Sunday, July 29, 2012

Earning Some Extra with "Twice"

        Have you heard of Twice? If not you are in for a treat! They not only sell some really adorable gently used clothing at discounted prices, but they will buy YOUR clothing as well! Right now if you sign up you'll get a $10 credit towards anything $25 and up on the site.And when a friend signs up and makes a purchase you'll receive another $10 credit!
             But my favorite thing about Twice is how simple they make selling your old clothes! Just sign up here, tell them the brand and type of clothing you have and you will be able to print out a free shipping label-you won't have to pay anything to ship them! Once you send in your clothing they'll look it over and send you an offer. This only took a week for me. I received an offer of $24 for 8 items. Not bad for things I was just going to give away anyway! You can choose to have the items they don't want shipped back to you,or donated for free.
                    It's like the fun of a yard sale but you don't have to drag stuff outside and sit in the hot sun- you just get money. Win-Win!

                                  Have any money making sites or tips to share?
                                          

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

It's A Tutorial! DIY Button Bobby Pins

                        Cute hair stuff is like icing on the cupcake to an already adorable outfit! And its so easy to make some yourself. You can attatch all kinds of thing to bobby pins. My favorite place for inexpensive do-dads? You guessed it: the Thrift Store! Sometime I'll browse clothing looking just for cute buttons. It can be worth it to buy a piece just for the buttons and find some other use for the material. The above were all taken from old tops or coats found at a thrift store.
                     After you find your cool buttons. You'll need some bobby pins and a good glue. You can use hot glue, but I prefer E-6000 as it is waterproof and will last longer. You can also use bobby pins with glue pads(found at a craft store, like Micheal's), but I've yet to find any that are as good quality as the professional ones.
                       Place a dot of glue on the end of your bobby. You'll want the side with the glue to face down when you slide it through the hole in your button. Make sure the bumpy side is facing up.
                  If you're using E-6000, your bobbies will need to dry for 24 hours.
                           Voila! You have your very own embellished bobbies!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Invisible Shoes



Dress, Thrifted Lands End, $3,Shoes(invisible)Target($5?) Belt Thrifted($1)Necklace H&M ($1.50)


                Here they are! For some reason you can't see my shoes in either of the photos. Oh yeah, its that cheap camera. I know what I'm asking for this Christmas!








     



     This necklace was one of the things I picked up on H&M's 4th of July sale. I only got a $10 off $20 coupon, but it still made for some nice deals!






                                      Have you thrifted, or found any great deals this week?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Have a Free Birthday

                     This past weekend was my birthday. Since 19 is so adultish, I pretended like it was no big deal. But I was still secretly checking my email each day in anticipation of my birthday "freebies"!!  By signing up to receive emails, many restaurants and stores will send you a little surprise around your birthday(its nice to have a separate email just for this, so you don't load up your inbox with tons of newsletters!). Here are a few of my favorites:
Sephora will send you a postcard for a free gift on you birthday when you sign up to be a beauty insider. The gift changes yearly, but this year it's a sugar lip duo! I'm lovin' these babies-they smell amazing and make my lips so soft!
Sign up for the Aveda Birthday Program and you'll receive a complimentary custom blended perfume! Just walking into an Aveda store is relaxing-their products are all natural and so soothing.

Ben and Jerry's will send you a FREE Scoop of ice cream on your birthday! Plus a BOGO scoop on your 1/2 birthday( this is a highly underrated occasion!). Go here to sign up! I'm really regretting the fact that there is NO Ben and Jerry's anywhere remotely close to me.
   Have you been ot Bonefish? If not you are missing out! The bang bang shrimp is amazing and you get a free order on you birthday! Go here to sign up and see if there is one in your area!

Brio offers a very generous birthday meal when you sign up for their newsletter! I have yet to try this but it look delicioso!
And if you didn't know already, if you register your starbucks card you get a free drink on your birthday! What, no starbucks card? Just get a gift card before you purchase something next time and register it here.

         This is only a very small sampling of all the birthday freebies out there. Check out the Frugal Girls for a complete list of birthday freebies from your favorite retailers and restaurants!!
What do you like to do on your birthday? Have any special traditions?


                             

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Darling Deals 7/11


This Friday you can score a free 12 oz Refresher at Starbucks from 12-3 pm! Apparently these are a mild energy drink made from green coffee extract, and have just a little caffeine to give you a nice little afternoon boost. Go here to find out more!



   Free Chick-fil-A On Cow Appreciation Day


   How far are you willing to go for free food? I'm not talking distance here. All day this Friday, July 13th, Chick-fil-A is giving away a free meal to everyone who dresses like a cow! If you dress partially like a cow (think mask or cow printed scarf etc) you get a free entree.If you go all the way, you get a full meal! Go here to find out more and print a free "Cow Starter Kit". I may or may not be working on my "Eat Mor Chikin" sign.

    Plato's Closet Grab Bag Event 


                         Ready for the most epic sale ever? If you have a Platos Closet near you, you'll want to check out this sale. However many clearance items you can stuff into a bag (regular plastic grocery size) are just $15! Whenever I've done this in the past I've been able to get at least 20 items in, so its a great deal! Dates and times vary by location, so call or check your location's website first. Find a location near you here.


    Free $2 Amazon MP3 Music Credit


 Right now you can score a free $2 amazon mp3 credit by entering the code HEARTMP3 here.
If you don't already have an Amazon.com account, you can sign up for one here.
You have until tonight, July 11th at 11:59 pm to enter your code!

Have any deals to share?


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

How To Score At Thrift Stores...Part 2

             Alright, so you just walked into the thrift store. Your excited and dreaming of the hidden treasures you'll find. Where do you start and what do you look for? Here's a few tips to get you started:
          Don't "Browse"
                   If there's  one thing I've learned from thrifting, its to take your time and look carefully. At retail stores there are displays and models and several of each piece of clothing. They are designed to attract your attention and lead you easily to the piece you want. Not so at a thrift store. You can't skim over the rack waiting for something to pop out at you. Most likely all the pieces will blend together into a blur. You'll pull out a few things, not like them, and move on, completely missing the good stuff. It may seem daunting, but your gonna have to roll up the sleeves and start sliding hangers. Pick a starting place and look at each piece. You never know what you might skip over if you don't take the time to really look!
           
          Size Doesn't Matter
                    Ok, sometimes it does, but don't let the fact that something seems too big scare you.  With all the various brands and vintage items, sizes will vary greatly, so instead pay attention to whether the style and fabric are to your liking. Its amazing what a belt can do to the baggiest of shirts and dresses(see pic below!), or a 10 minute stitch fix to almost any skirt.

        Forget The Brand Names
                      When your buying brand name you are paying for the label. And there are lots of expensive labels out there. Brand name doesn't necessarily equal quality and it never equals unique. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy it-I love specific brands and squeal with delight when I find my favorites. But don't let the tag determine your purchase. Its how you wear that matters. No one can see the tag. Unless your wearing something with  "Hollister" pasted all over it, but lets not go there shall we? 
   
       Give It Time
                   Don't stop in for a "quick look". You'll do best when you have plenty of time to look through each rack. Also, don't expect to find a specific item, like a pair of navy blue oxfords. Usually you find something you never would have thought to look for, which makes for twice the fun! If you don't find any treasures the first time, don't give up! It may take a while before you find your favorite stores and get into your thrifting groove.
       
        Think Outside the Box!



             A belt can do wonders. Here's a thrift find I changed just a little to make a big difference! The dress was several sizes too bug, but the pattern caught my eye.The belt is also thrifted. Paid just $1.50 for both items!
                 
            Know When It's A Deal
                    That gorgeous designer silk dress may be a great find for $20, but will you wear it? An how many times? Think about the the practicality of what you are buying and the "cost per wear". If the piece is something you know you'll wear over and over, go ahead and splurge a bit( $10 is a splurge for me!). Also look at what you may have to put into the item.Figure in the time and cost to fix the item yourself or at a tailor if it needs it. Always give the once over for stains and rips.

           Have Fun!
                Shopping is always more fun when you're with your girlfriends( and your less likely to make bad purchases!). Make a day of it and catch up while you save some money!

                        What are your thrift tips? What have been your best finds? Refashioned anything lately? 
        
        
        
         
        

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Sneaky Smoothies

                         I really like breakfast. Or maybe I just like food in general. Yeah that's probably it. I could easily go for a huge stack of waffles with a side of bacon every morning, but my body wouldn't like me if I did that very often. And I'm usually not that ambitious in the wee hours of the morning.
                          Lately I've been trying to add a little healthy to my smoothies. And, to my delight, they taste pretty good! Once you get past the green color, you can't even tell there's green in there. Now I feel like an official health nut. Here are a couple concoctions I blended up. These aren't really recipes, more like guidelines. Try different fruits you have on hand and switch up the proportions as needed- I'm thinking papaya and mango would be delicious!
    
                         Banana Blueberry Blast
                                  3/4 cup fresh blueberries
                                  2 frozen bananas
                                  2 large handfuls fresh spinach
                                  1/2 cup milk of your choice(I used almond milk)
                                                
 
                          Pineapple Cooler
                                  1 cup chopped fresh or canned pineapple
                                  1 frozen  banana
                                   2 handfuls fresh spinach or other greens(might not want to use mustard greens though...)
                                  1/2 cup milk of choice(coconut will make this like a pina colada!)
                         
                            Makes about 2 servings(or 1 giant if your really hungry)

                            Blend until smoothe and enjoy!

                        Do you have and ways to sneak extra healthy into your meals? I'd love to hear about them!

                        
                           

Friday, July 6, 2012

Darling Deals 7/6



 Target Shoe Clearance + Free Shipping!

Prices for the above range from $6.28 to $15.74!
                                           
                               Right now Target had some great deals on some adorable shoes! Now until midnight 7/6,  They are offering free shipping plus 10% off all clearance shoes.Head on ove here to take a look. This is also good on Men's and Kids! Nude pumps  like the pair above are a must according to Kristine at Kristine Or Polly, they are the go-with-everything heel! And I'm totally drooling over these black booties!


             Free Dippin' Dots on July 14th





In honor or me, Dippin Dots is giving away free,um, "dots" on July 14th from 7-9 pm to celebrate my birthday! Or it could be because they're trying to promote some new flavor or something about "National Ice Cream Day"...but I'm using it as an excuse to get some anyway(it really IS my birthday...)
 Go here to print your free coupon:) 
Sample Some Hair Care

                 Head on over here to add up to 3 fun looking hair samples to your cart and have them shipped to your door at no cost! You will need to enter credit card info, but you won't be charged if you choose just the samples! Looks like they have lots of stuff for curly girls!

                       Now your turn! Have any deals or fun frugal stories to share?


                     

Thursday, July 5, 2012

2 Pieces, 2 Ways

   






      PLUS















Skirt turned dress Thrifted ($1),Top Thrifted ($1?) Belt Goodwill($1)
I'm not sure what I'm doing with the arms here- trying to find invisible pockets?


                            Here I'm sporting the cutting edge au naturale look- where you give your hair that tousled day old look, wear no accessories and go completely barefoot. But seriously(actually I was serious),  please pardon the shoelessness and aforementioned oddities- I promised I was wearing shoes when I went out in this......they just didn't make it through the entire day.
                      I love getting skirts of this length because they are so versatile! You can find tons of them at thrift stores. I loved the polka dots and pleats in this one. To make it a dress, i just pinned the elastic part to the outer layer of my top in several places using safety pins. To wear as a midi skirt,just belt to add definition. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!
                         

Monday, July 2, 2012

How to Score at Thrift Stores...Part 1

      I.Love.Thrifting. I'd say I get at least 75% of my clothing from some type of Thrift store. I love not only the unique pieces I get there, but also the satisfaction that I paid at least 90% off retail, with my entire outfit often coming to less than a Venti latte. So starting this week I'll be sharing some things I've learned from shopping at Thrift Stores.

        Find Your Favorite Stores
              If your a total newbie, the first thing you'll need to do is check out what's in your area. TheThriftShopper.com  is a great resource for finding local charity run thrift stores.Just search by your zipcode. There are even reviews by other users. I love that I am also supporting a great cause when thrifting at these places, instead of some huge chain. Also try Yelp and search "thrift" or "consignment" to see what the locals favor. Speaking of consignment...
          Thrift or Consignment- What's the Difference?
                  A thrift store is often charity run, or occasionally a small chain. Usually there is a base price for each type of clothing. For instance $3.99 for Short Sleeved tops, $4.99 for sweaters, $5.99 for jeans and so on, and the occasional higher price for brand new or valuable items called "buyouts". Thrift stores usually take just about anything and everything. This means you'll have to root through quite a lot of junk to find the treasures(but they are there, I promise!).
                  If rooting through lots of ugly 90's sweaters to find that perfect piece isn't your thing and you have more cash to spend, consignment is for you! Consignment stores are more like boutique thrift stores. They are usually a small chain or individually owned. The consignment store buys and sells, so individuals come in with their gently used clothing or goods and the store looks through and decides what they'll take. They may pay you upfront for the items, or more often, will take the items and then pay you when they sell. Consignment stores are more like boutique thrift stores. They are very picky about what they take and it has to be in excellent condition and name brand. Most traditional consignment stores price the item,say at $16.99, originally, and then on the tag it will say what price the item will be after a certain date. So the item may be discounted down to 11.99 after 6 weeks, and then 6.99 after 8 weeks.The fact that they are paying for the items and have such quality items(and know it) is reflected in their prices.
           
           How to Shop At....
  • Goodwill    If you live anywhere near any type of civilization, chances are you have a goodwill. Goodwill is the most common, and they receiv many,many donations, so they will always have a large selection. This also means that a lot of other people will be going there, so here are some tips on getting the best deals. Most likely you'll have more than Goodwill location near you. Pick the ones in the best neighborhoods, as these will have the best items.First, check online or stop in a store and grab a sales calendar. This will let you know what sales are going on when. Goodwill has a 50% off day on everything at least once a week.Keep an eye out for certain days when specific items, such as all shorts or sweaters, might be 99cents-which is more like 75-80% off. Also keep an eye out for tag sales(certain items .50 cents!) and Managers Specials, which can be even sweeter! While your there ask an employee if they have any tips on the best time to come. They may put more items out on certain days and times, or have less traffic, which means even sweeter finds! Also check your local goodwill website as they may feature coupons, such as $5 off $20 or more.
  • Thrift Stores  I'm lumping all other charity and chain thrift stores into one as there are so many and they differ greatly by region. St Vincent DePaul and Salvation Army are not as well known and popular as Goodwill so they may be less picked over. Scope out the place and ask about sales and specials. Often each tag will have a color and that color will go on sale a certain day. Again, ask employees as the best days to come in. At one of my favorite thrift stores, they have 50 cent Mondays where a certain tag is only 50 cents. Some of my favorite pieces have been these 50 cent finds!
  • Plato's Closet    You may or may not have a Plato's Closet nearby, but its worth checking into. Plato's is a franchise consignment store,big sister to Once Upon A Child. This store is geared toward the teenage and college crowd, so their clothes are trendier and newer. If your looking for vintage, this is not the place! There are lots of the usual Abercrombie ,AE and Hollister hoodies and tees with free advertising splashed all over them, but I've also found some J crew and other "classier" pieces. At my local Plato's they have a bag sale 1-2 times a year where you stuff as clearance items as you can in a bag for $15. I think I got at least 25 items in my little bag last time. This is a great deal and a lot of fun! Also they'll have progressive sales or $2 clearance. I suggest signing up on their website for emails to be notified when the best sales are going on. And if you have name brand clothing you don't wear try selling it to them. They pay cash up front- not much and they are very picky, but it's wort a shot.CAUTION: These stores tend to play some trashy music. I recommend bringing some headphones with more uplifting music if you plan to stay awhile:)
  • Consignment/Boutique Thrift   Some of my local consingment stores will have a $1 rack or a 75% off sale making for some very cheap name brand clothing. I suggest finding your local consignment stores and signing up for their email list or asking about annual sales, so you'll know when you can find the best deals.  Also, if you have a good assortment of nice, name brand clothes you don't wear anymore,try taking them to the local consignment shop and you may make a little extra money! 
                                           Next week I'll talk about what to do when you get there!