Welcome to Receipt Reality, where real women get real about their shopping habits, and reveal the financial impact of life before and after RTR Unlimited. We asked Rent the Runway members to share how they spent their money on clothing and clothing-related services (goodbye, dry cleaning!) before subscribing to fashion.

“I’m a huge sucker for buying things just because they are discounted,” admits Maggie, echoing an issue that many of us have when faced with those enticing “50% off” sale signs. The Jersey City-dweller is especially drawn to the discount racks when the seasons change and she’s itching for a wardrobe refresh. Scooping up dresses and jeans for half of their original price is quite a rush, but one that left Maggie with a lot of items she didn’t really love. 

It’s not always the safest way to spend money, either: a series of discount-driven impulse purchases over the course of six months cost Maggie around $1,465.

“I no longer waste money on sale items that I will never wear again.”

maggie

Taking (a super honest) investigation into her purchasing habits and bank statements led Maggie to realize that most of her discounted steals went un-worn or were donated soon after, so she opted for Rent the Runway Unlimited in the hopes of making a change.

The ability to choose from the latest trends each week for one monthly price cut her spending in half over the next six months and left her with a closet filled with only items she really loved, like a timeless leather jacket and a pair of black jeans from GOOD AMERICAN.

“Subscribing to RTR has changed my life,” she says. “I’m someone who doesn’t like to repeat outfits, even day-to-day, and I no longer have to worry about that.”

Feature image by Daniel von Appen