Shopping in times of a financial crisis

I've been telling myself that I should tighten my belt and stop splurging on clothes, shoes and bags! A basic dress from Zara costs $89.90 at least and a shirt $75. I could easily get a simple top for $20-$30 in the past, but nowadays, they're really pricey, probably in the region of $40-$60?

Before these bad times, it was perfectly natural to go shopping on weekends and buy that dress that you fancied without giving it too much thought. Last week, I was told by my company's HR department not to expect too much from the bonus and pay increment next year. That made me think, and especially in the face of mounting financial liabilities, I thought it prudent to cut down on purchasing non-essentials.

Yet, girls being girls, what's the pleasure in life if we can't shop? Surely we are entitled to shop a little to pamper ourselves from time to time? Not to mention that I looked in my wardrobe the other day and realised that I didn't have enough tops for work. Thus, I thought hard about it and came up with a few ways to feed my shopping pangs without burning a hole in my pocket (as long as I continue to stay employed, that is).

1. Flea markets

I went to the flea market at Haji lane today and got myself 3 very nice tops at $10 each! Some of the tops needed alterations to make them shorter but otherwise, they were perfect for work!

Alternatively, join a flea market and sell your old clothes to finance your acquisitions of new ones!

2. Join sprees

Take advantage of the ailing pound and shop at UK online sites. Try ASOS for really nice cocktail or party dresses! Those on sale are as cheap as 8 pounds! And instead of ordering directly from the site, join a spree on _spreee or sgspree. Or host your own spree (you need a lot of time to do this)! Even after you add up your share of the shipping cost, a dress will not cost more than $50.

3. Cheap local shops

Explore small, local shops that you never thought of going before. I've walk past these shops so often but never bothered to venture in because the arrogant me have always associated these shops with bad quality and being common. But I ventured into one of them (it was called Sixties) on Saturday and made away with a simple shirt for less than $30. And mind you, it wasn't even on discount! The trick is to buy simple, understated apparel and not the bright, recognisable ones!

4. Redeem shopping vouchers from credit card points

Redeem those credit points amassed from past shopping sprees for shopping vouchers! I usually get Tangs, Isetan or Robinsons vouchers. That way, you won't feel the pinch when you do buy something.

5. Sniff out the special bargains

In light of decreased consumer spending, it's no wonder that there are sales going on everywhere! As we all know, sales doesn't mean cheap. My advice is to head straight for the "special bargains" rack and suss out the 50-70% discount items! Forget about normal priced items, even if there's a 10-20% discount carrot dangling right in your face. Not good enough!!

6.Set targets

It's a sure-die situation if you set out shopping with an open mind and not knowing what you want to get. For example, I needed work tops so I concentrated only on these when I went shopping over the weekend. Avoid buying things that you don't really need, even if they are super cheap.

If you're the obsessive compulsive shopper who never has enough clothes, bags, shoes etc, set targets for yourself when you go shopping, like how much you would be willing to pay for a pair of heels, etc. Here's my very own guide:

Dress (work/cocktail) - $50
Dress (casual) - $30
Tops (work) - $30
Tops (casual) - $20
Bottoms (work) - $50
Bottoms (casual) - $30
Shoes (heels) - $30
Bags - AVOID at all cost (literally and figuratively!)

Abstinence is still the best policy but sometimes, the more deliberate the avoidance, the stronger the urge!!!