Friday, June 28, 2013
Making the Most of Seventeen Magazine
When it comes to a magazine that's so full of deals & sales it's obnoxious, it's hard to beat Seventeen. As a magazine that targets readers ages 13 to early twenties whose incomes are usually on the small side, it's almost a necessity to advertise and provide insight into items they can more easily afford. Although the layered outfits and mix matched ensembles that Seventeen is known for are a little too bold for my more reserved fashion taste, I have however found an excellent use for those pages specifically. In the vicinity of almost every shoe, blouse, and blazer is the name of the website or store from whence it came! The other day as I sat down to browse the web for swimsuit deals, I made sure to have my Seventeen handy as I wanted to check out some new shopping sites. Besides providing readers with a broader list of online shopping sources, the magazine also provides coupons for in store shopping. Though my style is more reserved, I do like to have fun sometimes and Seventeen has definitely inspired me to take things up a notch from time to time. I've been intrigued by the magazine for just about everything: clothing, hair, makeup, fitness, skin care, nails, and even it's basic but beneficial life advice and inspiration. It's absolutely a great source of reading and browsing material for anyone who's looking to be confident and cute despite a low budget.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
"Don't Settle for Second Best Baby!"
It's natural to have a certain preference when it comes to shopping. You might prefer one brand to another, one fabric to another, or perhaps you're like me and don't know what you prefer until you find it! For a long time now I've known I wanted a pair of nude pumps. They're such a versatile shoe; able to go with so many ensembles and can be worn for practically any occasion. For years I'd been keeping my eyes open for just the perfect pair, because when it comes to shoes, I'm a just a little on the picky side. But that's ok! You should never have to settle for any item of clothing especially shoes and I wasn't about to! A few weeks ago I was out searching for nothing in particular at JC Penny's which is a store that's all about some sales so naturally I'm a regular! In fact I found a pair of $.97 leggings reduced to %20 off that day! Unheard of right? But even that wasn't my favorite purchase. No I finally stumbled upon what I had been looking for all this time. THE pair of nude pumps! Liz Claiborne AND only $5. 5 has really become my lucky number lately! Patience, as they say, is a virtue and I believe mine paid off as I was hoping it would!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Savvy Shopping Criteria in July's Marie Claire
I have to say the highlight of my day was lounging in a lawn chair on my front porch, sipping ice water, soaking up the southern sun, and of course reading my new Marie Claire. I found this issue to be quite insightful where my values of savvy shopping are concerned. What first caught my eye of course was the cover. The celebrity of interest this month was reality tv star and acclaimed writer, Lauren Conrad. Reviewing her story, I discovered she is very much a fan of the flea markets in Southern California. As well she should be! If second hand merchandise is that last thing you'd consider spending a few bucks on, you might wanna think again. I'm a Goodwill, thrift shop, and antique store regular and what I find among the racks isn't always the Macklemore deer sweaters and fringe. While visiting California last month I couldn't help but check out one of the local thrift stores, which was teeming with potential finds. One of which was a brand new pair of American Eagle jeans, size 4L, not always easy to find as you have to special order Long sizes from A&E, at least where I'm from. But there they were and at a cool $5! Back in my homeland, a few weeks ago I peeked around in a tiny thrift store located on the ground level of my moms work place. My mother is always snatching up some excellent finds in there and just as we were about to leave, a long purple raincoat hanging in the storefront window caught my eye. I decided to try on the lovely thing which was actually made by Michael Kors. The fit was great and the sales associate told me I had once again stumbled upon another $5 dollar find and an unbelieveable one at that! Besides being delighted to see someone of such celebrity status still shopping for second hand goodies, I was also intrigued by the article Big Girl in a Skinny World. Here, writer Nicolette Mason gives some great advice on packing for vacation. What I found particularly helpful was her tip on avoiding purchases specifically for your trip "A word of advice: Don't blow your budget on last-minute purchases you'll never wear again. (You'll kick yourself later.)" Lastly, kudos to MC for supplying readers with a pageful of sequined and rhinestoned garments and accessories all priced at under $100. My first thought in seeing the page was Ok everythings $99.99 right? Not even! Of the 9 items displayed, only one piece was listed at $99. The rest seemed pretty reasonable considering their makers. In addition to all of these savvy shopping aspects, the issue also contains several other articles that might be of interest to all you fashion forward, healthy living, latest beauty trend seeking gals.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Shopping in California!
About a month ago, I visited the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. I spent two weeks there sightseeing, fine dining, touring and of course shopping! The area is an absolute shopping oasis compared to the options where I'm from. We visited numerous malls and department stores during my visit, but I chose one day in particular to really do some major purchasing. We spent approximately only 3 hours shopping in the outlets at Livermore, but I acquired so many new pieces and couldn't have been more happy with all my purchases. My first purchase was a green tank top dress from BCBG, this item was on sale, and I purchased it for $13.99. The next item was a 6 pack of multi colored ankle socks from Ralph Lauren, again on sale, and purchased for $15.81. My third purchase was a pair of red shorts from Hollister, these shorts were on sale and I bought them for $12.13. My fourth purchase I was especially proud of, a pair of peachy-pink skinny jeans from J. Crew, on sale, and I was able to use my student discount and purchase them for only $17.98. My last purchase was a duo from one of my favorite stores, Banana Republic; a pair of high waisted turquoise shorts, and a sleeveless, silky blue and white patterned top, totalling $38.13. Both of those items were again, on sale. I was officially ready to deem this my most successful trip ever when I calculated my final total to be only.. drumroll please.. $98.04!! Oh my goodness I couldn't believe it! I'd purchased 6 items, all of which were from designer stores, and under $100! How did I do it? I stuck to my rules! I didn't spend too long in any one store, hence my only 1 purchase per store for all but one. I never spent over $30 for one single item. I didn't even look at anything that wasn't on sale. AND I made sure I bought things that I actually wanted to wear. Below are the actual items I purchased.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Scoring Some Free Clinique!
I'm a firm believer in that makeup also serves as an accessory. If I don't appear to be put together in my face, then it won't matter how splendid my outfit is. That being said, sometimes the best makeup for your skin, isn't the best for your wallet. For years I've been purchasing my makeup, from foundation to mascara and everything in between, from good ole Walmart, which is just fine with me but a few months ago for my birthday, I wanted to treat myself. So, I visited the nearest Clinique counter in my area. The consultant there determined which shade of foundation was right for my skin tone, and I spent $24 on a 1oz tube of "Creamwhip 04". I've been wearing the stuff ever since and it REALLY is as good as they say, but what's really nice is that a coupon came in the mail earlier this week, announcing I could walk away with a free week supply of Clinique foundation by simply presenting the coupon at the counter the next time I came in! So earlier today I did just that! I received two jars of the size shown below, one of "Even Better Ivory 03" and the other of "Even Better Neutral 05". Also, because I don't use but a drop of product about the size of my pinky nail to cover my face because Clinique covers so well, I'd definitely consider this as more of a two, possibly even a 2 1/2 week supply of foundation. So if you're contemplating treating your skin to some top of the line products as I did, I would absolutely recommend Clinique! Your skin will thank you and so will the company by sending some sweet coupons your way in the future!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
A Less Than $30 Total for 3 Designer Pieces for Him!
When shopping for my man, I keep the exact same rules in mind and still have great success! Last month was my boyfriend's birthday but I actually purchased his presents a few months in advance. This wasn't intentional but I came across some great deals out shopping one day that were too amazing to pass up. While shopping at Belk, I came across a couple of clearance racks with some great designer clothes for much less than designer prices. After combing through the hangers for a bit I came away with two pieces that I knew he would appreciate. Item one was a crisp white long sleeve thermal tee (long john material) by Calvin Klein originally priced at $39.50, reduced to $18.99 and an additional 30% off made it a steal for $13.29! The second item was a long sleeve charcoal grey sweater by IZOD, originally priced at $58.00 marked down to $28.99 and then again to $13.98. As if that wasn't great enough, the additional 30% off made it too irresistible not to purchase at only $9.79! I also snagged him a nearby pair of winter gloves originally priced at $24.00, marked down to $5.98, and bought for practically nothing at $2.98. After tax, my combined total came out to be a mear $27.06! I bought three presents for my man and for under $30 and had a total savings of $95.44! Can't beat that!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Time to Talk Watches
It's no secret that since the invention of smart phones and tablets, watches have become a piece of jewelry more than a means of telling time. Though there are still instances where I'm unable to use my trusty Galaxy and am glad to have my watch at hand for checking the time. In fact, I wear my Relic watch by Fossil almost on a daily basis, but how am I able to do that? Well it's because my watch is clear! Yes it literally goes with everything I wear. What's even better is that it's just the right amount of bling so it's completely suitable for a tee-shirt and jeans ensemble or a semi formal event. I know this might seem like a style tip but actually purchasing a watch like this could save you some big money! My watch is the only one I wear because it's the only one I need to wear. I don't have to purchase six different watches in order to compliment individual outfits. Of course there's no harm in that if you enjoy changing things up a bit accessory wise. But if you're looking to save your money and make a single purchase on a functional jewelry piece then my suggestion would be to invest in either a clear banded one such as mine or I'd like to think that a nude colored band would have the same "goes with everything" quality.
Oh.. and mine was purchased on Amazon.com for the price of $29! Just within golden rule #2!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Beating Shoppers Stress
There's no denying that shopping can be stressful. Sometimes it becomes so overwhelming that we turn around without having made a single purchase that day. We want so badly to have a successful trip at a distant mall or day devoted to the outlet stores while on vacation that we psych ourselves out and take all the joy and pleasure out of shopping. Buying goodies for yourself should be an enjoyable experience so let it be! Think about these three tips on your next retail rendezvous!
#2 Don't Spend More Than 30 Minutes in Any Given Store; I strongly advise this tip for many reasons. The longer you spend in one store, the less time you give yourself to search through other stores, assuming you're on a shopping "trip". Get in, get the deals, and get out. If you've been combing through racks for nearly 20-25 minutes without any luck, it's time to move along.
#3 Buying A Lot Doesn't Necessarily Constitute a Successful Trip; I'd rather spend 3 hours on one particular trip and come away with only 2 pieces that I'm nuts about as opposed to 7 pieces that I could probably live without. Again, we're practicing smart shopping here. That being said I have come away from a trip with multiple items of clothing, all of which I was very happy with. Every trip is different. You've got to learn to be a good judge. An ideal trip is one where you and your wallet are happy. If you can do that 9 times out of 10, you're definitely on your way to becoming a savvy shopper!
Splurging 101
Is splurging ok? Yes.. on certain items. Just last month I purchased a sweet pair of Lucky Brand jeans for the not so sweet price of $100. I'm not sweating it though because they're jeans and jeans last and last and LAST! Especially Lucky's! Why I'm still wearing jeans that I purchased back in my highschool days. Jeans I was wearing at 15, I'm still wearing at 20! So no matter what the price, I've definitely gotten my moneys worth! Not to mention, if you're like me, you wear them quite often. As for other acceptable splurging items, I would also add well made watches, winter outerwear, and high quality boots to the limited list. Avoid splurging if you can.. it's not a good habit to get into.
The Exceptions
If there are rules then there must be exceptions right!? Of course! For rules 1 and 2 of my list below, I do recommend some lenience. If everything I ever bought was always on sale, I wouldn't have some of the great pieces in my wardrobe that I do!
If you happen to come along your dream pair of sling backs but they're neither on sale or under $30.. so what!? Get 'em! It's not every day you come across your ideal make and style of shoe so you can't pass up an opportunity as such. Paying $60 or $70 is fine.. as long as you're not finding "your dream" whatever, every week! In addition to this.. Let's say I come across a beautifully well made suede jacket by Ralph Lauren, originally priced at $250, now $45. You'd think I'd walk away from a deal like that even though it breaks my $30 rule? Nonsense! If I like that jacket I'd be crazy not to grab it! Deals like that can't be found on a daily basis so count your blessings and invest in some serious style!
My Golden Rules
So you want to become a savvy shopper?! Excellent!! Then first off let me tell you my rules to complete success in the land of retail.
#2 Nothing Over $30. On sale or not.. If the price exceeds 30 bucks, move along to the next item of interest.
#3 Buy Things You'll ACTUALLY wear. I know this may seem like common sense but how many times have we walked up to a particular garment outside of our personal style comfort zone and thought "Oh yeah I can totally find an excuse to wear this eventually!", bought it and it's now that mistake hanging in your closet taunting you. Don't let that happen! It's nice to buy different things than we might on the regular but those should be things that we can incorporate into our current wardrobe. Things that we really like in the store, so we'll definitely wear them later. Leave the "uncertain" pieces on the rack and out of your closet! Someone else may come along and absolutely love that sweater you only kinda sorta thought you might wear someday.
My Message
This is my blog on anything and everything shopping. I don't simply love shopping, I love being a savvy shopper and I'm here to aid others in doing the same! I want the world to know it doesn't have to sacrifice half or more of a paycheck in order to look fab. This isn't just about spending less money, it's about being smart about spending money. I don't know that my advice is the best out there but it works for me and if it can help someone else, then I'm more than happy to share it!
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