'I had the idea to start a maternity swap shop service years ago before I had a baby. When I got pregnant in 1999 there were so few clothes around; I took redundancy in 2005 and decided to make the idea happen there and then. I threw some flyers into Montessori schools and crèches and got an amazing response.
"At the time there weren't many expensive boutiques, but then people began buying expensive maternity stuff. Women need designer stuff for work, for socialising or whatnot. If you're someone who spends money on clothes when you're not pregnant, you won't compromise when it comes to maternity wear, even if you just use the clothes for six months. Now that people are more price-conscious, it's more difficult to justify spending €350 on a pair of maternity jeans.
"The way it works, people call me after their pregnancies and I price their clothes for them. Normally it's half of the original retail price. The person who gives me the clothes gets half of that again; for example, if I sell a dress at €100, she will get €50. I run a showroom in Knocklyon, and people call me saying that they need something for a wedding, or for work, or that they need their entire pregnancy wardrobe. Most of the time I will pack everything I have in a client's size and go to their house. Most women prefer trying on clothes in their own house because they can team it with accessories or clothes they already own.
"I have picked up a few silk Diane Von Furstenberg dresses that would sell in a regular maternity boutique for around €300. I also see a lot of Isabella Oliver items, and maternity jeans by Earl Jeans or Citizens of Humanity. The other labels we regularly stock are Naissance on Melrose, Juicy, Formes and Olian.
"If someone is thinking of going the swap shop route, I'd advise them not to be daunted. Most of the clothes you'll come across have been only worn once or twice, and have been dry-cleaned so there's no 'musty secondhand shop' vibe to them. Buying clothes in this way ticks so many boxes; it's not only cost effective, but it's very eco-friendly. A lot of people still love the idea of shopping in boutiques but a huge proportion of people say they're delighted to have found me."
GETTING STARTED
• For more information on Momsoon, log onto www.momsoon.ie or call
087 204 6917.
• There are a number of designer swap shops across Ireland; among the most notable are StockXchange in Dun Laoghaire (Tel: 01 2020 720), Ascot As New Boutique in Waterford (Tel: 051 841 488) and Serendipity, Naas, Co Kildare (Tel: 045 875 383).
• Alternatively, try a clothes exchange party with a group of friends. Arrange a gathering whereby everyone needs to bring at least five designer garments.
'Ilove the idea of home exchanges because of the freedom involved. Resort holidays don't appeal to me, and I like getting the chance to become a part of a community when I'm away. When you move into someone else's home, you get a great insight into the area. The other great advantage is that you can end up in a house full of another family's toys, which is ideal if you have young children.
"We started off low-key, and went to Holland three years ago on our first exchange. We spent three weeks in this tiny village which was the Irish equivalent of Fermoy. Most of the locals were surprised we were so off the beaten track that they treated us really well. Since then, we've been to Toronto, Madrid, London, France and Austria. Right now we're looking for homes to exchange with in the US, Sweden and Denmark. The Austrian trip was especially brilliant because the woman we swapped with was an Ayurvedic yoga instructor and had an amazing studio within the house, which suited me down to the ground. The house we went to in Toronto had a pool, which the kids adored.
"On a home exchange, people often leave you information on where to eat and visit, and often they're places off the beaten track. Likewise, we leave a folder full of 'insider' information about Dublin and Bray.
"So far there have been no glitches... Once we got a huge gas bill after we swapped with a family in Madrid, but that's about it. When you're not paying for accommodation, it's hard to get precious about things like that. Before you leave, you have to get organised and clean the house. It's also good etiquette to leave clean towels and sheets, and a small meal, some wine and flowers for the family coming to your house. It's all done in good spirit so that the visitors enjoy their stay even more.
"The home exchange route isn't ideal if you're very guarded about your privacy, but I trust people not to snoop in my home. When I'm away I'm on holiday and can't be bothered to nose around. The upshot is that it's incredible value for money; the Austrian trip cost us around €500 for two adults and three children. The added bonus is that the kids get a real insight into whichever city we're in. I'm sure they'll bore of it eventually but right now they love it."
GETTING STARTED
• There are almost 14,000 listings across 70 countries on Homelink (www.homelink.ie). Upload your own house by taking photos and writing an honest description of your home (including facilities, amenities, etc).
• Be sure to write a comprehensive guide to running your house/car so that you don't get any unexpected emergency phone calls on your own trip. Include information on a local chemist, emergency doctor and transportation.
• At the beginning and end of your trip, book a cleaner and an afternoon flight to avoid a clean-up before a 6am drive to the airport.
'I have a fantastic hairdresser called Catherine at the academy who is very fond of showcasing new cuts. She's ideal for me as I like to keep ahead of the pack and have a very individual look. I work in the Gucci store at Brown Thomas and have a pretty active social life so looking on-trend is very important.
"I should imagine I'm saving around €150 a go on the colouring alone... Anyone who has ever been blonde will realise that it's one of the most expensive colours to have. I get a cut every three months but need to go back for colouring more often, so if I were paying for it, the cost would soon add up!
"At the classes, I'm obliged to sit there and not say much. The students will follow what the stylist is doing to my hair. Sometimes they will talk about my hair condition or colour as though I'm not there. Once, they were talking about how bad my roots were, which was pretty horrific! The students need to scrutinise and play with your hair, but I'm getting such a good deal that there's no way I miss the normal client treatment at a salon.
"It hasn't always been straightforward... When I lived in Toronto I went to a hairdressing academy and this student decided to put a 'strawberry blonde' streak in my hair. I came out looking like a cross between Geri Halliwell and a stripey lollipop. But it didn't put me off the idea of going back to training colleges to get my hair done... after all, I'm getting a real bargain. Nowadays, I trust the girls so much that I leave satisfied every time."
GETTING STARTED
• For information on T&G's training academy, log onto www.toniandguy.com. Other hairdressers that run schools include Peter Mark (Tel: 01 475 1126, or log onto www.petermark.com) and David Marshall School of Hairdressing, Dublin (Tel: 01 677 0106).
• Because it isn't a regular salon experience, you won't be expected to tip the students. However, keep an open mind and don't arrive into the school with an idea of the cut you want. The point of the class is to find you a style that suits you and works for your lifestyle, so you will need to implicitly trust the teacher.
• Beauty colleges are also on the lookout for willing participants, and can provide treatments at a discounted rate. Try the Aspen School of Beauty in Dublin (www.aspensireland.com,
Tel: 01 475 1940) or the Galligan Group (www.galligangroup.com, Tel: 01 670 3933).
'Ilove the drama of eBay, and since I started four years ago I got pretty addicted to the buzz of winning an auction. If I ever need anything, I jump on eBay to see if I can find it there first. If I see a pair of J Brand jeans on the site, I'll go into Brown Thomas, try them on to see what size works, and then go home and place a bid on eBay!
"When I had my daughter Willow last year, I bought everything for her on eBay. I got a Silver Cross pram, which normally retails at around €1,300, for less than €700. I've bought some great raw silk drapes for the house for around €200 too, which were an amazing bargain. More recently, I got a pair of Sass & Bide jeans, which normally retail for €175, for about €40. I also bid successfully on a pair of Marc Jacobs shoes that normally cost €1,000, and got them for €195. I think the best gem I ever found was a Dolce & Gabbana dress that I bought for €200, and I've not seen it anywhere else.
"It hasn't always been easy though... Once I stayed up all night bidding on a stunning Yves Saint Laurent dress, but lost out in the end. I went to bed sick that night! But when you do win the auction, it's pretty exciting. The fact that it arrives straight to your door is the icing on the cake.
"Sometimes I've gotten stung on VAT and customs charges on clothes from the US, but even then it still works out cheaper than buying them in a store. I've also been burned with American sizes too in the past.
"My advice to anyone who is new to eBay is to check your sizes and your sellers. Make sure the person you are buying from has a 100% positive reputation. I prefer to use Paypal because I don't want my credit card details floating about. I always say that if you want to win a bid, put in the highest bid you can afford and walk away from the computer. Don't sit around waiting for the auction to close. If you don't get the item in the end, perhaps it just wasn't meant to be!"
GETTING STARTED
• Don't wander aimlessly around eBay, as you will find yourself bidding on impulse buys. Consider your search keywords, and make your search as specific as possible. Take advantage of eBay's email service, which lets you know when a specific item arrives onto the site.
• Use the site's automated 'sniping' service wherever possible, which alerts you on the last few seconds of an auction, so you can jump in and place a bid.
• Pay attention to shipping charges, which will inflate the cost of your purchase if you're not careful. Keep tabs on favourite sellers; if you've found a bargain through someone reliable, chances are they will be selling similar items on a regular basis.
Make your own clothes The Grafton Academy (www.graftonacademy.
com, Tel: 01 676 3653) and NCAD (www.ncad.ie, Tel: 01 636 4200) regularly run evening classes which enable students to make their own clothes. Fabrics can be bought online and at Hickey's, while patterns can be bought from www.sewdirect.com.
Create your own jewellery
Check www.irishjewellery courses.com or
Yellow Brick Road (www.yellowbrickroad.ie, both of which offer part-time courses on working with sterling silver and semiprecious stones. The Lackagh Museum & Education Centre (Tel: 091 874533) runs classes in jewellery making in Galway.
Make your own organic cosmetics
Save money by making your own paraben-free products, most of which are becoming increasingly expensive to buy. The Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co Leitrim (www.theorganiccentre.
ie), runs classes in natural cosmetics and soap-making. Body creams, lip balms and bath oils are made during the course. The Organic Centre also runs courses on wine making and growing organic vegetable/herb gardens.
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