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16 Ways to Save Money on Booze

Save Money on BoozeOk, I know what you’re thinking: This girl is a lush. I’m not a lush, ya’ll. I’m just cheap. And I did happen to go one of the biggest party schools in America. But we don’t need to break a heel, fall in a bush and pee ourselves to save money on alcohol. We can be classy about it.

Here’s the best ways I’ve found to save money on alcohol and still save our dignity.

At home

  1. Shop at discount stores
    Discount grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Aldi are unbeatable for cheap wine. Trader Joe’s carries the infamous “3 buck Chuck” bottles of wine and Aldi carries the Winking Owl brand for a whopping $2.89. And if you are anything like me, you can’t tell much difference between a cheap bottle of wine and an expensive one.
  2. Alternative packaging
    No judging here, folks. Boxed wine doesn’t have to be trashy, pour it in a glass and keep it classy. Boxed wine is a huge money saver. At Trader Joe’s ounce for ounce, the boxed wine is cheaper than the bottles of 3 buck chuck. So check your ounces, check your prices and check your snobbery at the door.
  3. Buy wholesale
    If you have a membership to Costco or Sam’s Club you can rack up big savings on mid-range wine and beer. I’ve never seen prices as low as TJ’s or Aldi, but if you have more of a refined palate, buying wholesale at Costco or Sam’s could save you some big bucks.
  4. Buy airplane or single bottles to test
    I hate buying a whole bottle of something just to figure out that it tastes like shoe polish. Airplane bottles of alcohol are great for taste testing and many stores will now let you mix and match 4 or 6 packs of beer. Tasting party, anyone?
  5. Cook with it!
    Can’t stand that bottle of wine you bought? Cook with it! Pinterest has taught me oh-so-many wonderful things including the fact that you can make wine into candy! Unsavory beer can go into stew and tequila can marinate chicken!
  6. Learn how to make a proper drink
    If you are a budding mixologist, it can be difficult to get the right proportions in any mixed drink. Luckily, we have the magic of the Internet in our homes and there is free and helpful advice for making drinks right there at your fingertips. In fact, here’s a few recipes from your’s truly. Here. Here and here. 
  7. Don’t be brand-loyal
    Brand loyalty can crush your wallet and your dreams. Ok, that was dramatic, but brand loyalty isn’t going to help you save money. Often times just switching out your imported liquor for a domestic brand will cut costs. And 9 times out of 10 you won’t even be able to tell the difference.
  8. Home brew wine and beer
    Home brewing wine and beer is legal in the U.S. Homebrewing liquor, not so much. I’ve seen some super simple home brew set ups online and I think home brewing might just be my next big DIY project. Has anyone had luck with home brewing? As always, let me know in the comments.

When dining out

  1. Taste test
    Some bars and restaurants will give you a small thimble-sized taste before ordering a drink to ensure that you will be happy with it. If your bar doesn’t offer that service get the server to describe the drink to you in detail. Be clear about what you want and if you aren’t happy, let someone know. Bad drinks can be saved or remade. Just remember to be super polite and tip well!
  2. Research happy hours
    Happy hour specials are made to lure people in before the crowds– usually 5pm-7pm. Happy hour doesn’t have a cover charge and often has great specials. The restaurant I worked at in college offered free appetizers and drinks at ridiculously low prices. There are happy hour deals to be found, people.
  3. Skip drinks when dining out
    If you really want to save some dough, skip the drinks when dining out. It’s lame. I know. But you can drink when you get home. Drinks are double, triple and even quadruple the price when you are dining out.
  4. Ask for water with your drink
    If you must drink with dinner, because yes, sometimes we must, ask for a water with your drink. Water will help you from guzzling and it will help with dehydration from alcohol. Wins all around.
  5. Ask for a double
    This one is a little risky. You’ll need to check with your bartender or server first, but at some  restaurants if you order a double, you’ll get it cheaper than ordering two drinks. If you know you’ll be partaking in more than one beverage that evening, ordering a double may be a tricky way to save some dough. Just make sure you sip and don’t treat it as a single! We don’t want any Sloppy Susans.
  6. Pre-game
    This is the oldest college rule in the book, but if you drink before you go out, you’ll end up spending less at the bar. I’m pretty sure I learned this in my freshman orientation class. Just make sure you have a D.D.!
  7. Order the house drink
    The house wine or beer is always going to be cheaper than the other stuff on the menu. Also make sure you ask about specials. Restaurants and bars will put deep discounts on drinks that they have too many of or may be reaching their expiration date.
  8. BYOB
    Many restaurants will let you bring your own beverage. Just make sure you call ahead for this service. Some restaurants will still charge a “corking fee,” but if their wine is incredibly expensive, it’ll still save you a few bucks.

I don’t think I have to say it, but always remember to drink responsibly and tip your bartender!

What tips and tricks do you have to save money on booze? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

How to Stay Warm in an Airstream

Airstream in the snowPolar vortex sounds like a made-up character meant to scare children at bed time. If you don’t go to sleep the Polar Vortex will sweep you away to the Netherlands (I imagine it’s cold there) where you have to live in a frigid cave and the only food to sustain your miserable existence is  cold beanie weenies served from a spoon made of icicles. But the polar vortex is all too real, folks. All too real.

George and I are determined to stick it out the weather in our tin can, but there’s been a couple of nights where I’ve questioned my sanity. Luckily we’ve made previsions. Here’s some tips for staying warm in an Airstream and in other old, tiny spaces.Airstream in winter

  1. Winterize
    To winterize the Airstream, we wrapped the pipes in insulation, caulked any and all cracks (it’s my favorite thing to do!) and made thick curtains. Most of the cold in our Airstream comes in through the single-pane windows and it’s surprising what a difference thick curtains have made.
  2. Layer up
    I’ll admit it, I hate being cold. It’s annoying and I’m quite the grump when I’m cold. In the Airstream I always wear socks, sometimes two pairs, and I’ve been sleeping in a sweatshirt. I also made this super comfy scarf/capelet (scarplet?) and I’ve been wearing it as I do chores. I draw the line at having to wear gloves in the house.
  3. Use rugs
    The floors of the Airstream feel like a giant ice cube some mornings. By using throw rugs in almost every area of the house, we avoid freezing toesies and add a touch more insulation to the floor.
  4. Invest in a heated blanket
    Heated blankets may just be my favorite invention ever. I mean, it’s a blanket that is warm. Throw one of those on the bed and you’ll feel like a piece of hot, buttered toast. In a good way.staying warm in an airstream trailer
  5. Heat the pipes
    Before we learned all of these tricks of the trade, our pipes froze… twice. It’s quite unpleasant to wake up to no water. Now we religiously check the weather, put the faucets on drip and use space heaters to heat the pipes.
  6. Have more than one source of heat
    We heat the whole trailer with two space heaters. We’ve chosen to not use any propane at the moment and it’s been working out just fine. I did have a small freakout when George spilled a drink over one of the heaters and it stopped working. (What are the chances?!) Luckily, we had two heaters and could use the other space heater that night as our primary heat source. If I was doing it all over again, I’d seriously consider installing a wood stove.
  7. Have a cuppa
    Nothing warms better than a piping hot cup of tea or coffee! I received an electric tea kettle for Christmas and that thing has been boiling non-stop. If you are a frequent hot beverage drinker, it may be an investment to look into.
  8. Have a backup plan
    And as always, have a backup plan. Hypothermia is no joke. Luckily, George’s family lives close to us and they have a wood stove. Living in the country means that if the electricity goes out, we’ll be out of power and water for days. I cannot stress how important a backup plan is in this kind of situation.

How are you staying warm? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

 

 

8 Ways to Save Money by Reusing Leftovers

leftoversYou probably already know that leftovers can be a big money saver. Duh, they all say. But let’s be real, leftovers get old quick. Pun intended. I do pretty good at eating leftovers, but after a couple of days I’m sick of eating the same thing. So what’s a girl to do? Repurpose and upcycle those leftovers, that’s what!

Here’s some of my favorite ways to repurpose leftovers:

1. Make chili even heartier with spaghetti noodles!
Chili can last a long time– especially if you make a big ol’ pot. When I was little we never ate chili alone. We always ate it over spaghetti noodles. It makes the chili heartier, last longer and stretch further. When we were grown, my mom told me this was a “poor person thing” but until I moved out of the house I had no idea that people ate chili without spaghetti noodles!

2. Put an egg on it!
One of my favorite ways to spice up leftovers is to throw in a fried egg. Eggs are super cheap and I seem to always have extra in the fridge. Protein power! My absolute favorite is a breakfast pizza. Throw a raw egg on top of your leftover pizza and heat in the oven until the egg white is well… white. So delicious!

3. Don’t throw that last bit away!
Sometimes it’s tempting to throw that last tiny bit of chicken or sauce away. It’s not enough for a whole meal, right? But before you toss it, think about ways you can pump it up. Adding more sauce or more vegetables can beef up that last little bit of food into a whole meal.

4. Smorgasbord!
As you might have noticed, when I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. It didn’t bother me much because my mom had a great imagination and encouraged us to have one too. She used to tell me that the local grocery store during the fall was a pumpkin patch. I didn’t find that out until last year. Man, was she clever. At the end of each week, she’d break out all the leftovers and we’d have a little dab of everything. We got to pretend we were kings eating at our very own smorgasbord.

5. Experiment
It’s so easy to get in a cooking rut. Eating the same 5 meals is easy. But challenge yourself to experiment. Get creative with your cooking. Try to eat all of the stuff in your pantry and fridge before you go shopping. See what you can come up with. Don’t feel very creative? Websites like Recipe Key can help you to find recipes using just the ingredients you have in your pantry.

6. Remember, you don’t always have to use leftovers right away.
Certain foods lend well to freezing. Chili for example. You don’t have to eat chili for the next two weeks (because you’re eating is with spaghetti noodles, right?). You can freeze half of it and break it out during an extra busy or extra chilly weeknight.

7. Leftovers can be made into totally different meals
One of the worst things about leftovers is that they can be boring. But they don’t have to be because they can be made into totally different meals. I used to hope, hope, hope that we had leftover rice at our meals to make rice pudding. My mom’s recipe for rice pudding is the best. Stale bread can be made into french toast, leftover veggies can be made into quiche and leftover spaghetti sauce can be used as pizza sauce! The possibilities are endless, people.

8. Use it as compost
Don’t feel guilty when that leftover tortellini looks like a science experiment gone awry. You can’t eat it now. (Well you could, but you could also end up in the hospital.) But you can still compost it! Throw it in the compost heap and use it to get that garden good and fertile! Helpful hint: Used coffee grounds make excellent plant fertilizer!

Do you have any tips for upcycling leftovers? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

A Last Minute Holiday Gift for Your Furry Friends

handmade cat toyI didn’t finish my handmade holiday challenge, but I got close. Sometimes life just gets in the way. Never fear, I will have a recap for ya’ll. And I did have time to eek out this little gift for my furry friend. If it was up to me, I’d have 10 cats, but alas, I’m a cat lady who is allergic to cats.

My sister brought her newest furry friend home for the holidays and I just had to make him something. I couldn’t leave him out! P.S. he looooved the toy!

This DIY was super easy, I made it with scraps and it only took me about 10 minutes.

easy version how to make pom poms First, I made two pom poms. I made them the easy way and just wrapped the yarn around my fingers, then tied the yarn together in the middle. Then, I cut the looped ends. I made two pom poms and tied them together, so the poof was extra poofy. I also made sure to reinforce all my knots since this kitty loves to play (aka rip things apart.)

I then braided a length of yarn slightly longer than my arm and traveled outside to find a nice-looking stick. Once I found the perfect stick, I attached the braided yarn to the stick and attached the pom pom ball to the braided yarn. Finally, I wrapped yarn around both ends of the stick to make it a little prettier.

cat toy close upThe hardest part of this project is tying knots super tight so little kitties won’t immediately kill the toy.

Did you make anything for your furry friends this year? I’d love to see links to your projects in the comments!

love,
melanie

Cheap and Easy DIY Holiday Crown

winter berry crown There aren’t very many occasions in my life that I get to wear something fancy. Weddings, our anniversary, maybe. I mean, a library doesn’t really call for glitter or even heels. But during the holidays I get the urge to spice my ensembles up a bit without buying anything that won’t be worn more than twice a year.

I’ve been seeing some adorable holiday crowns on Pinterest. Gah, so many of my conversations lately have started with, so I saw this thing on Pinterest… Anyway, I wanted to recreate the look without spending more than a few bucks. Enter this pearlized branch stem from Michael’s. It cost me a whopping $1.49 and would have cost me less if had I remembered to pull up my Michael’s coupon on my phone. Michael’s always has coupons. It’s kind of awesome.

berry crown close upWhen I got home, I just bent and fashioned it into a circle that fit my head and voila! I’m totally fancy.

I can’t wait to wear this on our anniversary trip to Austin! It’s coming up so fast!

Have you made anything festive lately? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

An Easy Way To Wrap a Gift: Use Hot Glue!

wrap a present with hot glue I’m embarrassed to admit that I still have pumpkins sitting outside of the ol’ Airstream. With everything that has been going on, our home looks downright Scroogy this year. But the one thing that has been putting me in the Christmas spirit is putting on some holiday music and wrapping gifts. I think wrapping is almost as important as the gift itself. I hate putting a ton of effort into buying a meaningful gift and then throwing it into the cheapest bag I can find. No, I believe in wrapping.

I love wrapping gifts in brown paper because you can use it for every occasion. I got this paper and the bow at the Dollar Store. I did all my wrapping for $2.00. I’m also digging the contrast of the rustic brown paper and the glitter bow.

wrap with hot glue close upAnd can we talk about my new tip! I wrapped all my presents this year with hot glue. I hate the way tape musses up a perfectly wrapped gift. If you want to replicate this technique, just make sure you either use a box (not the gift’s box) or fold the paper over so you don’t glue on the gift. (See the example above.)

What is your best gift wrapping tip? Leave ’em in the comments!

love,
melanie

How to Deal With Your Finances and Stay Sane

how to deal with your finances

Photo by Zach Klein on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachklein/54389823/)

Personal finance makes me want bury my money in mason jars and go back the good ol’ trade system. But I’m not a skilled digger and money makes the world go round. If you don’t learn about it, you’ll get screwed over by someone or some corporation that knows more about it than you do. Hashtag truth.

That’s why this year my personal goal has been to learn more about my money and to actually save it. Maybe that’s also why this year has been one of the most frustrating times of my life. 🙂 As I sat on hold with the bank yet again… I thought I’m going to lose it. I’m going to end up yelling at this poor person on the other end and I’m going to pull out all of my money. But I didn’t do that because over the last year I’ve learned some pretty good coping tools for money frustrations.

1. Prepare for phone calls
You may already know that a simple phone call to your service providers could help you to save money on all kinds of bills– cable, internet, maybe even rent! And don’t forget to call your bank to get overdraft fees and other outrageous bank fees leveraged too. Just make sure you always have a plan for the conversations, so they go your way. Above all, remain calm and prepare to walk away, if necessary. You don’t really need cable anyway. (Ramit Sethi from I will Teach You To be Rich has some great scripts for those difficult phone calls.)

2. Keep pictures of your end-goal in appropriate places
Do you get stressed about money when you are sitting at your desk and balancing your checkbook? Keep a picture of your end-goal on your desk. Do you get stressed just looking in your wallet for cash? (I do!) Keep a picture of your financial end-goal in your wallet. By having pictures of that dreamy financial end-goal in strategic places you’ll create a quick comfort, you’ll be reminded of the goal, and it might even curb your spending.

3. Remember that saving is a journey
Patience, in general, is so, so hard. It can be even harder with saving because we don’t see those immediate rewards. Buying your lunch can be so much easier and temporarily more rewarding than saving that $10. By changing your mindset about saving, and learning to recognize that even the littlest bits count, you’ll reach your financial goals much faster.

4. Break up your financial to-do list into manageable chunks
This is a life-tip, but getting super motivated and creating a giant to-do list of stuff to do can actually hinder your progress. Make your financial to-do list manageable by breaking it into smaller chunks. Complete one small thing on your list every day. Be happy that you completed something and avoid being paralyzed by the stress of too many to-dos.

5. Talk about it
For many, money is a taboo talking point, but ya need to get it out. Worrying about money but not talking about it is a sure-fire recipe for a heart attack. Find someone you feel comfortable talking to, whether it be a relative, friend or psychiatrist and let it out.

6. Practice affirmations
Affirmations can seem silly and maybe even a little narcissistic. But don’t discount them! Say an affirmation enough and you’ll start to believe it. (Here’s an example one: “Every day I am attracting and saving more money.” But my favorite affirmation of all time is this little girl’s affirmation. After I saw her video I started adding “I can do anything good!” to my affirmations.

7. Meditate or pray about it
Pray about your money issues, if you are into that. If not, meditate about it. Meditation has made me a calmer and overall nicer person. It’s given me clarity about my money issues that I would have never reached on my own. And the best thing about meditation? It’s free!

8. Recognize your triggers and avoid them
Just going into Target triggers my impulse to spend, so I avoid Target. If I must, must go I bring my husband along and tell him to monitor my spending. Recognize when your finance habits get out of control. Do your spending habits swirl out of control during the holidays? Try a handmade holiday instead. Do you spend a ton of money on beauty products? Find ways cut your beauty routine. Make it into a game if you must! Just avoid those triggers!

9. As my life coach, Suze Orman says, “People first, then money, then things.”
I love Suze Orman, not only does she give sound money advice, she’s also compassionate. I love her sign-off, “People first, then money, then things.” Once you have your priorities straight, your finances are much easier to handle.

So how do you deal with your finances and stay sane? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

 

How we live in 188 square feet

How we live in 188 sq feetI can’t remember where we were or what we were doing, but I remember the complete look of shock on a sales lady’s face when I told her that we lived in 500 square feet while I was in grad school. I’d love to find that sales lady today and tell her that we now live in less than 200 square feet (an estimated 188 ft!). She might have a conniption.

Deciding to live in a Airstream is one of the best decisions we’ve made. (You can read more about our reasoning here.) And just like my husband, George, said the other night, “I don’t even think of it as an Airstream anymore. I just think of it as home.” So how do we do it without killing each other?

  1. The most obvious key is patience. Patience is not my strong suit. I want everything now, now, now! But luckily, George was blessed with enough patience for the both of us. He’s teaching me to become a more patient human being through his example. He’s also teaching me to get over things more quickly. If left alone, I’d stew in my own frustration for days, but he won’t let me.
  2. We sold and donated the majority of our belongings. And we don’t even miss them. We decided what we truly needed and cleared out the clutter (see more tips on how to do that here). It wasn’t an easy process and took a good deal of personal honesty. But it feels good.
  3. Keeping with the honesty, I want to divulge that we do have a small storage unit. Both George and I have a few family heirlooms that are pieces of furniture and we wouldn’t dare think of ditching those.
  4. We clean more. I would love us to clean even more than we do now. I love a tidy home! But, we do clean much more than we did while we were living in a larger apartment. It’s much quicker to clean a small space and much more necessary to keep tidy. You can’t just throw a bunch of junk into a room and shut the door!
  5. We stay out of each other’s way. The Airstream is narrow and two people can barely stand side-by-side in it. So when one is in one area, the other one stays out of that area. That way we aren’t constantly bumping into each other.
  6. We think more about our purchases. George and I love to shop for vintage stuff. But now, if we are out browsing, we think long and hard about our would-be purchases. Do we actually need the item? Do we have space for it?
  7. We know that everything needs to have a purpose. We don’t keep stuff around just because it looks nice or we might use it someday. If it doesn’t have a purpose, it doesn’t live in the Airstream.
  8. We have hiding spots for junk. Let’s be real, craft supplies, piles of clothes and random beauty products aren’t always pretty. When we were planning the layout of the AIrstream, we planned for lots of nooks and crannies to hide the stuff that we need to be functional human beings.
  9. We constantly reorganize. Almost every weekend I’m reorganizing, refolding and rearranging things to make the Airstream a neater and cleaner place to live. It’s just a fact of life now.
  10. We love each other. I wouldn’t recommend living in this small of a space with your best friend (remember dorm rooms?!) because at some point you will want to strangle the other person. But because we love each other and have promised not to leave each other, we aren’t going to get out of this situation. We also remember our shared end goal of financial independence.

On another note, if you’re looking for a place in Winnipeg, Towers realty group is a company that can help you find apartments for rent in Winnipeg.*

Do you live in a small space? What kind of tips would you include on this list? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

*Sponsored post, but opinions are my own.

How to Save Money on Clothing

How to save money on clothing

Picture courtesy of Joseph Brent on Flickr.

I used to be a total clothes horse. Whinny, whinny, neigh, neigh. Seriously, ya’ll, give me some hay and you could have called me Mister Ed. In college I’d live off Ramen noodles just to sustain my clothing addiction. It wasn’t a healthy situation– nutritionally or financially.

Recently I’ve been going over my spending habits for the last year. Yawn. I know, I’m super boring, but it excited me to know that I’ve cut down on my clothes habit substantially. How substantially? Well, I went from spending an estimated $1,500 a year on clothing to just $150. Here’s how I did it:

  1. Set priorities
    When I began budgeting and saving money this year, my biggest trick has been to set priorities. Before everything was a priority. Clothes, house, car, food– all equal weight. Now, I make saving for travel and retirement my biggest priority. I put very little money into my clothes budget (or any other budget for that matter) because I’d rather spend that money traveling.
  2. Assess what you have
    I used to buy the exact same black sweater over and over again. I would simply forget that I already owned 5 black sweaters until I assessed my closet. I weeded down all my unnecessary clothing items and I now keep a list of clothes I could actually use on my phone. That way when I’m out shopping, I know exactly what clothing items will round out my closet and which items I don’t need (no matter how cheap they might be.)
  3. Sell it or give it away
    During the closet assessment, be brutally honest. If you don’t wear those skinny jeans, sell them and move on. There’s a ton of different places that will buy gently worn items. There’s Plato’s Closet where I live, and most big U.S. cities have a Buffalo Exchange (which I love!). Often times the clothing exchanges will either give you cash (awesome!) or they’ll let you exchange your items for an in-store credit. If you are feeling charitable, you could also give your items away to your local thrift store and you may be able to get a tax deduction.
  4. Swap with friends or family
    Chances are your friends and family, like you, have a bunch of clothing lying around that they don’t wear. Grab some snacks and some wine and invite them over to swap clothing. If your friends and family aren’t all the same size that’s A-OK. Swapping accessories is just as fun. (See #11 below.)
  5. Swap online
    Have you all heard of Swapdom yet? It’s a relatively new online clothing swap and I’m super excited about it. I’m going to be put some clothes up there and let’s swap, mmmkk?
  6. Use coupons and watch for discount days
    I don’t coupon for food (here’s why), but I will coupon for clothing. There are coupons for clothes in almost every newspaper every Sunday (and sometimes on weekdays!). When I need an article of clothing, I’ll always check the newspaper coupons before I go. I’ll then go to the clearance section first to see if I can combine my coupon with a clearance item. I’ve actually “bought” clothing for free this way!
  7. Find a tailor
    Big secret: Most clothes patterns were not made with the average person in mind. Another big secret: There is no average body. Everyone’s body is different. I used to get totally depressed that every.single.pair. of pants I tried on didn’t fit my body type. But I got a great and inexpensive tailor and got over it. Tailors make clothes look more expensive because they alter the fit for your body. This is also great for when you found a clothing item that’s super cheap, but the fit is just slightly off.
  8. Learn how to sew
    Learning how to do basic clothing repairs, like sewing on a button, is really a life skill. Learn how to reattach buttons and sew up small holes and you’ll save your wardrobe.
  9. Buy higher quality
    One of the best pieces of knowledge I’ve learned is to recognize when a piece of clothing is a P.O.S.. You don’t have to shop at high price places to get high quality either. (I’ve actually bought a sweater at Target that have lasted a lot longer than a similar, much more expensive sweater from J.Crew.) Look at the seams and the thread. Is the thread insanely thin? Is there thread coming out of the seams? Are the seams single or double stitched? Are there extra buttons for repairs? What is it made of? If it looks cheap, it probably is cheap, keep walking, sister.
  10. Buy second-hand
    You might think this tip goes against the previous tip, but it totally doesn’t. Buying second-hand doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Being a patient thrift store shopper can pay off. If you aren’t as patient (sometimes I’m not) clothing exchange stores can be a good bet because they’ve already weeded through much of the junk.
  11. Look for timeless pieces
    Timeless pieces mean more bang for your buck because you can wear them much longer. Avoid trends and you’ll be able to wear pieces season after season. I always like to think would I fit in on an episode of Mad Men? If not, I don’t buy it.
  12. Learn to accessorize
    It sounds like a cliche ’80’s sitcom when I say this, but accessories can totally change the look of an outfit. You could wear the same black pants and white shirt for a week straight with different accessories and no one would ever notice. I may or may not be guilty of this…
  13. Ask for clothes as gifts
    Remember when you were a kid and clothes as gifts were the worst? Well, clothes as gifts are kind of the best now. To avoid Aunt Ethel buying you a Bill Cosby sweater, I’d suggest telling that loved one exactly what you want. (For Christmas, I’d love these of wool socks, please and thank you! No, really, I’d love those socks.) Even better, you could go shopping with them. Get in some bonding time and get exactly what you want!
  14. Use proper washing techniques
    Washing on cold with like-colors can preserve your clothes. Buttoning all your buttons and zipping all your zippers when washing can help too. And not only is line-drying more energy efficient, it’s also more gentle on your clothes. Win for nature.
  15. Shop with cash only
    Credit cards and Target are a dangerous combination for me. When I’m shopping at the Big T, I only carry cash. It limits me and I need those limits. If you need those limits too, try just shopping with cash.
  16. Ask about discounts
    Some well-known stores (J.Crew!) offer student discounts. Other give discounts for AAA members, state employees and birthday discounts. Just asking could save you enough for a mall pretzel.
  17. Borrow for a big event
    Weddings, a special night out on the town or a vacation can crush your clothing budget. I used to use every big event as an excuse to buy something new. No more. I now commit to wear something from my closet or borrow something, if necessary. No more buying clothes to wear once.
  18. Stay out of the stores
    This one is especially hard during the holiday season, but if you can, I’d recommend just staying out of stores. It takes away the temptation. Try my handmade holiday challenge and commit to making gifts this year.

How do you save money on clothing? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

 

21 Ways to Save Money on Your Beauty Routine

Photo courtesy of Trostle on Flickr.

Photo courtesy of Trostle on Flickr.

My mom always says that you should spend money on your hair because, unlike certain clothes items, you wear your hair everyday. And while I think that may be true, I’ve also learned that I spend way too much money on beauty products. I wouldn’t bat an eye on a $100 Sephora trip because I was considering beauty items a “necessity.” But let’s get real people, beauty products aren’t a necessity. I don’t need them to live. (Even though I want them all!) Here’s 21 ways I’ve saved money on my beauty routine.

  1. Double-duty makeup products
    Use your lipstick as creme blush, use a dark eyeshadow to fill in your brows and use foundation on your lips to create a nude lip. The list goes on and on. Experiment and try to use your makeup in different areas on your face. Just don’t go out of the house if you end up looking crazy. This is one of my favorite tips because it also works when you forget something at home. And I forget something at home on a daily basis.
  2. Kitchen beauty products
    When my beauty budget has been tapped for the month, I scrounge in my kitchen for traditional food products that can also work as beauty products. I love to exfoliate with coffee grounds or a sugar and honey paste. It’s win-win-win. I’m using stuff I already have on hand, I sloughing off dead skin and I end up smelling fabulous. 
  3. Medicine cabinet beauty
    I’m a firm believer in the wonders of Pepto. It cures any kind of tummy issue. But did you also know Pepto-Bismol also works as a salicylic acid? Put a little on a cotton ball, smooth it over your face and rinse off when dry. It tightens your skin and reduces redness. So crazy.
  4. Recycle!
    I love M·A·C lipstick. Their colors are always so flattering and on-trend. AND M·A·C accepts returns of used packaging. By returning 6 M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice. Read more about their program here.
  5. Bar soap
    I must admit using bar soap after using body wash for so long was difficult to get used to. Bar soap doesn’t lather the way body wash does, but I adapted to it and I’ve come to actually like it more than body wash. I doesn’t dry out my skin and bar soap is so much more economical.
  6. Makeup remover
    Makeup remover is an elaborate plot to steal your money. Seriously. Baby shampoo works wonders as a makeup remover. And to get that often sticky mascara off, Vaseline is a miracle. I even read somewhere that Vaseline helps your eyelashes grow. The jury is still out on that one, but it definitely takes my mascara off in a simple swipe.
  7. Mix it up
    Have you ever opened a new makeup package and put it on only to walk outside and find out that it’s the wrong color?! Ugh, this has happened to me far too many times. Some stores will take your makeup back even after it’s been opened, but if they don’t, consider mixing the wrong color with another color. It’ll make your makeup last twice as long. And you won’t have to throw away that wrong color. For example, I recently bought the wrong color foundation. Too dark, ugh! So, I bought another, lighter shade, mixed it with the dark shade and my foundation lasted me twice as long. And my mixed shade worked better with my skin tone, to boot!
  8. Drug store brands
    Did you  know L’Oreal owns and manufactures the drug store brand Maybelline and the department store brand Lancome? The formulas of their products are similar and may be exactly the same in some cases!
  9. Dollar stores
    Dollar stores are amazing for picking up beauty tools. Their cotton balls, makeup sponges and makeup brushes are super cheap. I recently forgot my makeup brush on a trip, bought one at the Dollar Store and I actually like it better than my usual $40 blush brush!
  10. Samples
    Good god, I love a good sample and beauty products are no exception. Most beauty stores will give generous samples of their products so you can try before you buy. Sites like Total Beauty will even send you free beauty product alerts when samples are available.
  11. Ombre trend or darker color
    Coloring your hair can get expensive– even if you go the DIY route. By dying your hair darker instead of lighter or embracing the ombre hair trend, you’ll spend less time and money on hair color. Last time I got my hair dyed darker at the roots and it’s projected to last four months, instead of the month and a half my lighter color lasted.
  12. Get more out of that mascara!
    When your mascara gets dry, don’t pitch it just yet. To get a little more out of a tube of mascara, stand it in a glass of warm water. It loosens up the rest of the product and gives you a few more applications.
  13. Reuse mascara brushes for eyebrow grooming
    Ok, I admit it. I have wild eyebrows. When I wake up in the morning, my brows are in 5 different directions and looking quite muppet-like. Using an old, cleaned mascara brush for grooming my eyebrows is one of my favorite tricks.
  14. Keep it clean
    Brushes last longer if you keep them clean. Plain and simple. And you don’t even need that fancy brush cleaner. Just rinse your brushes with warm water and clean them with a dab of baby shampoo.
  15. Squeeze it out!
    Get that last bit of makeup out of the tube by cutting the package open or dipping a brush into the container to get that last little bit. There’s always at tiny bit more in the container.
  16. Beauty schools
    I’m a big fan of the power of community college education. Many community colleges have cosmetology programs. Just recently I got a manicure for 5 dollars! There’s also cosmetology schools all over the country that provide all kinds of beauty services at a discount rate. The services are supervised by a seasoned professional, so your hair won’t be burnt to a crisp. Don’t be frightened by the prospect of a beginner!
  17. Use sparingly
    We almost always use too much product. I’m guilty of it too. It’s so easy to squeeze out a handful of shampoo and lather up. But did you know, you really only need about a dime sized amount of shampoo for short hair and a quarter-size dab for long? Wild, huh?
  18. Recap it!
    This tip may seem like common sense, but I can’t tell you how many times I forget to recap my face lotion and it dries out. By remembering to recap those beauty products, it creates a more sanitary environment and doesn’t allow your product to dry out.
  19. No ‘poo
    I’m a big fan of cutting down on hair washing. I only wash my hair once a week. Sometimes I even go longer, if it is looking particularly dry. Giving up your daily hair washing routine can be a scary proposition at first, especially if you work out a lot. But I’ve found that merely rinsing my hair after workouts works just fine. If you are really concerned about hair washing, you can  dilute 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup of water and use this mixture as a shampoo.
  20. Baby powder or rice flour as dry shampoo
    When my hair is looking a little flat, I grab the baby powder or rice flour and a makeup brush, then dust it into my hair’s part. Next, I brush it out and boom! Instant dry shampoo without the high cost.
  21. Keep Learning!
    Youtube is amazing for makeup tutorials. I learned how to do my makeup for my wedding from Youtube. Seriously. Gossmakeupartist’s channel on Youtube is amazing. I’ve learned so much from his videos. He uses a million products and brushes that you don’t need, but his application and knowledge is so valuable. And it’s free! Ain’t the Internet great?

What tips do you have for saving money on your beauty routine? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie