Today I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and a question came up about used clothing, bras in particular. The question was, do women really go to thrift stores or yard sales and purchase used bras. My answer, yes!
When you are on a budget, there is no reason why you cannot save some money by shopping at a consignment store, thrift store, yard sales, and even flea markets for used clothing. Some may be skeptical and wonder why one would purchase used undergarments, but in reality, it is no different than buying a used shirt or pair of pants.
When you live in a small community as I do, it's not easy finding a nice looking bra, especially in my size that isn't made from cheap quality materials. Yes, we have a few retail stores in town, but their selection for a nice bra is very little and they are low quality, meaning the bra generally loses its shape after a few washings. Plus, their prices are more than I want to pay, especially for a bra that is such low quality, whereas I can often find nice used clothing for as little as a dollar.
Now that does not mean I will purchase underwear used unless that pair is still sealed in their original packaging because let's face it, there are just some things used that you avoid for obvious reasons. It would be like purchasing a used toothbrush. Yep, it's not happening. But a bra? Yes, that's okay in my book as long as it's in decent shape and has been cleaned. When you are on a budget shopping-cheap is a must, especially when you live in a small town and the nearest big city is an hour's drive away.
Speaking of budgets, when you work from home like I do and rely on side hustle jobs or other sources for income such as affiliate marketing, the number one rule in my book is to never put all of your eggs into one basket. And by that I mean, don't rely on one source for creating income online. I learned this rule many years ago when I was a fan of Tech blogger John Chow.
The reason you don't want to rely solely on one income is because if that income isn't doing as well as you hoped for the week or month, you may end up struggling to pay the bills that month. Always have several sources of possible income so that if one isn't doing well, you have other income sources to fall back on.
But that does not mean you should spread yourself thin by relying on hundreds of income sources to pay the bills. Too much of what you think is a good thing can end up becoming a stress burnout. So keep your options open for income opportunities, but keep it simple. And try to tie all of those income sources together when possible so that people will recognize your brand and will relate it to you.
A Good Example of This is:
I run a podcast show called, The Fight Within Her that allows me to bring in income when fans listen to my podcast episodes. I talk about working from home in a small town, finding resources when you are on a budget, using natural herbs for my ADHD symptoms, and caring for a son who has Autism.
I also do a lot of writing for different companies that allow me to get paid for those same subjects. And I'm an advocate for Mantra Labs, a company that offers all-natural nutritional drinks and products associated with mental health, which also ties into my love for the television show Supernatural and the character Sam Winchester who is a co-founder of Mantra Labs.
And I'm a paper mache artist, which ties into my love for mother nature and the Wicca side of me.
All of those income sources can easily be linked to one another while letting my fans know that it's all a part of my brand.
