How to Be a Frugalista and Other Ways to Be Fashionable

Fashionable and Frugal at the Same Time!

What is a Frugalista? I found the term in an article about the Word Of The Year Competition put on by the American Dialect Society in Canada and the U. S. The chair, Grant Barrett said that one of the nominations this year is frugalista which is a person who is frugal but fashionable. I didn't know that there was name for a person like me. Perhaps this describes you too or you want it to describe you.

Here are a few ways to be frugal. One way is to of course, shop at sales. After Christmas is the perfect time to find items that are on sale for the "boxing week" at 25-50 % off the full price. However, I have found that the whole month of January is a good time to find deals. The immediate days following Christmas is when most people have time to shop. It is when people don't have the money, possibly because of after Christmas expenses, that they really seem to find increased number and better sales. Towards the end of January, items are priced at 75-90% off to get rid of inventory for the end of the fiscal year. Of course buying things off season such as buying your summer clothes now and Christmas clothes in summer are usually the best deals.

The fashionable part of getting a sale is the hard part. Most things go on sale because they are "last season" or rare sizes. These may not be the most fashionable items. Some places to get these deals would be when buying from designers at a Factory Outlet store or a discount store that carries designer labels (eg. Winners). I think to stay in fashion, you have to be willing to buy classic items and colors rather than trendy items. An example is to buy a black sweater with an expensive designer scarf, even though sweaters may be mostly purple this year. Or purchase a leather classic Italian made shoe (eg. Franco Sarto, Antonio Melanie) whose shape and materials don't vary that much. The style of their shoes changes yes, but these designers have been in the business for years and are known for what they design. Their style doesn't go out of style. This is a much better value than buying a Paris Hilton boot. How long has she been in the fashion industry? What expertise does she offer other than celebrity status?