DIY Saturday: Old T-Shirts

 Happy Halloween!!!!!

Welcome to Do-It-Yourself Saturday!  This is the day where I take some craft idea, which can be used as gifts or various other different ways.  The point is to save you money in some ways that you may not have though of.  In fact, most of the posts on Saturdays are made from recycled materials or something that is leftover from around the house.

Anyway, if you’re anything like me, you have just over a million T-Shirts lying around the house from different high school clubs or random T-Shirt souvenirs that you would never wear in a million years.  Maybe you even have a favorite T-Shirt that you’ve outgrown.  Why not make them into something new, just like the books from last week?

I’ve made a bag, not unlike the one in this picture.  I couldn’t find mine, so there is no picture of it, sorry.  My mom is also in the process of making me a quilt out of my old high school t-shirts.

Just like the denim post, T-Shirts are really just fabric.  There are hundreds of different ways to make something new.  This site has 100 of them… almost all with pictures, if you’re a very visual person.

Make a throw pillow.  Make yarn out of old shirts to make something even more modified.  Make a chair cover.  There are tons of different things.

Here is what you need to make something out of an old t-shirt.  Scissors.

And you’re done.  You can of course, make something cooler by adding needle and thread, pins, tape, puff paint….

And guys, this is really for you.  This is even easier than the denim magnets that some of you guys showed interest in.  They don’t have to be girly, even though some of these Saturdays probably really seem like I am focusing on my female readership.

What old shirts do you have?  The Kiss concert?  Football?  A million sports shirts from high school?  Anything?  Do you even wear them after they get all the holes and stains in them?  But, you want to keep them, I’m sure.  Make something new with them…

Or you can do what my boyfriend does and bribe someone to do it for you.

Weekend Wind-Down: Shopaholics

Tah, Dah!

We’ve made it through the week, cured of Oniomania!  I really hope that you have thought about some of your shopping habits and found some different ideas that may just work for you.  Remember that you don’t have to take all my advice.  You can just take some… or none, if you really don’t think it’ll work for you.  Every person is different, just like the name or a fingerprint.

Speaking of names… I owe you the results of the voting from the last couple weeks.  Through emails, we now have the results for the name of our Friday friend, the dancing frog.  Drum roll please… his name is….

Frog.  I personally find this very funny, because this is the name I suggested as a joke.  But for some reason, you all seemed to like it!

Well, anyway, as usual, it is Friday, so today is the Weekend Wind-Down: Shopaholics version.  This is where I post the top websites or blog posts that I’ve read on this week’s theme in the past couple weeks.  Please, check them out!

• 1.    Butterboom: This article is simply a link to yet something even better… a short film by Karl Lagerfeld.  It is called “Fitting Room Follies” and is being posted here in honor of Monday’s post.  This film is just another example of how fitting rooms have just been incorporated into our daily repertoire and their legend status.  Even though the film is pretty neat, and based on Coco Chanel’s new line, remember what the room are actually used for and how they can save you money…

• 2.    Royalty Universe: This is a shopping blog.  There really is no other way to describe it… however it is something else all together.  There is more financial advice, some to do with online shopping and whatnot.  See?  Even those wanting to write an entire blog dedicated to shopping can find themselves talking about saving money and finances.  They go hand in hand.

• 3.    Shameless Sales: Simply looking at the logo for this blog – a mustached man holding up a bag of money – tells you exactly the purpose.  This is a blog for sales people.  It is a blog to teach them how to use their resources to keep your buying and keep the money rolling in.  It makes me sad because of what I’m writing about, but at the same time, it’s very useful information to have.  The posts are very short, so you can read a couple in a couple minutes.

• 4.    Yahoo! Layout:  We talked about being able to navigate stores like Kohl’s and various others… but what we missed out on was the online stores, like Amazon.  They don’t have the physical techniques like those other stores do, but they have their own style of luring customers exactly where they want you to do.  This Yahoo! Partnered site is selling their design services… specifically to bring shoppers in.  This is here for reasons just like Shameless Sales – to show you the other side.

Handy Fold-Out Maps Included!

Alright, let’s take stock of what we’ve covered so far this week: online shopping, fitting rooms, and bargains.  But those are sometimes different aspects of shopping that do not always come into play.  Let’s talk about stores in general.

There are specific layouts for them.  Did you know that?  People make their entire livings based on designing the layouts for retail stores in order to get people to buy more things.  There are many, many research studies that deal with this.  There are hundreds of different websites that explain the importance of layout.  I cannot even fathom the number of hours put into projects like these.  It’s kind of ridiculous how much work people will go through to try to get you to spend just $5 more…

Anyway, as promised, here is your handy fold-out map to navigate your way through stores.  We’ll start with basics and work into more specifics.

• Entrance: There will always be something there to catch your eye – most likely something that would have to do with the season.  Right now, it’s actually moving into Christmas paraphernalia, as sad as that is.  This gets you in the buying mood right off the bat.

• Pathways: They always follow some specific traffic pattern.  When you go into WalMart, do you always follow the same path?  Most people do.  And an interesting observation is that the first path that is followed is the biggest one.  Then you feel like you can move to the smaller aisles.

• New Items: Always on the endcaps.  Think about the new releases, whether it’s a movie, music, or video game.  They’re always facing those larger aisles.  Why?  Because then, even if you’re not heading to that particular part of the store, you can still grab it to buy.  It makes it easier – just like online shopping.

• Clearance and Sales: Always hidden in the back corner of the store.  That way, even if you just go in for a sale item, you have to walk by all the different normal items… think about all that temptation.
  

Here are some different ways to navigate through stores.  Grocery stores are designed to make you remember that, “oh, yes, the recipe calls for this!”  Video stores just want to spark your interest.  Watch this video on Whole Foods.  See if the layout of the store works for you!



Keep this handy map in mind the next time you go shopping.  See if what I’ve observed holds true.  Do you feel any more inclination to buy?  Do you feel like you’re cheating the system?

Magic Cards and Easy Boxes

We’re going to take a break from my mom for a while now and talk about another family member – my cousin.  She started college last year and worked the entire summer before, 2 jobs for some of the time.  Her college was in the middle of nowhere… and by that I mean there might be a pizza joint in the town.  The nearest mall is a little under an hour away.

But, when last summer came, she was dead broke.  In fact, I found out later that she ran out of money only a couple months into the first semester and had been asking her parents for money the entire time.  How could that happen?  Let me tell you the story of when she came back…

She pulled into her driveway a little before the entire extended family arrived to celebrate mother’s day.  Her entire car was packed, so those of us that were there went to go help.  We were expecting bedding and her computer supplies.  We found bags upon bags from Forever 21.  She had two words in explanation to her mom: online shopping.  She became a "Ship-aholic".  Please, hold back your laughter.

So, in honor of her mom, my aunt, we have today’s post about online shopping and their dangers.  Let’s just put this into perspective… on Christmas Day last year, there were over 5.24 million people that shopped online on Christmas Day!  Their purchases were over $225 million dollars.  Online.  On Christmas Day.

How are things bought online, whether it’s eBay or some retailer?  Credit cards.  You probably remember the post about credit cards and the fees within them when M— Man was a part of our lives.  What about other issues, like just how easy it is to swipe plastic?  What about the dangers?

Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your point of view, there are many different ways that people have created to make shopping online safer.  These are things like PayPal.

But that makes buying online so much easier for college-aged students and those just starting out.  But what about all the credit card companies that target us so they can get more money?  Would you buy that item if you saw it in a store?  Would you pay cash?  Think about the item before you buy.

Outside of the credit card problems, there is one other problem added to that of online shopping.  It’s the fact that online shoppers spend more money.  Period.

Advertising.com did a survey in 2006 on online shopping, and one of their main findings is this:

"The survey results point to several clear trends: consumers value the ease and incentives offered through online shopping and intend to spend more online as a result - starting their online activities early in the season," - Mollie Spilman, chief sales and marketing officer

It’s the same thing like impulse buying at the actual store.  Retailers put all those yummy candies and DVDs and all that other stuff at the check-out aisles because people are much more likely to buy those things when they are conveniently placed.  It takes a lot less effort.

PS – I’m not saying that you shouldn’t shop online… I do it all the time.  Just make sure that you’re being smart about the purchases.

Dollaring Yourself to Death

Alright, this week is really going to suck for me if my mom decides to get online, but these things just have to be said.  The title of today’s post comes from one of my mom’s favorite phrases, “Let’s go dollar ourselves to death.”

This comes from the idea that by spending just a teensy bit, like at a sale or a dollar store, the total ends up being astronomical.  For example, my mom decided to get some thank-you gifts for the bank workers when her company switched to a different one.  She found these great earrings and bracelets from eBay for like a dollar per lot.  However, she got on a mission to find these “great deals!”  And… she spent a little under $70 by the end of it… and there are 36 extra pairs of earring lying around the dining room table.

So today’s post comes in two sections: Sales/Bargains and Dollar Stores.

#1: Sales and Bargains
Have you ever thought about how some of these stores can put something on sale for that much less than what they were selling it for before?  Either they are selling at a loss, which is not likely in many cases, or they had marked up the price just that much.

Take Buy One, Get One 50% Off deals, for example.  How much do those items really cost?  Do you actually need that second item?  How much profit are they still making if they can sell at that price?

Also, be aware that selling is a psychological game for some.

“The psychological factors most involved are being accepted as part of the group, satisfying a self-image/ego need, and emotions. Also sellers will give you a little; perhaps a buy one, get one deal or a sample of product before you purchase to make you feel obligated to buy.” – izettl, Finance Guru

What do sales and bargains do there?  Almost all of the above.  Notice, it says nothing about price or need.  They’re trying to get you to buy more.  Even if you look at the ads, the percentage off is the largest part, with the small, exclusions apply at the bottom.  How likely are you to take something back once you reach the register with it, even if you thought the price was different?  Not very.

#2: Dollar Stores
How do those places even stay in business anyway?  Check out the Dollar Tree.  All their signs say “$1”!  But the little bitty “each” part is hidden, especially since they always show more than one item per picture.  That definitely gives the idea that you are getting more for your money.

Seller buy in bulk, which is a good idea to save money, but what about the quality?  Besides for greeting cards, which I highly recommend you buy at these stores, how good is all that stuff?  Will that colander hold?  Is that figurine still intact in all places?

Just be aware of what you’re buying and think about whether or not you really need it.  And even if you did get 20 packages of candy canes for $20… it’s still $20.  Did you really need all of them?  Think before you act, please.

They're Built For A Reason!

They’re the stuff of legend.  Teenage legend, creepy exhibitionist legend, Orange Julius legend, mom legend, department store legend, cartoonists legend, shoplifter legend, mall cop legend, internet forum legend…

And yet… they are not used enough.  Is this because it seems to open to the rest of the store?  Is this because people think it’s too much work?  Is it because it’s easier to get your significant other to give in that way?  Are we too lazy?

But at the same time… there are companies out there who specialize in just this type of thing.  Their entire existence is based purely on creating these areas for the customers and other mall walkers.  If they can make enough money from just this specialization, those products really have to be used, right?

I’m talking, of course, about fitting rooms!

They are the most under-utilized money saving measure out there!  I have the perfect example, which will probably be repeated a couple times throughout this week, mainly because she is perfect for the theme.  My mom (I love you!).  She hates fitting rooms with a passion because she says she doesn’t like how the clothes look on her when she tries them on there.

At the point, I hope many of you are thinking the same thing I normally do – “Because they’re going to look differently on you when you try them on at home, right?”

Because I value my life, I never really say that.  However, that is exactly what she does.  She’ll buy all the clothes (many of the same things in different sizes) and just take them home to try on.  Then she gets distracted.  And the clothes sit in the bag for a couple weeks.  When she finally does try them on, most of them have to go back, even though it has passed the return date, so she only gets store credit… which she then repeats to process.

I don’t know how may times I’ve gone to hang out with her and she’s said, “I bought these the other week and haven’t tried them on.  I know over half of them will have to go back anyway.”

AGH!  It drives me nuts.  I try to find all the different ways to get her to try things on in the store.  She’s having none of it – mostly because she wants to buy something.  I don’t exactly know what the attraction is (in most stores), but it’s there for her.

So, whether or not you’ve thought of it before… I beg you.  Please use the dressing rooms.  They are built for a reason.  Give yourself a little mini-fashion show.  And be honest about what you see.  If it looks awful, I sincerely doubt a little softer lighting will make a huge difference in the long run.

Do what this girl does – she goes to try on the clothes and takes pictures of herself on her phone.  You can save those to look at later.  Granted, you don’t have to blog about it, but it is a way to save.  I mean, would you buy a wedding dress without trying it on to see how it looked first?

And, lazy people, think about it – the return rack is right outside the door for the things you don’t end up buying.  How convenient is that?  Also, there are just over a dozen fitting rooms in the typical department store.  I’m more than positive that you won’t have to walk too far to get to one.

Legend of the Flying Dollar, Part 2

Take a trip with me.  A couple weeks ago, we met a nice man named M— Man, who taught us all about the hidden fees associated with pretty much everything.  Well, one thing that he did not cover, maybe because all his helpers had to leave or because the theme was only going to be a week long…

Either way, we have come to an entirely new problem where money will be seen flying around, but no matter how hard we try, we will not be able to reach it.  It’s like those old phone-booth type things, where they slip in money with the fan going and you have to try to reach around a grab them before time runs out?  Only imagine the money being holographic.  Very frustrating.

Anyway, let me introduce Dollar Bill to you.  Dollar Bill, as his name implies will never be completely out of money due to his structure… but what he doesn’t want you to know is that he was once made from 20s.  Here is Dollar Bill’s main problem: he is an adrenaline junkie.  He absolutely loves jumping from wallets to cash registers at warp speed.

He likes to live with… shopaholics.

Here are the basics: a shopaholic is a person that compulsively sends money, whether it’s a little at a time or a lot at a time.  Amount does not necessarily matter.  Frequency does.  It’s an actual disease called Oniomania.

Besides for the obvious cash flying out of the wallet and into various different registers around town, there are other very real consequences.  Lack of space or organization, for example.  Another big one is buyer’s remorse.  You know that feeling where you randomly decide to buy that DVD at the check-out line, only to feel really awful about it by the time you get home?  That’s what I’m talking about.

There are ways to stop this… I promise.  I mean, retailers everywhere have been doing studies on how to get people to buy more!  Here is one I have found that was very enlightening and helped me see through the different tactics (if you have time to read an entire study).

Do you think you’re a shopaholic?  Do you think you’re actually safe from this phenomenon.  Even if you do not have this disease, how close are you to being compulsive or simply just over spending?  Take this quiz and find out!

I’m not going to report you to Debtor’s Anonymous, which is the shopping equivalent to AA.  I’m not going to make you come to meeting, like what happened to Becky Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic.  Just read in the privacy of your own home.

Come back all this week to help me help Dollar Bill.  He contacted me for this assistance, which shows that he really wants it.  So read for yourself, your mom, your roommate… or just for all those base-jumping Dollar Bills out there!