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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Making the Most of Your Clothing Budget
I hope you enjoyed Kathryn Finney’s tips on how to recession proof your wardrobe. And here are some tips that have always worked for me- Basics Kathryn mentioned buying basic items like white blouses and black pants. I’ve found some of the best deals at the following places- Chadwick’s www.chadwicks.com. I love perusing their catalog. It gives me plenty of ideas about what’s in style and best of all, none of their items are expensive. If you’re looking for blouses, check out this link www.chadwicks.com/1/5/index253.html Another place to check out is Target, visit your local store or shop online www.target.com. One thing I like about Target is they have designer…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Halloween
The shaky economy might be the scariest thing out there right now, but that doesn’t mean the Budget Smart Girl can’t have some fun on Halloween. In fact, this year I’m seeing more prices being cut before Halloween. Everything from candy to decorations. So you might not have to wait until the last minute to pick up a bargain…but of course, it never hurts to do that anyway. What’s in Your Closet? If you’re in a bind about what to wear this year and don’t the budget for something fancy, check your closet. Is there anything in there you can use? And yes, if you have some clothes from say…
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The Budget Smart Girl Gets a Financial Education
I can’t remember when I first heard about the MoneyClub, www.moneyclubs.com but I do know that I bookmarked the site and signed up for their newsletter. MoneyClubs is all about sharing your goals with new friends, achieving your money dreams, meeting your saving goals, and reducing your debt. Some topics we all need help with these days. MoneyClubs also has a sister site, www.wife.org, which is a non-profit organization and stands for the Women’s Institute of Financial Education and helps us ladies take control of our own finances. Candace Bahr is one of the founders of both sites and is also an investment manager. She very kindly took time to…
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More Ideas for Leftovers
I love it when I opened up e-mail and someone’s sent me great money saving tips or recipes. This is an e-mail I received from The Spice Hunter. It got my attention and as this week’s topic is leftovers, I thought I’d share it with you. If there’s a collective groan every time you reach for the Tupperware stockpile in your fridge, it’s probably time to spice up what you reserve. While eating leftovers saves money, time, and resources, there’s no reason eating virtuously has to be boring. Below are tips from the flavor experts at The Spice Hunter to help you transform your leftovers into a delicious meal, incognito:…
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Leftovers…they’re not so bad after all
I might be in the minority here, but I love leftovers. I love the challenge of finding ways to use remnants from previous meals to create new ones. And for me, leftovers are almost like eating a free meal. And with food prices on the rise, who could ask for more. Vegetables How many times have you checked your refrigerator and found a cup of green beans in one dish, maybe carrots in another? When I find leftover vegetables on the shelf, the first thing that comes to mind is soup. Some of the best testing soups I’ve ever made started out as a bowl of leftover veggies. Minestrone, cheese…
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No Cooking Skills Required
I think one reason that many people rely on eating out and store bought foods isn’t due to their lack of time, it’s their lack of confidence in the kitchen. Friends tell me that I’m lucky because I like to cook, that I know how to cook and that must save me a ton of money. That’s true but you don’t have to be a gourmet chef to make meals that has everyone coming back for more. Cooking Doesn’t Mean PerfectionIf you’re scared that everyone’s going to hate what you cook, take the plunge anyway. Even top chefs were once beginners and just about everyone has a disaster or two…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Products to Help Keep You and Your Home Warm This Winter
These days opening your electricity or gas bill can leave you in state of total shock. Just last week, our local utility company placed a newsletter in with our bill telling us that the prices will be increasing this winter. And as yesterday morning was the first chilly one of the season, it got me thinking about inexpensive ways to keep warm this winter. So for all you Budget Smart Girls who like to stay toasty warm, here are some products I’ve found to help stretch your energy dollar. The best thing is that they’re all reasonably priced and will give you a good return for your investment. Windows Did…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Changing Your Shopping Style
I’m a writer and therefore I eavesdrop while I’m out and about. One thing I hear all the time is a conversation that goes something like this- Cashier ‘Did you find everything you were looking for today?’ Shopper ‘I did and more. In fact, I only came into the store for one thing and I’m leaving with an armful/cart load’. Does it sound familiar? It’s easily done, but it can create a budget crisis. Shopping for groceries without a list, and impulse buying at the department store are probably the top two reasons most of us spend more than we actually earn. Are there ways around this dilemma? Psychology 101…
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Ways To Make Money While You Shop
Does it seem like putting food on the table is taking, and please excuse the pun here, more of a bite out of your budget? The other day while I was shopping, I realized that within the last month or so, many of the items I buy on a regular basis have jumped up in price, some by almost a dollar. However, there are ways you can turn some of your purchases into free money and free gifts. If you already use coupons, you probably know there’s also something called a refund that can help stretch your budget. Some Work Involved I’ve found that it does take more time and…
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More of the Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Hair Color
I hope that you’ve been putting some of the tips from last week’s Girl’s Guide into action and as promised, here are some more- Tips and More The following tips are from Sandy Taylor Furst, President/CEO of Style Like A Pro www.stylelikeapro.com Scrub only your scalp, never the ends. Only massage the shampoo through the ends because they’re older and more environmentally stressed. When conditioning your hair, only condition from mid-shaft through the ends because your scalp and root hair is fresh and doesn’t need conditioning. Rinse your conditioned hair for eight seconds, rinsing longer just conditions the drain. Rinse until the hair feels silky not slimy or squeaky clean.…