FrugalTO Magazine

DECEMBER 2010 | FrugalT.O.

Budget living in the big city

T.O.

toy story Please your kids and your wallet this holiday season

exhaust-ed Your run-down car could be costing you hundreds

secret’s out How to get nice hotels for an even nicer price

FREE

December 2010 Issue

Feature on pg 15:Meet Toronto "Save-iours"

10 great

staycation tips

PREMIERE ISSUE

Meet this month’s Fru-GALLearn how she is saving

this holiday season

Staycation this w

inter

Contents

Feature15 Toronto “Save-iours”

Vintage vs. Second-hand

DECEMBER

2010

ISSUE

2423

Trends5 Daily Deals6 Secret Hotels

Lifestyle20

Success22

26Kids don’t have to be costly

Staycation this w

inter

Finance10 Counterfeit

11 Bundling

12 SPC Cards13 Samko-Miko14 Evolution of Coupons

Market

Shopping

Services

Contents

8

Car Care

Dress for

Impulse

DECEMBER 2010 | FrugalT.O. wix.com/frugalto/onlinemagazine | DECEMBER 2010

Welcome to our premiere issue of FrugalT.O. Chock full of investigative pieces and helpful advice on living fru-gally in Toronto’s concrete jungle.

Now we need to make ourselves clear in that being frugal does not mean being cheap.

Frugal means being smart with how you spend your money, and we all know it’s not hard to spend money in Toronto.Frugal is a declaration of financial comfort and still being able to maintain the lifestyle that you want.Frugal is a movement that every student, every parent, every new-comer lives every day.Frugal is a movement that any and every Torontonian can be a part of.

FrugalT.O. is your one-stop shop for how to live life on a budget, and believe us, we know a thing or two. You don’t get much more frugal than four university students living in this big city. Tempta-tion is everywhere, but have no fear fru-guys and fru-gals, we’re here to help. It’s the time of year when sale signs seem to engulf shopping malls, and retailers are pulling out all the stops in order to make the holiday season profitable.

No longer should you have to suffer from buyer’s remorse, frugal-ity is more than the new black — it’s the new way to live.

Consider our featured “save-iours,” they know frugality because they do it for a living,

The guys at DealTicker consider daily deals “affordable luxuries” and Gillian Downes, founder of Frugal Fashion Week, actually do-nated her entire closet to Goodwill and started from the ground up…frugally of course.

Speaking of which, check out page 24 for a great vintage haven we uncovered and why it pays to buy used.

From car maintenance to money saving tips for families with lots of kids, this issue’s got something for everyone.

At FrugalT.O., we trust that there’s a bargain to be found in ev-erything. We hope you’ll join us on this journey of discovering what this city has to offer…at a fraction of the price.

Sincerely,


T.O.

Patrycja Klucznik

Kimberlee Nancekivell

Kirsten Parucha

Fiona Persaud

wix.com/frugalto/onlinemagazine | [email protected]

Editorial & Art Department

Fru-GAL of the month:

Carolyn LyAs a University of Toronto student who

pays her own tuition, Carolyn Ly does not

have change to spare for this holiday season.

Ly, 21, organized a secret santa with her co-

workers at the pool she works at. The group

of two guys and three girls decided that a $50

gift for one person is friendlier to their bud-

gets than buying a gift for everyone.

For their holiday party, the group de-

cided to go skating at the Harbour Front

Centre on Dec. 18 when skating is free

during the DJ Skate Night.

Last year, the

same group plus

two other guests

went to a high-

end restaurant

downtown for their holiday party, and drastically over spent.

This year, the group was planning to do a potluck dinner before skating

until one of Ly’s co-worker bought a daily deal from DealFind for $70 worth

of food at Toko Bistro & Bar, a Japanese restaurant on Yonge and Wellesley.

The voucher only cost $40.

“We all love sushi, so that deal was a real steal,” laughed Ly after her

rhyme. “I’m really relieved it’ll cost us about $60 altogether for the party.”

Editorial

4


Patrycja Klucznik

Kimberlee Nancekivell

Kirsten Parucha

Fiona Persaud

Editorial & Art Department

Daily deal sites have virally made their mark in the city over the past year, but more importantly, in the wallets of Torontonians.

As their popularity increases, more and more consumers are subscribing to these sites. So the question is: are they actually sav-ing people money, or enticing them to spend more?

How they work

By signing up at no charge, subscribers receive a free daily email that offers a deal on a product or service in their city at a discount-ed price. The subscriber usually has 24 hours to purchase the deal before it expires. These websites include Groupon, Steal the Deal, DealFind and DealTicker.

Avoid impulse shopping

The majority of these deals are offered from restaurants, salons, spas and local city attractions. One deal was $100 worth of spa ser-vices at Rhythm Spa for only $25. Since these places can be costly, discounted prices are aimed to attract consumers who are willing to spend money on these services but at affordable prices.

“Today’s pressed economy is likely to lead people to look for sav-ings, especially online,” said David Foot, professor emeritus of eco-nomics at the University of Toronto and co-author of two bestsell-ing economic books.

However, their combination of advertisements and marketing can easily lure impulse shopping rather than saving.

“If it’s someone who’s been looking for a product and they’re get-ting it for cheap, then the deals are a great investment,” said Avi Goldfarb, associate professor of marketing at the University of To-ronto. “But if it’s someone who’s just susceptible to buying because it looks like a great deal and wouldn’t buy it otherwise, then it’s not a good investment.”

Spending versus saving

Nabila Islam, 21, is a subscriber to two daily deal sites, Groupon and DealFind. She admits she has been susceptible to buying what appeared to be a great deal and wasn’t as cautious upon purchas-ing.

“There were times when I hadn’t read the fine print as well as I should have and then I ended up disappointed with my purchase,” Islam said.

Islam refers to a Groupon she bought this past June for five one-hour classes at DivaGirl Fitness, a women’s only fitness gym. After

purchasing the Groupon, she learned the classes weren’t offered in Toronto, but rather in various locations just outside the city, which aren’t easily accessible for her. The voucher cost Islam $30 (a sav-ings of $45), and it expires on June 10, 2011. She is yet to attend a single class, and does not intend to.

Smart shopping

“Whenever you’re buying anything, you should assess whether it’s worth it relative to your other options in order to help save money,” Goldfarb said. “Ask yourself if the purchase is worthwhile, or if the money can be spent on something more necessary or if it can be saved.”

Since her purchase in June, Islam has bought more deals, but with more caution.

“Now I read the fine print more closely,” Islam said. “With Grou-pon, you have a full day to purchase so it gives me enough time to find out how the Groupon works, if it can be used hassle-free and if its location is accessible. Before I make a purchase, I call the actual retailer with any inquiries I may have just to be safe.”

Some daily deal sites allow a full-money refund after a certain number of days after the purchase.

Permanent trend

“Group buying and these online coupons are a trend, but bigger,” Goldfarb said. “If people are willing to spend the effort to find these coupons and companies are willing to take part, then they won’t become obsolete.”

Foot on the other hand suggests that these sites are only popular amongst the younger generation (specifically people under 35) and will become obsolete once these customers become older and new technology arrives.

Trends

STORY BY: KIRSTEN PARUCHA

The savoir faire for getting deal-ightful experiences

5

6

The Secret is

in the HotelIt’s Friday morning and the last day of a nine-to-five work week. Before the weekend even begins, Janine Devine already knows she’s in need of an immediate getaway for some rest and relaxation.

BY: KIRSTEN PARUCHA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY: FIONA PERSAUD


7

Since booking a weekend vacation to the Bahamas is unrealistic on her budget, Devine opts for the next best thing: booking a secret hotel in the city and

spending the weekend away from her family’s over-crowded home in Scarborough.

The “secret’”of the secret hotel comes from the fact that the name and location remains unknown until it has been booked and paid for online. Devine uses websites that of-fer discounted rates on some of the best hotels in the city. These websites include Hotwire and Travelocity and are partnered with a variety of hotels in cities all over the globe.

“It’s exciting because where you’ll end up is a surprise un-til the very end,” Devine said. “I think that using online sites like Hotwire to book hotels is a great way to save money and utilize time. It’s quick and convenient and these websites are always looking to offer the best deal.”

According to Joe Blazik, vice-president of Travel College Canada, secret hotels have been a growing trend for trav-elers in the last two years. In his opinion, as travelers get more experience with these websites, secret hotels will evolve from a trend to a staple in discount travelling.

Blazik and Devine have both used Hotwire on several oc-casions. Blazik advises to book at least two to three days prior to get the best rates, whereas Devine usually books the day of her stay.

Devine’s most recent stay was at the One King West Hotel & Residences in Toronto. She paid $99 plus HST for her one-night stay with her boyfriend in the lavish hotel located in the Financial District, normally a $159 room per night for one bed.

“The best services I’ve ever gotten were at One King West,” Devine said. “Upon arrival, we were upgraded to a room that had more amenities than the one we originally booked. The new room had a stovetop, fridge, washer, dryer and an office space, all with amazing views. I was blown away.”

Lindsay Olender of Brooklin, Ontario has also used Hot-wire to book hotels for her getaways. She has stayed in se-cret hotels in cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Olender, 28, said that a downfall to booking secret hotels is the inability to specify the exact location of the hotel in the city you’re visiting.

“Sometimes it’s difficult knowing exactly where you’re go-ing to end up, so it could be risky,” Olender said. “The ho-tel may not be close to the city’s tourist attractions, which wouldn’t be convenient.”

To get a particular location in the city, Blazik says to in-clude the postal code in the search criterion to narrow down the options and the location of the hotel.

“If the city has major attractions or if you have a specific location where you want to stay, research the hotels in that area and use the postal code to narrow your search. Other-wise it’s too general, the outcome of the hotel is too broad,” Blazik said.

Secret hotels are targeted to travelers who are looking to stay at four-star hotels without having to pay four-star prices, something to keep in mind as the holiday approach-es and budgets get tighter. For those who have family or friends coming to visit over the holidays, or for those ex-pecting to book a last minute vacation, secret hotels are the best way to get discounted rates, said Blazik.


DECEMBER 2010 | FrugalT.O. wix.com/frugalto/onlinemagazine | DECEMBER 2010 8

Wish you were here?

Well you already are...STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: FIONA PERSAUD

As shoppers scurry about the malls amid the consumer chaos and gloomy

December weather, it’s no wonder an average of 1.5 million Canadians head

south every winter, but a large number are opting to stay local.

A 2010 survey commissioned by Frito Lay Canada revealed that more

than half of Canadians say they cannot afford a vacation, while a recent

BMO spending study found that Canadians

are more than twice as likely to spend mon-

ey on a vacation close to home (43 per cent)

than take a trip abroad (17 per cent).

The local choice has become so prevalent

that the term “staycation”, vacationing in

one’s own city, was included in the latest

edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

According to Matt Wixon, author of The

Great American Staycation: How to make

vacation at home fun for the whole family (and your wallet), vacationing at

home can be just as enjoyable as a conventional holiday if it is approached

the right way.

“You have to create the space,” said Wixon, in an interview. He explained

that in order to have a worthwhile local holiday, there needs to be a start

and end date, much like a vacation abroad.

Wixon, who is writer and columnist for the Dallas Morning News, has

three sons ages two, five and eight. He said since having children he and his

wife have made most of their vacations a staycation.

“It can be so difficult traveling with kids,” said Wixon describing the

laser-like stares passengers would give when

he boarded a plane with his children. He said

it was as if they were telepathically trying to

deter him from sitting in the adjoining seat.

In his book, Wixon said cleaning the house

and taking care of minor tasks before a stayca-

tion begins is crucial to making sure there is no

distraction from the daily planned activities.

Although planning may seem contradictory

to what is meant to be a relaxing time, Wixon

said it is important to do so.

“If you’re going to Paris you would do the same thing,” Wixon said. “If you

don’t plan, you take the risk of things like tickets being sold out or attrac-

tions being closed.”

For Toronto blogger and small business owner Karyn Valino, having a

“The city has more swagger, more of a sense of its own self

and more confidence”


10 Staycation Tips1Spend a night away from the homestead. Book

a night at a secret hotel and enjoy having someone else make your bed.

2 Take a mini road trip to an unfamiliar mall and splurge on a “souvenir.”

3Use the daily deal voucher you’ve had for so long. If you don’t have one yet, then purchase

one!

4Have a meal at a restaurant you’ve always wanted, either by yourself or with company.

5Take advantage of a Toronto Public Library MAP pass. Most are free and good for two

adults and two children.

6Turn off your cell phone, laptop and anything else electronic. Disconnect, and enjoy some

“me” time.

7Have a girls or boys night in, and make BYOB for each guest mandatory.

8Snap staycation photos and post them on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. (but not for the

last two tips).

9Play “adult” games with your significant other. Don’t be shy, it’s staycation time.

10 For a “natural” staycation, send the kids to grandma’s place, and spend your entire

vacation naked.

Frugal Vocab

staycation means doing things she normally would not do all in one week.

Valino, who writes a do-it-yourself blog where she displays her projects

and ideas, explained having recently made the decision to have a local vaca-

tion with her boyfriend.

“There is something relaxing about being at home on staycation and be-

ing in your own space and your own bed,” said Valino, who owns a sewing

workshop in Parkdale.

She said vacationing at home is great because there is less pressure to

see and do everything, mainly because there is less money invested in the

experience.

During her time off, Valino said she dined at various restaurants she had

not yet tried. She even treated herself to a little shopping, something she

does not do often since she makes her own clothing.

“One of the big things for me as a small business owner is supporting the

local economy,” Valino said. “I feel good about doing that. I know the com-

munity I am supporting.”

According to Andrew Weir, vice-president of communications for Tour-

ism Toronto, support for the local economy this time of year is important

because tourist visits in the city are not as high. He said businesses offer

a lot during the holiday season to help staycationers rediscover their city.

“We are fortunate to have such a depth of urban experiences here,” Weir

said.

He said people are aware of the concept of staycations now more than

ever because of the economic downturn and that many are likely to stay

home and save money for a more ambitious trip in the future.

Staying local also tends to have a hassle-free bonus as well.

“Rather than go through the trouble of airports, packing and customs, it’s

much easier to hop on the subway and stay at a great city hotel and indulge

in the various local activities,” Weir said.

According to Weir, Toronto also seems to have found itself. Residents

have taken note of the tourists that visit and they are starting to ask what

the appeal is.

“The city has more swagger, more of a sense of its own self, and more

confidence of its place in the world,” Weir said.

Staycation:

A holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

Origin early 21st century: blend of stay and vacation -Oxford English Dictionary


Saving money is something that is met with few objections, but is

there a point where cheap is too cheap?

As it turns out, Toronto has a market that has average citizens

breaking the law to save a few dollars, and it’s far from underground.

“It’s against the law to have in your possession any kind of counterfeit

good,” said Det. Robert Whalen who was involved in 55 Division’s latest

counterfeit bust in October. “Counterfeits are very prevalent in Toronto

though. You can probably purchase a counterfeit product at almost any

store in the GTA.”

Whalen says flea markets and “mom and pop stores” in general are

known for counterfeit goods, but some particular locations have gained

notoriety over the years.

“Pacific Mall has been a counterfeit hotspot for 10 or 15 years,” Whalen

said.

Jatique Martins, 22, is a regular

at the large Asian mall, visiting it

about once a week.

“Why wouldn’t you go there?”

said Martins, who openly admits

that, laws or not, the savings from

buying counterfeit are too good to

stop.

“It’s 80 per cent cheaper than going anywhere else for phone parts and

electronics, and they can fix anything for about 20 bucks,” Martins said.

He also visits the mall to buy DVDs, Toronto’s most popular counterfeit

good according to Whalen, but the selection has gone down in the wake of

a series of raids.

“They sort of move locations, depending,” Whalen said. “Right now

if you were to go to the Oriental Centre, they’re out readily on display

there.”

According to Whalen, Toronto police do not have the resources to enforce

counterfeiting laws as aggressively as the RCMP. Enforcement in Toronto

relies on tips, and the divisions involved decide if they have the resources

to take on the case.

“Where would the public rather the officers be - out fighting gun crime,

or DVDs?” Whalen said.

Brian Isaac, chair of the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN)

and a lawyer at the Toronto office of Canada’s biggest intellectual property

firm, Smart and Biggar, says even if the enforcement of counterfeiting laws

was of a higher priority in Toronto, the laws themselves are lacking.

“The laws that we have are very much outdated,” said Isaac, pointing out

that many of them were made before the Internet existed.

According to Isaac, Canada’s current counterfeiting laws allow for peo-

ple to get away with something he calls contributory infringement. A flea

market owner, for example, could receive

money from vendors selling counterfeit

goods without facing any consequences.

Parliament is taking a step toward ad-

dressing the implications of the Internet

as well as contributory infringement

with Bill C-32, but Isaac recommends

that penalties be adjusted as well. He

says they are too lenient and contribute to the growing demand for the

goods, which in turn encourages the suppliers.

“We tend to have a society that doesn’t view this as a particularly bad of-

fence or bad thing to do,” Isaac said. “You’re fostering a black market situa-

tion and you’re talking about manufacturers who are manufacturing things

in atrocious conditions for their employees, and who don’t care about the

consumers.”

Isaac says buying counterfeit goods takes billions of dollars away from

the legitimate economy each year.

“This is not a victimless crime,” he said.

Knock it offToronto’s counterfeit market:

who it hurts and why it’s thriving anyway

“Where would the public rather the officers be — out

fighting gun crime, or DVDs?”

12

3

“Fake” facts about DVDs

The cover artwork is photocopied or low-quality

The movie is usually on a recordable DVD

They’re sold at a major discount at unofficial retailers

10

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KIMBERLEE NANCEKIVELL

Finance


To bundle or not to bundle? That is the question. The answer, by

popular demand, seems to be yes. Even the dark under belly of

being caught in a contract doesn’t eliminate the money saving

benefits of this tricky marketing phenomenon.

Bundling is the act of combining services such as a landline phone, Inter-

net, cable and cell phone into one bill. In this case, the consumer buys and

uses several of these services from one company, thus combining not only

the bill but the customer service experience.

Dilip Soman, professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of

Management and expert in consumer behaviour, shared insight into the

phenomenon of the one-stop shopping bill that constitutes bundling and

praises the simplicity.

“Bundling does get people to buy things that they otherwise wouldn’t,”

he said. “From a consumer psychology perspective, I think the story is dif-

ferent. Bundling makes it a lot simpler for people, so all of the hassle, deal-

ing with five different service providers, that’s gone. Psychologists gener-

ally agree that bundling works.”

George Zapalac, a 44-year-old construction worker and home owner

who’s been bundling his services with Rogers for three years, agrees with

the simplicity of bundling. However, money plays a larger role for him.

“If I can save a dollar, I will save a dollar,” Zapalac said. “If I can pick up a

phone and save a dollar, I will.”

Zapalac has bounced around from other service providers but said that

the Rogers bundle he currently subscribes to offers him the biggest bang

for his buck. His average bill comes to about $300, with what he says con-

tains an average savings of 15 per cent.

Zapalac’s mindset goes against some of the consumer behaviour that

Soman explained. Although consumer laziness plays a role in the success

of bundling, Zapalac is not one of those lazy consumers. He said that he

would switch providers if they offered him a better deal, and he refuses to

pay for something he doesn’t really use.

Although Soman sees bundling as a sort of marketing ploy, he also

doesn’t consider it a disadvantage from the consumer end.

“At the end of the day, it’s not just short-term simplicity. It’s long-term

simplicity in terms of paying bills,” Soman said.

Rogers’ bundling strategies are called “Better Choice Bundles.” The web-

site offers a neat little calculator that shows you savings in real time as you

pick and choose which components to include in a bundle. Rogers claims

that bundling two services with them will save 5 per cent, bundling three

services will save 10 per cent, and bundling four, the way Zapalac is do-

ing, will save up to 15 per cent. However, Rogers’ terms and conditions for

the bundling deals include locking yourself into a two-year contract and

include an early cancellation fee if you choose to cancel one of the qualified

services.

All bundled upExperts and consumers weigh in on tying the knot with your service provider

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: PATRYCJA KLUCZNIK


Aiden Haw wasn’t a loyal Swiss Chalet customer until she learned her

quarter chicken dinner could be accompanied by a free side of six

perogies just by showing her Student Price Card.

“I like Swiss Chalet, but I didn’t go very often,” said Haw, 23, a Lakehead

University student. “Now I do because I can get a starter with my meal. It’s

an incentive, it’s like two for the price of one.”

A choice of a free side of perogies, soup or salad with any entrée at Swiss

Chalet is only one of the many deals available with the SPC Card, a Cana-

dian student discount card that offers a 10 to 15 per cent discount or more

at various retailers across the country.

The 2010-2011 card, became valid on Aug. 1, added over a dozen new re-

tailers including American Eagle Outfitters, Costa Blanca, Danier and The

Body Shop.

The card is a valuable asset for students because it allows them to save

money at stores they already shop at, said Nicholas Bianchi, director of

sales & loyalty marketing for SPC Ltd.

The card can be purchased online or in stores for $9 and must be reg-

istered before use. It expires every year on July 31 and is usable by any

student, regardless of age, as long as they have a valid student ID.

Students who frequently use the card save an average of $100 to $200 per

year – a sound investment for a small price, according to Bianchi.

There are currently over 935,000 SPC Card members in Canada, a 30 per

cent increase over last year.

“Last year, we only had 700,000 members and we were hoping for only a

10 per cent increase with this year’s card,” Bianchi said. “The high increase

is because of the additional number of retailers offering discounts and the

additional number of stores who sell the card.”

There are currently 120,000 members in Toronto, SPC’s first and largest

market.

Eden Spodek of Toronto has used the discount card on several occasions

to save money on clothes for her sons, ages 12 and 15. She agrees the price

of the card is worth it.

“It easily paid for itself three or four times over,” Spodek said.

Spodek bought the card for her eldest son while she was buying items for

him at Sport Chek and when he needed a suit from Tip Top Tailors. He also

uses it at various fast food restaurants.

“If you’re going to frequent the stores often, then it’s a good deal,” Spodek

said. “To buy it because you may use it, but not often, isn’t a good idea be-

cause it can be easily forgotten at the time of purchasing.”

According to Bianchi, the SPC card has no direct competitors, and follow-

ing its success this year, the company is optimistic for the 2011-2012 card.

“I don’t think we have a main competition, at least not one that’s on a na-

tional level with a program exactly like ours and that functions like ours,”

Bianchi said. “There are various local programs, but realistically we don’t

have a direct competition.”

By next year, SPC Ltd. hopes to expand by increasing the number of re-

tailers offering discounts, the number of locations selling the card, increas-

ing promotion of the SPC BMO MasterCard and by releasing new products

that are not yet allowed to be discussed.

SPC Cards: the golden

ticket for student savings

Most popular SPC stores:

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KIRSTEN PARUCHA


SPC Cards: the golden

ticket for student savings

13

In the land of Samko-MikoMinimal selection at Canada’s largest toy warehouse,

as it re-opens just in time for the holiday season

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KIRSTEN PARUCHA

In the west-end of Toronto is a warehouse filled with toys for boys and

girls of all ages. Inside are busy workers arranging large piles of toys

into tall towers, ready for easy grabbing. As soon as the warehouse doors

open, big red bags are eagerly filled until they’re almost bursting at the

seams.

But those red bags don’t belong to Santa Claus, and they aren’t being

filled by his elves. They belong to bargain hunters shopping at Samko-Miko

Toy Warehouse.

Located in Etobicoke, the large toy store claims to house “thousands of

brand name toys and books at the lowest prices in Canada,” as indicated on

their website. The warehouse is only opened three times a year, and for this

holiday season, they’ll be opened until Dec. 24.

“Christmas is very expensive, so I’m here now to do my shopping before

it gets too late,” said Kim Neller, a Samko-Miko customer and mother of two

children. “There’s a lot in one place and it’s cheaper. I save at least half of

what I’d spend anywhere else.”

The warehouse is divided into three main sections: crafts, books and toys

The toy section is divided by age and gender.

While visiting the warehouse, I asked shoppers what they thought about

the giant toy warehouse. The general consensus was that it saves them

money, but they might not find the latest and most popular items on their

kids’ wish lists.

“The selection is limited unless you know what you’re looking for,” said

Tracey B., a Samko-Miko customer and mother of a four-year-old son as

she shopped amongst the books section of the warehouse. “But compared

to Toys “R” Us, or even Walmart, the prices are better.”

“It’s more geared toward younger kids, as opposed to a store like Walmart,

so we’re mostly shopping for my three-year-old child,” said Martin Bass, a

Samko-Miko customer and father of two who held a bag half-full of toys.

“The selection is a little less, it’s a little limited,” said Neller. “But for the

prices that you’re going to get, you’re still getting a great deal. If you’re

looking for something specific, you’re probably not going to find it.”

Samko-Miko has been in business for 35 years, and the customers I spoke

to are all Samko-Miko veteran shoppers, and already know that whatever is

available during their visit won’t be the newest toys on the market.

“If there’s leftover inventory at Mattel, and they want to get rid of it, then

they give us a call and we’ll try and put it on our shelves,” said Brad Dit-

tmere, sales manager and buyer for Samko-Miko. “We’re in the closeout

business, so we never offer the latest. The toys are usually a year or two

old. The Barbie doll that came out last year will most likely be the Barbie

doll we’ll be selling.”

The company, which has four other locations in Ontario, doesn’t adver-

tise that they offer the newest toys, but instead, that they have low prices

on quality toys.

“We’re honest,” said Dittmere. “We only sell brand names. We supply our

customers with very good service, and good products at terrific prices.”


Marcy Berg has just run out of dish soap.

Perfect timing, since she’s on her way to the store to pick

up some paper towel that’s on sale for $2.99. She rummages through

a drawer until she finds what she’s looking for: 50 cents disguised as a

square piece of paper that will add to the $15 to $25 a month she usu-

ally saves using coupons.

Berg, a 52-year-old mortgage broker, is an avid coupon user and has

been since she was a stay-at-home mom to her two kids.

“I just started to shop for deals, and I clip coupons to try to save ev-

ery penny that we can because I have a household budget,” Berg said.

“The more I can save, the more I can spend on myself.”

Berg sounds like a marketer’s dream, and that’s exactly the way the

direct marketing industry is heading now. According to Janice Drown,

a 30-year veteran in this industry, the consumer wants and expects

the best value when they make buying decisions, and many look for

incentives to help them decide where to shop.

Frank Turner, vice-president of sales for Valassis Canada, a com-

pany that deals with distribution of coupons for consumer-packaged

goods, as well as president of the Coupon Industry Association of

Canada, had promising insight to the growth of coupons.

“There’s more of a couponing mentality [in the U.S.],” Turner said.

“It’s almost like a culture, whereby they are so used to looking for

coupons, like in their Sunday newspapers, that it’s sort of engrained

in them.”

As of the end of 2008, 4.7 billion coupons were distributed in Canada

and the U.S., most of which are called “free-standing inserts,” such as

the ones you tear out of the newspaper.

Although it seems that everything is digitized now, coupons are

slow to take that approach.

“In Canada, three-quarters of coupons being distributed by con-

sumer-packaged goods companies are through free-standing inserts,”

Turner said. “Up until the end of 2008, the ‘other’ segment, which

would include Internet-based couponing, is only 4 per cent.”

“Coupons are really mini billboards,” Drown said. “They create

awareness. Many offer incentives, and some just information, but they

do connect consumers with advertisers.”

“Historically, when the economy is poor, that’s when consumers are

most interested in coupons,” Berg said. “People’s relationship with

money is weird, and that’s what it comes down to. Spending habits are

out of control; people are living with so much debt, it’s crazy.”

“SAVE $15 A MONTH”

STORY BY: PATRYCJA KLUCZNIK

READ HOW COUPONS HAVE EVOLVED FROM NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS TO SMARTPHONE APPS

14

Where to find the best coupons:

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY:

wix.com/frugalto/onlinemagazine | DECEMBER 2010


16


T.O.

It’s time for a deal...

Three seconds go by. Tick tick tick. There are 23 hours, 59 minutes and 57

seconds left to buy the daily deal. Tick tick tick… Three more seconds.

After an hour has elapsed, 10 customers have purchased the deal reaching

its needed quota. The deal is on.

As the clock races down, Daniel Abramov and Julian Gleizer are in their of-

fices in uptown Toronto managing their staff who are supervising the increas-

ing number of deals being bought from their website, DealTicker.ca.

Founded this year, DealTicker is one of this city’s most popular and growing

daily deal sites.

Each day, 365 days of the year, DealTicker offers their customers a pro-

motional deal at an exceptionally discounted price. Example: $29.95 for a

one-year subscription to The Hockey News magazine, a discount of 79% and

a savings of $109.39.

The Toronto-based company spoke with FrugalT.O. about why it is a grow-

ing resource for Torontonians looking to save money on “affordable luxuries”

in the city.

“People are always going to go out and spend money, but with these deals

they’re saving instead of actually spending,” said Gleizer, co-founder and

CEO of DealTicker.

Gleizer suggests that people who spend a lot of money on a common ser-

vice such as getting a hair cut, wash and style can buy a deal that offers the

same package at a much cheaper rate from a reputable hair salon.

“The deals we offer are luxuries that are now affordable, so now they’re

affordable luxuries,” said Abramov, co-founder and president of DealTicker.

The establishment of DealTicker was a mutual decision by the friends of

eight years, in hopes to create a company that provides service to both the

partnered businesses and their customers. They currently offer deals in 15

other cities/regions in Canada.

“Daniel and I came to the conclusion that it would be better to bring custom-

ers to the business and not have the business borrow from a financial institu-

tion in order to have money to spend on marketing campaigns,” Gleizer said.

“Instead, we promote the businesses with DealTicker free of charge and they

receive a large amount of new customers.”

This method of business is what Abramov calls the “reverse model.” By

being the middle man, DealTicker is allowing the businesses partnered with

them to promote themselves by offering customers a customized deal that

can be bought within 24 hours. By having a time restriction, it creates an

STORY AND PHOTGRAPHY BY: KIRSTEN PARUCHA


17

It’s time for a deal...U of T students can

receive five DealTicker

dollars by emailing

[email protected], and

registering with DealTicker.

Students can use the money

to purchase any daily deal.

All students need is a valid

utoronto email.


incentive for the customer to purchase the deal immediately, allowing a large

volume of clientele for the business in a short amount of time. In return, Deal-

Ticker receives a certain percentage from each deal made.

One of DealTicker’s most successful daily deals was a $22 package that

included a manicure, pedicure and a choice of a 60-minute facial or a 60-min-

ute massage at one of three Canadian Aesthetics Academy locations. That

Nov. 3 deal secured over 2,100 purchases.

“Our deals are irresistible to the customer,” Gleizer said. “Our terms and

conditions are more favourable and our customer service is next to none. We

strive to keep our customers satisfied. At the end of the day, the bottom line

is our deals are better than the rest.”

Both Abramov, 29, and Gleizer, 35, said that the founding of DealTicker

came at a prime time because of the growing trend of online consumerism.

“We believe right now the market is ripe for e-commerce which is con-

tinually growing,” Abramov said. “The online market is always accepting new

ventures and new companies, so more people are willing to shop online than

in stores.”

“Recession plays a vital role,” Gleizer added. “When there’s a recession it

affects both parties: the consumer and the business. So by partnering with

us, we’re typically saving the customer on the service or product that they’re

purchasing as well as helping the business increase their clientele at the

same time.”

When considering making a deal, specifically in terms of Toronto, Deal-

Ticker seeks to target areas all over the city and the GTA in order to ensure

that people from all corners of the city are included. As they grow more popu-

lar, businesses approach them in hopes to be featured in a daily deal. At the

time of the interview, DealTicker had secured a daily deal for the upcoming

three months.

“We have had an overwhelming result of feedback from customers and

businesses telling us that we have an excellent service,” Gleizer said. “Most

typically the customers are students who have to save money for living ex-

penses and tuition; they are able to afford our deals which they wouldn’t typi-

cally be able to afford otherwise.”

As the city and country recover from recession, DealTicker claims that sav-

ing money is still a valuable lifestyle choice, no matter who you are.

“Daily deals opens a whole new avenue for the consumer,” Abramov said.

“Toronto is very segmented in terms of class statutes, so with these daily

deals, everyone from each level of income is able to afford whatever the deal

is. At the same time we cater to the individuals who have disposable income

and want to try something new. People always says there’s a hidden gem in

every area, we try to take the hidden away.”

DealTicker currently caters to Toronto and the GTA. They are currently

working to expand the company to the United States by early 2011.


18

The baby of the Toronto fashion festivals, Frugal Fashion Week

is turning three next year, and founder Gillian Downes is

already busy organizing the 2011 festivities. Although FFW

a week-long event in July, it actually begins in January with “Icon,” a

fundraiser highlighting the top female fashion designers in Toronto.

It then continues with one fundraiser a month held in different stores

across the city, as part of the “Who, What, Wear, When, Why” portion of

the festival.

Catching up a bit with Downes wasn’t easy, but the former publicist

and journalist, turned full-time frugalista took time to share why frugal

may be here to stay and why frugal fashion is important.

“Frugal Fashion Week was started to encourage people to support

their local retailers,” Downes explained.

“We started during a down economy and saw a lot of businesses clos-

ing.. I just thought it would be nice if someone would encourage Toronto-

nians to just stay in the city and stop heading to the States when there’s

a sale or the dollar’s on par, and actually support their local retailers.”

FFW encourages support of local designers and retailers by combining

shopping with things such as fashion shows and art installations. This

past year, FFW teamed up with the Bata Shoe Museum and held a gala

and fashion show there. Gillian explained that it encourages Toronto-

nians to come out and check out cultural spots along with a great shop-

ping experience. The last day of FFW is traditionally a shopping party

held at a boutique that FFW chooses.

“It’s the wind-down. Everyone’s been partying for the last three days

so the fourth day we just say ‘you know, this is the day you’ve got to

come out, you’ve got to bring your wallets and you have to shop at this

store. We choose the store without any reason, sometimes the stores

find us,” Downes explained.

More than just a fun way to show off local talent, FFW has a phil-

anthropic side as well. It’s a not-for-profit organization that relies

completely on its ticket sales, which, according to Gillian, makes every

guest a part of their family. FFW accepts product sponsorships as well,

so guests may expect goodies handed out at various frugal events. One

ticket to FFW 2010 cost $35 and gave red-carpet access to every major

event held on each of the four days of the festival.

Furthermore, FFW has partnered with fashion charities to raise

awareness and funds, last year a portion of the profits when to a charity

called Windfall. This year, FFW is partnering with Goodwill.

“Windfall to me was until recently one of the only fashion charities; I

say fashion because they actually provide clothing to people at risk and

its only new clothing, which is key. Windfall accepts donations of brand

new clothing and they will distribute it the same way,” Downes said.

She praised the charity for their great endeavours and the fact that

they ahve filled the niche of being a fashion charity

“[Windfall] understood that frugal is not about poverty per say. When

the recession hit, things just went way downhill and people still wanted

to shop and they wanted to afford things, and that’s exactly what Wind-

fall was about,” Downes said.

Is the frugal fashion founder frugal herself? She is, but Downes said

she didn’t become so on purpose. Due to the not-for-profit nature of

FFW, initially Downes was paying for a lot of it out of her own pocket.

Strapped for cash, she also conducted her own experiment whereby

she donated her entire wardrobe to Goodwill, and decided to rebuild it

frugally. Downes said it taught her how to watch her spending knowing

she only had a certain dollar amount to spend.

As for the future of FFW, Downes is taking it one year at a time.

“Our team [at FFW] would more likely read the business papers

rather than the fashion magazines. We might pull it if there’s no need for

us, if the economy starts ballooning and doing amazing. But so far we’re

seeing that maybe Canadians really are frugal people,” Downes said.

Frugal Fashion Week 2011 will be held from July 21-24.

Frugal Fashionista

Gillian Downes, founder of Toronto’s Frugal Fashion Week talked with FrugalT.O. about why saving money is fashionable

BY: PATRYCJA KLUCZNIK


19

Bridezillas rejoice. The most stressful day of your life has become

a little easier.

Enter the Frugal Bride team: Judy Cormier and Darsi Pizzolato.

Frugal Bride is a Canadian online magazine dedicated to saving money

while planning a wedding.

“Frugal doesn’t mean cheap,” Pizzolato explained. “Cheap means cheap.

Frugal means not being frivolous with money.”

The duo, who have been friends for 33 years, are experts in the wedding

industry. Cormier is a wedding photographer and Pizzolato is a former

wedding co-ordinator. Both consider Frugal Bride a full-time job.

“Our thing is that if you do everything on

the frugal side, then it becomes a cheap wed-

ding,” Pizzolato said. “Take what’s not impor-

tant to you, like maybe you don’t care about

the cake or the flowers, go less on that,”

Cormier explained that a lot of the content

on the site over the years has been contrib-

uted by vendors that offer helpful advice for

a frugal wedding. The brides themselves are

also big contributors in an online forum called Babbling Brides,

“Our site gives the brides the information they need and a place to start,”

said Pizzolato. “Because you’re getting married and likely it’s the only time

you’ve ever done it, and you really have no clue.”

Cormier suggested that it helps brides interact with people who are in

the same frame of mind as them when it comes to the importance of their

weddings.

The ladies are also adamant on attending weddings regularly

“We always believed, even from the beginning, that in order to run a wed-

ding website, you have to be in the trenches and be there and know what’s

going on in the industry,” Cormier explained.

Pizzolato, a single mom of two, says frugality is a big part of her daily life

as well.

Ironically, Cormier doesn’t practise frugality and said she isn’t very good

at it.

“Let me reword that; I attempt to, and sometimes I’m successful and oth-

er times I’m not,” Cormier giggled.

Pizzolato also expressed the importance of the time of year in terms of

the duo’s frugality in their daily lives. Winters are tough for the wedding

industry, whereas summer time business is usually booming.

“When the money’s not there, you get

frugal,” Cormier explained. “In this econ-

omy, like right now, I have to be careful

how I spend my money.”

With over 200,000 unique visitors a

month to their site and a facelift come

January, the two friends aren’t leaving

the Canadian wedding scene anytime

soon.

On the brink of their 11th anniversary, Pizzolato and Cormier are re-

vamping their site as well as their logo in January by hiring a designer to

change up their online image.

Pizzolato jokingly gave a guarantee to future frugal brides.

“Just in case it doesn’t work, I’m going to save you some money.”

BY: PATRYCJA KLUCZNIK

Judy Cormier (top) and Darsi Pizzolato (bottom) are the creators of Frugal Bride, a Canadian online wedding magazine dedicated to getting value out of every wedding expense

Here comesthe frugal bride

“Frugal means not being frivolous with money”

Check out a video of the Frugal Bride

ladies by visiting us online



There are big things brewing for the fashion godmothers of Canadian

women looking to begin their career.

On a quiet residential street, a little ways away from the lights and traffic

of the busy intersection of Bloor Street West and Spadina Avenue, lies The

Walmer Centre, headquarters for Dress For Success. Hesitantly, I opened

up the door and gingerly stepped inside. A friendly voice, later to be dis-

covered a potential volunteer Jay-Jay Realin, asked, “Are you here for the

Dress for Success volunteer session?” With a smile and nod, I climbed the

three flights of stairs to be met by a woman with black curly hair wearing

four-inch black platform pumps.

Shahira Wahba, the volunteer program manager for the Toronto chap-

ter of Dress for Success, invited me in. Inside stood racks and racks of

dresses from labels such as Zara and Jacob, rows and rows of shelves filled

with high heels, displays of scarves and handbags and a tower of shelves

crammed with cosmetics.

As the volunteer orientation session began, Wahba described the history

and foundation of Dress for Success, a charity organization that provides

second-hand suits for women seeking professional attire for job interviews

and new employment. Clients are referred to Dress for Success by employ-

ment agencies and come in to pick out two full outfits for job interviews.

Once the client is hired for a job, they come back and pick out five more

complete outfits to start them off on their new career. The Toronto chapter

is one of three in Canada, and is over a year-and-a-half old.

“We’re getting more clients, which if you really think about it, is an unfor-

tunate thing because there are more people who are struggling to find em-

ployment,” Wahba said. “But the great thing about the program developing

Fashion GodmothersProgram helps jump start women into the career world

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: PATRYCJA KLUCZNIK

Lifestyle


is that we can do more for them.”

Dress For Sucess is improving on several features in the program in the

new year, including streamlining the way clients are taken care of. Instead

of drop-in times, clients will be seen on an appointment basis. This ensures

that the clients receive the attention they deserve and that there are enough

volunteers on hand to help out. Further expansions include the Dress Re-

hearsal program, which acts as preparation for job interviews. Clients wear

their new suits and meet with industry professionals who perform mock

interviews with them and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

Sitting in a room full of volunteer hopefuls, with styles ranging from

casual hipster-chic college kids to dressy office

attire-clad 30-something year olds, to retirees

snuggled up in sweaters and coats, the hour-long

presentation flew by.

Wahba explained how the program worked, in-

cluding the golden “Five steps to success.” She

also talked about the original charity organiza-

tion created by founder Jessica Roelink called

Dress Your Best, which still runs as a men’s and

children’s charity. Dress For Success is strictly

for women.

“As the program developed, we’ve really learned what our clients need.

Giving people clothes is not enough, we need to do more,” Wabba said. She

also said that every client helped is another working professional contrib-

uting to a healthier economy and stronger community.

In terms of clothing, Wahba is always amazed at the number of donations

coming in weekly to the program. Although Dress for Success holds annual

corporate clothing drives, Wahba said that most of the donations still come

from the public.

“I’ve had people come from out of town, two to three hours away because

they really wanted to help a cause they knew would be beneficial; they

didn’t just want to toss their donations into the Goodwill box,” Wahba ex-

plained.

Dress for Success not only helps clients through tough unemployment

periods, they also act as a form of therapy.

“Sadly, but a lot of the time, people come in who had a loved one pass

away, who had a beautiful wardrobe with professional attire and they just

weren’t ready to part with it,” Wahba said. “So they donate their loved one’s

clothes to us, and it’s really more than clothes, it’s someone wanting those

clothes to live on and to benefit someone else.”

Realin, a fashion marketing graduate who’s

currently working towards a community ser-

vice certificate at George Brown College, de-

scribed why he was also attending the volun-

teer session.

“I just want to volunteer my time and help

the community,” Realin said.

Realin explained that he was most interested

in the men’s aspect of the program, Dress Your

Best, which Wahba explained is in desperate

need of volunteers.

Long-time volunteer, Alexis Dobranowski, described her volunteer expe-

rience as a family affair. Although Dobranowski wasn’t at the meeting, she

said she is a regular there.

“My sister, Michelle was going through a bit of a rough time and we both

thought that volunteering may take her mind off things,” said Dobranowski

about why she and her sister first started volunteering. “We loved it so

much that our little sister Sarah started coming with us too.”

“I just want to volunteer my time and help

the community”

DECEMBER 2010 | FrugalT.O.22

At the ritzy designer label stores in Yorkdale Mall, there is a

new ambiance in the air, one with the tone of frugality.

“It’s not that I’m cheap, it’s that I work too hard for my mon-

ey to blow it away,” said John Rizzo. “I’d rather put in a little bit more

effort and find myself a good deal.”

A study released earlier this year by advertising agency Bensimon

Byrne suggests that Rizzo, 34, is not the only one who will take an extra

step to save. The report said that although many Canadians believe the

recession is over, it has left a lasting impact on their spending habits. It

said that 90 per cent of Canadians say that they are doing more bargain

hunting and less impulse shopping than they were a year ago.

“People are shopping less because they don’t want to take unneces-

sary risks at this time,” said Rizzo, a self-proclaimed bargain hunter and

body shop manager in Toronto’s West end.

The global economic downturn raised unemployment rates and cut

down disposable income, which forced many Canadians to reassess the

way they shop. According to the study, people of all demographics and

levels of economic security, with the exception of those earning above

$150,000 annually, report eating at home more and buying fewer brand

name products.

“This is 1993 and 1994 all over again,” said John Wright, senior vice-

president of public affairs at market research company Ipsos Reid.

He said that in the early ‘90s, consumers also buckled down on their

spending during unsteady economic times. Wright did however, take

note of a major difference this time around.

“This time consumers have a leg up. Now that they have the Internet,

they can search for deals,” said Wright noting the growing use of online

last minute flight deals and daily discount websites that offer one-day

sales on various products and services.

A study by Ipsos Reid on the Great Recession showed that by mid-

2009, 70 per cent of all consumers had cut household spending and con-

sequently began to save.

According to Wright, frugality is not only trendy, it is also smart.

“If I’m going to save a few bucks just by going to the movies on a Tues-

day night compared to a Wednesday night, why wouldn’t I?” said Rizzo

who admitted he enjoys the feeling of accomplishment he gets when he

pays less for something.

Lydia Zorn of Insignia Marketing Research Inc. said people have be-

come more open to talking about getting things done for less.

“There are more and more people saying, ‘I am cheap’ or ‘I am frugal,’

and really feeling good about it,” said Zorn who noted that these types of

consumers are sticking to their shopping lists. “People will not go down

certain aisles,” Zorn said. “They are very disciplined.”

It appears, however, that consumers, while spending less, are not sac-

rificing quality in the name of savings.

“Consumers won’t pay full price unless there is an enormous amount

of quality,” said Wright explaining that it is not uncommon for a con-

sumer to spend a lot of money on a new pair of shoes, but chances are

they will be the only pair they purchase that season.

According to Zorn, shoppers will still sometimes shop on impulse for

smaller goods but will wait to save on big ticket items.

“The recession made people open their eyes a little bit and realize that

we can’t just keep spending money we don’t have,” Rizzo said. “It’s safer

to wait until the money is actually there, rather than reaching into your

wallet for the credit card all the time.”

The end of impulse shoppingSTORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: FIONA PERSAUD


DECEMBER 2010 | FrugalT.O. 23

Cost of raising children Moms of many share their money-saving tips and tricksSTORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KIMBERLEE NANCEKIVELL

You’re holding a receipt in your hand

for a little over $180, 000. It’s not for

a luxury car, a condo downtown, or

a nice little yacht to show off at Harbourfront.

That receipt in your hand is for your 18-year-old

child.

According to the Canadian Finance Blog, the

average cost for raising a child in Canada from

birth to age 18 in 2009 was $182,190. While you’d

never regret this purchase, you may be regret-

ting some of the spending that went along with

it.

“A lot of people today live beyond their

means,” said Lianne Castelino, co-founder of

WhereParentsTalk.com and mother of three.

Castelino says the first step to raising chil-

dren for less and managing your money better

is to teach them the value of a dollar.

“Take them to the store and say we have $20

and we’re going to get a Halloween costume,”

Castelino said. “Then they can see what they

can and can’t get.”

But while teaching children to appreciate

money can give parents a break from keeping

up with the Jones, a growing trend is tacking on

extra expenses that are a little harder to man-

age .

Last year, the World Health Organization de-

clared infertility a disease and the Canadian

Fertility and Andrology Society reported 30 per

cent of the births resulting from in vitro fertil-

izations in 2007 were multiples.

Toronto alone is home to an association of

roughly 550 families of multiple births, the To-

ronto Parents of Multiple Births Association.

“There’s online things where you can figure

out if it’s worth it for you to go back to work, and

I figured out I’d be making minus $400 a month

if we put them in daycare as one-year-olds,”

said Heather Corbin, a TPOMBA member.

Corbin and her husband Paul have twin three-

year-old boys, Jonah and Theo.

“I could have maybe tried to get a better job or

done more, but it just wasn’t worth it,” she said.

Corbin worked as a graphic designer before

the birth of her boys, but the family now relies

on her husband’s income padded by the odd

freelance job she does.

“We’ve been really lucky with getting hand-

me-down clothing and things like that, so we’ve

really bought next to nothing as far as clothes,”

Corbin said.

The family cut down on the cost of other ne-

cessities by using cloth diapers and choosing to

breastfeed and make their own baby food.

“Using a diaper service is about half the price

of disposable diapers, and then to do our own

cloth diapers is about a quarter of the price,”

Corbin said.

And while Corbin mainly relies on her own

money-saving tricks, TPOMBA president Cath-

erine Hewlett takes advantage of the associa-

tion’s resources to deal with the financial strain

of her own set of three-year-old twin boys and

one-year-old girl.

“Joining TPOMBA gave us access to a lot of

discounts,” Hewlett said. “I have used my mem-

bership card to get discounts on a stroller, a

baby carrier and some other things.”

And for families who aren’t eligible for special

discounts, Hewlett recommends purchasing

memberships like the one at the Toronto Zoo.

She has started RESPs for all of her children.

“Putting two kids through college or univer-

sity at the same time will be hard,” Hewlett said.

According to walletpopcanada.com, a four-

year undergraduate degree is expected to cost

$100, 000 in 2025, which is around the time

Hewlett’s twins will be enrolling.

So whether you’re 12 years or two years away

from that receipt in your hand, some simple ad-

justments could save you a lot of money.

Tips to save on your tots

1. Don’t buy what you can make2. Ask around for second-hand items from friends and family3. Take advantage of family dis-counts and memberships4. Plan for future expenses like post-secondary school5. Teach your kids the value of a dollar



Inside a warmly lit boutique, amid the chaos of Kensington Market is a

handpicked selection of perfectly colour co-ordinated trends display-

ing the many decades of fashion.

Ilus Malaya, or Pretty Freedom as it is more commonly known, is one of

Toronto’s newest shops for vintage clothing. The store, now in its seventh

month of operation, was named after the favourite words of the owners’ two

native languages, Estonian and Tagalog.

According to Pretty Freedom owners Hel-

ena Brown and Jodee Aguillon, merchandise

from most vintage stores are often purchases

from various thrift and second-hand stores.

The difference is that it has been curated.

“With the Goodwills and the Value Villages

it’s hit and miss,” said Brown who explained

that the difference between rummaging

through a second-hand clothing store and go-

ing to a vintage store is that they have already

filtered through the quality items so the client does not have to.

“Sometimes you’ll spend an hour and you won’t find anything and some-

times you’ll find a bunch of [items],” Brown said.

Vintage stores are at times criticized for marking up prices of items

which the owners purchased for much cheaper at second-hand, thrift and

consignment stores but, according to Brown, vintage merchandisers are

often involved in the deconstruction, reconstruction and repurposing of the

pre-owned clothing.

“Here we’ve kind of removed all of the excess,” she said.

Removal of excess is prevalent in the store’s layout. The selection is rea-

sonably small but is nostalgic of the classic stylings of days gone by. Wom-

en’s blouses are perfectly pressed, spaced and hung along one side of the

store and a low chandelier-like hat rack is hung from above.

The philosophy of reuse is present in

the vintage boutique which Brown and

Aguillon have decorated with items found

around the city. Aguillon came across the

store’s cash desk, which is now used to

display local jewellery, just as it was about

to be thrown out by renovators.

“A lot of the vintage stores’ collections

are a reflection of the owner’s personal

style too,” Aguillon said.

Aguillon explained that he and Brown left the corporate life working as

merchandisers for American Apparel to play by their own rules. He says in

doing so they encountered a little bit of their own pretty freedom.

Their experience with the chain enabled them to travel to a number of

locations in Canada where they sought out local vintage and thrift stores

in their spare time.

BY: Fiona Persaud | PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Fiona Persaud

“A lot of the vintage stores’ collections are a reflection of the owner’s

personal style too”

Taking the stress outof the quest

Clothing experts say the difference between vintage and second-hand stores is the curation

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: FIONA PERSAUD


“That’s kind of the point of having the vintage stores, because we pick all

the time,” Brown said. “You don’t have time to go once a week or

a few times a week to source all around the province, so

that’s kind of what we do and that’s what other vintage

stores do.”

Brian Kellow, spokesperson for Goodwill, has no doubt

that vintage merchants are shopping at Goodwill stores.

“We have an enormous volume,” Kellow said.

Last year in Toronto alone one million donations were

made to Goodwill, a number that represents individuals

who donated, not the number of items they provided.

“We are a social enterprise,” said Kellow explaining

the difference between his organization and vintage

stores. “When you shop here, you are not just buying

and selling, you are participating.”

Both sides of the spectrum agree the environmental

benefit alone make shopping second-hand worthwhile.

“I think we complement each other,” said Kellow

noting that shoppers visit Goodwill on a daily basis

searching for vintage items.

Tess Castillo, a head sorter for Value Village, goes

through items that are sent to her store and trains

others on pricing. She said her store has a special sec-

tion for vintage with about one hundred items stationed

there. According to Castillo most of the items often have a

‘50s and ‘60s style but are not priced any more than the regu-

lar items in the store.

Paulette Kelly, professor and program director of fashion design at Ry-

erson University said it is only after the items are purchased by vintage

merchants and placed in the store that the value

goes up.

According to Kelly, vintage boutiques may be

more expensive, but it is often a happy medium for

quality and price.

“Vintage store owners know what they are looking

for,” said Kelly referring to vintage merchandisers as

professional shoppers. “They check things and know

what is good and get it right away.”

According to Kelly, vintage shoppers would benefit

from shopping at both types of stores but should con-

sider the amount of time they have when doing so.

She said vintage is about wanting to be different and

more interesting and since “every decade has its own

personality” it can be done through vintage clothing.

Aguillon and Brown said one thing the second-hand

shopper and the vintage shopper have in common is

that both like the hunt, whether it’s for the timeless

elegance of ‘60s fashion or the simple bargain

bin sweatshirt.

“Clothing made back then that’s last-

ed this long is likely going to last lon-

ger than the [department store] thing

you bought a week ago,” Aguillon said. “Everything deserves a

second chance, especially clothes.”

Pretty Freedom owners Helena Brown and Jodee Aguillon


Toronto driver Stefanie Hurd probably

doesn’t know it, but she’s the voice of an

entire nation.

“I don’t know a lot about my car, and money’s

tight because of school, so I don’t like to do things

how I probably should,” Hurd said.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2010 Canadian Cus-

tomer Commitment Index survey shows Hurd is

not alone in this sentiment. While Canadians are

still paying the same amount for repairs, they’ve

cut back on regular maintenance.

Data for Toronto is unavail-

able but Ryan Rob-

inson, director of

the Canadian au-

t o m o -

t i v e

practice at J.D. Power and Associates, says the

trend holds steady at the provincial level.

“Ontarians are paying $305 per visit for mainte-

nance, which is down from $376 in 2009,” Robinson

said.

Car Care Canada also found the majority of

Canadians’ car maintenance habits inadequate

during their annual car care clinics, but a sum-

mer study found Hurd’s age group to be the worst.

Canadians 18 to 24 years of age are most likely to

only take their cars to a garage when they break

down, least likely to put air in their tires and least

likely to get an oil change.

“I was supposed to put air in my tires probably

two weeks ago and then two days later I had a flat

tire because I took too long,” said Hurd, adding

that her car is prone to expensive repairs because

she always takes it to a garage after a major prob-

lem comes up.

“I’ve had to replace one of the tubes

in my transmission which cost me

about 400 bucks,” Hurd said.

She also admits she ignores

the advice of her mechanic.

Paul Graham, a me-

chanic for 15 years, said

most of his clients do the same.

“These days people don’t take very good care of

their cars,” Graham said. “It’s important because

it cuts down on exhaust gas emissions and it saves

you money down the road.”

Graham estimates drivers could save up to $500

a year by properly maintaining their cars. He said

the most important checkups to have if you’re in-

terested in saving that money are tire pressure,

oil changes and a tune up.

“If you don’t get your tires checked, they’ll wear

out prematurely and you’ll burn extra fuel,” Gra-

ham said.

Graham also recommends drivers take a look

at their manufacturer’s maintenance schedule,

though he cautions against following it blindly.

“A manufacturer may suggest that you might

not change your spark plugs for 160,000 kilome-

tres, which is fine, but by the time 160,000 kilome-

tres rolls around, it’s usually a major problem,”

Graham said. “Either you can’t get the spark

plugs out or they’re completely worn out to the

point where you’re just going through fuel like

crazy.”

J.D. Power and Associates’ study suggests that

a possible cause for fewer maintenance visits

is manufacturers extending the recommended

lengths of time between checkups to build confi-

dence in their cars and make them appear more

durable.

“People are starting to believe that their ve-

hicles are of higher quality and higher durability,

but in doing so, they’re actually relying on those

higher quality vehicles to get them through the

lean times and to skip or put off a maintenance

visit,” Robinson said.

Even though repair costs remained consistent

from 2009 to 2010, Robinson believes it could be

a different story in the future if drivers’ main-

tenance habits don’t improve.

“It’s like going to the doctor. You can

catch things before they become a prob-

lem,” he said.

Tune up your maintenance habitsSmall checkups now prevent big repairs later

26

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KIMBERLEE NANCEKIVELL



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