Fall of 2017: my closet is out of control. Bursting at the seams with hardly ever-worn party dresses, jackets, and jumpsuits, it still manages to be completely devoid of options. How is this possible, I muse, digging through the racks, laden with hangers, each carrying two or more items. Among the multitude of impulse buys and total duds, I locate that 15-year-old black jacket, two sizes too big and 20 dry cleans past its prime. I wear it with a belt, and it looks ok. Fast-forward one year: I no longer fall for impulse buys, and I almost never dry clean anything! Thank you, unlimited membership at Rent the Runway . In a nutshell, I rent clothes, keep the four items I pick as long as I want to, and then return (no dry-cleaning required!). As soon as the returns arrive back at the distribution center, I can pick my next items (conveniently "hearted" in the app). First, this is a perfect mental replacement for shopping (hello, commitment device!). I no longer go
This blog contains an eclectic array of tidbits of my life. As a behavioral economist, I write about preferences, beliefs, gender gaps, persuasion, and other topics. I also post about my other passions: Taekwon-Do, food, fashion, and travel. Finally, as a working mom, I am forever seeking that elusive balance between parenthood, career, and hobbies. Find me on Twitter @OlgaShurchkov and my TKD Instagram @olga5thdan