Amy from MotherLoad: The MomAdvice Blog, and host of this week’s Festival of Frugality, offers this creative solution to the Frugal Holiday Finery dilemma:
I have worked out a deal with a girlfriend where we trade clothes for all of our special occasions. Usually she has the shoes, purse, and shawl and I supply a knock-out dress that I have found thrifting. Pooling our resources has saved me from spending tons of money for these one night occasions!
Obviously, you couldn’t do this with just anybody; for size, shape, coloring, and personality considerations. Nevertheless, the idea has potential.
Tell me, do you have anyone in your life that you could approach about such an arrangement?
It’s a neat idea. But I don’t think it’d work for me personally ’cause if I liked my friend’s stuff, I wouldn’t want to give it back, haha! It takes discipline.
No, it’s not in the cards for me. My pant size (0) and short legs doesn’t mesh at all with many of my friends. The top of me is a size 6, and again, not the same as any of my pals.
I have people that I can share specific things with – my mom and my sister and I share shirts and jackets, but their legs are a lot shorter than mine. My brother’s girlfriend has the same size feet, so we can share shoes. I don’t share clothes with my friends, because I never get them back!
Moms and sisters are the best, aren’t they? My mom and my sister and I aren’t in the same location (or size) anymore, but they are still some of the easiest people for me to shop with.
Now my daughters and I are closer in size which comes in very handy, especially for special occasion dressing. My sporty daughter wore my long skirt to the “holiday finest” event, and she will be wearing my other daughter’s Gunne Sax today (she’s playing piano at a historic home/museum).
Having someone to share shoes with is really great too. Since they are away from your face, who really would even notice?