ship multiple items in
• I won’t charge any fake shipping or handling fees above and beyond the actual cost of the box & shipping

YAY!

SOLD Liamolly Knitted ‘Kingfisher’ Jacket — $50 — Size Small

This is brand new, never worn.

Would fit a Size US 4 or a small Size US 6.

I actually received it as a gift (and I already asked permission to re-sell it and made her swear never to buy me clothes again), but since I can’t in good faith put it at its full price, I am putting it at $50.

Liamolly is a brand that I know well, because they sell their line through Anthropologie, a store I love…some of the time.

The company is independent, and they’re trying to move their operations to the U.S. rather than relying on China. You can check out their whole story here.

The sweater blurb:

A group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia.

Fitted Tailored Jacket with Golden Feather Jacquard tubular trim and covered buttons

• 86% Wool
• 9% Rayon
• 5% Cotton

SOLD Bionic Tweed Suiting Wrap Dress — U.S. 6 or U.S. 4 — $50

Another Bionic wrap dress on the selling block!

It looks like this dress with the collar and the sleeves, but in the tweed suit fabric shown in the actual photos below.

Oh and no pockets. I don’t think there are pockets in this dress either, they just made it look like there are.

Here’s the actual grey tweed fabric you will receive. It isn’t too shiny at all, it has a slight sheen to it.

It has kind of military-like shoulders to it.

It will fit a U.S. Size 4 or a U.S. Size 6, and it would look better on someone with more of an hourglass, retro, shape. You need a bigger bust for this dress. I rarely wore it. Maybe.. once or twice.

I originally bought it because I —love—- the tweed suit fabric on there (I still do), but the bust area is just too big for me now.

As much as I love wearing it because the skirt flares out and gives a nice 50s feel with a beautiful suit-like tailored collar and sleeves, I lost weight and now I have to pull it too tight around my body.

I took it in to a tailor and they wanted to charge me $80 to have it cut to refit to my body. I am not feelin’ the pricetag (it’s the cost of another new dress or two!) so I’m selling it instead to someone with actual curves.

*sniffle*

H&M BLACK WRAP DRESS — U.S. 6 — $30

Never. Worn. ARG! Size 6. Fits a Size 4 (still fits me well).

I just don’t reach for the all-black wrap dress, but I kept it all this time thinking: Hey.. who doesn’t reach for an all black wrap dress? I can totally wear this.

Didn’t happen, so I’m letting it go.

I already have a black sheath that I wear to more formal functions and 30 other dresses in various styles (including wrap dresses) that I can wear in its stead.

It has a light collar on it (not stiff), in a 3/4 length sleeve. It’s a true wrap dress.

DYNAMITE DARK BROWN HALTER DRESS — U.S. 6 — $20

I bought this before I knew I was an inverted triangle type (I can’t wear halters, they make my shoulders look huge compared to my bottom half).

It fits a U.S. Size 4 or a 6. It’s actually pretty forgiving overall because you can sit down in it comfortably and eat well without worrying about it being too tight and hurting your belly.

I still think it looks fine on me, but as a girl with 30+ dresses, I can afford to let this one go because I haven’t touched it in about 3 years.

It also has a wrap around the waist, and lovely embroidery in the front which is what drew me to it.

MEXX BLACK AND GOLD PATTERNED SILK SKIRT — U.S. 6 — $30

100% silk, the lining is acetate in a size U.S. 6.

Again, same sob story. It is too big for me and it has no belt loops.

I tried it on the other day, as I was hemming and hawing about whether or not I wanted to really sell it (it’s so pretty), but when it slipped off my hips, I knew it had to go.

It has a slight tulip flare at the bottom, but the hip area is also flared out slightly. The silk hugs your hips without encasing it like a sausage if it fits you well.

LULULEMON RUN: SWIFTLY TECH SHIRT — U.S. 8 –$40 EACH SHIRT

$80 for both, I have 2 shirts 1 in Purple and 1 in Teal

NOTE: I snipped the tags out! They annoyed the heck out of my neck the first time I wore them, so I got rid of them.

If this bothers you.. well, don’t buy them You’ve been warned.

This exact colour of purple and another in teal:

I have two of these shirts to sell in the exact same type.

One teal, one purple. Original price was $58 each.

I bought them to wear while doing yoga, but frankly.. I never reach for them. I always end up doing yoga in my pajamas, which are my leggings and a tank top.

I wore them once each, but even for going out, I am not a sweatpants and sweatshirt kind of girl, and while I thought I wanted to keep a set of workout clothes, I never go to the gym so it’s all a wash.

I think they’d be better off with someone else who’d actually use them.

They are both U.S. size 8s.

Lululemon blurb:

why we made this

Our Swiftly Short Sleeve (SS) Tech is a direct result of design feedback that we’ve received during multiple sweat sessions with our ambassadors. What we heard: versatility rules, make a tee that is lightweight and breathable but durable, and take chafing seriously. Done.
key features

• moisture wicking construction pulls sweat away from the body
• doubles as a lightweight, knitted base layer in cool weather runs
• tee’s core construction is seamless
• where there are seams, they are flat and engineered to reduce chafing

tech specs

• designed for: run
• fabric(s): seamless Silverescent®
• properties: anti-stink, body-mapped, chafe resistant, breathable, moisture wicking, quick drying
• fit: body-skimming
• length: mid-hip

PAUL HO COUTURE GREY JACKET WITH SIDE BUCKLE — U.S. 6 — $50

I paid about $150 for this jacket. It’s handmade by Paul Ho in Toronto, and it’s SWIMMING on me now.

You need to be a U.S. Size 6 or a Medium to wear this because as a Size 4, it’s pretty large.

I love the lapels, the belt buckle at the side is just darling and the whole thing looks sleek without being too formal or business-y.

The fabric is smooth without being shiny (more matte), and it is soft but structured with slight shoulder pads.

The sleeves are also great. Slit on the edges instead of buttons and it has a slight bell curve which looks incredible.

When I was a U.S. 6, I wore it with skits, over pants and dresses to work. Looked great, gave a polish of a suit without it being a suit.

MONSOON PINSTRIPED INKY BLUE TOP WITH FLOWERS — U.S. 8 — $30

It fits me as a U.S. 6, albeit loosely (trapeze-shape for the bottom), but it says a U.S. Size 8 because my shoulders are larger than a U.S. 6 in certain cuts, including this top.

Now, it’s just too big on me, that I’m a Size 4.

It’s swimming on me and if I don’t sell it, I am happy to keep it and wear it belted forever.. but someone should else should enjoy it if they can.

It is a soft material, and has a bit of a pleat at the top (see the first picture). It’s bold but still neutral and would look great over anything.

H&M TAILORED DENIM BLAZER — U.S. 6 — $40

Denim is like the hottest thing right now.

Too bad this is a U.S. 6 because it’s too large for me to be super trendy with it on.

The denim is soft, the blue is a medium, and it’s a great casual blazer to wear over anything and everything.

The pockets are real, too The sides are nipped in a bit for a waist so it doesn’t look so bulky and square either.

[SOLD] SMART SET WHITE PINSTRIPED SUIT — U.S. 6 — $60

A whole suit for $60.

You can buy the jacket or the pants separately for $30 each, but I’d like to sell them together as the fabric and colour match perfectly.

UNWORN!

UNWORN!!!!!!!! I’m so mad. I bought it as part of my ‘suit set’ (black, dark grey, another grey and this white), and I just never reached for it.

Now it’s too big for me and the time is lost.

It’s a U.S. Size 6 set (the jacket says Size 5 but the pants say Size 7, but I wore them together when I was a U.S. 6), and it is in pristine condition, as it has never BEEN WORN.

The material is slightly stiff (better for a suit), and smooth. It’s not so stiff you’ll feel uncomfortable. You’ll feel more professional in it than anything.

I like the idea of wearing the items are separates because you can wear that blazer over some dark jeans and some heels for a night out, or the white pants with a black top with long earrings…

Lots of possibilities.

SOLD DYNAMITE POLKADOT RUCHED TANK TOP — U.S. 6 — $10

I have a lot of polka dotted stuff, this is the last one to go. Fits a Size 6 or a 4.

It has ruching in the front (great for hiding bellies), and I should warn you that the back is a bit sexier, being a bit sheerer. The front is not sheer at all however.

Very comfortable to wear, great as a tank top, I got lots of compliments on it.

SOLD MOSHI CONCERTI IPAD PURPLE CASE — $25

Bought this for $50 I think. I used it for my iPad, but ultimately, I don’t need a case. I just throw it in my purse.

I think you can use it for the iPad 1 or 2.

I have the iPad 2 for your reference — it has the little hole in the back for the back camera for the iPad 2.

I bought it because of the colour, the fact that the strap goes around the front instead of a snap case, and you have options of different angles for the iPad itself for viewing.

It also has a sleeve in it as well.

Related Posts

 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park coming to Universal Orlando in Spring 2010

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

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I spent about a year in 2011 faking what my retirement might be like, and I traveled quite a bit.

To recap, for about 8 months I went to the following cities around the world:

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Singapore
• Lisbon
• Evora
• Madrid
• Salamanca
• London
• Paris
• Stockholm
• Brussels
• Austria

During those actual days of traveling, I spent about $20,000.

I really enjoyed the whole experience, knowing fully how lucky I am to have had the resources (time & money) and the opportunity to do so…. but now I’m re-thinking my retirement.

You know how everyone always says they’d love to retire and travel the world? I don’t think I want to do that.

Traveling the way that we do on such a budget, is for the young

My parents who are nearing retirement, can’t handle the amount of walking and exhausting days of touring we did.

My aunt who is older than my parents, traveled to Paris for 2 weeks and spent $20,000. Obviously, some of the money was spent on clothing, but I’m fairly sure her hotel was a 4 or 5 star hotel (we stay in 2-3 stars), and they must have eaten in restaurants every single day.

Even if we had to money to travel like that, I am not sure I’d want to. It’s pretty tiring. I might want to go back to cities I enjoy like Hong Kong or New York, but not to do adventure traveling and discovering new places.

Traveling all the time gets boring

I know. First world problems… but it really gets to you, not being able to really relax, have a comfortable routine and to always be in tourist mode and on-the-go.

I missed my clothes and I missed the essentials of what makes a home for me, namely a kitchen!!!

After a while, all that traveling feels like a blur and I started feeling jaded.

I’d suggest traveling for 2-3 weeks at a time annually, rather than traveling the way we did.

You will enjoy it more, feel less stressed and really appreciate it. It’s a nice break from work, but not as a full-time endeavour.

I am dying to get back to work

I am by no means a workaholic, but I like being challenged mentally.

Traveling does challenge you mentally, but in a different way.

Even when I have kids, being challenged by them (both mentally and physically), still isn’t the same as working at my job.

When I work, I am able to use my experience and skills to figure out and solve problems, and that kind of challenge is what I miss the most, when I don’t work.

It just isn’t the same.

I am now considering a part-time retirement

I don’t even know how this will work, but if I could work part-time in my industry, or do something where it isn’t 40 hours a week, I’d probably do that when I retire.

Perhaps I will have less energy when I am older, and my mind might change… but at this point in my life, I feel like I have too much down time.

I need to be busier than this, but I don’t want to be so busy that I’m stressed.

So what are my options?

At this point, I have no idea. I know that I will not be traveling 100% on vacation when I retire, and I know I will miss being challenged and using my skills when I don’t work at my job.

I know I will have kids, which will help fill that void of busy-ness immensely, but I really don’t think I have the personality nor the will to be a full-time stay-at-home parent.

Maybe I could start a business on the side… but that’s like working, isn’t it? Arg.

So .. what ARE my options?

You can contact me here or find me on Twitter via @brokeinthecity.

Come and visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist where I am living with less, but only the best!

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