My Complete and Utter Love of Nuuly
All Images Courtesy of My Niece
It’s official: I’m on a shopping hiatus.
I do not have a formal budget or financial advisor, but I know when I’ve gone overboard with my finances. During the first couple of months of the pandemic, I was fortunate enough to save my ends like I never had before. I refrained from shopping for anything other than what I needed (I.e. food). I was saving so much, I was able to purchase the one item I had been coveting for years— my Peloton Bike. It must have been around June that something changed. We all had been at this pandemic for three months and (quasi) normalcy was forecasted to resume March/May 2021. I was happy to be at home, but the craving for a social life was real. Zoom life was getting very old.
I soon found I began coping with all things pandemic life by shopping. I would tell myself I’m buying a top, bottom, dress, or pair of shoes for that moment when life opens back up and I can finally step outside. What ended up happening? I had an influx of staples I didn’t need nor wear much of anywhere besides my home or the grocery store. Flash forward to now and I can’t seem to break the habit of buying clothes when I simply do not need them. My closet is living that stuffed life again and I’m frankly tired of it.
So, I decided to figure out how I can combat my shopping habits by saving money while still enjoying those occasional shopping moments. Let me introduce you to my new favorite brand Nuuly. I guess I should start off by saying, this is not a sponsored, gifted, or partnered post. I’m speaking the praises of Nuuly on my own volition, but if Nuuly would like to change that—I’m more than down. If you’re not familiar already, Nuuly is an online monthly subscription clothing rental service.
Now, I know the concept of Nuuly is not new, but as I say a lot around here—it’s new to me and its value-added is only making sense to me now. I understand there are bigger clothing rental services out there, but there’s something about a small brand that feels more obtainable and less picked through. I’ve never found the need to apply for such a service before because I always thought the only way to get any value from clothing was by owning what you buy. I’m still in the business of leaning into being a slower, more conscious shopper by purchasing clothing that’s high in quality while keeping my closet low quantity. However, I simply do not need any new clothing staples until I get my stuffed closet situation under control.
How does Nuuly work, you might ask?
To start—I had to create a profile designating my built, weight, typical sizes i’m between, and my age.
I pick any 6 available staples in Nuuly’s inventory stacked with investment brands (I.e Farm Rio, Free People, Anthropologie, .Maeve, etc.)
Nuuly sends me the items I’ve selected in a recyclable/resuable package.
I wear the mess out of said rented items.
I return the rented items within the timeframe Nuuly designates in the same recyclable/reusable packing Nuuly sent them.
After Nuuly confirms receipt of my returned rented items, I do it all over again with 6 new items.
The monthly subscription allows for the renting of up to 6 items, BUT if two additional items speak to me, I can rent them in addition to the 6 that come with my subscription for $18 each. Best thing: Nuuly does not require any of the rented items to be cleaned before they’re returned. I can return rented items as they are after I finish with them (I.e. stains, spills, or party fouls) and Nuuly will take care of the rest.
If I’m having a hard time parting ways with any of the items I’ve rented, I have the option to purchase them from Nuuly for a discounted rate. Don’t worry, I won’t be buying any rented staple as of yet. I don’t care how much I love it. I also have the option to skip a month AND I can cancel my subscription anytime without having to pay a fee. Do you hear all of this? The love is real!
There are three reasons why I ended up giving Nuuly a try:
budget friendly
I tend to go over budget when it comes to my monthly shopping habits. With Nuuly, I know each month I will only be spending $88, plus tax, on some pretty luxurious clothing. To be able to wear fabulous clothes, stay on trend (or what I consider to be on trend), AND on budget is worth a try.
sustainability
More and more I’m searching for new ways to reduce my carbon footprint. I do not pretend to be the example of living a strictly ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’ lifestyle nor do I believe such a lifestyle can be easily afforded by most. However, I’ve learned that they're longterm benefits to renting clothing as opposed to buying them (I.e. reduced mass production/waste of clothes and reduced emissions of harsh chemicals typically admitted due to the mass production of clothes). So, if I can contribute positively to environmental conservation efforts, I’m going to try. Plus, again—I’m saving myself money.
creativity
Capsule wardrobes are all the rage now a days, but curating such a wardrobe is a little over my head. I have a history of going on these shopping binges that leave me with more clothes then I know what to do with/clothes that I forget I even own. By getting 6 Nuuly staples for a month’s worth of time, I’ll be pushing my creativity by ensuring I wear them an endless amounts of time while mixing and matching them with clothing I already own.
To put the cherry on top of this, Nuuly is apart of the LTK fam. So, if you’re curious, I highly suggest you check Nuuly out. Even if just for a month, I think it’s worth it to see if it can work for you. As Nuuly claims and I (now) believe, this is the future of shopping. I’m happy to be apart of the Nuuly family and I’m excited to see how future months fair.
Let’s save some money and be stylish doing it.
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