Shopping
A New Year Thought: Blissful Budgeting- The Power of 50/30/20
January 4th, 2011 | Comments
Tags: budget, Shopping
From time to time we invite guests to write for us. We’re honored to have Manisha Thakor, Founder of the Women’s Financial Literacy Initiative, share her thoughts on budgeting with us today.
by Manisha Thakor
For most people, the thought of saving and budgeting is right up there with getting a Brazilian wax… one hair at a time. To me, saving and budgeting are power tools that help increase your life bliss. As I like to say, saving is all about spending. It’s just spending that you’ll do down the road as opposed to today. And budgeting, well that’s just the process of making sure that your spending is optimized to take into account both what makes you happy and your current income level.
The two critical questions to ask of this process are: (1) Exactly how much should I strive to save? and (2) How much is reasonable to spend in the key areas of my life – home, car, education, food, clothes, etc.?
Here’s how I think about it. You earn an income. Uncle Sam takes a bite out for taxes. What’s left is your take-home pay pie. The single best rule of thumb I’ve ever encountered for how to divide up that take-home pay pie comes from Elizabeth & Amelia Warren’s delightful book ALL YOUR WORTH: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% saving. Simple, powerful, and smack on. (more…)
Advice for the Morning After
December 26th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: bargains, Shopping
Warning: Don’t buy into pre-programmed sales.
If you’re bargain hunting in the days after Xmas we have an important tip for you: be wary. This is the time of year we’re most proud of our shopping prowess and the one thing we never do is buy merchandise that was bought to be put on sale.
From the book Bitches on a Budget:
There’s a difference between seasonal clearance and goods bought to be sold on promotion. When the latter happens, a big slug of goods are bought, marked too high, put on the floor to establish a ‘regular’ price (usually for 4-6 weeks, but this depends on laws state to state). Later they’re marked down to trick all you budget-minded b*tches into thinking you’re getting a bargain.
Be suspicious. If there’s a whole lot of one item on the floor, marked at, say, 20% off regular price, chances are it was jacked up and you’re not getting a bargain. Be wary of circulars and catalogs ‘promoting’ items—think about it, you’re a smart b, they bought and planned to promote these goods at ‘sale’ prices months in advance.
Just say no.
That said, this is our favorite time of year for finding great bargains and filling up on fabulous, keeper items that are normally out of our price reach. We just scored on items we’ve been lusting over all season at our favorite luxury goods retailer (think purple dinosaur) that were marked down by more than 60%. A fabulous little black sweater completely covered in nickel nail heads and a pair of hand crafted brown leather boots at truly ridiculous prices.
We originally published a version of this story in the Huffington Post.
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Under $25 Bucks: Seeing Red for Christmas
December 16th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: Shopping
To be truthful, we hate all lists (except, of course, the best seller one). Shopping lists. To do lists. Top ten lists. The nails on a chalk board worst list of all is the one people share in response to your having seen a new movie or read a new book. You know when they say, “Oh, that’s been on my list for ages.”
Despite our disdain, we’ve had lots of fun crafting lists of clever holiday offerings. We’ve entertained ourselves with a Gifts of Love and Hate list. We’ve tried to help out others with handmade direct from the maker to you lists.
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No Funds for Fresh Frocks? Fake-It
December 9th, 2010 | 1 Comment
Tags: budget, Shopping
More parties this weekend? Tired of the same old, same old in the closet and no funds for fresh frocks for the festivities? Don’t worry your pretty little head.
Remember this sage advice:
Smart women have been faking it forever.
But it’s the really talented ones who pull it off without anyone ever guessing.
Special events like a wedding, a Christmas party, a New Year’s eve party, even a State dinner (by the way, we’re still smarting over being left off the list) come around and normally sane women go crazy buying new expensive clothing and accessories.
It makes us want to get on a chair with a megaphone and scream:
“Those of you on the charity or State dinner circuit, stand up and identify yourselves, please. We all know you can’t wear the same dress over and over again. And, for the rest of you, it’s called a special occasion for a reason–it only happens occasionally. Why blow the wad on what is likely to be a one-night stand? Worse, what if you blow the wad and then get a stain?”
Since every savvy gal on a budget must amortize her costs, we stick by a steadfast rule of putting money into ‘keeper’ pieces that get frequent wear. Besides, since we are contrary by nature, the fancier the event, the bigger the thrill of a bargain ‘fraud’.
A modern woman takes matters into her own hands.
Haunt consignment stores, eBay and friend’s closets for dresses. Haul out ancient, but faithful, investment grade all-purpose black dresses, and tart them up with the latest passing fads like studded pumps, monster pearls twined with motorcycle chains and bows, sequined leopard bags. CruiseTJ’s, Target, the street guy at 72nd and Broadway for accessories. The bolder the better.
We covet our little secret bargain buys: A favorite evening jacket -purchased a decade ago on the streets in Shanghai for $7 bucks. Our most admired earrings- big, faux and flea market. Best of all, a pair of comfy killer stilettos- priceless, but bought on sale at Nine West.
The true climax of every good fake.
Trust us, there is nothing more thrilling than giving the real swells a big phony smile when they stop and admire your precious pretenders.
We first published a version of this story in the Huffington Post.
The Earmuff Festival
December 8th, 2010 | 2 Comments
Tags: Shopping, simple pleasures, Travel & Entertainment
We just read about the Earmuff Festival in Farmington, Maine and are now obsessed with finding the perfect earmuffs. Apparently, a Mainiac named Chester Greenwood invented the earmuff in 1873 and the town comes out annually wearing earmuffs in his honor.
 We think these from Juicy Couture are pretty cute (hint, hint).
We’ve eaten our way through blueberry festivals, toe tapped at Bluegrass festivals, listened at storytelling festivals, but we’ve never been to an earmuff festival. It’s gotten us to thinking– what more could a stylish bitch on a budget ask for than a day of frosty free fun in celebration of the earmuff and Chester Greenwood?
It’s on our calendar for next year.
Go NUTS!
December 7th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: gifts, Health & Fitness, Holiday Shopping, nuts, Shopping
We’ve just tuned into the ‘Get Crackin’ ad campaign by Wonderful for their pistachio nuts: A bunch of clever commercials that tout pistachios as the lowest fat, lowest calorie nut.
It got us to wondering… how much lower in fat and calories are pistachios? We went to the Mayo Clinic and found an article comparing the fat and caloric values of nuts. Pistachios are indeed the lowest calorie nut per ounce, but there is not a huge difference between 1 oz of pistachios (weighing in at 162 calories) and cashews (163), almonds (169) or hazelnuts (183). The article does underscore nuts are really, really good for you:
“… eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. But again, do this as part of a heart-healthy diet. Just eating nuts and not cutting back on saturated fats found in many dairy and meat products won’t do your heart any good.”
We hate to brag, but we were already on to this and keep a stash of nuts on hand as our late afternoon go to munch food. Actually, we love all nuts (plants or people), but they are high in calories (the nuts). So, control yourself.
One more thing about nuts– great nuts make great gifts. We have a particular weakness for these hazelnuts from Fastachi.
Go nuts.
Cyber Color Forms Fit for Budget Shopping
December 6th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: Shopping
Boutiques, developed by Google, is in beta test mode and worth a visit. While it’s still a little rough around the edges, we are in awe of the limitless possibilities for a gal on a budget to save time and money.
Remember Colorforms? Well the site feels like a grown-up-dress-up version of the childhood mix and match, shape, color and style game.  After all, what is fashion if not a way to play out all the shifting fantasies of who you would like to be? What’s your favorite color? Red or blue? Do you like leopard or daisy prints? Stilettos or flats? Are you a good girl or a bad girl? Country bumpkin or city slicker?
While there are lots of ‘curated’ boutiques by celebs (boring, except for the Olsen twins- they do have taste) and designers anyone can set up a boutique for others to follow. We love the idea of creating our own boutique, but the angst of more measurable stalking relationships on top of Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr is more than we can handle.
Once you sign up, the program takes you through a series of looks to determine your style. Our label? Edgy-Classic. So true, at least the former part of the statement–just ask anyone.
Then we went on the hunt for a simple black dress with a round neck. We found one we loved which was tres expensive, but the option to find a similar dress popped up and (cue the holy music) like a revelation spread before us on the page were more divine round neck black dresses than we’d ever seen in one place. All in a wide variety of price ranges.
The only thing missing is being able to create a computer-generated version of the products on our exact silhouette. Now that (and universal free shipping both ways) would be the ultimate game changer in online shopping!
Divorce Purchase and Pleasure
November 26th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: Health & Fitness, Shopping, simple pleasures
Instead of getting in line to buy a toaster oven at 4AM on this day after Thanksgiving, we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast. We’re getting ready to head over to our local museum for a peaceful stroll with our family and friends. It will be the perfect antidote to yesterday’s chaos! We talk a lot about the value and meaning derived from simple pleasures in our book Bitches on a Budget. Things like: a free concert, an afternoon at the library, a local theater production, a cup of tea by the fire, a rousing game of charades, a walk in the woods.
After all, we think this economic adjustment (we like that euphemism) has given all of us an opportunity to take stock of what really counts in life. (And it isn’t a new toaster.) So, on this frenzied holiday shopping day we want to remind you to enjoy the moment, live in the present, seek pleasure in the everyday and the simple things. Remember, pleasure and purchase are not always synonymous*.
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(*Unless we’re talking killer Clergerie over the knee boots that you find on sale.)
Green-Frugal-Free: Get Down at the Dump*
November 20th, 2010 | 12 Comments
Tags: budget, green, Shopping, Target, Walmart
Recycling stations, in these times, should be a frugal-green b’s destination for fabulous finds. That’s right, the dump. Just like you should head over to your nearest Walmart or Target in the priciest zip nearby (for the best assortments), if you can enter without a sticker, check out the priciest garbage facility that has a take-it-or-leave-it near you. Be clever as you wait by the entrance for all those rich, or the once-rich forced to move and now cleaning out, to deliver their goodies. Restrain your Madame LaFarge like snickers, remember what goes around comes around, as you sort through their leftovers.
Repaint a desk and chair for Jimmy. Organize a new library for Grandma. Set the holiday table with oh-so-chic mismatched depression glass dishes.
A final word: Dignity. If you are picking through the garbage, at least be picky.
*Adapted from the book Bitches on a Budget
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