Don't Buy Too Far Into The Future

I wrote a post nearly 4 years ago about a habit, namely stocking up, I wanted to break. I'm happy to report: I changed! My new purchasing pattern is to Buy One Plus One for many common commodities. You can replace an old habit with a better habit, maybe not suddenly, but one step at a time. Not buying more t-shirts, soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, or body balms than what I need has not caused any shortages or hardships.

Even when an old favorite is discontinued I've never had to go without. A new and often better product takes its place. Nor have I had to overpay for soap, shampoo, conditioner, or t-shirts because I didn't buy a dozen during a sale. Aren't these the two main reasons we tend to stock up?

In fact, I can think of a few instances when buying a stash of everyday products resulted in a waste of product and money. 

In the late 1990's I loved the Bath & Body Shop's Freesia Scented Body Cream. When the shop's sales manager told me freesia was being discontinued, I bought up a supply to use for when I couldn't buy it. Big mistake! Despite being sealed, scented body creams have a short shelf life. They go bad after 2+ years. The fragrance vaporizes and the ingredients in the cream separate. Moreover, skincare has improved by removing drying agents such as alcohol and adding essential ceramides to restore our skin barrier.  Although I loved smelling like freesia I never understood why I had dry skin until after I stopped slathering on my freesia body cream in winter. The alcohol in the body cream I thought was moisturizing my skin was drying it! 

After I'd bought far too many t-shirts at Express, a newer cut and fabric launched at Old Navy that I prefer. 

Bars of soap from various retailers have been replaced by less messy liquid soaps, as well as, post-Covid hand sanitizers. Yet to this day, I'm still going through my bars of soap, sometimes putting one in a soap dish on the kitchen sink or laying them on shelves inside my wardrobe ... because what else do you do with too many bars of soap? The world has moved on from solid bars of soap!

Often buying a stockpile of a product during a sale is not as cost-effective as just buying one plus one as needed. Our needs are always evolving. What you need today may change tomorrow. So buying too far into the future repeatedly leads not only to clutter but to a waste of product and money. We end up with products after we've moved on from valuing them. 

We simply need enough of an item so we don't have to run back to the store every time we turn around. Usually buying one plus one is the right quantity. I'm happy I nipped buying too far into the future!

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Aspinal The Alternative to Logo Luxury Bags

Full grain leathers - nappa and cow

Welcome to the world of Aspinal of London, where customers can buy top-notch luxury bags or small leather goods without the hype, games, serial price hikes, or ostentatious logos that are becoming disturbing among a few well-known luxury brands. Merchants who don't value their customers are not our friends. Aspinal of London is!

Aspinal offers high caliber leather(s), expert craftsmanship, and attention to detail with extras for your money; and their bags list for $1000s less than the showy logo brands. 

Furthermore, you are provided with excellent and friendly customer care. Just for signing up for emails, you get an instant 10% savings, and periodically there are sales with up to 70% off. Save your Alexander Hamiltons on fine leather goods. Frankly spending them for exclusiveness is a middle-class illusion according to marketers! Luxury houses design special lines not for public sale for their wealthy clients.

Aspinal's fine leather bags are ultra stylish, sturdy, tasteful, and timeless. Does the quilted black bag with gold hardware on the left remind you of a coveted bag that just announced another price increase (of 15.7%)? The Chanel medium double flap bag now sells for $11,850 (up from $10,200) without offering customers any improvements! In fact, numerous customers claim the quality of the double-flap bag has taken a nose-dive and is no longer worth its asking price.

 Not only is the classic Aspiral bag of superior quality, but it also has a few frills such as 4 golden feet to protect the leather. You get more for less money.

If you are looking for a substantial full-grain leather luxury bag, then look no further than Aspinal of London where you find excellence, a fair shake, and outstanding customer service when you walk in the door, as well as, after you purchase your bag. Take a consumer oath: From now on, support brands who work to be your friends!

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7 Things I Won't Buy Anymore

More and more I'm embracing minimalism. I try to buy what I need, not more than what I need. By owning less we can reduce clutter, simplify our lives, and gain freedom from having to work just to pay the bills. Living in Manhattan where apartments tend to be small helps me shop mindfully, but I too must resist temptation sometimes!

7 Things I Won't Buy Anymore Include:

1) Shoes & Clothes Like a Fashionista - Once upon a time I bought a motley of fashion-forward shoes and clothes that struck my fancy. Now I'm into a less is more mindset. I have a capsule of classic clothes that I wear over and over. Even my gala clothes I wear time and again. As long as I look polished, coordinated, and appropriate, I no longer care if I wear a dress multiple times. Outside of show business or a public person who delivers televised speeches, do people really remember what we wear? Probably not, and if so I really don't care if they do! 

2) Makeup Like A Fashion Model - When applying makeup I go for a little razzle-dazzle but overall I keep my cosmetics fairly natural. I strive to look my best, but I no longer experiment or try to create different looks. The best version of me (lines and all) is fine. Fortunately, superb drugstore brands like Maybelline, L'Oreal, Milani, and Drew Barrymore's Flower are examples of high-quality makeup that make spending on pricey luxe labels totally unnecessary today. I have more lipsticks than I remember buying so I plan to use up my lip colors before buying more.

3) Toilet Seats Like a Town & Country Socialite - I stopped overspending on a toilet seat. I keep it basic by buying the simple but adequate white wooden toilet seats from Home Depot. When workmen enter my bathroom and scratch the paint off my toilet seat by carelessly setting their toolbox on it, replacing it with a factory-new toilet seat is cheap. A basic, inexpensive wooden toilet seat looks great and lasts if you don't abuse it.

4) Sweets & Junk Food Like a 20-Something Year Old - I avoid the middle aisles of a supermarket and I rarely keep bags of my weakness -- salty food-like substances such as corn chips, tortilla chips, or potato chips at home. When out and about, I'll eat a portion of French fries or potato chips, something less likely to happen at home where family sizes of nacho tortilla chips torture me until the bag is empty!

When it comes to candy and sweets I'll have a portion outside of the home. As a rule, if I want cake or French fries at home I must make them from scratch myself. It takes more effort and you have to wait to eat them.

5) Cleaners Like a 20th Century Housekeeper - I clean mostly with white vinegar and water which I mix and keep in a spray bottle. I use the vinegar mixture to mop floors and treat most stains on rugs or upholstery. I scrub my toilet and bathroom fixtures with 3% hydrogen peroxide (which kills germs without removing the varnish off of surfaces like toilet seats). White vinegar combined with baking soda dissolves soap scum. Bleach, Ajax, and Bartenders' Friend are for periodic heavy-duty cleaning. I mix ammonia with water to make my own Windex to clean mirrors and glass. For food spots on clothes, I use dishwashing detergent containing OxiClean. These basic cleaners take care of most household jobs as effectively as more expensive commercial cleaners (which also come in fewer ounces so you must restock more often).

6) Gold Jewelry Like a Multi-Millionaire - This is more my fantasy than a former reality😁. Nonetheless in the past, I bought some fashion jewelry and was more tempted by fine jewelry than I am today. As with clothes and shoes, I have a capsule of fine jewelry and never buy fashion jewelry. The price of gold has risen so much that we no longer get enough for our money. We're charged an arm and a leg for flimsy gold chains and thin bangles. Just say no -- pass on buying expensive skimpy pieces. It's not good value for the money!

7) The Latest Gadgets Like a Techie - I keep my laptops, iPads, and cell phones until they cough and die. We'd go broke trying to keep up with updated gadgets. Every 6 months a new version comes out. As long as what I own works, I continue to use it. After it coughs and dies, I thoroughly enjoy owning the latest faster computer ... for what seems like 15 minutes before a newer model replaces it. Therefore I give up on keeping up!

I'm committed to becoming as much of a minimalist as makes sense. I like simplifying my life and capsule buying in every area of life. We only need enough, not more than enough!

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Inflation Busters: Look For Value Naturals Snacks

With inflation falling but still with us, food is taking a big bite out of everybody's budget. At my local Key Food Supermarket, as well as, at other supermarkets including Shop Rite, Value Naturals brand of snacks is still an excellent value. I paid $4.99 for 9 ounces of Walnuts, $1.99 for 6 ounces of Crystalized Sliced Ginger, and $2.99 for 8 ounces of Sun Dried Tomatoes. This Supermarket label has a wide assortment of other snacks available including candies and an oriental umami-flavored mix. I don't buy the oriental unami crunchy snacks with dried horseradish flavored peas because when in my pantry I can't stop eating them! I do pop 2 or 3 of the Crystalized Ginger slices in my mouth if I crave something sweet; the walnuts for a healthy dose of protein; and the Sun Dried Tomatoes if I eat cheese and crackers but think I should have cooked a vegetable.

My 3 favorites are always in my pantry. In addition to snacks, they can go on a cheese platter ... the Sun Dried Tomatoes go well in salads ... and the Walnuts into baked goods.

Although not sold in bigger sizes, they seem to last for a while, and the value pricing makes them inexpensive to rebuy as needed. I feel a little more affluent and fancy stocking them, caviar tastes on a tuna fish budget as the saying goes.😁😂 

Speaking of which, look for Value Naturals Snacks in the canned tuna, produce, or meat sections of your local supermarket. Usually, you'll find them in the exterior, i.e., the aisles near the walls where the real food lays.

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Is Your Prime Membership A Waste Of Money?

Photo: Getty Images

Amazon rocks. I love it! Frequently the prices of goods are the same or better than at brick-and-mortar stores. At times stores lacking an item will direct me to Amazon, which ends up having it. Convenience is a given with purchases arriving at my door. Also, packages stuffed in the mailbox or left at the door can feel like gifts. Shopping on Amazon is addicting! And yet, after a couple of trials, I decided not to buy the $139 Prime Membership.

I think a Prime Membership is worth the cost if you: (1) order a lot of stuff; (2) live in a building where packages left in a common area get stolen; (3) need fast delivery, including same-day (with a $35 order), and 1 or 2-day delivery; or (4) use the other perks of the membership: Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, Prime Gaming and/or buy things marked down on Amazon Prime Day, Prime Early Access Sales or the Lightening Deals. Clearly, Prime Membership adds value non-members don't have.

Photo: Business Insider

But I found I didn't use any of these benefits with a 30-day trial, In fact, the items I ordered during my 30-day trial were excluded from the 1 or 2-day delivery and it still took a week or over for them to arrive. But it was ok with me. Almost always, I can handle the wait. I tend to be a planner, as opposed to, a last-minute shopper, and I also worry about Amazon workers who might have to kill themselves to rush items to customers because it's the business model. Let's remember human beings work in fulfillment centers (warehouses) to get our packages to us!

What's more, all orders $25 or more give you free shipping, and usually it's not a hardship for me to wait a beat until I bundle articles to reach $25. If your circumstances require you to order a ton of under $25 items monthly, then you'll save on shipping by paying for an Amazon Prime Membership at $139 per year (or $14.99 per month), and as a bonus, you'll enjoy all the Amazon Prime Member benefits. A bargain if you often order to run a business. You would spend more than $11.58 each month ($11.58 x 12 = $139) on shipping without a membership.

I adored binge-watching a season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with my free trial membership, but frankly, there's not enough original content to make a Prime Membership worthwhile for Prime Video alone. Amazon offers Prime Video solo for $8.99 monthly or $107.88 a year, but IMHO you'll likely save by streaming your shows of interest.

Nonetheless, I need to jump back to emphasize how much I love Amazon! 

Photo: Business Insider

I advise anyone to check Amazon first before ordering a wheelchair, a senior shower bench, a safety bed rail, or anything you'd buy from a medical supply store as they're always far less on Amazon. Anything and everything is less on Amazon if you need it when a seller is listing it at a great price. Always worth a look!

Despite not having a Prime Membership, an Amazon customer rep called me a good customer since I buy a fair amount. Still, I never feel pressure or am tempted to order unnecessary things to justify annually spending $139 on a Prime Membership or because Lightening Deals are too good to pass up.

For some buyers, additional free shipping can lead to additional impulse buys. Make sure you don't overconsume to validate a membership for Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, Costco Executive/Gold Star, or Sam's Club as it's not saving you money but costing you more than you'd normally spend. It's easy to do if we're not mindful. 

Finally, cancel any unused subscriptions and services that are costing you and not saving you money.

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Washcloths, Save or Splurge?

Walmart

Let me cut to the chase. After decades of buying washcloths, I learned to save and not splurge on this household essential. You want to splurge on big, thick, thirsty bathroom towels that can be washed time and again but save on washcloths. Here's why:

1) Washcloths, whether they are made by Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley, Walmart, or Target, get ugly really fast. Cute doesn't stay cute for long regardless of price. After you wash a washcloth twice it doesn't look new anymore. Washcloths get stained by personal care products (like vitamin C serum) and look somewhat dingy after multiple machine washes and there's little you can do about it.

Pottery Barn

2) Unlike bath towels, big thick thirsty washcloths are actually a drawback. I have 4 Pottery Barn washcloths that I hate to use for 2 reasons: (a) the color bleeds and (b) they take 2 days to dry before I can toss them into the clothes hamper. This experience turns me off of big, thick, thirsty washcloths.

3) While you don't need a ton of bath towels, you do need a ton of washcloths, one freshly laundered washcloth daily for every member of your family. A ton of Pottery Barn washcloths costs a tidy sum! Not so at Walmart or Target.

Target

4) I happen to prefer the lighter Target or Walmart washcloths to the heavier more expensive Pottery Barn ones as it's easier to swish around and buff the skin with less weight.

5) The bargain Target and Walmart washcloths are good enough, they won't soon fall apart, and you get unbeatable value for the money -- such as 6 washcloths for $5, as well as, sales like 6 washcloths for $2.40, as opposed to, $14.50 each for Pottery Barn or $25 each for Ralph Lauren as in only one!

6) With such substantial savings, you can afford to buy spanking-new washcloths more often and still come out ahead. 

Walmart

Once upon a time, I bought sets of matching bath towels and washcloths, but I no longer do since as it turns out nobody cares. In washcloths, I don't look for Egyptian threads or Turkish cotton either. Nowadays I buy big thick thirsty cotton bath towels and good enough cotton washcloths as needed. Pay the piper when it counts. 

Other tips: 

When selecting these home goods create one washer load only: Either buy all white towels and washcloths (and perhaps bedding) or go with colors and skip the whites. Why create the need to do 2 loads of laundry weekly? Simplify a repetive job by going one way or the other.

 

Don't overbuy washcloths just because they're cheap as there's never a washcloth shortage. Always buy enough not more than enough. You're welcome!😛🙂

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Pretty Things Borrowed From The Internet

The following are pretty things I love but either can't afford; don't truly need; or for the sake of practicality won't buy them. I love big blingy diamonds but can't justify spending 36k plus on a single piece of jewelry, and I don't need more dresses or sandals. Still, I love them all:

The top👆image is a ring designed By Bonnie Jewelry, as a gift for her Hong Kong mother. It's a 3 1/2 carat center pear-shaped diamond with two 1/2 carat accent pear-shaped diamonds. They are D-grade diamonds. Unaffordable for us average Janes ... yet stunning! The ratio of the center pear shape is ideal. The cut for a pear doesn't get any better, and you will pay a mint for it if you aren't Bonnie's mother!

Unlike the diamond ring, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark's Moss And Spy Elodie dress is affordable for a gal with a job. The high-lacy neck and A-line skirt look lovely on her! I try not to buy what I don't need and really have no upcoming events to justify buying a new dress, plus I have suitable dresses if an occasion to wear one pops up.

At 1st glance, Birkenstock sandals are quite ugly, but everybody is wearing them on the streets of Manhattan and I'm told they are ultra comfortable. Yesterday a woman told me she haven't taken hers off since buying them. Averaging $145 for leather, they run up to $200. Can so many people be wrong? If you walk miles and miles on city pavement with arch support and stability, ugly becomes beautiful!

If I go far from home on foot, I don't wear sandals. All summer long I wear Old Navy $2 flip-flops, inside my apartment only. I already own a supportive pair of Merrell sandals that I wear if I travel by car, or walk short distances. Birkenstock sandals would be worth the cost if its contoured arch support lets you walk all over town with ease. For sure your feet are worth investing in to prevent foot problems! Certain colors go on sale for $72, but I'll pass until I need a new pair of sandals.

Nice things, eh? That pricey diamond ring makes me wish I were either Bonnie's mother or Kim Kardashian, otherwise, I'm happy to be me!


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Goelia's Award Winning Style Is Affordable

Goelia Design was founded in 1995 by women. The retailer offers superior fabrics, craftsmanship, and style ''at the best possible price" in addition to customer rewards and reductions. We're talking silk dresses, worsted wool trench coats, and leather skirts. The wools are soft and smooth, and the color palette tends to be neutrals. You'll find reasonably priced dresses made of polyester or cotton also.

The details in the pieces are gorgeous! Classic design that's feminine plus a little edginess too. To boot, the clothing is versatile ... going from day to night! Goelia is gifting some of their garments to YouTube vloggers but unfortunately, the company hasn't stumbled upon THE SAVVY SHOPPER with freebies to review.😟

Oh well, my relationship is with my readers, so I'm featuring a sampling of the clothing anyway. Comfortable, wearable, and timeless fashion at a fair price, making Goelia a worthy retailer to discover. Good news readers, Goelia ships to the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia, so be sure you click and peruse the website corresponding to your location.

Do you see a favorite?

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Should You Pay $10,200 For a Chanel Bag?

Chanel - cow's (caviar) leather. Also comes in lambskin.

The Chanel classic flap bag increased another 16% in 2023. The medium flap bag now sells for $10,200, up from $8,800 earlier this year.

1) Karl Lagerfeld

Chanel's business model now seems to be to jack up its prices 3 - 4 times each year without giving consumers anything in return for it, such as improving the craftsmanship of its bags. As many customers have noted, the bag's quality has slipped over time. The 2023 Chanel flap bag is not as well-made as the designer's older flap bags, and its hardware is no longer gold-plated. The newer flap bag's hardware is even known to tarnish. Some say the leather quality has sunk too. 

2) Karl Lagerfeld; 3) Coach -- unlinked but easy to google by name. Oh, the Coach is gorgeous!

Although I still love the style of Chanel's classic flap bag, I won't be spending $10,200 to own one. That sum is insane and absolutely not a good investment! IMHO, Chanel's unrelenting, frequent price raises are gauging its customers, and I no longer can judge anyone for buying Chanel illegal replicas. But if you, like me, are of the mind that two wrongs don't make a right, there are many legally inspired classic Chanel flap leather bags on the market, and it's where personally, I'd turn. We can find a similar effect at a fair and reasonable price. {Plus there are many faux leather-inspired Chanel flap bags for even less money. They'll wear out sooner than real leather but are cheap enough to get your money's worth if you have to rebuy them.}

4) Tori Baurch; 5) Kate Spade

Throughout today's blog are Chanel-inspired leather flap bags. While they are not replicas -- fakes designed to fool people into thinking they are real Chanel bags, they are inspired and legal to give you a classic Chanel vibe for at least $9,700 less. Unlike Chanel, these inspired bags periodically go on sale for further reductions. You keep "the insane" difference of your own money for your benefit instead of forking it over to Chanel. Here's one I bought from Coach Outlet.

DHGate.com

Yes, there's a degree of compromise in looks; and depending on price (over $100, or under $100), the interior lining of an inspired bag may or may not be leather. But golly, consider this: With the latest price hike, an authentic Chanel flap bag buys 3 - 11 live dairy cows!

Isn't it time to say no to retailers you love, who don't love you back? Plus reports are leaking that Chanel isn't passing its HUGE profits on to its factory workers, who also must get permission to talk to one another while they work and don't get paid when they show up for work on a day Chanel experiences a supply problem.

As longtime readers know 99% of my blogs are positive with tips on what to buy, in lieu of what not to buy, or panning retailers, but when pricing gets ridiculous with no regard for customers or employees, we must speak up! When business practices aren't fair for EVERYONE involved, buyers can just say no. 

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Pond Los Angeles 4-Way Transform Tote

Pond Los Angeles makes luxury leather bags and accessories at fair prices for the modern woman. It uses the same high-end materials as the haute couture brands without the latter's excessive markups. The independent retailer focuses on innovative design, expert craftsmanship, and attention to detail, all the features we want without the shocking markup! It's a label for consumers who want timeless well-made essentials but can't justify spending thousands of dollars more for a status name.

The brand's 4-Way Transform Tote is clever. Compact yet spacious with smartly placed organizing pockets, it fits a 13" or 15" laptop in a padded section, a water bottle, and everything else you need for work when on the run. The structured tote is produced from American Saffiano leather that is waterproof and scratch resistant. The tote's leather won't show wear and tear. And you have to admire the tote's versatility. A true multi-tasker!

Carry the tote by its handles, use it as a shoulder or crossover bag, or transform its straps into a backpack. Additionally, at the airport, the shoulder straps can convert into luggage straps using a built-in converter.

The Pond Los Angeles Transform Tote is the perfect, well-thought-out, travel bag with zippers and slots, and pockets, oh my! There's also an interior leather key leash with a D-ring. Not dirt cheap yet reasonably priced, plus it goes on sale, and it sometimes lands on the pre-loved market deeply discounted! This is the kind of leather bag, worth splurging on because you get a lot for it -- quality, functionality, and durability! You're not paying for a name. Be on the lookout for a deal!👀

On Thursday, I'll discuss a famously popular bag, and I've already written the blog. Please keep this bag in mind to understand how you might sometimes save for a worthwhile splurge verses one that perhaps isn't worth spending the money on.

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