For almost a decade that I am here in the UAE, I accumulated more than 500 pieces of clothing. Not because I have an overflowing money in my wallet but because this country seems to be having a sale every month. Even if I spent only 100AED per month. But please don't get too excited with all the upcoming sale. Those days of cheap items on sale are over.
For the record I only started this journey to a minimalist and frugal life only at the start of 2nd quarter of this year. Meaning up to last year I was a hoarder of just about anything cheap I could get my hands of. Clothing included. Please don't get me wrong as I am not encouraging this kind of attitude/lifestyle. I'm just sharing this little part of my UAE life.
Up to 2013 I was able to buy clothing as low as 10AED in the market. Well that was just a distant memory as I noticed since 2014 that I can no longer find clothes on sale that cheap. If you are someone who constantly window shop during sale you will easily notice this change. Even during the time that I started my No Buy Ban I still look around. I am on a No Buy Ban for myself but not for sending back home.
Last year I was singing praises upon finding out how affordable it was to shop in the Splash brand in Dubai Outlet Mall. I was able to buy long sleeves for as low as 15AED and as end result I kept on coming back and checking them out as I wanted to shop for my family back home. But sadly that again was just a memory. For a few times this year that I visited the said shop; all those times I went home empty handed. Well because the prices increased that they should no longer be in Dubai Outlet Mall. Fine there were items for only 10AED which were good for nothing.
Now I had the chance to go on vacation on Turkey last August. Then the shopping experiences I had just blow my head off. In their weekend market I was able to find a piece of clothing for as low as 1TL or 1.25AED. Pants for only 5TL or 6.25AED yay! All those years that I really thought I was saving money buying from the sale items when in reality (and in some places of this world) clothing shouldn't really be that expensive. Not unless you are buying a high end brand. Do you get my drift? I don't know if I'm really able to express myself well. On what I am trying to point out... I feel like the clothing is getting expensive here when it is not overseas. So as an end result I can't bring myself anymore to shop further. More than ever I feel like that the prices I'm seeing here are rip offs.
I am aware of the current prices as until now I still keep on looking around. Who knows I might really be able to score a real good deal. You might be thinking that I am talking about being minimalist and frugal and yet I'm doing some window shopping? Well because the clothes I accumulated, if only I can afford to just get rid of them all, I would. I have those colorful clothing I got during sale. But I don't think that they are still appropriate with my age. There are clothes that are way too smaller with my current body frame. That's the downside if you are shopping just because it is on discount. You end up shopping without thinking. Yeah so most of them are good for up to two times only.
And so in the following weeks to come my 'getting rid of an item per day' will still continue especially with my clothing. But sadly I can't shop just yet. And when I think about shopping (I would still need to but not to the point of hoarding like what I have done in the past) I feel like I can only do it once I visit Turkey again. And visiting Turkey brings me to another concern. It is a matter of when? There are times that the air fares are very affordable. As well as the hotels. But the current manager is very strict regarding with the leave days. The HR has rules but then the manager has the last say regarding with those rules. Even standing up from the seat to get a tea from the pantry is something he frowns upon. But then this is my life over here. And besides clothing is the last of my worries.
For the record I only started this journey to a minimalist and frugal life only at the start of 2nd quarter of this year. Meaning up to last year I was a hoarder of just about anything cheap I could get my hands of. Clothing included. Please don't get me wrong as I am not encouraging this kind of attitude/lifestyle. I'm just sharing this little part of my UAE life.
Up to 2013 I was able to buy clothing as low as 10AED in the market. Well that was just a distant memory as I noticed since 2014 that I can no longer find clothes on sale that cheap. If you are someone who constantly window shop during sale you will easily notice this change. Even during the time that I started my No Buy Ban I still look around. I am on a No Buy Ban for myself but not for sending back home.
Last year I was singing praises upon finding out how affordable it was to shop in the Splash brand in Dubai Outlet Mall. I was able to buy long sleeves for as low as 15AED and as end result I kept on coming back and checking them out as I wanted to shop for my family back home. But sadly that again was just a memory. For a few times this year that I visited the said shop; all those times I went home empty handed. Well because the prices increased that they should no longer be in Dubai Outlet Mall. Fine there were items for only 10AED which were good for nothing.
Now I had the chance to go on vacation on Turkey last August. Then the shopping experiences I had just blow my head off. In their weekend market I was able to find a piece of clothing for as low as 1TL or 1.25AED. Pants for only 5TL or 6.25AED yay! All those years that I really thought I was saving money buying from the sale items when in reality (and in some places of this world) clothing shouldn't really be that expensive. Not unless you are buying a high end brand. Do you get my drift? I don't know if I'm really able to express myself well. On what I am trying to point out... I feel like the clothing is getting expensive here when it is not overseas. So as an end result I can't bring myself anymore to shop further. More than ever I feel like that the prices I'm seeing here are rip offs.
I am aware of the current prices as until now I still keep on looking around. Who knows I might really be able to score a real good deal. You might be thinking that I am talking about being minimalist and frugal and yet I'm doing some window shopping? Well because the clothes I accumulated, if only I can afford to just get rid of them all, I would. I have those colorful clothing I got during sale. But I don't think that they are still appropriate with my age. There are clothes that are way too smaller with my current body frame. That's the downside if you are shopping just because it is on discount. You end up shopping without thinking. Yeah so most of them are good for up to two times only.
And so in the following weeks to come my 'getting rid of an item per day' will still continue especially with my clothing. But sadly I can't shop just yet. And when I think about shopping (I would still need to but not to the point of hoarding like what I have done in the past) I feel like I can only do it once I visit Turkey again. And visiting Turkey brings me to another concern. It is a matter of when? There are times that the air fares are very affordable. As well as the hotels. But the current manager is very strict regarding with the leave days. The HR has rules but then the manager has the last say regarding with those rules. Even standing up from the seat to get a tea from the pantry is something he frowns upon. But then this is my life over here. And besides clothing is the last of my worries.
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