https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:35:16 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303893 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:55:48 +0000 Lisa 1303893@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great idea to take some time off to reflect. &nbsp;When I finally stopped shopping for a little bit, I was able to pinpoint bad habits that I never knew I had. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303542 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:57:45 +0000 lyn* 1303542@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@<b>Gigi</b> - Unfortunately, the shipping in Canada is even worse! It's brutal to ship things around here; I'd be better off paying the duty! HAHA. I can apply to get the duties back through Canada Revenue Agency ... and yeah; to date I haven't been successful once. I just kinda gave up with that.&nbsp;I am on paediatric psychiatry (child psych!) for the next six months or so :)</p> <p>@&nbsp;<b>Barbara</b> - they are just post it notes with cute little animals on them! I love them and ordered a bunch from Etsy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303535 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:52:12 +0000 Barbara 1303535@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow those fees are brutal! What are those adorable little critter creations?<br /> They are too cute! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303534 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:52:03 +0000 Gigi 1303534@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn, that is so awful about the fees! That's so unfair! Do you even get the duties back if you decide not to keep an item?</p> <p>If your friend is a very good one, could you ask her if you could use her mailbox, and then could you pay her a modest amount to ship your boxes to you once she's back in Canada? Would that bypass the nastiness?</p> <p>Those post-its are sure cute. I didn't know you worked with kids. I thought it was really strange that you were decorating your patients' charts until I learned that...ha ha. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303532 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:50:59 +0000 lyn* 1303532@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@<b>JenA -&nbsp;</b>Oh yes, the Spam folder - I had that problem with some of my store credits that&nbsp;<i>expired</i> because I forgot about them. I nearly went bezerk because that's just flushing money down the toilet. Now I have to use them ASAP or they get a screen capture and saved on my desktop with the expiry date as the name of the file.</p> <p>@<b>Janet</b> - I may have to try to do that in the future. The only one that comes to mind for me is Zara :p I can't buy everything from Zara, right? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303510 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:23:35 +0000 Janet 1303510@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>WOW, the fees. That is sobering. I did not know it could run that high. I tend to only very rarely shop from any vendor where shipping and returns aren't free, so I pay very little in extra costs. </p> <p>Good for you for doing all of this and coming up with creative, productive ways to not shop. I'm taking notes for Austerity August. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303500 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:08:01 +0000 JenA 1303500@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow that's a lot of fees. I can see it adding up without even realizing it. It's a good thing that&nbsp;you are tracking it now. I think the idea of tracking shipping fees is a good one too. &nbsp;I hope that you can find some fun stores that offer better options.</p> <p>I also love your idea of using your creativity in other ways. I'd love to see some of your crafty projects.&nbsp;</p> <p>I just had a similar realization as you.&nbsp;I have several store credit cards (i.e.&nbsp;Gap card) that give special discounts if you use their card. The problem was that I found myself paying those bills late;&nbsp;the e-bills were getting lost in my inbox or spam folder. &nbsp;The bills weren't high, but when I went over the bill,&nbsp;I noticed that&nbsp;I was paying a $30 fee plus the % of total each&nbsp;month per&nbsp;card. It really added up, so I've gone out of my way to not use those cards, not shop at those stores&nbsp;or to pay those bills ASAP if I do.&nbsp;</p> <p>Good luck!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303481 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:51:02 +0000 lyn* 1303481@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@<b>Doubleh</b> - I'm scared of my most recent Boden order getting dinged - but I'll just keep my fingers crossed for now. I have a credit of 150 pounds that was going to expire so I snapped up some bargains - but if I get dinged on that, it's going to be brutal.</p> <p>I like the idea of figuring out all those "extras" and working them into my budget. I bet I'll be able to buy more Canadian higher end stuff for the hidden fees of most of my transactions. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303461 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:29:25 +0000 doubleh 1303461@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yeah, as mentioned before I got stung ( a small sting though) by Boden and it was enough to sour me. &nbsp;My Canadian friend from NC always talked about how her family visited at Christmas and went hog wild shopping. &nbsp;Now I kind of understand it. &nbsp;Perhaps you should figure out your shipping, fees, duties, etc and contribute that portion of the budget to a shopping vacation! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303455 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:20:14 +0000 lyn* 1303455@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@&nbsp;<b>Style Fan</b> - It's so true if you can head to the south of the border, it's so much better. one of my friends has a mail box in a border town so she can pick up her goodies from there. I live about 6 hrs from the border, so it's not really feasible for me. I miss my old stomping grounds which were only 1.5 hrs from the border. Grrrrrr.... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303451 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:19:09 +0000 lyn* 1303451@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@<b>Shedev</b> - it is an insane amount of fees, and that's already on top of shipping. A $60 dress from Modcloth = $60 + $12 shipping + $26 at the door; which is really too bad.</p> <p>@&nbsp;<b>Mona</b> - I wish I could be as strong as you. Everything I like usually has customs associated with it, whether that be on stuff from the UK or the US. They're post-its for sure!</p> <p>@<b>Rabbit</b> - That's an interesting point; I should track how much Shipping I pay too. I bet it's not a pretty amount. I need to go and do a purge sometime soon too, I'm starting to get some superfluous things.</p> <p>@<b>Katie -&nbsp;</b>Most of my paper crafts have patient information on them, unfortunately, so I can't be posting them.... they're huge elaborate patient care charts I've made and my preceptor was like :| uhhhhh.... but I think he gets a kick out of it. Most of my patients do (they're kids, after all). I just got some animal post its!</p> <p><b>@ Mo</b> - I have outfits I've planned for months too! I really need to get a move-on before I get sick and tired of the pieces! Your lilac booties would be smashing with a pair of skinnies - maybe the weather hasn't been cooperating? I think I've spent more than $200 this year alone on shipping things to return. Ugh. "Free returns" - ROFL. So not in Canada. Except Zara.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303445 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:12:13 +0000 Style Fan 1303445@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That was a great post.&nbsp; I rarely buy anything online because of the fees.&nbsp; Canadians get hit with so much that it isn't worth it.&nbsp; Shipping costs more, duty, exchange, on and on.&nbsp; I will wait until I am headed done south or make do with a trip to Montreal.</p> <p></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303432 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:02:43 +0000 Mo 1303432@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love this post! &nbsp;The fact that this isn't a 'what I can't buy&nbsp;. . . ' but rather, 'here's what's going on instead!' is totally awesome.&nbsp;<br />I found, ironically, that I'm finally cutting back on the wine. &nbsp;I've been talking about it for months but somehow it came together along with the no clothes purchasing. &nbsp;Note I said cutting back, not cutting out LOL. &nbsp;<br />I also played with my hair a bit, and am actually looking at my wardrobe now. &nbsp;Can you believe it took me until today to try on the lilac booties with a pair of skinnies?! &nbsp;I tried them right away&nbsp;just for fit, and then half heartedly with the shiny shorts, but never with pants, as I'd originally planned to wear them the majority of the time. &nbsp;That was, what, almost a month ago I got them? &nbsp;<br />I also notice that I was getting used to the waiting on packages, kind of like a mini Christmas every week or so. &nbsp;Maybe we get caught up in that more than we realize. &nbsp;Luckily for me, I only have return fees to tally up. &nbsp;About $75 so far this year.&nbsp;<br />I'm glad to have taken the break. &nbsp;I think I will likely be doing it again this fall&nbsp;when we move home, since it might take time to line up work again. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303422 Mon, 14 Jul 2014 23:53:58 +0000 MsLuna 1303422@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My goodness, that's a lot of fees! I stopped buying online from non-Canadian retailers since last year and I really don't miss those fees! </p> <p>And.... I'd love to see more of your papercrafts! I've always been interested in them and have done a few decoupage projects of my own :)</p> <p>What are those animal things you posted? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303361 Mon, 14 Jul 2014 22:45:39 +0000 rabbit 1303361@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, lot's of good insights! &nbsp;Sounds like this break is bearing fruit for you, and I found for myself that focusing on style in other areas (hair, makeup) during my no buy June really made a difference.</p> <p>Both your post and<b> Ingunn</b>'s made me think that I need to track returns in some way. &nbsp;I track my overall expenditure and any credits I need to use (and usually use them pretty fast) and never pay shipping or duties so don't have those costs, but I buy and return A LOT, it would be interesting to see how that works out, because it's a time suck if nothing else.</p> <p>I also haven't tracked purges of clothes I bought prior to YLF by a year or so, but I need to track any purges of newer items I think, so far I haven't purged anything bought within the last year except for some 35 cent items.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303353 Mon, 14 Jul 2014 22:34:59 +0000 Mona 1303353@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great reflections! The custome fees are outrageous and I refuse to buy anything that I have to pay the fees on. It helps me to stick to my budget as well. Are those post-it notes? cute. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303346 Mon, 14 Jul 2014 22:25:36 +0000 shedev 1303346@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That is an insane amount of fees. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/day-14-of-no-buy-july-life-lessons#post-1303323 Mon, 14 Jul 2014 21:57:20 +0000 lyn* 1303323@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><i>I'm going to be on call Day 15 of No Buy July, hence this post is a day early</i>.</p> <p><b>I used to UNDERESTIMATE&nbsp;Rate of Return</b> -&nbsp;I can't believe it's been half a month since I've bought anything to really add to my wardrobe, and it's finally given a chance for all the store credits and things to start to catch up with my return rate! I didn't know I quite returned&nbsp;<i>that many</i> things, but I've started to accumulate a bunch of store gift cards and credits that I think I'm going to start thinking about how to use. My H&amp;M credit is going to expire soon, and I'm definitely going to use that up!!&nbsp;I know that I bought a lot of things, but didn't know how many of them were going back in the store, and if net I'd be spending more or less. I am using also&nbsp;<b>YNAB</b> to help track things, and it's nice to see a working total of every month's budget.</p> <p><b>I used to UNDERESTMATE the amount of Extra Fees I accumulate</b> - as a Canadian, paying duties was just natural to me. I didn't know how MUCH duties I was paying until now. The only thing I am paying out is duties, and with YNAB, I can see up to&nbsp;<b>ONE THIRD</b> of my total budget goes towards duties. Yes; one third. It's insane!!! I need to think of how I am going to tackle this in the future! Once only 20% of my purchases got dinged from ModCloth now consistently it's been 100%. I think they target the ModCloth boxes and I am so annoyed that I have to pay about $26 on every $60 I purchase. This is too high for me and I'm not willing to pay this extra markup.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>I have OTHER HOBBIES too!</b> - I am spending more time (and energy) on doing other things aside from pursuing the next biggest and brightest thing in my wardrobe. I spend time with paper crafts and organizing my planner, as well as making detailed charts and notes about my patients and their progress. My preceptor thinks I'm a bit over-the-top, but really it's because I want to use all of my coloured pens!!! I have also revived my fountain pen and found a few friends who share my love of Noodler's Inks and my Lamy pink pen!</p> <p><b>I want to wear the same things Over and Over again and have to stop myself</b> - I found myself checking YLF's WIW's to see when I wore something last! I want to wear more of my closet, but right now the Cotton Collection is getting a workout because of the temperatures! I think I really like pockets! And not-fit-and-flares are not the enemy!</p> <p><b>I find OTHER ways of expressing myself</b> - Whether that be experimenting with how I part my hair, or do my daily makeup, it's a good time in honing my style in those often neglected areas. I am also spending some time researching about what type of glasses I should order for myself, too!</p> <p>That's enough musings for now ... has anyone else learned anything during their first 15 days? </p>