This NYT Motherlode article is all about class (though it doesn't admit it).
Showing posts with label housewifery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label housewifery. Show all posts
July 13, 2012
August 20, 2009
Why do you buy things new?
It's a little more effort to search out what you want at a resale/consignment/used goods store, but it's worth it. New books are ridiculously overpriced and bad for the environment. (My favorite used book site is alibris.com.)
As for furniture, with some patience you can get beautiful, interesting pieces for the same price you would pay for something boring and new.
For instance, at Ikea the cheapest armchairs are 70-100 dollars. They are also quite boring and not very comfortable, and, worst, had that recognizable IKEA aesthetic. At resale stores, I found two beautiful armchairs--an upholstered chair for $75 and a leather one for $150. They are both comfortable, durable, and they have Character. (You will like them.) I also found that many lamps, couches, pillows and tables are available used for prices similar to or less than Ikea's.
Additional fun is provided by haggling. As a shy, naïve person, I reduced these prices by $130 just by asking--imagine what a bold, experienced person could do!
Sometimes I shop at resale stores in Petworth and, as a young white woman, get the best customer service I have ever experienced. Once, a salesman, out of the goodness of his heart, decided to educate me.
Him: This pin is ten dollars. Is that okay?
Me: Yes.
Him: Are you sure?
Me: Yes.
Him: Really?
Me: Ye..ss....um, actually, how about five dollars?
Him: Done.
And then I realized I was supposed to negotiate.
It's a little more effort to search out what you want at a resale/consignment/used goods store, but it's worth it. New books are ridiculously overpriced and bad for the environment. (My favorite used book site is alibris.com.)
As for furniture, with some patience you can get beautiful, interesting pieces for the same price you would pay for something boring and new.
For instance, at Ikea the cheapest armchairs are 70-100 dollars. They are also quite boring and not very comfortable, and, worst, had that recognizable IKEA aesthetic. At resale stores, I found two beautiful armchairs--an upholstered chair for $75 and a leather one for $150. They are both comfortable, durable, and they have Character. (You will like them.) I also found that many lamps, couches, pillows and tables are available used for prices similar to or less than Ikea's.
Additional fun is provided by haggling. As a shy, naïve person, I reduced these prices by $130 just by asking--imagine what a bold, experienced person could do!
Sometimes I shop at resale stores in Petworth and, as a young white woman, get the best customer service I have ever experienced. Once, a salesman, out of the goodness of his heart, decided to educate me.
Him: This pin is ten dollars. Is that okay?
Me: Yes.
Him: Are you sure?
Me: Yes.
Him: Really?
Me: Ye..ss....um, actually, how about five dollars?
Him: Done.
And then I realized I was supposed to negotiate.
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