Reason number 76 why you shouldn’t go shopping today:
Because food is much more important
Category: Break Old Habits!
My road to recovery!
New Phone, New Rules
This past week, I dove into a one of a kind adventure: I voluntarily was taken off of my parent’s phone plan. *boo! hiss!*
Yes, yes I know. It’s a different type of adventure, one of growth. It’s super scary, but very overdue. After all, I am engaged and 24 years old. Eek. What the heck. Now, I am on a plan with my fiancé and he’s expecting me to actually pay my part.
I’m going into this with a pretty positive attitude; this gives me a chance to show myself and everyone around me that I am able to control my spending when it really comes down to it. In case you’re like me, and you are just starting out paying your own bills… I’ve decided to share a trick with you.
Rip it off like a band aid. Submit that full payment and don’t look back. I know, girl. It’s going to be ridiculous, and you’re going to eat fruit for a week…but how worth is it at the end? Very. Not only will you show yourself that you are able to stand on your own two feet…but your parents will be pretty impressed, too.
Anyway, I’m going to go cry in my last season Lucky boots and window shop Kate Spade’s new arrivals. Sue me.
xoxo- Kate
Inspiration
Reason number 33 why you shouldn’t go shopping today:
Think of all the money you could save by NOT buying that new dress today. Oh, forget it…it’s treat yourself o’clock.
#weallhaveacheatday
Inspiration
Reason number 11 why you shouldn’t go shopping today:
The sale shoppers are out in full force, honey! Don’t be trying to compete with their grubby hands!
Money Saved in Your Lunchbox
I work at the mall…and I’m fairly lazy in my cooking escapades. We can see where this is going. Mall food. The worst, girl! Please. I’m telling you, I just want a simple hamburger and I’m paying more than what it would cost for a couple of gallons of gas in my car. I literally just can’t do it anymore. It’s not worth the money and the stomach pain.
It’s pretty simple to start meal prepping…ok, it’s simple for your fiancé to start meal prepping. The one crucial piece of advice: Make food that will keep for at least 48 hours. This means, no avocado for day 6.
It’s hard to start, but it’s easy to keep it going. In two days, I’ve seen that my bank account is staying at the same balance. Just, don’t spend that hard saved cash on some stuff you don’t need, like a super adorable shirt. Because…I didn’t get that today or anything.
This week, we made chicken salad, couscous, and celery with some mayonnaise. On the side, we made quinoa pasta and tossed it with some poppyseed salad dressing. I packed a water and a fruit bar!
Next big post should be some meal prep recipes! Stay tuned!
xoxo- Kate
Inspiration
A little inspiration for this weekend
Reason number 83 why you shouldn’t go shopping today:
The traffic near the mall can drive a person to insanity!
Some Advice Before Buying Full Price
Hey Boos-
Ok, so let’s talk about this whole instant gratification thing. I’m guilty. Who isn’t? …put your hand down, bitch. Anyway, I want to talk about buying full price in a store or online. Stawp it. You know it’s going on sale in like, a week. Let me tell you, stores pull items off the floor almost weekly. Stores also almost ALWAYS mark that stuff down come the next two or three weeks. If they don’t, whatevs. Hate me, I saved you some money.
Here’s some advice to you when something is on the market that you just can’t get your eyes off of. (I’ve been there,after all… I am human.)
- Stalk the crap out of it. Visit that website every day if you have to. Sign up for promo e-mails, then unsubscribe after you’ve gotten what you need from them. (Ugh, that’s so terrible.)
- Make sure you do price comparisons. Go on direct online sites that maybe selling the same item for cheaper.
- Although I used to stick my nose in the air about this, check Amazon and Ebay. No jokes..well the one joke would be if you bought something and it was fake…but seriously, there are a lot of people out there who have what you want and are selling it because of a break-up, divorce, or they too are broke!
- You want it? Work for it. Go on every website you can think of. RueLaLa, Hautelook, Nordstrom, Bloomies, Macy’s, Neiman, Lord and Taylor, do I need to go on? I mean, you found me because you’re trying to get off the drug, you already know what it looks like 😉
- Just know how terrible you’ll feel when you’ve already bought it, and it goes on sale the next day.
(On another note, trying to stop shopping is like trying to stop smoking the first, second, and third time. Harder than hard. But, once you get over the first hump, it’s so good…in reference to both things.)
Anyway, happy hunting!
xoxo- Kate
Penny Pinching is the Way to Go
With Christmas just over a month away, I have already started a list of people I need to purchase a gift for and the amount I expect the gift to cost. This is a great way to stick to my budget. I have to congratulate myself, not for my low paying job, but because I am almost positive I am nearing the end of what I call my obsession for designer brands. I could easily charge a Michael Kors bag on my credit card and slowly pay it off over the upcoming months, but I don’t. I instead have come to realize that this isn’t going to make me Instagram famous. No matter how hard I try.
I realize there is a bigger picture: there are bigger things you have to worry about than spending frivolously… No matter how much I think a new handbag would bring in a new season or a new necklace would accent my new outfit, in the long run it isn’t the right choice.
It makes more sense to watch your pennies and only indulge in the smaller things such as my cup of Starbucks iced coffee, a milkshake, or a bite to eat once a week with the person I love when we have the same days off. I am learning my lessons about what I preach about impulse buying, and instant gratification. It’s not ideal and not where I see myself in five years. For now, my wedding planning and purchasing a house are more important than that new handbag I want, or that Tiffany’s necklace I hope my fiance gets me for Christmas. 🙂
Happy planning and happy savings.
xoxo- Kate
Broke Ain’t No Joke
Let’s talk about this hiatus, huh?
Anywho, I’m trying my friends. I really am. Life catches you and throws you around like a piece of meat. Ugh, whatevs. Let’s just say,
I’m sorry. Okay, now that we have that out of the way, we have some new confessions. We can call them the good, the bad, and the really terrible.
For the good: I started making my own lunch, I thankfully have a job, and I’m paying off my credit card debt…$20 each week to be exact. I have to say, it’s a good balance. I’ve trained myself to look at my paycheck with $40 less every two weeks.
For the bad: I work in a clothing store. A really cute one. I get a fairly awesome discount, and I wear the clothes anyway. We all can see where this is going.
The really terrible: EEK! Okay, I’m getting married next year, and PINTEREST is making things so hard on me (typical first world problem) Ok, but seriously. Everything I see on there, I want in my wedding. I had to talk myself out of buying ANOTHER engagement photo shoot outfit because while shopping, my creative wheels were turning. On another note, let’s hear it for all the fabulous bitties living paycheck to paycheck! (Do I hear a…cricket?) Is it just me? Well, in that case: let me break it down. I barely make enough to afford gas, food, and a student loan. (Thanks Sallie Mae)
This is where my wonderous post comes in:
What To Expect When Broke:
- Ha. The first thing you have to expect is probably a major cramp in your social life. Sure, I gave up going out every weekend once I graduated from college, but let’s get real, a girl’s got to get her drank on. Right?
- On top of that major cramp in social life, you’ll probably experience some sort of desperate search for coins; quarters, pennies, nickels, dimes OH MY.
- Coffee is a luxury: well, I didn’t give this up..because I’d be a much meaner person if that was taken away.
- You find new and exciting ways to revamp your clothing style: In other words: You can’t buy a new outfit every weekend…sorry, Blair Waldorf.
- Lastly, (and this is just the tip of the iceberg) you will tend to think you have more money than you actually do. I am so guilty of this. I love giving presents, and I really do have to learn that I cannot afford it!
A word from the wise, it’s hard. This is a hard, stupid concept to wrap your head around. It comes with petty fights with loved ones (don’t give in to fighting about money) and a lot of lonely nights while your friends go out without you.
Next post? What do to on a limited budget.
xoxo- Kate
Credit Cards, Promo E-mails, and Mailings! Oh My!
Let’s talk about the biggest trap around these days…Credit cards!
Now, I’m not saying its a complete trap, but much like life vests in the water, credit cards give you a false sense of security, and in this case, money. No matter how much money you make each week from a job, credit card companies will target you for everything you’ve got.
Here’s my advice: (thanks to my boyfriend)
Use your card for a purchase, but pay off the amount ASAP. Don’t wait until the end of the billing cycle. Why? Most of the time, you will reach for a credit card if you are short on cash. I do it too, and together we can stop this nonsense! On top of that, credit cards will give you a minimum payment each month. Most of us busy folk pay the minimum and go on with our daily lives. DON’T DO THIS! After each month, most cards have interest for an unpaid balance. So basically, your credit card is a ticking time bomb that increases in a balance just because you aren’t spending or paying off a balance wisely.
Credit cards aren’t your thing? Lucky. Well, I am going to reiterate a previous post. Promotional e-mails and mailings. These items are used as ploys by companies. (No matter your vice)
I like to think each time you click on an e-mail, a marketing employee for that company laughs manically. These people are marketing geniuses! That catchy e-mail titles, the amazing colors, the pretty pictures…anyone can get sucked in…right?
My advice? Get it together and unsubscribe. My friend and I recently went through our e-mails and purged our accumulated promo e-mails. Since I last wrote this post, more e-mails piled into my inbox to try and tempt me. Did I give in? Obviously. I have a weakness for Rebecca Minkoff! Don’t judge me!
As for mailings, refuse a mailing address when purchasing in a store. It’s for your own good. Sales people will try and convince you otherwise. Listen to me: no.
You aren’t being rude, you’re helping yourself.
Back to a clean slate tomorrow. Be strong, saving beauties!
K
katemcgate.com 