Tag: Time to budget

Kate Spade Surprise Sale

It breaks my heart to say that I found that I didn’t have the impulse to spend my money on the beautiful items on the website.

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Hi Saving Beauties! Let’s just talk about a little thing called a vice. Mine? kate spade. Ugh, my favorite types of handbags, and my ultimate splurge items all come from kate. I’m not sure what they are trying to do to me…sending me e-mails about a “surprise” wedding sale with 65% off of everything wedding. Sigh. But, after looking through all of the sale items (yes I looked!) I am happy to report back to all of you, I didn’t break. Yes, that cake topper is a must…and yes those “Mrs” earrings are to die for…but I don’t need them. It breaks my heart to say that I found that I didn’t have the impulse to spend my money on the beautiful items on the website. Not that I’m not KICKING myself over it…but I am becoming more responsible with my money. I’ll give you an example: As you all know, I have to pay my own phone bill now, and I’ve discovered that by spending a mere $100 on a totes adorable handbag is very tempting, I could also use that money to save up for my guy’s birthday present AND pay my part of the phone bill. My logic that “what’s 100 dollars going to do anyway?” has been thrown out of my Mazda 3 window like no one’s business. I need that $100 for me to LIVE…and you do too. If you have the extra money, be my guest: kate spade. I do strongly advise you to enter (if you dare) and practice self control. Let’s call this approach-avoidance therapy. Go in, look at the items, and DON’T buy anything.   One tip: After you receive the e-mail…because they are tricky and make you enter it in order to see the sale, go to your inbox and UNSUBSCRIBE. We’ve talked about this before. I feel like a broken record 😉   Anyway, tune in for another post later this week. Love you…mean it Kate

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Broke Ain’t No Joke

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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:

  1. 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?
  2. 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.
  3. Coffee is a luxury: well, I didn’t give this up..because I’d be a much meaner person if that was taken away.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

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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

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Payday! Payday!

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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

Holiday Shopping

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With the holiday season just around the corner, I figured I would share some interesting ideas for NOT going into debt this year. I know we all want to pamper and spoil our loved ones, but there comes a time that you have to draw the line inbetween being generous and being insane.

For those who have a big heart, but not a big paycheck: read on…

  1. Take cash out before a shopping trip and put in an envelope. Leave your credit cards at home and only use you alotted money that you have budgeted yourself.
  2. Use apps and websites like RetailMeNot, Hautelook, Ruelala, and Looksy to get great, designer looks for less.
  3. Never buy full price. Ever. Don’t do it. You’ll regret it. Do you hear me?
  4. If there is something major that you are buying for somebody, shop around. Instant gratification is not a feeling you want while holiday shopping. You’ll end up finding the exact item somewhere else for $100.00 less. Believe me, it happens.
  5. Do not procrastinate. Start thinking about gifts now. If you aren’t exchanging gifts, think about what you and your loved ones will be doing instead. Dinner? Great…get a reservation ready. Movie Outing? Even better…start making plans.

This year, I started saving for presents in August. I used my savings account as a safe haven for my money (literally). Today, I “cashed out” and once the money arrives into my checking account, I will be on my way to the bank with a crisp envelope ready to withdraw it! 

Shopping on a budget isn’t the most fun. I know we would all love to have an endless amount of money, with sales and beautiful items at our fingertips ready for us to buy…well, the latter actually exists, but you get what I mean. This isn’t dream land, and we don’t have an endless supply of money.

Happy budgeting!

K

Back at it…and Embarassed

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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

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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.

  1. MAC’s “Snob” lipstick–Revlon’s “Pink Pout”
  2. MAC’s “Ravishing” lipstick–Revlon’s “Smoked Peach”
  3. MAC’s “Russian Red” lipstick–Revlon’s “Really Red”
  4. OPI’s “Mod About You” nail color– China Glaze’s “Something Sweet”
  5. Essie’s “Turquoise and Caicos” nail color– China Glaze’s “For Audrey”
  6. L’Occitane’s “Crème Mains Hand Cream”– Burt’s Bee’s “Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream”
  7. Benefit’s “Hoola” Bronzer– NYC’s Smooth Skin in “Sunny” Bronzer
  8. NARS’ Blush in “Orgasm”– Milani’s Baked Blush in “Luminoso”
  9. MOROCCANOIL Treatment (Hair treatment)– Garneir Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment
  10. 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

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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!

Healthy Saving

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If you live in New York, you know just how much cigarettes cost these days. LORD. Not only would quitting this nasty habit help your health, it will help your wallet in the long run. If you smoke, take the time to sit back and write down how many packs you purchase a week– do the math. $35.00 a week? Yea…I know that pain. Luckily, I have cut down a LARGE amount, which makes my parents and my boyfriend very happy. I feel much better than usual. As of right now, I have 33 hours cigarette free. It’s tough, but it’s worth it.

What about all the money you spend on alcohol? Sit back down and add up all the drinks you had at the bar last night. LE SIGH. That’s the kicker isn’t it? When you think about it, you could drop over $100.00 in a single night, and not even remember it. Now, I’m always up for a good night at the bar, but let’s get real. We’re spending money on cigarettes and alcohol only to not remember the “great” night you had and feed into a life in the fast lane. Think about the amount of money you have, and how much you spend on items that will ultimately be bad for you.

Over my birthday weekend, I was able to go out for a couple meals, and found myself penny pinching in order to be able to eat lunch today.

Goal for today: Spend only what I need to. Don’t indulge in the pretty things you pass by in the windows. Make today a “healthy” saving day. Fight the urge. We’ll do this together!

iTunes Trap

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I must say, I am relieved I was able to spend some time away from technology for a bit and have a wonderful weekend with my two roommates from college and the rest of my friends for my birthday weekend!

Anyway, I’m back at blogging and I have a couple awesome ideas brought to you by my friend Lindsay and my boyfriend, Michael. While taking a drive around Long Island, I asked Lindsay to download a couple songs from my iTunes account. She noticed my credit card was connected to my account, which I thought was easy access to download a song or movie. Lindsay told me her trick to try and save some money, because it does add up! If you buy a gift card, or you only use a gift card that was given to you, you are able to track your spending so much easier. This way, if your gift card runs out, you will realize how much you have spent when updating your music library.

Believe me, I get it. Sometimes a song (of five) get stuck in your head, and all you want to do is put them on replay and jam out in your car or room. Don’t give in!!! The little charges on your card aren’t worth it! After buying a couple albums on iTunes, you start to realize that having the latest music will in fact ruin your balance on your account.