Hello, Tailor!

The Topic: Saving money while staying stylish with VegNews Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

The Dish: I am what you call short. At 5'3", most people tower over me, stepstools are a constant fixture in my kitchen for reaching the top-shelf goodies, and I can stand up straight in most airplanes right under the luggage compartment. I'm not bragging here, per se, but just try to restrain your envy when you learn that finding a pair of (non-capri!) pants that doesn't completely cover my feet is something that happens with the frequency of leap years.

What do my stubby legs have to do with saving money? So glad you asked! You see, when the vertically inept among us go looking for clothes, it can be a bit tricky. Pants are typically miles too long, skirts hit at awkward lengths, and don't even get me started on jackets. As is true for any Savvy Vegan, my first shopping stop is almost always a thrift store, which is great for the environment and my wallet, but tends to limit sizes further. But! There's good news: Tailors exist. And they can alter things.

This means that my pants need no longer be oddly rolled up inside themselves and stuck there with masking tape (which definitely happened more than it should have in high school). The gorgeous silk-free dress that is exactly what I was hoping to wear to an event, but happens to only be available in extra large? No problem! (This is precisely what happened with the dress I wore to the Genesis Awards this year!)

The Final Word: Finding a tailor in your area means that every $10 non-wool suit in your local thrift store is fair game, and the alterations are likely to cost less than buying a new item off the rack. Even if you're not of the diminuitive sort, the world of stylish vegan wear opens right up when you stop worrying about an errant hem.

Now Swap it Out

The Topic: Scoring sweaters, skillets, and more at a swap party by VegNews Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino

The Dish: When money is so tight you can’t even afford regularly priced kale (and yes, I speak from personal experience), the last thing on your shopping list is an immersion blender or a new sweater. While the occasional Goodwill or eBay purchase can get you some things on the cheap, you still have to shell out dough. Enter: the swap party, where you can score FREE stuff sans dumpster diving (gross) or stealing (illegal). Hosting a swap party is easy, cheap, and fun to do—read on to find out how.

1. Find stuff to offer up. The classic swap party is for clothing. If that's the way you want to go, gather gently used clothes, shoes, and accessories you don’t want and put them in a bag. “But I love all my clothes, Anna!” No, you don’t. Stop lying to yourself, okay? You haven’t worn that high-waist black and white polka-dot pencil skirt in two years, so throw it in a bag. (But seriously, I’m looking for one. Let me know.) I challenge you to expand your swap-party horizons past your closet! DVDs, kitchen items, lamps, and old boyfriends work too.

2. Add friends. Involve others who have similar bags containing similar items by sending an invite to friends announcing your party. Possible cheap avenues include, but are not limited to: evites, emails, Facebook invites, carrier pigeons, smoke signals, and yelling.

3. Pick a swap site. Meet at a large location (say, your living room). Each swap participant should section off a part of the room to set up their goods, so that each of you can walk to the others' "store.” Set up a full-length mirror as well (if your party includes clothes), so that you and your friends can ogle at each other ("That looks so much better on you!”) Set up clothing lines or tables to display items; if you’re cramped for space, neat piles work too. Other organizational options include sorting by room, style, color, or type of thing.

4. Craft a swap strategy. Order, people. Without a solid swap strategy, you and your guests will end up brawling over blender attachments as pairs of jeans fly across the room. One possible strategy is to use tokens—one token for each item a guest brings. Another option is to take turns: draw straws to determine the order, and then let one person go at a time, limiting the number of items you can pick up per turn. The rest of you can nosh and sip while you wait. Speaking of which...

5. Provide cheap (and yummy!) snacks. What’s a party without food and bubbly, right? Serve small bites that friends can pop in their mouths while examining martini shakers. Why not serve White Bean Bruschetta, Cashew Coconut Date Cookies, Green Tea Cakes, or have your guests bring their favorite bites? And might I suggest some Champagne to go with that? I’m a sucker for bubbles. I’m an even bigger sucker for four-dollar bottles of bubbles. Plus, after a glass or two, everything will look great on you.

The Final Word: After an afternoon spent with friends, food, and fabulous finds, you will walk away with a slammin’ new cocktail dress or serving bowl, good memories, and a happy stomach. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is as true today as it was whenever that phrase was created (I’m picturing horse-drawn buggies), so plan, swap, and enjoy your new finds!

Mint & Money Management

The Topic: Spending and Saving

The Dish: I like to think that all of the little things I do, whether it's making coffee at home, thrifting, or dining out less, have a positive impact on my bank account. A lot of my daily choices are more affordable than they could be, but is it really helping me save? Or am I just spending the extra dollars on frivolous purchases? A few weeks ago, I couldn't tell you for sure (although I have a sneaking suspicion that I was). Now, I'm singing the praises of Mint and changing my ways.

To prevent myself from overindulging, I signed up for the free, web-based, money-management software Mint. It's been all over my radar lately, from friends becoming dedicated users to blogs and newsletters featuring rave reviews. "Why not?" I thought. Once I felt comfortable with its security precautions (I mean, entering all of my bank information did feel a little risky), I gave it a try. First revelation: Over the course of eight months, taking out money for San Francisco's notorious cash-only restaurants and bars has cost me $50 in fees. FIFTY DOLLARS? Just because I'm too lazy to plan a trip to my bank ATM ahead of time? Ouch. I mean, vegan Thai fried rice is good, but not that good.

In addition to pointing out nasty hidden fees and late charges, Mint provides a helpful breakdown of my spending, tracking transactions into categories. I can also set goals—pay off that debt, take a veg vacation—and come up with a real strategy for reaching them. Mint also sends weekly email updates to warn me of upcoming bills, low account balances, and all sorts of other sobering grown-up information that I may not want, but certainly need to know.

The Final Word: There are tons of features to help control spending, build up savings, and stay financially afloat. It may not be for everyone, but when it comes to balancing my penchant for on-the-fly spending and weak justifications ("Well, I didn't buy Starbucks this morning so I'll get a happy-hour special"), it's just what I need.

Shopping for Sea Shepherd

The Topic: Money Well Spent

The Dish: When I'm in the mood for shopping and low on cash, you know I'm a fan of buying (or swapping) second-hand. Which means when I found out about SOS Thrift, I was pretty ecstatic. An online thrift store you can both buy from and "sell" to, SOS is ran by four Etsy members set on raising funds for the horrific Gulf oil spill. All profits go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, who are planning to send one of their ships to the Gulf and assist in rescuing marine life, which is a huge, challenging, and expensive job.

As far as the online selection, it's a mix of gently used items donated by shoppers (who in turn receive 25 percent off their next purchase) and new items that run a bit more price-wise, like this adorable handmade "respect, protect" turtle necklace. If you have a dog in your family, there's currently It's A Vegan Dog's Life for sale, which is a great resource, whether or not your dog is completely veg—including lots of great, easy recipes. New items are always being added, but there's already some great finds available. Oh, and a great steal? This never-used, certified-vegan Arbonne face masque for only $2—it retails for $18.

The Final Word: If you don't feel like acquiring more stuff but still want to help, you can still make a donation to Sea Shepherd, if you're able. But if there's anything on SOS you've been looking for, it's a win-win for everyone.

Bonus: Heads up—Matt & Nat will be on discount site Rue La La tomorrow, which I'm hoping means deep discounts on fancy bags! If you've been looking to splurge but still want to save money, check it out.

Guest Post: Resale Shop Rundown

The Topic: Resale Shop Wardrobe Redux

The Dish: After you've purged your closet of the gems you'll never wear (if you haven't worn it in six months and it isn't seasonal, give it up!) via clothes swapping, there's always the option of selling your stylish duds to local resale shops. When it comes to trading in cast-offs for must-haves, no one knows more than Editorial Assistant Liz Miller. Clothes are to her as biscuits are to me, so you know she knows what's up. In a very special guest post, Liz shares the secrets to the resale retail industry.

5 Secrets for Selling Your Clothes

By Liz Miller

1. Case the Joint. Okay, so not in the 1930s-bank-heist way, but casing out a resale shop should always be the first step to crafting a discerning seller's eye. Every secondhand store has its niche, from name brand buyers to vintage purveyors. So, after performing an intensive wardrobe inventory, separate items by style and figure out which clothes will garner the most value from varying shops.

2. Buyer's Market. Vintage-friendly shops are less likely to care about retail labels, meaning that they want your cute Forever 21 party dresses as well as your grandma's old school Dooney & Burke purses, but have no use for your collection of J. Crew khakis. Save those for the brand focused boutiques, which look for current styles and routinely check the season/year listed (example: SUM08 indicates summer 2008) on the inside tag to determine value. Carefully cut these tags out of older, still stylish apparel.

3. Time of the Season. Most stores only buy by season, so it's crucial to call ahead to find out what items a store is currently buying. If you're set on making a dime on out-of-season items, save them until the appropriate season comes around.

4. Stealthy Shopper. If you've had bad luck selling clothes in the past, consider rethinking your strategy and scouting bargains to buy and sell. Use your shrewd sensibilities to shop for buried treasures at thrift stores, where nothing is off limits based on size or personal style—if it looks trendy, it's worth the investment. Remember to also keep an eye out for hidden high-end gems.

5. On the Mend. If some of your cast-off clothes need small repairs, take the time to fix them before hauling them away to sell. Sewing new buttons onto a cardigan or quickly stitching up a small hole are easy ways to upgrade old pieces of clothing. For super-faded items, buy a cheap box of RIT dye at Walgreens and give those dull duds a washing machine makeover.

The Final Word: It's all about understanding the resale shop at which you're trying to sell. If you make an effort to play the game, you'll be rewarded Mario-style with more than a few gold coins—or, more realistically, dolla' dolla' bills.

Mission District Deals

The Topic: Don’t Fear the Cheaper: A Mission Adventure

The Dish: When the weekend arrives, I’m usually simultaneously caught by surprise and excited—Party! Shopping! Let’s do this, San Francisco! About four minutes pass before I realize that I have neither bank funds nor credit limit to live out my luxurious lifestyle—or do I? For just $25, a jam-packed day in the City by the Bay is not only possible, but it’s fun in a guilt-free sort of way. Here’s how the low-budget lifestyle played out in the city’s Mission District.

9am: With empty cabinets and a growling stomach, I went for the quickest, cheapest, and most filling meal I know—a Super Veggie Burrito from my local taqueria. Filled with black beans, rice, guacamole, lettuce, and salsa, all wrapped up in a whole-wheat tortilla, this $5.40 investment is equivalent to at least two meals, filling me up for the majority of the day. Oh, and it also comes with chips and salsa. I brought my own bottle of Tapatio, the world’s best and surprisingly cheap hot sauce, to add a little spice. No, 9am is not too early for a burrito—they open at 8am, after all. (Remaining budget: $19.60)

10am: Finally ready to move after my monster morning meal, it’s time to hop on the Muni train ($2) and head out to enjoy the sunshine. It might sound lame, but when the weather is gorgeous, just getting in some exercise walking and people watching is delightful—and free. I usually pass at least three buskers on my journey, from bucket-drumming percussionists to blues-playing guitarists. Or, you know, a man standing on his head on top of a pint glass, singing. The city has talent, that’s all I’m saying.

I headed toward the Mission, where a slew of second-hand stores were calling my name. While many stores use the moniker “vintage” instead of “thrift,” enabling them to charge $15 for a t-shirt that would be about $2.50 at an actual thrift store, there is a secret weapon: The sale rack. Yes, even in second-hand stores. Generally, there is a $1 or $5 rack, and a little digging can lead to treasure. A cute blazer, comfy tee, and $6 later, my inner consumerist felt satisfied. ($11.60)

2pm: I need hydration. Having already emptied my water bottle brought from home, I seek out the next best thing: coconut water. At a small stand on an unassuming street corner, I score a fresh young coconut for only $2.50, cracked open on the spot. Customers get to not only drink the super delicious water, but then have the coconut chopped open, enabling them to devour the coconut inside for the best afternoon pick-me-up ever. I’ve developed a serious addiction to this stuff, be it fresh or from a can. ($9.10)

2:30pm: A girl cannot live on coconut water and clothes alone. My true obsession lies in the smell of paper, binding, and dust—better known as used bookstores. (Are you sensing a trend in my cheap ways? Peruse the used!) I spent way too long in Dog Eared Books, and while I didn’t buy anything, reading from their eclectic collection might be my favorite way to spend an afternoon.

4:30pm: Ok, I’m bored with myself. By this time of the day, it’s socially acceptable to grab a happy-hour special with friends. I met up with good friend and VegWebmistress Laura Beck at The Attic to share a round of $3 Manhattans (don’t forget to tip, even on a budget!) and a little gossip. And being a dog-friendly establishment, I also got to enjoy the company of her rescued pit bull, Hazel. ($5.10)

6:30pm: With only a few dollars to my name and tired feet, it’s time to head home. Another $2 train ride gets me to my neighborhood, and I have just enough cash left for an order of brown rice ($1.50) from my local Chinese joint. Hey, it might not be the healthiest dinner, but I’m sure there are a few kale leaves somewhere in the fridge I can throw in. ($1.60)

The Final Word: With a dollar and some change to spare, I’m ready for an evening at home with my puppy and some Netflix (already paid for, WIN!). Thanks to cheap eats, used goods, great weather, and a little homework on the destination neighborhood, a day out doesn’t have to break the bank.