Pearl of Wisdom: The Dumb Side of Hipsterism

I've been accused of being a hipster countless times over the last few years. Part of it is being a true-blue salty ("so alty") Wellingtonian. Part of it is having good taste in shit. Part of it is, and here's the kicker, having black, thick-frame Ray Ban prescription glasses before they were cool.

Since becoming financially independent and canine-ily responsible, I've started re-examining my hipster soul and trying to make good decisions based on what makes me happy AND what makes my wallet happy.

I have a Toyota Corolla. 

That is basically the most boring, least hipster car in the world.

My dad's always had vintage cars, and guess what? They are 100% terrible and will make you hate everything about everything.

When it comes to buying something pricey and, more importantly, a practical good which you will need to rely on heavily, the most important factor which we tend to overlook is fixability.

Shit breaks. How easy will it be to fix it? How often will it need fixing?

Vintage cars need fixing constantly. My dad's vintage Mercedes seems to have a permanent car park at his local mechanic. My Corolla (Alfie, his name's Alfie) has also needed a couple of fix ups since I bought it, but what I learnt from being around vintage cars my whole life is that having a rare specimen of vehicle means that sourcing parts is a lengthy, pricey process.

I can't stress how wonderful it is having the world's most common car. Alfie is a breeze to get fixed.

Alfie ♥

Fixability doesn't just apply to cars. Cellphones, laptops and other forms of tech which you are going to use daily and often rely on for Uni or work, they are going to break on you at some point. Before buying something important, make sure there is a safety net firmly in place. Avoid buying something too obscure, as 'cool' as it is, because it will be an absolute head ache to fix.

Fixability, harsh as this sounds, also applies to animals. If you're decide to go ultimate hipster cliche and fork out the $2,000 - $4,000 (NZD) it costs to purchase a French Bulldog puppy, consider that you've basically just bought inbreeding personified (dog-ified?). Dogs don't 'break' per se, but they get sick often and are prone to all sorts of issues. French Bulldogs and other such fashion breeds are the vintage car of the dog world. You're going to see your vet more than your own parents over your dog's lifetime.

When purchasing anything that will take a considerable chunk out of your pocket, assume that it will break, glitch up or get sick within the first 6 months of purchase.

How inconvenient will this be for you? Which product will be the easiest and cheapest option to get fixed? Is it worth trying to prove myself to other people via my image if I get something 'cool' that will become the bane of my existence?

I know, when you're in your 20s, you just want to have fun and you're earning actual money which you can use to fulfill all sorts of dreams you had growing up. You're free.

But also, you're in your 20s. Your job is kinda sucky. You think one of your flatmates might genuinely be insane. Your best friend just ditched you to go travelling. You have no idea what you're doing with your life. Et cetera, et cetera.

Really, do you want to add having to spend thousands of dollars fixing your car/pet/phone/laptop/whatever to that list?

Minimise yo' problems, don't buy things which you know will be an expensive hassle to fix.

Being practical is not synonymous with being boring. I may have a Corolla, but it's got a mo-fo'ing bat symbol on it and it smells like mo-fo'ing cherries on the inside. Alfie kicks ass.

Hiatus

Wow, it's been a while!

Short story short: full-time university, part-time "real job", full-time dog parent.



Hope your life, whoever you are, is going aces, whereever you are.

I feel like everyone's busy and stressed atm. It's that time of year, maybe? 

-Kate

The Basic Bro on AliExpress

Since AliExpress has started sneaking its way into being a household name, it's fascinating hearing different perspectives about the site from different social groups. My new weekly highlight is my Retail Marketing lecture/workshop, which is ripe for discussions about online shopping and contains a group of very talkative bro-friends. These two factors coincide quite nicely.


In between talking about the cricket, the trio of Basic Bros (the male version of the Basic Bitch) had a chat about AliExpress. It went something like this...

Bro 1: This guy got some AliExpress shoes this morning.
Bro 2: Brooooooo.
Bro 3: Yeah, and they fit real well!
Bro 1: Broooooooooo.
Bro 2: I bought some sunnies off AliExpress on a Friday, they arrived on the Monday. It's crazy, Brosephs.
Bro 1: Dude.
Bro 2: I might buy a jacket I found on there. It's crazy how good the prices are. Bro diggity.
Bro 3: Cricket sports points.
Bro 1: Beer.
Bro 2: Bros 4 life.



Yeah. So, that's what your typical Kiwi 20-something year old is doing on AliExpress, in case you were curious.

 Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

Also, if you are one of the aforementioned Bros, maybe spend less time online shopping and more time doing the fucking assigned reading before class. Missed my bus because of you slow fuckers.

Pearl of Wisdom: The Store Credit Hack

How many email accounts do you have?

It's more than one, right? You have access to more than one email account, right?

Cool.



I went to buy something off OnceIt last week, and worked out how I could use their "Invite a Friend, Earn $20 Credit" to my favour.

The deal is if you invite a friend and they buy something, bam, $20 towards any future OnceIt purchase, right there in your account.

Because I was already on the way to buy something and I already have a OnceIt account, I stopped and thinked for a minute: Could I invite myself via my work email address, buy the shorts I liked (which were $14 inc. shipping) on that account and receive a $20 voucher on my original account?

Would they notice if I put in the exact same name, address and phone number for my second account?

Turns out, no! A minute after my payment was confirmed, I checked account number 1, and there was my shiny $20 credit!

So, in the future, when I want to buy something on OnceIt without using my nice lil' free $20, I just need to invite another of my various email accounts, buy it there, and collect my next $20 voucher!

Remember that this is $20 of credit towards OnceIt, and is not reedemable for cash. Technically, you're getting free goods from the purchase of other goods, not free money. But hey, it's still very cool!

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

If there are any other online stores that use the "Invite a friend, get a discount/store credit/voucher code" system, please let us know in the comments below!

NB: All prices in this post are NZD

DIY: Hanging Necklace Holders

I'm about to move, so I've gotten really into DIY and interior decoration, in preparation for trying to make my scruffy student flat look a lot nicer. This is a really, really cheap and useful project I came up with recently, and I think it's worth sharing!


Necklace storage is such a hassle, because if you do it wrong you'll either end up with a tangled mess or have your jewellery in a place that makes it forgettable. Because they're so beautiful, it's nice to be able to display them too.

Note that this DIY uses Pianola Roll spools. I've had some of these lying around, for a while, having decided they were perfect for upcycling, but if you don't have that specific circumstance atm, head to an opshop or online auction. They're basically worthless artifacts, besides maybe a couple of rare or mint condition ones, so go no higher than $2 (NZD) each.


Things I used:

-Pianola Roll spool(s)
-Classic white string (the kind everyone has that never seems to run out!)
-Scissors
-Clear glue

The ingredients are pretty flexible. I used the string to decorate my spools, but you could use anything else, eg, wool, paint, paper or fabric. You don't even need a Pianola Roll spool exactly! I think they're perfect for this, but if you have something else floating around your house you think will work, try that. This DIY assumes the exact process I used will be replicated.


Method:


1. Strip your Pianola Roll sheets off so you have a naked spool. The box and sheets of the Pianola Roll could totally be used for some other project, so keep them if you want.


2. You'll find that one of the Pianola Roll spool handles either comes off completely or comes out just a little- this will be where you want to end up at, so start at the other handle. Keeping the string attached to the string spool, tie it tightly to the Pianola Roll spool, pushing it as close as possible to the handle.

3. Use a tab of glue to secure the knot. You could also use clear nail varnish. Dab a bit of glue and lay down the loose piece of string. 4. Start wrapping the string as tight as possible around the spool, going over the loose end of string to secure it.

5. It takes about 20-40 minutes to wrap a spool. Keep going around and around. It's a good thing to do whilst listening to a podcast or watching TV. If you need to get up at any point, place the spool down and use something heavy to keep the string taut. Every so often, dab a bit of glue on the spool and wrap over it, just to keep things secure.

6. When you've reached the end, pop out the handle a little bit and wrap in this small gap a couple of times. Tie a tight knot. Snip off the string and use glue to secure the knot and the shortened end of string.

7. Cut a long piece of string and tie it around the middle of your spool (or do it twice towards each end). To find the middle, tie the string loosely around approximately the centre point, then holds the string, dangling the spool in mid air. Move the string along the middle section until the spool hangs perpendicular to the string it dangles on. Tie a tight double knot, then use glue to secure the knot and the string that wraps around the spool.

8. Tie a knot and push a pin or nail through the string loop, attaching it to a wall or pinboard. I think these look nicer in duos, so make another if yours looks lonely or you have a lot of jewellery.

9. When adding necklaces, remember that you'll also need to be able to take them off! You could make it so you have to undo the clasp to take the necklace off, or simply place the necklace over the spool and pull the pendant through the loop created, so it can just be pulled off (this doesn't work so well for chunky or stiff necklaces).


Ta-da! Super easy and, more importantly, mega cheap. There are heaps of cool things you could do with these, like painting over the wrapped string or hanging one from another, go crazy.

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

How do you currently store your necklaces? Has this post been helpful to you?  

Pearl of Wisdom: Online Auctions 101

Sites like TradeMe (for us NZers) and eBay (the actual auction-y side) are fantastic because they combine two of the greatest activities of modern life: thrifting and online shopping. Paradise.

I've bought some absolute gems over TradeMe. I got a Uniqlo skirt for $3 (inc shipping). I've also got- no, we'll be here if I list all the great things I've bought off TradeMe. Incidentally, I've been to the TradeMe offices! They have a slide. I went down it. It was super flimsy and creaky. They were also planning to go international back in 2012- I'm not supposed to talk about that, but hey, it's been long enough and I never signed anything.

Right, off topic.



To skip to the point, there's a right way to do online auction sites. Instead of searching for the cheapest Buy Nows and auctions that have a week to close, use whatever filters are available to you on your local/fave auction site to mirror this search function:

Sort Order: Closing Soon
Price: $0-$5


The price is flexible, but you get the gist. You want to find what auctions are about to end, because this means there's less time for you to get outbid or involved in a bidding war. Either narrow down your category or do what I do and look at everything under the sun in a broad category, such as Woman's Clothing.

If you're looking for something specific, then don't use this method. This is for 'rummaging', and finding really cheap goods that you don't really need (although marketing discourse actually defines 'need' as including 'wants', so you can argue that you do 'need' that new pair of shoes you're coveting).

Another TradeMe tip for NZers: Use the mobile app, not the website! The app is configured to show thumbnails of all listings, not just the ones which have paid extra for a photo on the search screen.

Also, Happy 2015 everyone! Welcome back to Absolootely for the year :-)

Contributor: Kate, @Springerfield

I have no idea what sort of sites people outside New Zealand use! Do you have something like TradeMe? Link us to your local online auction site below. 
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )