Making Old New, To Make Do
If you dread the thought of spending lots of money to buy new clothes or shoes, or if the possibility of breaking the bank to replace old appliances has you down, there's a solution: Take what's old and make it new again!
Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen offered examples Thursday.
Become good friends with your tailor!
Instead of buying new clothes, you can just change out-of-style clothes you already have!
Tailors can do amazing things. For instance, a bridesmaid's dress from two years ago cost more than $300. We transformed it into a cocktail dress. It cost $85 for the alterations, and a few more dollars to have some of the material made into a wrap.
Also, don't be afraid to shop the clearance rack and find clothes that aren't your size. Koeppen found a simple wedding dress for $15 on clearance. It was too big, so she had it altered and made into a smaller size, for only $20 dollars. So, for less than $40, she had a full-length gown. And once you are done wearing it, you can pay a few more dollars and have it dyed a different color and cut off and made into a cocktail dress!
Cozy up to your cobbler
Get your shoes repaired instead of buying new ones. You can save a bundle by having shoes repaired. Koeppen showed a pair of $200 men's shoes that were in such bad shape, they'd become un-wearable. For $100, she had them repaired, and they look great now.
Same story with women's boots Koeppen showed. For just $20, she had them cleaned up and new soles put on.
Tossing Or Replacing Appliances
If they break, we always wonder whether to throw them out or repair them. Is there a guiding rule of thumb?
It depends on the age and the cost of the repair. If the repair is going to cost more than half the purchase price, toss it.
For vacuum cleaners, for instance, consider a repair if it's less than seven years old. Repairs are usually pretty cheap -- $25 to $100.
What about a laptop?
If it's more than three or four years old, replace it. But before you toss it, look into recycling. Some computer companies will actually give you money toward the purchase of a new computer if you recycle your old one.
And what about iPods?
They come with a one year warranty, but sometimes you will have to pay up to 30 dollars in shipping and handling to send it back for a repair. And once it's out of warranty, new batteries alone can cost $60, and repairs range from $50 to $250. You can get a new iPod for that. So, in this case, if it breaks, replace it.