Bitten?

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On June 7th Sarah Jessica Parker will unveil her new Bitten fashion line for Steve & Barry's in the US. It's not being sold online so I thoght I'd be preparing to troll through eBay for it just like I've done with the Luella Bartley or Tara Jarmon for TargetUS, Karl Lagerfeld for H&M, Stella for TargetAUS.

Her line is perfect for my non-shopping spreee because it's terrible! Bo-ring!

After flipping through the line, I'm dissapointed but not surprised. SJP is a clothes horse and sure she has style but a designer? Clearly not. All the attention that she got came from being styled by Patricia Field. I'll bet the Bitten clothes feel even cheaper than H&M or Forever 21 pieces, the price is right. So it's cheap, boring and easy to pass by. One less thing I'll feel suckered into buying! Yay!

Paralyzed by Non-shopping

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I didn't realize that I shopped so much recreationally. The past couple of weekends I've been fairly busy. But this weekend I realized that I didn't have much of a daytime plan. Normally I'd head to the markets or over to Bondi Junction or Oxford Street.

Didn't do that this weekend and boy was I getting bored!

Could have gone to a gallery or two. Could have taken the camera out on an adventure. Could have gone for a drive. Could have phoned people and gone to the movies, out for lunch, coffee.

Instead, I've watched all of season 2 of The Closer. Being lazy rocks! And I spent $0 being a hermit.

Did manage to get another couple of things on eBay though - including my car!

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I like to own

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I'm not a fan of renting...my home, my car or anything. Wait, except books at the library. Otherwise, if I want something I'll buy it.

Guess what? I found my crush on a bag rental site! I'm very tempted. Quick! Where do I click?



But then I do the math.

It's only a $299 bag but it would cost me $125.75 to rent it for a month. That's 42% of the bag cost. I could buy this bag, use it for a while, then sell it on eBay and do better than this. The math: It will cost me $29.85 in membership fees + $15.95 delivery + $79.95 rent = $125.75!!

If I'm desperate for a Dior Gaucho bag, I'd *almost* consider it. A month of this $2500 bag would be about 10% of its value.



Would you rent a bag? Money out the window or a chance to have a super exxy bag?

Why we blog

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I got tagged by the yummy mummies at Fashion on A Shoestring...why do I blog?

I think mainly it started a few years ago in response to caro's blog after she moved to Austin. Basically to keep in touch. Hers has become the knitting blog, mine shopping.



My deal with shopping is that it's how I've learned to find new neighborhoods, new shops, new designers. I've learned a lot about Sydney thanks to shopping. When I travel, I find the shops I like and they usually lead to finding great areas, cafes etc. Favorite shopping places: Fillmore St in SFO, Chapel St in Melbourne and Sydney's Glebe and Paddington markets. I'm also a sucker for outlets in the US. Best ones: Desert Hills (has a Gucci), Waikele (has a Saks Fifth Avenue) and Austin (has a Neiman Marcus' Last Call)

So now I'll tag Caro just so she can confirm or deny my story. Also tagging Tom and You Wish You Looked This Good. Why do you blog?

Go Independent

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I'm already bored with the daily tallies. $3 coffees etc. So no more of that...on with the non-shopping.

So here's the update. 12 days and nothing. No-thing. Until today...I bought a magazine. An imported British magazine at that! I found a way around paying $17.95 for my coveted British Vogues and Bazaars.

Go independent.



The little newsagent in North Bondi is way cheaper than the newsagents in Bondi Junction or Surrey Hills shopping centres. Yay! $7 difference! I'm never going to those chain newsagents again.
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New crush

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The purse crush is still on but now I have another.



This is waaaay better than all those bird necklaces. I totally have the discipline of, um, whoever has really really good discipline. Cause I didn't clicked Add to Cart. So there.

Today was the usual $3 coffee...and $17 at Go-Lo on plant food, super glue, shampoo and hairspray. Could have bought all that at Priceline or Coles for more so I'm sure i saved a few bucks. I'm cheap!

And on the 8th day

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She bought a kick ass purse.

Kidding!

But I am in love. Here's my new crush:



So what's the standard wait time from crush to purchase? (For people with some self-control.) A week? 14 days? More?!!
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It's Day 7...

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And I haven't bought a single piece of clothing, any accessories, makeup, magazines. No hair products that promise to make my hair look fuller/messier/thicker. No new tops for the weekend. No new earrings that would look fab with one of my tops. No nothing people!

And all my stuff on eBay sold for $309.97 + shipping costs. And all I bought today was my usual coffee and a Lean Cuisine pizza for lunch (tasted like cardboard) = $7.50.

I rock.



Especially considering I am tempted at every turn...I drive right past Tuchuzy and One Teaspoon every weekday morning. What keeps me safe is knowing that they are not open at 7:30am ever.
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Cheap wine-o

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If I were not shopping, I would defenitely not go to 1st Choice in Sydney's West for cheap wine. And I certainly wouldn't buy the Vino Gusto Verdelho attractively priced at $4.75. But I were trying to save a bit, I might buy it. $4.75! Totally drinkable. Instead of $15-20 dollar bottle that I usually pick up in the Easter Suburbs. Let's call that at least$10 back in my pocket - per bottle. And a *cheap* drunk! Huzzah!



1st Choice is the only place I've ever seen a selection of Canadian beer. Too bad it's Kokanee, Canadian and Blue. What I wouldn't give for a 1516 or GI Pale Ale.

I am writing on a hungover sunny Saturday. I took wine to a BYO last night. Cheap night, really. $15 on wine (I didn't bring the aformentioned cheap plonk unfortunately), $22 on dinner and a $20 taxi home. *And* got breakfast and lunch paid for yesterday due to work functions. Nice!

The opposite of shopping

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Selling!

I buy enough on eBay, it's time to give something back.

Go buy my stuff!

I also got a cheque in the mail just today for a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes (they hurt like a mofo so I pity whoever bought them) that I sold at Belinda's Frock Echange. So I'm cashed up!



Today: $3 coffee, $8.50 Coles (rustic veggie pasta tonight) and $27 on a card + Mother's Day gift, including postage back to Vancouver. $150 cheque from Belinda. Sweet!

One day at a time

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I think that I'll be able to post about what I save by NOT buying something that I ordinarily wouldn't have thought twice about. If I add up these non-purchases, I'll think I'm pretty SMRT right?

K

Today: $3 flat white. You'll have to pry this out of my cold dead hands. Yeah I've read all about those psuedo accountants that have figured out that skipping the morning coffee = a billion dollars a year in savings (rounded figure) but I'm more concerned about those around me when I don't have the coffee. So it's $3 a day for the good of the planet. (Or the folks in my office) I also spent $12.08 at Coles on stuff to make a kick-ass chili beef stir fry.



So I saved: About $60 bucks on the dinner out that probably would have happened if I hadn't stopped for groceries. And about $6 that I didn't spend at the grocery store on the Shop Til You Drop magazine that I normally wouldn't think twice about buying. Savings $68. Woot!

Non-shopping

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It's May first. (A pinch and a punch!)

I'd like to try non-shopping for a little while. I'd like to say for a month or a week but, like an addict, I'm going to take it one day at a time. I'm going to cut out the unnecessary crap that I recreationally shop for. Stuff like lipglosses, lotions/potions, magazines, eBay/8ty8beauty.com/head2toebeauty.com, crap I pick up from Target or Priceline. I'll try. I'll see if the shame of posting about it will help.



So for today, 3 purchases - all food. $3 morning flat white, $7.50 Thai lunch special, $38 on groceries after work.

*So* not exciting. But so far, so good.