Yes You Can

Still shop that is.

What inspired this post was an interview I heard with Michael Hirsch of Newsweek on WTOP radio this morning; that people have reduced their spending and that cutting back on all spending threatens any economic recovery. But if we want to help stimulate the economy, where do we draw the line? Mr. Hirsch said the key was cautious spending - OK, not a surprising response. But the anchorperson then speculated on whether he should buy a new camera right now. He sounded like someone who's into photography and going for top of the line. Still though, I couldn't help but think had he never heard of Ebay? Or Costco? Would it be possible for him to find either the exact camera or an acceptable substitute with all of the bells and whistles for a reduction of the retail price by utilizing a discounter or an online retailer or getting onto a mailing list for instore and online codes?

I applied this principle to clothing and accessories of the Preppy variety. No this isn't camera shopping but then again, the Preppy look can be quite pricey. After all inherent in it is the looking like you don't NEED to make money. But for those of us who do and are on a budget I found bargains at three different types of stores; the Cole Haan website, an online discounter, and our beloved Tarjay.

The Cole Haan handbag above is $229.95 on sale. You then get an additional 30% off that price at www.colehaan.com with code SPSALE09 and you get free shipping. This works out to a quality handbag from a quality company for less than $100. If you keep it another 15-20 or even 30 years and a good preppy silver buckle style will probably be around that long, you're looking at cost per wear of something like 1/100 of a penny. And no, this isn't a minibag - the bag measures 13.5 inches long, 6 inches high by 2 inches deep. Narrow yes, but has has length to it so no, it's not a mini.

My second find was from a site the wonderful Preppy Princess clued me in on, 6pm.com, zappos.com's sister site with the deeper discounts. Here are adorable Keds that are pink and preppy and $21.56 a pair:

Last but not least, this skirt is on Tarjay's website for $19.99 and there are also cute madras shorts at the brick and mortar store:

The blue madras says summer and can be worn with just about any Lilly-ish color. I also like that it's not a mini-mini but stops 2-3 inches above the knee. Very cute.

I haven't even begun to scratch the surface with the wonders of Ebay, where probably 40% of my eldest's wardrobe comes from. But my guess is if I can spend a few minutes and track these down, yes that camera could be had for less than retail too.

So in conclusion, Yes You Can