Ebay and You: How to Modify Your Image and Save Money

I think it’s safe to say that there have been a million articles written on how to streamline your spending. As a college student and habitual cheapskate, I will tell you that this article will not be like the others. This one focuses on clothing, so if you dress like a slob you needn’t read any further.

Over the past four months I have found a number of ways to not only save money but to save time and patience as well when shopping for clothes, all utilizing the website Ebay.com.

Now, I am what you might consider a minimalist. I am forced to live this way because I have bills to pay and a lifestyle to pursue. Although I dress well, eat well, and maintain a clean persona, you might not realize how light I am in the wallet. This is because I do not let you know this.

I am also a generally nice guy who realizes that people judge one another on their images-and I avoid doing so. I do not need to. This is because I absolutely do not have to worry about others’ judgments, whatsoever.

This is because of my relationship with Ebay.com. Ebay and I have worked together, often successfully, with Ebay teaching me a lot of things about myself: I can buy practically anything I need for under $20; I can find practically anything I want for a reduced price; and I can avoid customer service people, whom I loathe strongly.

I like to shop for clothes on Ebay. Aside from the plethora of vintage clothing available, rare items, including designer samples, can be found. Ebay shouldn’t, however, be considered just a digital garage sale full of used items and quirky rarities. It should be considered an emulation of the Mexican clothing trade-the items change hands so many times that they’re either highly overpriced or ridiculously cheap. And we all know who wins out when that set-up happens-the customer. I’ve even bartered on the side of bids with sellers, and an honest, square deal usually takes place.

I’ve rarely paid over 50% of a new item’s retail price. When surfing Ebay, I simply draw my foot in the line; I just won’t buy anything that’s over that 50%, and if I can’t locate the retail price via a dealer (online, retail stores) I don’t buy. But that’s only new clothing; with used t-shirts and jackets (and whatever else), I’ll only pay approximately 10%. If I’m going to be using Ebay.com as an online garage sale, I’ll only pay garage sale prices.

When it comes to buying good clothes to wear on campus, on dates, on adventure, wherever-I just log onto Ebay.com. It’s that quick. I tell the same to my friends with office jobs (Ebay’s a great place for designer ties), my friends with kids (kids’ sneakers for a penny), and now I’m telling it to you. And every time I log onto Ebay I tell myself, “I will find what I want and then I will buy it for what I can only say is ‘ridiculously cheap.'” And when people compliment me on my appearance, or ask me where I’ve obtained something, I can laugh it off and just honestly converse with them-I don’t have to be concerned with wearing something expensive and what that constitutes.

So, try it out yourself. Find something specific that you want and keep searching for it. Know your sizes, your colors. Know yourself and your monetary limits. Keep an eye on your item and, when the auction is ending, you’ll know whether or not it’s the obligatory moment of you getting exactly what you had in mind. Maybe if an item you’ve been watching was too expensive (and nobody won it) you can barter with the seller.

You should buy everything you could possibly dress yourself in on Ebay because, although you don’t need to dress like a millionaire, you can dress like a millionaire-and it practically pays for itself.