Coming soon (free) to your wardrobe?

Just think, in a season or two, this new look from the Paul & Joe spring 2009 RTW collection might be coming to you free via swapstyle.com.

Diane von Furstenberg, Coach, Chanel, Gucci, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin… If I told you all these labels – and heaps more – were available in one place, you’d be excited. Once I added the fact that they’re also free, you’d possibly hit the stratosphere.

Swapstyle.com is like one big night in the wardrobes of the women of the world. Or the swapstyle.com members at least. They upload pics of stuff they don’t anymore, along with a ‘wishlist’ of items they’re willing to trade it for. Hautemamascloset (user name), for instance, has a Paul & Joe silk dress (not pictured) that she’s willing to swap for a designer handbag from Coach, Chloe or LV, or “anything from Lilli Pulitzer”.

So what are the hitches? The site is designed for swapping, selling or buying – so some items have a price tag (though there are a lot of ‘swap’ items to be had). It costs $10 to become ‘address verified’, which is a security feature of the site (they recommend dealing with other swappers who’ve been through the process). Oh, and you’ll need to factor in postage for that Paul & Joe dress, for instance – hautemamascloset is in the States.

For fashionistas struck down by the recessionista bug, it’s a fun few hours window shopping if nothing else.

Pic: nymag.com

Making It Happen

Ever wondered how you get yourself into a financial mess? Dr Paul Harrison, marketing guru and academic-who-speaks-in-normal-language* from Deakin University, has created a short film about the traps for young (and old) players called 'Making It Happen'. The characters are fictional, but the script is based on real stories by consumers. Check out this trailer, and keep an eye out for the film coming to a short film comp near you.

*Disclosure: Dr Harrison is my go-to guy for consumer stuff. He did some cracking research for the Consumer Action Law Centre about why we think those 'Congratulations: You're Pre-Approved for a Credit Limit increase' letters are such a good idea (and why they're actually not) - you can read more about it in Credit Card Stressbusters.

Getting the gold: How to give up shopping

Shopping sounds innocent enough, but it can cause a personal sub-prime crisis, complete with credit card debt and a need for a new fiscal stimulus package.

TV marketing executive and author Neradine Tisaj has literally written the book about it after realising credit card debt and a good chunk of her spare time was devoted to overindulging in retail therapy.

“We all have a void that niggles at us and shopping is one of those ways of nurturing ourselves that isn’t in fact nurturing at all,” the author of How To Give Up Shopping (Or At Least Cut Down) explains.

“In June last year, Australian’s spent 12 per cent of their income in credit card interest so there is no doubt at least some of us are over-shopping – I wasn’t the only one.”

Tisaj’s frustration prompted her to seek out financial advisers, none of whom understood her problem. One told her to stay home more and eat eggs.

“Telling a shopper to stop spending is like telling a fat person to stop eating – it shows no understanding of the problem,” she says.

“For lots of people, shopping is a hobby. It’s their entertainment. I personally loved department stores. For me, riding up the escalator to look at homewares, frocks, shoes and try perfume was the ultimate pastime.”

Committing to a conscious spending regime was the only way out for Tisaj, who now buys “80 per cent less” than she used to.

“If you want to start consciously shopping, you have no choice but to go Cold Turkey,” she says, explaining that overshoppers should go on a month-long shopping detox buying only food and necessities and carrying around a notebook to record any feelings and spending.

“Once you’ve gone Cold Turkey, you realise what you miss and you can allocate a sensible budget to purchase what you really love,” she says. “For me, it was books. So even though I went to the library, I still wanted to buy them.”

And the other trick? Place a list of 20 things you love doing that are inexpensive in your purse – ideally where the credit card used to be.

“When you feel like a splurge, just get out the list and do something else.”

Pictures Minaret Vintage Jewelry via Flickr

Save face AND cash: cheap recommended beauty buys

All this fuss about Olay's new Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream (and don't tell me you haven't seen the ads) got me to thinking about how much we pay for beauty products - and how much we need to pay. Hope in a bottle generally doesn't come cheap, but sometimes we overlook really good products because they don't cost a bomb.

But I'm no expert at the beauty counter, so I got in touch with Katrina Lawrence at beautyeditor.com.au for her thoughts on the subject. Here's a sample of her list on where you can save - and where you really should spend - when it comes to beauty products (for more, go here).

Save:

*Cleanser: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is worth the hype.

*Acne products: Neutrogena offers some of the best skin-clearing products around, not to mention the most affordable.

*Moisturiser: Head straight for Nivea. The Oxygen Power Reviving Day Cream is a standout.

*Hair care: Don't go past Tresemme.

*Tanner: Palmer's Natural Bronze Tanning Moisturiser beats most big-priced tanners hands down.

*Makeup: Maybelline is not just a maybe.

Spend:

Don't scrimp on anti-ageing products, foundation or hair colour (if you're planning to go lighter.)

It's a given that any budget requires sacrifice and prioritising. But savings in the beauty area are looking good, without sacrificing your good looks.

Pictures: bellamumma

Make your mobile phone pay its way

Sienna Miller ... who's paying her mobile bills?

Inertia is the enemy! Rise up, ye mobile phone users! Don’t overpay that mobile phone bill again! Discover the cheapest possible phone plan for your needs!

“It’s too much of a hassle for most people,” explains Phonechoice.com.au founder Doug Purdie. “They simply pay the bill and don’t think about it much.”

Phonechoice.com.au estimates most of us can save at least $100 a year by aligning our mobile phone calling patterns with one of the thousands of plans available through Australia’s four mobile phone carriers.

“There are so many twists and turns to the plans but you can cut through it all by writing down on a blank piece of paper exactly what you want to use your mobile for: do you ring friends, text, surf the web, use only during peak for business?” Purdie says.

“You need to get your last three months bills and work out if the way you want to use your phone matches the way you actually DO use the phone.”

Then head to the Phonechoice website at http://www.phonechoice.com.au and enter your calling patterns into a tool that will show you the best plan and provider for your calling patterns. “Most people are not on the best deal for them,” he says.

There are three great tips Purdie offers for those wanting to lower their mobile phone costs:

1. Phone your current mobile phone provider with the information you have gleaned from the Phonechoice website. “It’s amazing what can happen by talking to your existing carrier,” he says. “That first phone call can deliver great results - they will tell you they have a capped plan or combo plan that will suit you better and maybe throw in some extras to keep your business.”

2. Save mobile costs by turning off your voice mail – if you look long and hard at your bill, most of it will be deposits and retrievals which earn the provider a motza. If you can’t bring yourself to turn off the voicemail, at least extend the ring time before it switches the message on.

3. If you’re near a landline, use it. “People seem to forget that you don’t need to use a mobile every time you call someone.”

Pictures: The Sun