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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 133 Comments · by

Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Linen Cardigan

The Personal Shopper (TPS)· Under $150

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. 1Linen CardiganI prefer blazers to cardigans for the office, but I must say I really like this linen cardigan from The Limited. I like the shawl collar, the tie waist, the lightweight fabric, and the 3/4 sleeves. It was $42.90, but everything at the site is now 40% off ticket prices with code MARCH40, making this baby $25.74. It's available in white, gray, and khaki in XS-XL. Linen Cardigan Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2) Psst: Check out more great deals at the Corporette Bargains page!

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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Comments

    • Lisa

      Funny, I was just thinking last night how valuable a thin white cardigan can be, especially as the outdoors warms up and the air conditioning powers on.

    • Bonnie

      I really like this and can see wearing it a lot this summer. I’ll have to stop in the store this weekend.

    • Gauss

      I was very excited to see a linen cardigan, but… this is 92% polyester, 8% linen. The “linen” name is very deceiving.

  2. Ashley

    Sorry, early threadjack, but have a question about work heels. You know how sometimes the lining on the inside of your heel starts unpeeling? Is there a way without going to a shoe repair place to fix this? I mean, super glue or something along those lines?!

    • NOLA

      I would just take them to a cobbler. In fact, I need to do that myself. I once had an emergency where I was speaking at a big meeting and my heel had come loose so I superglued it and it ate into the finish of the shoe, so I don’t think that’s safe for the materials of your shoe.

      • Ashley

        Oh wow, thanks for the heads up. I will just take to the cobbler, or honestly just toss them. They’re actually really cute but I have only worn them once so I can’t believe the lining is already starting to unpeel. The brand is Bandolino and I got on major sale at DSW so maybe that’s why they were on sale. :(

  3. Amanda Woodward

    I’m just wondering: does anyone else out here have their own business?

    When I was younger, everything (schools, mainly) seemed geared to getting you a job as an employee. 1L dead-end job at law firm = prestige. Assistant to the Second Undersecretary of something = prestige. Fancy schools and degrees = prestige. No one ever said (to me, at least): how would you run a tire distributorship / catering company / apartment complex / beauty salon (and that perhaps this would be a reasonable way to make a living).

    Then I had fancy degrees (and fancy debts) and fancy clothes and a fancy job and a fancy address down the street from an even fancier house owned by someone who didn’t just do hair but ran a small chain of salons that she had built up from nothing by herself and I did some radical rethinking (and started noticing in a different way the caterers and other small business). Maybe it’s my Leaning Out?

    At any rate, just wondering.

    • IA_Eng

      I’d be very curious to hear from entrepreneurial ‘r e t t e s as well.

      • hanna childress

        AMEN! In the process of starting my own law firm and need to hear about success stories! I fear the kickass ladies running the show may be too busy to read the site though ;)
        Here’s hoping ! and thanks Amanda for starting the thread!!

    • Famouscait

      There’s a quote out there that I love that says:

      “Your perfect job does not exist. You must create it.”

      I am not currently an entrepreneur, but I am trying to stick to my personal goal that this is the last job where I will work for someone else. My plan is that when DH and I move in 5 years, I will start my own consulting practice. I often wonder how I wound up in an office-type job, when neither of my parents do such work. My dad is a pediatrician in private practice, and my mom started a regionally loved mini-empire (four restaurants + one B&B).

      I think schools push students into the employee route because employed graduates help school rankings.

      I think my personal solution to the whole work/life/balance/kids/leaning-in-or-out debacle is to just be the person in charge. I don’t doubt it’s hard (I’ve seen it with both my parents) but at least then I don’t have to conform to some HR policy about no remote work, for example, or lack of flex time.

    • Anonymous

      Yeah I think there is a culturally ‘respect’ to lawyers, doctors, finance. I’m a lawyer for the government and really like it, but my neighbor is an electrician and does better than I do. My husband was making 80k running a wine shop (not owning it) but whenever he said what he did, the lawyer/white collar professional group of would always give him a face like “oh..” If my kid shows an aptitude/interest for a trade I am going to absolutely encourage it. Ie go to trade school, b.a. in business from a community college maybe.

      • a.

        Just a minor note, but you can’t get a BA from a community college, so don’t tell your kid to go that route! You can get a whole alphabet soup of other degrees, many of which would be helpful in business, but only four-year schools can give BAs.

        • Anonymous

          Community colleges can be 4 years- many of my classmates got their 4 year BA from a community college

        • b

          The 2 year school can get you part of the way for a lot less $ and you can start in high school. A good 2-year school has a transfer counselor to make sure that the credits transfer (so English 101: yes; auto shop: maybe not). And considering that maybe 50% of 4-year freshman don’t graduate (and many take >4 years), it’s a cheaper way to be in the non-finishing part.

          What s*cks more than not finishing a 4-year degree: not having at least an associate’s degree (and being loaded up with debt).

        • Pippi

          Some of my coworkers have bachelor’s degrees from community college. It must depend on the college.

          • Also in Academia

            It depends on the state system, too. Different states define community college differently and call them different things — some include the technical side of things (auto maintenance, cosmetology, etc), but for example the state I live in has a whole separate state system for those schools. There are some colleges in the state university system here that offer only two-year degrees, then there are some that offer two- and four-year degrees, and some that only offer four-year and up (MA, PhD, etc). The university at which I work offers everything from two-year to Phd! So, look at what the college offers, not at its name, for best results.

        • a.

          Interesting! In my region they only do two-year degrees (and assorted technical credentials and certificates). Where are they giving out four-year degrees?

      • Amanda Woodward

        Seriously!

        This is where I feel that the A+ / tests well students are underserved. My non-honors track friends from grade school are all, well I went to Vo-Tech / took some classes at County College / learned a skill after Basic and now I have this business . . .

        Signed,
        I run a tiny small apartment complex (that I also own; I still have a day job that I recognize is unsustainable and this is planning for the Inevitable End)

    • a.

      I don’t, but my father does, so I’ve had a good amount of exposure to all facets of owning a small business. He runs a horse farm (boarding, training, and some lessons) and supplements that with some investment properties. He’s getting close to retirement age, and is, in his words, “tired of the hustle,” but he still loves it. He has a BA but no advanced degrees, FWIW.

      From what I’ve seen, pros would include: only being answerable to yourself and the tax man; large degree of flexibility; choosing your own hours (to a certain extent); focusing on something you feel passionate about; and getting paid to do something you love and, in his case, would be doing anyway.

      Cons: revenue stream is not always the most stable (ha, ha, I’m so punny); tons of work for client retention; having to deal with advertising; struggling to find competent employees; never fully being able to clock out (for example, when he came to visit me over Christmas, most days he spent at least an hour on the phone dealing with crises back home); and almost always having to be the point person on almost every thing.

      My conclusion, after watching all the work my dad puts into running his business, is that it is NOT for me. I couldn’t handle the instability and insecurity (which is in a way a function of his industry). I want someone else to sign my paycheck, and then be able to go home and have a life outside of work. These things are not always possible as a small-business owner, especially when you’re just starting out. However, for my dad those tradeoffs are worth it for the ability to be his own boss and do his own thing.

      • B

        I work in real estate-based finance. Talk about revenue stream not being stable . . .

        All my employer (law firm) does is even out the cash flows. But if work is slow, management isn’t going to give up its summer homes to keep me from getting another pay cut (sorry — reduced draw).

    • GC

      I’m general counsel of a start-up I helped found. I went to a networking event for my law school and a 2L said she’d like to go in-house someday. She said “How did you get your job?” I said “I made it.” I hear from a lot of professors and admins in law schools and colleges that their students are much more entrepreneurial than earlier classes. I think kids now understand that nothing will be handed to them on a silver platter, and they’ll need to go after everything they want. I also think these kids are driving demand in higher education for more practical education in how to go after those things they want.

      • Also gc

        I’m also a GC at a start up and wondering what kinds of legal resources are out there (beyond farming it out). So far, I’m making do with CLEs and online research, but are there any blogs or other helpful site? TIA

        • Other In-House Counsel

          I am not a GC, but I am in-house and use online resources. For corporate matters, I think Practical Law Company is worth the investment.

    • ss

      I do. I left 20 years of employment at bulge-bracket banks and hung out a shingle of my own in 2010. It’s been a lot more fun than I anticipated – I expected to work with only a couple of long-time clients on a retainer basis, but interesting opportunities involving fund-raising and principal investing have come up as well, and I’ve also been able to accept invitations to join a couple of boards (out of the question if I was with my old employer).

      My advice for a young banker (maybe also a young lawyer) would be to put in the years and start building your client relationships early – there’s no way my route would have been possible if not for the time I put in throughout my 20s and 30s PLUS the network-building opportunities provided by my employers PLUS many lucky breaks along the way.

      My advice to a young business-owner would be to understand the difference between your passions and your observation of a market opportunity. The former may be a luxury but the latter is not, if you expect your business to provide you and your family with a steady living.

    • Maribel

      When my son started kindergarten, the principal explained that they were in the business of preparing our kids to grow up to be good employees. Not good citizens, or business owners, or the president of the United States. No, they are training future employees.

      • Silvercurls

        How conformist. How encouraging. (Not.) Reminds me of the long-ago folk song about the people who live in “Ticky tacky houses.” Hopefully that’s just the opinion of one principal who will get a job somewhere else before your child finishes elementary school! You can still give your child the message that he/she is free to grow up and run a business, be an artist, do whatever besides just be a round peg in a round hole in an organization run by somebody else! Even if this “grow up to be good employees” idea is found throughout your entire school district you can get together with other citizens (they don’t have to be other parents, but they probably will be) to change the composition of your school board, or at least attend board meetings to protest and make your opinions known. In short, you don’t have to take this. Sign me as Someone who has done her share of getting alternate opinions in front of the school board.

  4. IA_Eng

    Hmm, this is cute albeit it looks pretty sheer. But after one Limited sweater I tried on in the store got a snag in it before I even bought it, I’ve steered clear of their knit pieces.

    • Anonymous

      Agreed. After several online purchases from TL that were *not* supposed to be sheer turned out to be totally see through IRL, this one must be like cheesecloth. Their quality is hit and miss.

    • a.

      Cross your toes, flutter your eyelashes, and wear something that flutters your tuchus. Unless this is an honest question, in which case I have no clue.

    • momentsofabsurdity

      Have a conversation with him about how you want to get married and see what he says?

      • momentsofabsurdity

        +1,000,000

        Also, that recipe looks good. Maybe this weekend, me and my dog will have some engagement chicken.

      • KC

        I’ve used the Ina Garten version of this recipe and it’s really good!

        Full disclosure: I have made this for my boyfriend and am not engaged ;)

      • TBK

        No way! I totally made that recipe for my husband shortly after we started dating, and he still comments on it! He said something similar about how it made him realize a big firm lawyer could also do up some good chicken. We call it Big Chicken, but yeah, it was a whole roast chicken seasoned with lemon, fresh rosemary, pepper, and salt.

    • TBK

      There’s only one reason a man doesn’t propose to his girlfriend and that’s because he doesn’t want to. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to marry her. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t think he wants to marry anyone. Maybe it’s because they’ve only been dating a short time and he doesn’t feel like he has enough information. Maybe it’s because his mother hates the girlfriend and he prefers to stay unmarried than to face his mother. Maybe it’s because he feels he needs to be more established in his career before he becomes someone’s husband. Maybe it’s because he’s seen bad divorces (his parents’, siblings’, friends’). Maybe it’s because he doesn’t trust his own judgement and worries that he’s not capable of making such a huge decision. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t like how his friends have changed after they’ve gotten married. Maybe it’s because he’s still in love with his last girlfriend. Which one of these is your boyfriend’s reason? If you don’t know, maybe you need to ask him.

      • Anonymous

        People realize this is a dude right? It is the same person that does the Ellen ones

        • ELLENWatch

          “Louise” has about ten appearances in my archive going back through 2010, but they’re all over the map. I don’t feel comfortable making a statement with certainty.

          • a.

            Ha! I knew Louise was a troll. I don’t know what that says about the amount of time I spend on this website…

      • Jill

        How dare you suggest an adult course of action that involves partners discussing their views on marriage? OMG SO not romantic.

    • Andrea

      You should be very sweet to him, and make him think that he is the only person in the world you care about. Guys will appreciate that.

  6. AIMS

    I really like this cardigan! I wish it came in black. I don’t think I can handle white fore more than 3 wears and the other two colors seem a bit casual. But maybe I need to get the grey anyway?

  7. ANP

    Based on the advice from y’all, I went ahead and purchased the Hobo Lauren wallet last night. I was able to get it last night from the Boston Store website (same company that owns Carson’s, Bon-Ton, etc.). They’re having a 25% off Goodwill sale that includes tons of brands that are usually excluded, so I was about to get the Lauren for $82 with free shipping. Code is GOODWILLM13 and will get you 25% off pretty much anything.

  8. PSA for all job seekers

    So, you know how you always hear “be nice to everyone you meet on an interview?” Here’s a bit of anecdata to drive that point home. One of the offices I travel to often uses a car service with the most WONDERFUL driver. He is one of the most respected and charming members of our team, and he’s “just” a contractor. He knows our entire team, as we do a lot of traveling, and even has all our birthdays logged!

    ANYWAY. We had two candidates flying in for an interview. We liked both. We debated back and forth, and ended up leaving the office with the notion we’d extend an offer to Candidate A. WELL. We head to the airport with our driver, and we ask what he thought of the two folks (since he has to spend an hour in the car with them, we always ask!). He demurs and asks instead what we thought of them.

    We give him the rundown, and he gives us this look as if he can’t decide if he wants to share…so OF COURSE we immediately ask his opinion. It turns out Candidate A was (1) complaining about the travel/city (though she swore travel was great for her) the entire way to/from the airport, except for when she was (2) on the phone with someone telling him/her how much of a “shoe in” she was for this [i forget the exact wording but essentially “lame and beneath her”] job, etc.

    Candidate B, on the other hand, spent the entire ride being super polite with the driver, asking for (appropriate) info on what he knew of the company, local city travel times (“if i’m lucky, i’ll be here often!”), and if he was satisfied working with us, and how passionate she was about the industry in general and what a great experience she had during the interview.

    As you may assume, we ended up going with Candidate B. So be careful where you badmouth your interviewers!!

    • Ashley

      Love that story! I guess it shouldn’t surprise me, but whenever I hear stories about people sounding so entitled, it’s so disappointing.

        • PSA for all job seekers

          I’m just grateful we won’t be subjecting our beloved driver to someone so annoying. It’s bad enough he has to deal with us :)

    • momentsofabsurdity

      Oh wow – can’t believe Candidate A could switch faces so quickly. Sounds like you guys dodged a bullet.

      And on the other hand for interviewers – be careful about how you treat your candidates! I think I’ve shared this story before, but I interviewed right before graduating college at a local startup. The company was pretty small – maybe 5 or 10 people? The guy who interviewed me was honestly the meanest person I have ever met. He was running around like a chicken with his head cutoff, didn’t seem to be able to handle anything, I arrived at the interview and he didn’t bring me back to speak with me until literally 2.5 *hours* after our scheduled time, where he proceeded to yell at me, tell me my grades weren’t good enough for the job, my job history wasn’t good enough to get this job, etc etc. He then asked what kind of car I drove, made fun of it, asked how long it took me to get to the interview, when I told him he said, “Oh you’re one of those assholes that won’t go more than 5mph over the speed limit” etc etc. I got in my car and cried afterward. Weirdly, he ended up offering me a second interview but I turned him down.

      Anyway, I ended up taking a different job and ended up in a position where I was evaluating his company (along with several others which had similar products) as a service provider for our business. He didn’t recognize me, but I recognized him, and we ended up going with a different provider, in part because I shared my candid feedback about concerns about working with this guy regularly with our internal team.

      • PSA for all job seekers

        Totally agree here. I had 2 rounds of interviews at a top 3 consulting firm. After the second round, I decided I didn’t want to work with any of those people on a regular basis. No offense to all you consultant ‘r e t t e s out there, but that is just not the work environment for me. DH (then SO) wanted me to stick it out just to see if I’d get an offer, but I didn’t even want the temptation (money was good, very prestigious, would have been hard to say no without something better lined up…), but I pulled out.

        I had interviews with 6 different people, and they all had this nasty ‘tude. I know it’s all part of the game, but it’s a game I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t want to play. Looking back, it was a tough call for me–but the right call. I would have been absolutely miserable in that environment. I now work with a bunch of burned out consultants with chips on their shoulder. Somehow I’m the only one in the group that isn’t going grey yet ;)

        • What is consulting?

          By consulting firm, what do you mean? Like how not everyone at PWC is an accountant? And what do you do when you consult?

          [Sorry if this is a stupid question. My college trained a lot of teachers and let me graduate debt-free, but I feel like maybe I missed out on things I should know. I’m looking at maybe getting a master’s degree to broaden myself a bit and not get stuck in a dead-end job, but I am realizing that there is a staggering amount that I don’t know. Help!]

          • momentsofabsurdity

            I always read “Top 3 Consulting Firm” as McKinsey/Bain/BCG (management consulting firms), if that helps!

          • Anonymous

            Consulting can mean many different things depending on the context. As you said, an accountant at PWC is technically “consulting” for the company she is auditing. Many companies also have consulting branches for everything from technology to accounting to security.

            Often, the industry meant by “consulting” is management consulting. There are a number of firms that offer strategic services to public companies, private, and government organizations. McKinsey, Bain, and BCG are typically recognized as the top 3 management consulting firms.

    • Mountain Girl

      I interviewed for a position as an administrative assistant to an executive of a regional business while in college. I was offered the job but (after much soul searching) decided to take a less prestigious job that was more in line with my career aspirations. I explained to him why I was turning down the job and he was very gracious and encouraged me in my education. Fast forward many years and I was working on a team that was handling his account. He requested that I be moved to the lead, partly because I was doing a good job but also because he related that experience to my current boss and believed my core values to be in line with his and his company. The world is a small place and our interactions with others, good and bad, will come around.

  9. Cary, NC followup

    Thank you, ladies, yesterday for sharing your thoughts! I will pass them along to my little sister’s best friend. A couple of you mentioned you have friends and/or you work at the company that she’s interested in.

    If I may make a request, would it be possible to connect her to someone who works there (be it in the legal department or in another department)?

    She is currently a tech law atty at one of the big city law firms and looking to be closer to relatives. She is basically like a little sister to me (and helped my own sister get her life back on track during a very rough time), and if at all possible, I’d love to help her out and would be happy to chat offline. My email is sarahghdesigns@gmail.com and would be most grateful!

      • Shanghai

        SAS anon, are you in the Triangle? We’ve found a few Triangle-area folks on here and might do a meetup in a few weeks. I fyou’re interested, email c h i n a r e t t e at gmail (no spaces–trying to avoid moderation)

        • Anonymous

          I am not now (work remotely) but may be looking to move to the triangle over the next few months. Mind if I email you just to stay on your meetup radar? Thanks for mentioning this!

  10. Anonymous

    If was say, a junior lawyer with hopes of going in-house someday, possibly to a C-suite in the long-term, do we think an MBA would help me with that?

    • momentsofabsurdity

      My vote is that 9 times out of 10 a JD/MBA isn’t worth it and doesn’t give you the ability to do different things that you couldn’t do with just one or the other degree.

      Especially if you don’t reap the time benefit of doing it all at once, and shaving off an extra year of tuition. Especially if you have to take out loans for both degrees. And (for the MBA especially) if you’re taking out loans, it’s really only worth it for a tippytop school (maybe this is true for law school as well?).

    • Brant

      I would add to the advice above that it can be *very* industry dependent. Do you have a specific one in mind?

    • Mountain Girl

      I agree that it is probably very industry dependent. I work in healthcare finance and have an MBA and have found it useful. However, if it weren’t paid for my my healthcare system I don’t think I would have gone that direction.

  11. anon

    Does anyone ever order anything from Pendleton? I saw some cute things in their new catalogue, but we no longer have a b&m store in my city. I remember their clothes as being kind of dowdy when we did have a store, and never fitting me. High-waisted pants with elastic in the back and too short for heels, boxy jackets, that kind of thing. Wondered if they had changed their fit.

    For example, I thought this skirt suit looked really cute.

    http://www.pendleton-usa.com/product/Women/Suiting-Options/Suiting-Options/TRAFALGAR-TWEED-JACKET/170294/sc/2025/c/2025/pc/1815.uts

    • Amanda Woodward

      I have a dress from there that I always get mad compliments on.

      It’s very high qualify and I keep wanting to try more things from them.

    • Abby Lockhart

      I’ve gotten a few Pendleton things this year, and I’ve been very pleased. I never thought it was a brand I’d like, and I’ll admit I am getting older so perhaps that has something to do with it, but the quality of those pieces has been great and they are all wardrobe-builders for me. I’ve found that they are worth having tailored when the fit is a bit off, too, because the quality is there.

    • Kanye East

      Yes. Almost all my big-girl skirts are Pendleton. Love them. I usually make a few alterations for fit, but I do that with nearly all of my clothes, regardless of who makes them.

  12. chocochat

    TJ: I’m looking for a new job, as I’m rather unhappy at my current company. It is the culture that drove me to this decision. I love the nature of the job.
    I recently spoke to a recruiter at Dream Company. They have an opening for which I am a good fit. The catch is the position is about 2 years junior to my current position.

    Should I still go for it? The recruiter suggested that getting in Dream Company is more important than getting the Right Level. I am torn for another reason: Dream Company has a policy where you have to wait 6 months before reapplying. I’m afraid if I jump now, in the best case I get a job I don’t love and in the worst case I don’t get this job and won’t be able to apply if something great comes along.

    Should I still go for it?

    • KC

      Can you speak to someone at the company about the position? I’d be most interested as to what the possibilities for upward mobility are. How long would it take you to get back to your current level? Would they consider changing the position to fit the right candidate (ie. it does them little good to have someone over-qualified not using her full potential)?

      Also, is the policy prohibiting reapplying for the same position, or any position within the company?

    • Baby DC Esq.

      Sheryl Sandberg actually mentions this dilemma in Lean In.

      For what its worth, I think she suggests thinking about this in the long run – if you are going to be happy working at Dream Company or in Dream Industry for the next 30 years, does a 2 year set in back in seniority really matter all that much? Wouldn’t it be better to work towards your ultimate goal, than continue in an industry/job you’re not happy at? Although the 6 month re-apply might change the considerations some.

    • Susie

      I would go for it. After law school I worked 3 years at a small law firm and not happy with where my career path was heading. So I took a serious step back (in title and pay) and took a job as a law clerk in a Fortune 100 company in a totally different area of law. A year later I was hired as corporate counsel, which I never would have gotten without the clerkship. Now I am happy with my job and proud of my accomplishments.

  13. Ginjury

    Threadjack: What shoes do you all wear for commuting during the warmer months? I live in the Boston area and this is my first Spring/Summer with a job that I can take public trans. to. I walk a total of about 2.25 miles every day to get to work so I need something supportive and comfy. I’m thinking something sportier than flats, but cuter than full on sneakers would be ideal. What do you ladies recommend/what is the norm?

  14. Ellen

    Yay! Fruegel Friday’s!!!! I love FRUEGEL FRIDAY’S!!!! Rosa still has NOT had her baby so I am goieng up on the train today to stay the weekend. If she does NOT have the baby they will INDUCE. I will have to baby sit for a few day’s so the manageing partner said I could work from their house b/c I have my OWN Macbook Air and can conect to the Internet from there.

    I should NEVER have give Robert my number. I get a text EVERY day, with dumb picture’s. I say ha ha but do NOT send any picture’s back. Why is it that men all of a sudden are so INTERESTED when all I did was give my NUMBER in front of all the peeople at the SEDER? I do NOT like guy’s with fish breathe, or drinkeing breath, like Alan had. They burp alot and it is like you have to eat HIS meal all over again!!!! GROSS AND FOOEY!

  15. Home building

    Looking for wisdom from the hive- have any of you ladies purchased a to-be-built home, and how does that work exactly? I can see how it might work when a development is going up, and there is a sales office, but I live in an area where new homes are few and far between. I rarely see them in the MLS, but I was today browsing sold homes in the town we’re looking, and saw several that had sold recently.

    Do you find a builder with a lot, and put together a home with them? Is that how this works? And how do you find such a builder? Or do you buy the land yourself, and then find a builder?

    We have a real estate agent, but he hasn’t mentioned anything about working with builders/developers, and we’ve definitely stressed that the newer the home the better. So I’m wondering if this is something you do without an agent? TIA!

    • goldribbons

      If you’ve never owned your home before, I would strongly discourage trying to get new construction. There are so so so many tricks and catches about building a home (and making sure it’s built properly), so many hidden fees, and they can end up taking significantly longer than expected (to the tune of 1.5 years, IMO). If you’re that set on brand-new, discuss it with your realtor.

      • Home building

        That is good for me to hear. I think what is driving me towards new construction as it seems pointless to pay just $20K less for an 8-10 year old home when we could build a brand-new home exactly as we want.

        I really don’t understand house prices. They’re like the opposite of cars- you drive your car off the lot and it loses $10K, whereas somehow houses just keep increasing in value exponentially, despite getting older and crappier every year!

        • goldribbons

          First of all, start up costs if you buy a brand new, fully constructed house are extremely high. You will spend thousands of dollars on things like appliances (refrigerator, washer/dryer, garage door opener, etc.) in addition to paint, window treatments, and carpets that might already be in an 8-10 year old home. You will find missing switch plates every time you turn around and the construction workers will inevitably have destroyed some portion of flooring that will need to be replaced.

          Secondly, the value of an older home can be found in intangibles like an established neighborhood, a strong school system, a nearby grocery store, dry cleaner’s, bank, and gas station. New construction hasn’t attracted the things outside the home that you will probably need very soon after moving in.

          If you’re concerned about having *exactly* what you want, I would urge you to consider a 20-30 year old home with an older kitchen, so that (1) you can benefit from a discounted purchase price in an established neighborhood and (2) you can use that extra money to completely redo (to your exact liking) the kitchen. And this applies to any other area of the home as well, but the kitchen is typically the first thing people notice.

          Hope this helps. Good luck with your home search.

          • Home building

            I guess this is why I’m confused- I can totally understand how it would get out of control if you had to build from scratch and buy all that stuff piecemeal. But I’m talking about homes that I’ve actually toured, that are brand-new, clearly with all the appliances and light switches in place, that are only $20K more than a much older home, and in the exact same neighborhood. How does that make sense?

          • goldribbons

            Something that’s been around for many years is appealing to some people. Some people prefer a home that can withstand a local storm. I lived in the midwest for many years and an older home proved it could withstand tornados, whereas very new homes hadn’t been tested yet. Is there a reason that particular lots in a neighborhood went undeveloped for years? Were they flood plains or garbage dumps 30 years ago? I’m sure you’ve already looked into all of this, but I (clearly) see an advantage to purchasing an older home. If you prefer a newer home, that’s fine too – don’t mean to pass any judgment or suggest it’s a bad decision.

        • Anon

          The reason a brand new home is “only” 20K more than an existing, similar-specs home is that … new construction doesn’t hold its value all that well. This is true partly because the quality can be poor and partly because people want fancy new houses.

          • ChandraNH

            And that new home may be 20K less because it is may be owned by the builder or developer and they are trying it get it off their hands.

            We’ve had two new homes now (one we purchsed as they were in the process of building so got a lot of input on stuff – that is incredibly stressful to a relationship, arguing over tile vs. carpet vs. wood and what counters you want, and on and on – and one we purchased that ws 2 years old and had never been lived in) and if we buy another, it will be something old that has stood the test of time.

            both of our homes have settled somewhat and builders (unless you are working with small builders who focus on quality) do not make homes they way they used to be made, at all.

            I’d go for an existing home from the 40s – 70s over a new home anyday (mid century modern being my favorite followed by craftsman style homes)

        • a lawyer

          I had a home custom builty some 20 years ago now, but it was the third home I had lived in (rented my first house and then bought one, lived in it about 7 years and built). I’m single, and I very much enjoyed the process, but I had a fabulous builder who had just completed a house for my law partner, and I had lots of good advice.

          I bought a lot first, then found a house plan I liked, had it modified, took it to builder, got a price, modified the house plan to bring price down, and contracted with builder. Options for builders were limited here then and I knew who I wanted. The house has withstood 20 plus years magnificently, and I know it was built in quality fashion with quality (although perhaps not fabulous luxury) materials.

          I also recommend living in a hosue awhile before starting to build your own. For one thing, it takes some living to know what you do and do not want in a house. For instance, I learned I wanted the master bedroom on teh back of the house, away from the street and access from the garage without going through the other living areas. Unlike many, many house plans I looked at.

    • mascot

      Also, you might want to talk to a lender about construction loans. Where we are, there is a large down payment required in many instances. This could limit how you structure the deal, whether you need to buy a lot and just hold it for a while, etc.

    • Bonnie

      My first home was new construction. The lot was in an existing subdivision and I contracted with the developer who owned the lot I was interested in. The process was fairly simple. Based on the lot size, I had the option of 5 or so house plans and then picked out the colors and finishings. The developer worked with certain suppliers so I went directly to e.g. the lighting fixture store where I was given a limited selection and the option to upgrade. There was a completion date in the contract so the developer had a great incentive to finish on time.

    • CKB

      We built a home in a very small town (village, actually) 20 min outside a small city. We bought the lot then went to one of the popular builders in the small city. We chose one of their floor plans, made some modifications, and they gave us a price based on a discussion we had regarding what we wanted. It included everything except appliances. The only extras we paid were when we wanted something changed from that initial plan – no hidden fees. We didn’t pay them until the house was complete, so we didn’t need a special mortgage. It was super easy. We went in one day to their office to pick flooring, fixtures, etc. We are pretty low maintenance and their standard stuff wasn’t basic cheap stuff, so it was easy for us to find things we liked. The house was 100% complete when we moved in, and we had a couple of very small issues that they came out & fixed for us. We loved that house & were very sad when we moved away.

      I wouldn’t recommend being your own contractor. My parents recently built a house doing as much work as possible by themselves and they ran into lots of problems and extra costs they weren’t expecting.

  17. Calling King Kong & Godzilla

    Thank you both for your monsterly advice yesterday regarding which bag to choose. In the end, like King Kong, I too love a good banana and so went with the yellow bag.

    But- Godzilla: you should know that right now I am carrying a beautiful green Michael Kors that would look lovely against your monster hide.

    I hope the hugs and monster commentary continue.

    Cheers,
    Famouscait

  18. reiss sizing

    Can anyone comment on Reiss US sizing? I’m specifically looking at their dresses. Examples of comparable sizes to more mainstream US labels?

  19. Susie

    I’ve been invited to a gala event – dinner with dancing to follow at a Fairmont. I will be sitting at my GC’s table, she is being honored and only invited a small handful of people who share her alma mater so, being quite junior in the company I feel honored to be included. The invite states business/cocktail attire and I have a black dress I think I will wear, but unsure on shoes – are strappy shoes okay or stick to pumps? For what its worth we do not wear open toed shoes in the office.

  20. Elysian

    Thanks to all who helped answer my question about low-cost haircuts in DC last week! I ended up going to Aveda in Chinatown and getting a really great cut for $18. It did take a little longer than other haircuts I’ve gotten, but I think the price difference was worth it. If you have a beauty school near you, its worth a look!

  21. Anonymous

    Argh. I’ve just been told that as business for Q1 has been poor, we will all be taking a 20% pay cut moving forward. This is frustrating as it comes literally 2 weeks after signing a salary agreement. Argh. Friday sucks.

    • Susie

      Ouch! That’s pretty drastic. Hope something good happens to you soon to balance it out.

      • Anonymous

        Yes. I’m also frustrated because it’s effective April 1. Thanks for the great notice period on that guys.

        I’m further annoyed because the time at which they expect to be out of the hole (so to speak) is when I plan on leaving for graduate school, so I won’t reap any of the back pay they are hinting is a possibility.

        • CKB

          I’d check employment laws to make sure that’s legal. I’m pretty sure in Canada there are some laws governing wage cuts like this. Maybe in your state too?

          • Brahbrah

            In the US, almost anything goes, wage-wise, as long as you’re over the federal & state minimum wage.

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