Reason number 101 why you shouldn’t go shopping today:
You honestly don’t need anything else in your closet. You aren’t going to wear it anyway 😉
Tag: collection
Inspiration
Reason number 23 why you shouldn’t go shopping today:
Driving to the mall in ice/sleet/rain/snow is a bad idea. Unless, you can walk…then you’re screwed. Get those snowshoes out!
Payday! Payday!
As your weekend plans start to come together, and Friday night is closer than ever, it is imperative that you keep a conscious eye out for frivolous spending. As my loyal followers, I feel I have a duty to let you know, payday is just a day that is there to tempt you. “But, Katie, I just got paid! I have so much expendable money! It’s Friday!”
….No, no you don’t. Sit back and read…this could help you out of the poor house.
1) Let’s cut to the chase, every single time that you are planning on going out for an night on the town, you believe that you need a complete new outfit. Whether it be Thursday after work or Friday after work, your pump yourself up and lead yourself to believe that you had enough cash to go out to get cute new pair of pants or a new dress. If you’re an instant gratification gal or guy like I am, you have tunnel vision all the way to the store.
Fight the urge, my saving beauties!
Am I being unfair? Probably a little bit. But the fact of the matter is that you do have something to wear and quite honestly no one will actually notice your outfit!
2) How many credit cards do you have? One? Two? Six? Go in your wallet and take them all out. NEVER pay for a night out on your credit card. Don’t open a tab with a debit card either…imagine waking up with $27 left in your account! (It’s happened) Before you go out on the town, stop at your bank…NOT a random ATM. This way, you don’t have a surcharge on your account. Estimate how much money you will be spending and take out $20 extra. I like to call this “God forbid” money. With my anxiety, I like to cook up situations that may happen. I.E- my friends leave me, I get kidnapped…you know, the logical stuff.
3) How do you get to your destination? Walk? Taxi? Car? If you’re walking, good for you! Just don’t wear heels. Anything else is going to cost you $10-$25. In your allotted cash. That’s right! No credit or debit cards can be used!
Make sure that you have a definite area which in which you will be staying the entire night. If you were hitting up multiple places, be smart about it. Shop around different taxi companies. A word of advice: don’t appear drunk, many cab drivers will assume you do not know where you are, and take a long cut! Don’t be afraid to speak up if you know a shorter way!
4) Have the munchies? Cut it out! You will end up wasting more money and if you’re on a diet, well… You get what I mean.
5) Lastly, make sure to collect loose money in your purse or pocket and put it back into the bank! If you were under budget, congrats! If you went over budget, go through and reevaluate your night. I’m sure there were some purchases that you shouldn’t have made!
Happy Weekend, saving beauties!
K
Back at it…and Embarassed
There is no doubt I stopped writing because I’ve been busy…but there is a side reason as well…I’m back at spending, but wisely. Is that a thing? Is bargain hunting bad? I sure hope not. It seems to me that there is no grey area with deciding to stop spending frivolous money. You either lose all hope, or you don’t even spend money on gas. I’ve decided to break all of these stereotypes. Let’s be real, rationalization at its finest here, folks.
Why deprive ourselves? Saving money is like dieting. When you deprive yourself of an ice cream cone or a cookie, you tend to break your diet more and HARDER. So, I’m proposing, save…but spend responsibly. (I sound like a beer commercial) Don’t fool yourself, because if you are an instant gratification gal or guy, you always will be…let’s look at the hard facts. How would you know? Take a second and think about the past couple of days. Did you think about how much better your room would look organized? What about how much better it would be if your kitchen plates were in a different place? And then think about your reaction. If you went out to Bed Bath and Beyond or the Container Store and GOT and organization rack without weighing out the pros and cons…you’re instant gratification. FACE IT. I know I know…now let’s get over it and DEAL.
Since we last spoke, I left my job because of unhappiness. I still work for the company, just in a different, closer place. BUT this cause a severe dent in my wallet due to lack of paychecks. SIGH. Talk about struggle. Here’s a tip: During unemployment…don’t spend. Seriously, you’ll need your extra cash while looking for a job…or in my case, racking up hours again so you have a reasonable paycheck.
I have spend less money on eating on the way to school or work, which I am very proud of myself. I have taken advantage of my savings account, and decided to start putting money in (for the long run…and my dream wedding) (just kidding?)
Okay, time to jet. My room has been painted and I am SO EXCITED to see it… pictures? Okay…whatevs.
Happy Saving/Spending/Being Responsible?
xoxo
Latest Dupes for High End Fashion/Beauty
Let’s face it, if you are a fashion and beauty lover like me, sometimes it can be hard to not get the actual product…but OUCH! For that price?! I’m owning up to the fact that I LOVE whipping out my MAC or NARS lipstick in front of my friends and being the most “chic” girl…
I am so guilty of instant gratification, as well as cute Instagram pictures. So, when I see a product I love, I tend to spend the money, no matter the cost, to get what I want. Let’s stop this shall we? I’ve compiled a list (let’s call it part one) of items that are super cute or super expensive…and “dupes” for said products.
- MAC’s “Snob” lipstick–Revlon’s “Pink Pout”
- MAC’s “Ravishing” lipstick–Revlon’s “Smoked Peach”
- MAC’s “Russian Red” lipstick–Revlon’s “Really Red”
- OPI’s “Mod About You” nail color– China Glaze’s “Something Sweet”
- Essie’s “Turquoise and Caicos” nail color– China Glaze’s “For Audrey”
- L’Occitane’s “Crème Mains Hand Cream”– Burt’s Bee’s “Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream”
- Benefit’s “Hoola” Bronzer– NYC’s Smooth Skin in “Sunny” Bronzer
- NARS’ Blush in “Orgasm”– Milani’s Baked Blush in “Luminoso”
- MOROCCANOIL Treatment (Hair treatment)– Garneir Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment
- Chi Silk Infusion (Hair)– Got 2b Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion
That’s all for part one… stay tuned…for picture comparisons! Sigh, I know it’s hard…but your wallet will thank you!
Happy “dupe-ing!”
Utilizing What You Have
Hi Saving Beauties!
Sorry for the writer’s block lately. While being away, I did not spend much money, and when I did…I was using up gift cards that I received for my birthday. Topic for today? Utilizing what we have.
When going out, how many of you change purses and wallets? That’s right, every single one of you. How many of you just take what you need for the night and leave the rest of your items begging for a home in your old purse? Here’s what I’ve come up with:
- Gift cards that are half used tend to be forgotten about. “Out of sight, out of mind”
- Items that fall out of you bag and into your car or in your room go missing forever.
- Going through your coat pockets can bring a bit of wealth your way.
Just some thoughts I thought I would share…the main point? Use what you have before you go out and buy more. You would be surprised the amount of money you have in half used gift cards!
Another point of random interest? Buying nail polish bottles is not a crime! Think about it: A whole bottle of nail polish is $10.00 tops? A full manicure and pedicure is $20.00 minimum. How many manicures can you give yourself with a WHOLE bottle of nail polish? My justification skills are phenomenal!
Happy savings!
The Adjustment Bureau…Makeup Edition
That’s right, this is going to tell you the hard truth about makeup. As much as I am SUCH a hypocrite in that I have more makeup than anyone, I still do have a couple of ideas in order to tighten up makeup collections and help rationalize not buying more. Time to control yourself and learn to manage with what you have.
First things first, take all of your makeup OUT of your current storage. This way, you will be able to see everything you have, including things you may have *ahem* forgotten about. Next, conquer your storage compartments. Clean them out, take a Lysol wipe to them and make sure to clean up all the old, spilled makeup.
Reorganization:
- Part ONE- Look at your foundations. Any that are your wrong shade? Any empty bottles? Throw it out. Have you found a certain brand that you like? Make sure you have enough.
- Part ONE A- Look at your eye and face primers. Ask the same questions as above and continue to throw out old or empty tubes. I feel like as avid makeup users, we tend to accumulate samples and different types of products just to have them. Break the habit! It’s not worth the space or the money!!
- Part TWO- Check your bronzers and blushes. Do you have two of the same? Is there a shade you didn’t like and just kept? Guess what? Different stores that sell makeup do indeed have a return policy. If you waited a while after your purchase, you lost out on your money. Learn to speak up! You don’t like something? RETURN IT.
- Part THREE- Okay, confession time. Eye shadows are my kryptonite. I am SO weak..SO weak. Le sigh. Look through them, I know it’s hard…but just do it. If you find a palette or shade you don’t use, throw it out. I wouldn’t suggest giving it to a friend, because of germs, but if you haven’t used it…go ahead! I stick to Urban Decay eye shadows…if you like a specific brand, just stick to your colors. Let’s face it, you’re never going to try that hip, cool, and new way of doing your eyes…so let’s stop fooling ourselves.
- Part FOUR- Lipstick. My love, my obsession, my downfall. Last thing to look at would be your lipstick collection. I know, I know…open each lip color and see if you’ve used it…if you don’t recognize it, guess what? You haven’t used it…throw it out. If you have three kinds of the same pink or red…give one to a friend.
I know it’s hard to hear…but as I’m writing this I’m laughing. I actually SHOULD do this. By minimalizing your collection, you will be able to be more organized and more prone to use the products you already have, instead of buying more because you can’t see the ones you already have.
…I know what I’m doing tonight. Do you?
And Another One Bites the Dust…
Since my boyfriend lives so far away from me, I am always on the lookout for cute little things to send him. Unfortunately, those small things end up being much larger purchases. I consider my weakness as another lesson learned.
Lesson learned: do NOT go onto any shopping website with free shipping if you are attempting to save money.
As for what I purchased for my boyfriend, that will remain under wraps due to him reading this 🙂 BUT I will say, I was proud of the “bargain” I got for what I bought. But…gifts are selfless right?
On the bright side, I have walked in and out of my local drug and beauty stores and not bought a single nail polish! This does not mean I haven’t thought about it. But, I learned that if I bring a friend along, I will not purchase out of guilt. Not the best reasoning, but better than spending frivolous money on items I didn’t need. Looking through my collection, I found I have over 30 bottles of Essie nail polish from different collections and for different seasons. I have justified thus far every bottle as an essential part of my collection.
Rome wasn’t built in a day….right?
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