Aug. 25, 2008 --If you're going longer between haircuts, reconsidering a handbag you might have splurged on six months ago or scouring eBay for clothing deals, you're not alone.
This fall, it looks as if saving might be the new black.
And it's no wonder, with all the job losses, higher gas and food prices and the erratic stock market. Even the most vain and stylish may be rethinking those $40 weekly mani/pedis or $180 designer jeans.
According to a shopping survey by WSL Strategic Retail, 73 percent of those asked said they were more careful about shopping than they were a year ago. More than half said they were proud to have found ways to cut costs. And 63 percent of women said they avoided stores where they knew they would overspend.
But does saving mean you have to give up chic and pretty?
Not according to the experts we turned to for tips on how to trim beauty and fashion costs but still maintain your sense of style.
1. Calculate $2 per wear
Sure, buy those $75 shoes. But be prepared to wear them at least 37 times.
That's the strategy for frugalista Kathryn Finney, who writes the popular blog The Budget Fashionista (www.thebudgetfashionista.com).
She says when you buy something new, your goal should be to wear it enough so that your cost per wear is below $2. Ideally, you'd get it to $1.
When you retrain your brain to focus on the cost per wear, you'll likely wear more of what's in your closet. It also will help keep you from buying things that might not fit perfectly or be the right color. Instead, you'll focus on how much you'll wear something rather than just thinking about the good price you are getting.Because that's part of the problem. People too often focus on just the price, Finney said. "Then they buy something because it's cheap and they never wear it."2. Be a chemistYou know all those half-used tubes of lipstick you have in bathroom drawers and in your handbags? Consider mixing several shades to make new shades -- maybe even one you'll actually use.Julie Hafer, the owner of Beauty Ethics in Raleigh, says you can also mix nail polishes with good results."Just take the stuff you already have and make new colors," she said. "It's fun."3. Turn off the dryerYour clothes will last two to three years more if you dry your clothes in the dryer for about five minutes and then hang them up, says Melissa Tosetti, the editor of Budget Savvy magazine in Redwood City, Calif. (budgetsavvymag.com). And it saves on electricity.4.Rethink dry cleaningThe first logical step is to shop for items that don't have to be dry-cleaned, Finney said.
But the reality is much of what you already have needs to be dry-cleaned, especially the suits. But it doesn't have to be cleaned every time you wear it. Or even after the second time. Finney, who grew up in the family dry-cleaning business, said suits should be cleaned a few times a year.Stains? Blot them out before they set in. Freshness? Try some Febreze or a fabric softener, she suggests."It'll help prolong the time in between cleanings," she said.5. Skip the higher priced cosmeticsDo you really need a $24 mascara?Especially when there's one with a similar formula for $7?Hafer says when it comes to skin care and makeup, you don't have to spend a lot of money to have healthy skin or a beautifully made up face.She's set up Beauty Ethics in Cameron Village (www.beautyethics.com) using the savvy beauty advice from the cosmetics cop Paula Begoun, who regularly analyzes beauty products to make sure they really do what companies claim.Basically their philosophy is this: You can buy expensive makeup, skin care and hair care products, and often the price is worth it. But more than likely, you can find a product to do the exact same thing at half the price. You just won't get the same fancy packaging or marketing hype.Finney said in many cases, from makeup wipes to mascara, the formulas for the cheap stuff are the same as the expensive stuff. "Same with lipstick," she said. 'There's virtually no difference in them."
To see what products you can save on, pick up a copy of Begoun's book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" ($29.95) or go online to www.cosmeticscop.com. Or get on the waiting list at your local library. Or thumb through the copy of the book in Hafer's waiting area.6. Check out consignment storesIf you have visions of wading through racks of brandless clothes from the '70s, think again. Today's consignment stores offer pieces less than a few years old by many of the top labels -- some of which you can't find new in the Triangle -- for far less than you would pay at retail.After 10 years in business, Rebecca Chapman is still seeing newcomers to consignment shopping at her Annie's Attic consignment store in downtown Cary. And a big reason is the brands."We get in Gucci, Prada, St. John, a lot of the labels that women love but can't pay full price for," she said.In many cases, her designer pieces are 50 percent or more off what you would pay retail for.She said she recently got in a St. John suit that retailed for $4,500. She's selling it for $599."It shocks some people to come in and see what's on the rack," she said. "They start looking at the prices and they're pleasantly surprised."
7. Grow out the graySharon Wolfe did. And she's now saving $100 a month.Of course, it wasn't something that happened overnight. Wolfe, the owner of Novel-Ts, a Cary company that creates promotional items, said the first step was deciding to start coloring it at home. While it was a cost-saving move initially, it still didn't save her much on time and effort."It's not an elective thing," she said. "When the roots are showing, you have to stay on top of it."And you don't always get a salon-quality result.Now after making the decision to embrace her natural gray, it's wash and go. Easy. And chic.Oh. And she's pocketing the $100 a month.8. Love your skin -- the sooner the better"What ends up happening when you hit 30 or 35 you start pouring money into skin-care rehab," says editor Tosetti.A better strategy is to invest in your skin in your 20s, before the wrinkles and the sun damage kicks in, by buying quality skin-care products and then being regimented about using them.9. NegotiateDon't be afraid to ask for a discount when you're shopping at a department store or a boutique, especially if the item is damaged. "You can negotiate, particularly if there is a rip or a stain," Finney said.She said while the store clerk might not have the power to change the price, many store managers do. Often they have about 10 percent to 20 percent wiggle room on the price.Afraid to do it? Don't be, Finney said."Businesses negotiate down all the time so why can't you do the same thing?" she said.samantha.smith@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-4563-----To see more of The News & Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsobserver.com.Copyright (c) 2008, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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