Shop to Support Fair Trade and Labor!

Ever wondered how some of your favorite clothing stores are able to sell merchandise at rock bottom prices? Walk into any fast-fashion retailer and you're bound to see dresses, tops, bottoms, and shoes all with price tags below $20. As a consumer, this is great! For as much as it costs to buy a fancy drink at Starbucks, you can easily get a cute top or fun pair of earrings that can be replaced when they go out of style next season. But who is really paying the cost for our obsession rampant overconsumption? The sad truth is that the garment industry relies heavily on outsourced labor to meet the high demand that the western world has for throw-away fashion. And sadly, many of the factories that produce the clothing we so incessantly consume are not complying with fair labor laws.

I was shocked to find out how extensive this issue is and mortified at the conditions of some factories. Just last week, a report by the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, exposed factories in Bangladesh producing Gap clothing for their unlawful labor practices. The facility's 3,750 workers are routinely forced to work over 100 hours a week for only 20 to 24 cents per hour. By the third week in a month, many do not have money left to buy food.

The conditions observed at the Gap factory are common in the garment industry. The International Textile Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation put out a list of 60 retailers in 2011 that sourced merchandise from factories that routinely broke labor laws. In fact, none of the 83 factories they examined paid a living wage to their workers, and that some were below the legal minimum wage for that region. The report concludes that their findings “indicate that widespread violations and abuses of workers’ rights continue to be the norm in the industry.” You can see the full list of retailers named here.

And sadly, this does not just an issue in third world countries. In 2000, more than 11,000 sweatshops in the U.S. violated the minimum wage and overtime laws, while over 16,000 had broken health and safety laws

So what can we as consumer's do to halt the detrimental direction the garment industry has taken? We can demand that the companies we patronize uphold their duty to provide safe and clean environments for their workers and pay them a living wage. Doubling the salary of sweatshop workers only increases the consumer cost of an item by 1.8 percent. We can also support businesses who specifically create jobs in third world countries. I highly recommend stopping by the Be.The.Voice Pop Store in Soho. It's a boutique selling fair-trade and slave free products. The assortment of merchandise is beautiful; from leather bangles, to hand knit mittens, to woven bags, it took me a good hour to decide what to purchase. I ended up getting my mom a beautiful handmade silver necklace. They are also hosting a panel discussion on Labor Trafficking this Wednesday. I went to one of their other panel discussions and it was it was great to hear directly from people who are working to solve this issue. I also enjoyed complimentary wine and appetizers.

Some of the beautiful merchandise
 at the Be.The.Voice Pop Up Store

I'd be a hypocrite to say that I will never shop at H&M or Gap again. But since learning about the unfair labor practices used in factories around the world, I'm reevaluating my shopping habits. I just can't look at a $10 dress without envisioning the woman who made it toiling for 20 hours a day in an unclean factory supervised by an owner who abuses her  just to earn so little money that she is unable to sufficiently feed herself or her family. It makes the act of shopping a whole lot more meaningful when I know that I am not contributing to such a serious yet easily fixable problem.

Boulangerie Picardie Offers Free Coffee and Baked Goods

Boulangerie Picardie

Grey Goose Vodka is sponsoring a pop-up bakery in the West Village through Friday that is offering free baked goods and coffee. Located at 632 Hudson St, the Boulangerie Picardie is treating NYC to custom pastries using the same premium quality wheat that Grey Goose uses to make their vodka. According to a press release, the wheat will be flown in by the pound specifically from the Picardie region of France for the four days that the pop-up bakery is operating. This morning they were offering croissants and mini baguettes. Fancy, huh? Follow Grey Goose on Twitter for more info and be sure to stop by between 8 AM and 6 PM to get your French pastry fix!

 

Free Yogurt Day on Monday September, 23rd!

Alert frozen yogurt fans! This Monday, Yogurtland is celebrating CBS Premiere Week with free frozen yogurt. Just redeem the online offer on their Facebook page and they'll email you a coupon for 5 oz of the good stuff free! (Link here). There are four locations in New York, including one just a few blocks from FIT for all my fellow classmates. And they also recently opened one in Park Slope! My personal flavor recommendation? Their praline and pecan yogurt. Super yummy!

NYC Yogurtland Locations:

Lenox Hill

1275 First Ave @ 69th St

Midtown

358 Seventh Ave @ 29th St

Downtown

420 Amsterdam Avenue

Corner of Chamber St

Park Slope

207 Seventh Ave @ 4th St

Check out their website for more details about flavors, nutrition, and locations!

Get Free Stuff with Wrapp Mobile App

Before I launch into how amazing Wrapp is, I would like to point out that they did not paid me to write this glowing review. They should have, considering how much I'm going to rave about them but, as Tech Nine would say, "they ain't payin' me for it, at least not yet." (Caribou Lou, anyone?). So when I say Wrapp is amazing, you can trust that it's coming from the most sincere of places.

Currently in my Wrapp wallet

So what is Wrapp? It's a gift giving service that allows members to give and recieve free (or paid if you choose) gift cards to their Facebook friends. You can access the service through their website or download the free app. I recommend getting the app since some of the gifts can only be redeemed in-store via a mobile device. Gifts are stored in your "wallet" and can be used either in-store or online depending on the vendor.  The first gift I received was for Fab.com which I used to buy a cute cat print which is now on my wall. I paid only for shipping. And the $5 H&M gift I received for my birthday got me a pair of sandals from the fast-fashion retailer for close to nothing. Some of the free gifts I've given to my Facebook friends include $10 to H&M, $5 to American Apparel, and $10 to PACT.  Gifts are sent either via Facebook or email. All your friends have to do is download the app as well, and they'll be able to redeem their gifts. It's literally like giving away free money! And there is no limit (or at least I haven't encountered any) for the number of gifts you give. So feel free to go hog wild!

Wrapp is really a great resource. Many of the vendors sell items for amounts comparable to the gift amount so you can potentially get free stuff. Or you can use the gifts towards bigger purchases. If you're lucky enough to be my Facebook firiend, let me know if you want me to send you a free gift, I'd be happy to do so :)

How to Save When Buying Textbooks

Don't we all remember the good old days of school supply shopping as a kid? My mom would drive me to CVS and I'd walk the aisles, school supply list in hand, picking out brightly colored notebooks, mechanical pencils, and locker accessories. This year, as I return to school after taking a year off, I wish I could say my school supply shopping experience was as pleasurable. But alas, my shopping list no longer includes frilly erasers and colored pencils. Instead, the bulk of my school supply budget is going to textbooks. And as anyone who has ever bough a textbook knows, that shit is expensive! So what's a penniless prima donna to do? Read on to find out how I saved on textbooks this year...and it's not just Chegg!

1. Comparison Shop! My three go-to online retailers for textbooks are Amazon, Half.com, and Chegg. All three have the option to buy new, used, the e-book, or rent for most books. I comparison to shop to see which of the three sites has the best deal on a book and I then choose the lowest price. 

2. Consider the Return on Investment! Contrary to #1, it's not always the wisest decision to always choose the lowest priced book. There are several factors that should affect whether you rent, buy a book new, or buy used. I bought a used copy of my French II book even though it was $10 more expensive than renting it, because I know I can sell it back to my campus's bookstore at the end of the semester for more than $10.

3. Use Your Campus Library! Your campus library almost indefinitely has a copy of that $200 statistics book for in-library use. Just set aside some time each week to get the reading done in the library. And you can always photocopy important pages or snap pictures of tables and graphs with your phone to review at home.

4. Use Other Libraries! My Shakespeare class requires me to read five plays by Shakespeare. Instead of buying each individual book, I've put them all on hold at the NYPL. These books can be renewed online so in most cases you can keep them for the duration of the semester. 

5. Communicate with your Professor! Ask your professor if it is okay to buy an earlier edition of the book, or whether they might have a spare book they'd be willing to loan you for the semester.  When I confided in my Algebra Review teacher about the financial burden of buying textbooks, he told me not to bother buying the assigned reading; all the information in the textbook could be found by simply googling each topic. And after stressing out over buying a $90 online course code for my French class, my professor assured me that although it was helpful to have access to the online content, it was not imperative.  Most professors are very understanding and want their students to succeed so they'll be willing to accommodate you.

It takes a little more effort to save on textbooks as opposed to just stopping into your campus bookstore and buying all your books. But for those of us on a tight budget, the extra effort really pays off. I'd love to hear if any of you have tips for saving on textbooks. Tell me in the comments below!

Take a Free Ride on the Staten Island Ferry

Yesterday I found myself at a loss for how to spend my Saturday evening. After browsing my usual sources for cheap events, it seemed like there was nothing fun happening in the city  (which proves how much of a spoiled New Yorker I've become). I racked my brain for an enjoyable, free way to spend a summer evening in the city. And then it came to me...the Staten Island Ferry! 

I know what you're thinking: why would anyone who lives in Manhattan spend thier Saturday night going to Staten Island? Not that I have anything against this forgotten borough because I'm sure if I explored I would find many redeeming qualities. But it's definitely not the mecca of entertainment and culture that is Manhattan. So why go, you ask? Well, as R. Alan Woods would say, "The journey is the destination."

Leaving from the Whitehall Station at the Southern tip of Manhattan, a ride on the Staten Island Ferry offers great views of the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. The ferry has a deck and ample outdoor seating so passengers can enjoy the view. The ride takes about 25 minutes one way and ferries operate twenty-four hours a day. Best of all, it's free! The best time to go is in the evenings, after rush hour. There's something hypnotic about watching the lit up city skyline get smaller and smaller as the sea breeze blows through your hair. It's a summer must-do!

So grab some friends, your camera, and maybe a beer or two and hop on! You can get more information and check the schedule for departures here. 

Get Deals with the 7-Eleven Mobile App

I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. Between starting a new internship, moving to Brooklyn, re-registering for school, and oh yeah...enjoying every moment of spending my first summer in NYC, it seems like I barely have a free moment to spare. But of course I want to keep you all updated on the free, fun stuff happening...so expect lots more posts in the coming weeks.

For today, I want to share a quick, easy way I've been scoring freebies and coupons on a regular basis. Let me introduce you to the 7-Eleven Mobile App. 7-Elevens are popping up around the city at an alarming rate. It seems like there's a new one every few blocks. I downloaded their mobile app a few months ago (which is free, of course) and have been getting deals ever since. Coupons appear every few days and all you have to do is have the cashier scan the barcode on your phone to redeem them. The freebies I've gotten have included slurpees, ice cream bars, snacks, and gum. It's nothing gourmet, but I can't turn down a cold Snapple or Ice Cream Twix bar when it's 101 degrees in New York. Especially if I don't have to pay for it!

And just a heads up- they'll be offering free hot dog coupons on Tuesday, July 23rd in celebration of National Hot Dog Day! So download the app before then and stop by one of their locations.

Side note- There's a big push in my neighborhood to boycott 7-Elevens in support of local, family owned convenience stores. I totally understand the sentiment but just want to point out that a lot of the 7-Elevens we're seeing pop up are franchises opened by hard-working people who have busted their butts to save up the money to own a business. Maybe that's just me justifying my shopping habits but I wanted to put it out there. Food for thought!