Secondhand Jewllery. Where's The Value?

When I had money to burn and shopping for designer luxury was my only purpose, dropping a few grand on a Tiffany watch was never a problem but when I was starving, a few years later, I discovered something that became a massive problem. " What do you mean my Tiffany watch is only worth £100 quid" I said to the greedy secondhand dealer, ready to offer me a fraction of what I paid for it new, only one year earlier.
When I found myself starving and broke in LA, I had to sell all my collected designer trinkets, in order to keep afloat and was horrified by the inequity in selling my stuff, when my back was up against the wall.

So where is the value in that?

You cannot eat a Tiffany watch when you are starving, so buying something expensive when you cannot afford it, just to look like someone, is not only stupid but also a shock when you find out what it is really worth. You never know when the tide will change and sweep you out to sea, in other words, losing your job, sudden illness or unexpected financial problems, so saving your money, even if you think your comfortable, is critical for a rainy day.

A budget lifestyle is all about living within your means, debt free with a nest egg, just in case things change and little desire to buy stuff you might want but don't need. What is the point in buying clothes that don't fit and never will or a flash fast car, you cannot afford to put on the road or a lavish ballgown when you have no ball to go to, leaving you stuck with stuff that has not changed your actual life.

I still love clothes and still love shopping, who doesn't but these days I follow the mantra, buy new and the jokes on you because I got savvy, cured my self of status anxiety and now buy secondhand or recycled clothes, given up to charity by shopaholic women.

Who cares and who in reality knows whether what you are wearing is new or secondhand because style is unique and how you wear it with confidence is the key to pulling it off, as well as saving you a tidy fortune in the process. One mans trash is another mans treasure, so no matter how broke you are, there is always a way to get the look you desire for less and if you get into swapping clothes with friends and family, you get a brand new look without spending a single penny.

Stop shopping and start swapping if you are struggling and don't just swap clothes, try DVDs, household goods like cookers, hoovers, TV's, even books and CD's, making use of stuff you don't want anymore but someone else might need.