How I plan to “shop” on my birthday trip to NYC

I decided to spend my upcoming birthday weekend in New York City and since I am not supposed to buy clothing until June, I figured out another way to shop. I discovered a clothing exchange store in Brooklyn called Beacon’s Closet from the blogs of some stylish fashion bloggers who live in New York. I checked out their website and they exchange clothing for cash or store credit similar to the way a consignment shop does, but they give you the money or credit (35% of the price they set on the item) on the spot. So I will take a bag of clothing and shoes to exchange that are in very good condition but are just not my style anymore or never really fit me that well. For example, I have a few pairs of nice shoes that I shouldn’t have bought in the first place because they are a size 6 and I really wear a 5 ½, so my feet either slide around in the shoe or I have to wear pads in them to take up the space which is not always comfortable. I will donate any items that the store does not want to accept to charity. I will keep my eye open for colorful skirts and dresses as well as unique looking accessories to add some life into my rather drab (to me) spring wardrobe. I find that my taste is changing and I am tired of looking like everyone else, so shopping in vintage and thrift stores will allow me to look more unique and not bust my budget. I plan to continue to shop this way whenever possible after my shopping moratorium is over.