Photo by ruycesar on Flickr
I love buying clothes. Doesn’t it make you feel fantastic to be wearing something you truly love and feel amazing in? For me the answer is yes! Since becoming a work-at-home-mom, I haven’t really invested in clothes that make me feel awesome. Instead, I usually choose items that are more practical, this way when I get paint, glitter or glue all over them I don’t freak out. It’s not that I wear sweats or yoga pants all the time — I’m actually more of a jeans girl. Now that the boys are getting older and we are way past the spit up stage, I think it’s semi-safe for me to wear things that are comfortable but perhaps a bit more fashionable than what I have been wearing over the past 4 years. This means that I want to invest a little more money into my wardrobe but of course I don’t want to spend a fortune doing it either.
In the past (before kids of course) I would have headed to the mall and shopped my little heart out without considering what I was buying, how much I was spending or considering that I might be able to find the same item – or something similar - for less. But alas, those days are over. Actually, even if I wanted to be that frivolous, we can’t afford it — plus, I have learned so much about saving money since having the boys that even if money wasn’t an issue, I couldn’t do it without thinking about how silly I was being just throwing money away. So I have come up with some simple and painless ways to expand my wardrobe without busting our budget or adding credit card debt.
Shop Secondhand
I have learned a few things about shopping secondhand over the past few years. It’s easy and it can save you so much money!!! My secondhand stores of choice are consignment shops. I have taken the boys’ gently used clothing and toys to one of my favorite children’s consignment store in our area and have gotten some amazing deals! Depending on how much money I have earned from the sale of the boys’ previously worn items, I can get a bag full of “new” clothes for next to nothing. Even if I don’t have any credits I can still get great name brand clothing that looks new for an amazing price. There are women’s and men’s consignment shops too. At these stores you can purchase designer clothes for exceptional prices. Many times the items in these shops are not consigned because they aren’t stylish, often it’s because someone has either lost or gained weight — or they just like to clear their closets so they can buy more clothes. Go ahead, give secondhand shopping a try.
Visit Discount Stores
There are many stores such as Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, and others who benefit from overstocks or store clearance. I have purchased some beautiful items for amazing deals. These stores are also great for purchasing fashion accessories, shoes, handbags and even home decor at super low prices.
Surf the Web
You can get some great deals by shopping online. Amazon, Ebay, Esty, etc. are ideal for finding good deals on clothing and accessories. Even shopping from some of your favorite department stores online can save you money. Many stores offer better deals online than they do in store because they don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar store. Many stores offer free shipping if you pick the item up at a store near you. Be sure to check for coupon codes before you checkout; this will also help to save you money. Make sure you know the return/exchange policies before you buy. Most stores make returns and exchanges easy as long as you have the receipt. Shopping online also gives to the ability to quickly price check to find the best deals.
Shop Clearance
End of season clearance is the BEST time to buy new clothing. You can save 50%, 60% or even 80% when stores are clearing out thir inventory to make room for the new season’s fashion. I just picked up a Simply Vera (Vera Wang) purse for $25 it was regularly $125. I almost bought it when it was 1/2 off but decided not to since Christmas was just around the corner. Boy am I glad I waited. It certainly paid off! Often times you will still get a lot of wear out of an item before the season actually ends. It’s January and I’ve already seen bikinis and other summer fashions proudly displayed (at regular price) in stores. I bought a swimming suit last year for 75% off because it was September. I don’t have to worry about getting one now, I just have to worry about getting in shape so I’ll look good in it.
Make the Old New Again
Take inventory of what is already in your closet and find new and exciting ways to wear them. Mix different pieces, patterns and colors together. Just take some time out to play around with the clothes you already have. Put things together you may not have thought of before; you might be very surprised how how good certain things look together. You can also buy new (or new to you) clothing pieces like sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, etc. to jazz up these well-loved ensembles and make them feel fresh and updated.
Host a Clothing Swap
Get some of your favorite girls together and even some of their friends and host a clothing swap. These ladies can bring in things that they are tired of, don’t fit in or wonder “Now why did I buy this? This is so not my color.” Make a fun girl’s night event out of it. If you want to bring along kids clothes to swap to, that can be double the fun. Get creative and enjoy!!!
I hope I have been able to give you some great ideas. Do you have any other tips on how to save money on your clothing budget? I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for Reading and Happy Shopping!!!
Christie
Ok, so I know I have been blogging about embarking on the wonderful journey of explaining money and budgeting to my kids. Well, turns out, it isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. It Is so hard to teach kids about budgeting when they have a very, very simplistic view of money.
Before you roll your eyes and say ‘I told you so!’, let me just say that I haven’t given up on this project. In fact, I enlisted the help of my mommy friends (who also happen to be Psychology majors) to give me some tips and ideas about how to do this without breaking my brain. Here is what I have come up with: THE PIGGY BANK SAGA.
Ok, I know. You are probably saying ‘but the piggy bank is old news’. Well, there is a lot of value in things that have lasted decades, and this little object is one such thing.
Some background to the idea behind the pig:
Turns out, the piggy bank has been in existence for apparently 4000 years and way before money saving websites like LoveMoney.com! Way back when, when every object was made of clay, jars were created to store money. These were called “pygg jars”, ‘pygg’ here referring to the kind of clay used to make the jar. By the 18th century, this object began to take the shape of its animal namesake and was made from plastic, plaster, or glass. Another explanation states that, based on German folklore, a pig is a symbol of good fortune, therefore a vessel for money in the shape of a pig means more wealth or coming wealth. Whichever history you believe, today the piggy bank is defined by Wikipedia as:
Piggy bank (sometimes penny bank or money box) is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage receptacle; it is most often, but not exclusively, used by children.
Here is a picture of a piggy bank (c’mon, humor me here).
Ok, so here is the idea. Take the generic piggy bank and have one for saving, spending, and donating. First of course, you need to define the terms. I use the most simplistic explanations so I would say something like saving is when we keep the money so that we will have enough to buy ‘x’ item. Thankfully my son and daughter know the word ‘buy’ so I don’t need to explain that term anymore. Donating would be giving and spending is using the money to buy ‘x,y,z’ items. Or someting along those lines, you get my drift.
I am thinking, and my mommy-psych major friends agree with me, that this will teach the kids the following things without the trauma of deprivation.
- One, it will give them the idea that there are different actions connected to money.
- The general idea behind saving, spending, and donating.
- The value of patience.
- The value of waiting for something.
- The value of effort for something desired.
Doesn’t it sound like a marvelous idea? It is so great when you can teach so many lessons with one simple thing. It is really easy to start on this project. The materials you will be needing are very inexpensive. All you need are three piggy banks, or one that has segregations. If you want to use separate piggy banks, getting the ones with see-through body is best as it give a visual picture of the theory/lesson/activity. See the pictures below:
Since the concept here is teaching about money and budgeting, you don’t really HAVE TO stick to the traditional piggy bank (although there are a lot of really cute ones for boys and girls these days). You can opt for other money carrying objects:
It does not really matter what you use, as long as you get the point of the exercise across.
Now, you also don’t have to go out and buy any kind of money saving vessel. You can use any old jar, tin, or container. A lot of my friends save the pretty seasonal tins for tea and use those for odds and ends. That would be perfect for this project. Similarly, you can use any mayo jar or cheese spread jar, create a slot for the coins and bills, and you have your pot! A suggestion to get the kids excited is to have them decorate their piggy banks. I know the idea of arts and crafts really gets my kinds excited and quite dedicated.
So, I hope you see some merit in this simple money-saving lesson plan.
Have fun!
Vicki
Do you want to throw a rockin’ New Years Eve Party but don’t have a lot to spend? No worries! You don’t have to sit on the couch in your PJs and fuzzy slippers and count down to New Year with Ryan Seacrest — unless of course you want to! If you want to have people over are ready to celebrate, then I have some good news for you. I have searched the web to find some fabulous and frugal ideas that can help you throw a memorable New Years Eve Party!
Frugal Invitations
You can get much more frugal than free, am I right? I have found a few free invitation options that you can use to let your guests know that they are invited to the party of the year — or at least in for a fun night with friends.
(photo via Evite)
One of my favorite invitation websites in Evite. There several attractive choices for New Years Eve invitations and the best part is they are free! No need to buy invitations, pay postage or hunt down your guests for RSVPs. It can all be done on the Evite website. Easy peasy!!!
I also found several free printable cards at the Holiday Crafts and Creations website. These can be printed on fancy or festive paper for a fraction of the price it might cost to buy invites.
But here is my FAVORITE…
I wasn’t able to put the photo up – probably because of copyright restrictions – but you simply MUST trust me when I say these invitations are fabulous!!! Head on over to the Perpetual Party Planner Blog and check out the post on DIY New Year’s Eve Invites.
DIY New Years Eve Favors
You can put those empty wrapping paper tubes from Christmas to good use with this craft I found on Holiday Crafts and Creations.
Just click on the photo above to visit their site and see the simple step-by-step instructions. Use your imagination and creativity to really have fun with these poppers.
Need Confetti? Have left over wrapping paper from Christmas? PERFECT! Just stick the paper into your shredder for instant streamers or confetti (depending on the type of shredder you have). Or, if you want to keep the kids busy during their Christmas break, have them cut it all by hand. It up to you 
Frugal Food
You can always ask guest to bring their favorite finger food, dessert and/or their own drinks. If you have been couponing then you have probably built up quite a stockpile of goodies. If so, now is the time to tap into that treasure and put on a grand spread for your guests — all for a fraction of the price. Even if you don’t have a well stocked pantry you can still find a lot of great deals and use coupons to save money. Frugal and fabulous!!!
(via Allrecipes.com)
One of my very favorite recipe websites is Allrecipes.com. You are sure to find a lot of delicious recipes. They have all kinds of recipes for appetizers, dinners, desserts, and even drinks. Check it out and get creative!!!
Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have fun, be fabulous, stay safe and please do NOT drink and drive!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!
Thanks for Reading!
Christie
If you are anything like me then you would be something like a Schizophrenic when Christmas time comes around. What do I mean? Well, I love Christmas. I love the lights, décor, smells, songs, weather, fashion, everything. But I despise the weight gain that seems to be automatically attached to the season. So I spend quite a bit of time enjoying myself immensely and then bemoaning my waistline soon after. What makes it worse is that there are also tummy issues to deal with after!
Well, I want to get out of this rut. I want to enjoy everything I love about the season and not have to suffer during the first few weeks of the New Year. So here are some things I have started to do this month.
- I’ve gotten into the habit of drinking more water than I usually do. Since I am not a soda fan at all and I don’t really drink alcohol that much, my beverages are limited to water and juices already. I only drink freshly squeezed or made juices (no powder or concentrates) and lots of water. Water helps naturally flush out toxins, it helps with constipation, it keeps the skin young as well, and it helps you eat less.
- On the note of eating less, well, just eat less. Period. So I have started training to cut my portions in half. For example, if I see these special Christmas cookies that I love, instead of having four like I usually do, I take 2. I know, it’s still some calories and sugar but I said that I wanted to lessen the terrible after effects and still enjoy the season. Now is not the time to start a brand new diet. It just will not work given all the parties and the celebrations and, as mentioned before, all the seasonal dishes. But you can enjoy and do this in moderation as well.
- How do you do this? Moderation and Christmas are not words often seen in the same sentence. Well, it helps if you track your food. Not the overly detailed tracking with corresponding grams and calorie count that a lot of diet plans require. That would honestly be just too much work for me for the season. But taking down just what you ate for your basic meals so you can look back and see if you are eating too much already is good enough. I have started to do this and I must say it is working.
- And then there is the food you choose to eat. I gravitate towards more fibrous dishes for many reasons. One, these really help my digestion. Two, I love crunch and color and texture. Three, I am not a sweets fan at all so the occasional cookie doesn’t send me into depression. Choosing more fiber-rich food will help anyone in the long run. And there are a lot of delicious Christmas dishes that are high in fiber so thinking that you will have nothing to eat or serve is a myth. Just do the research.
- Relax! Stress is major party pooper. I can recall so many parties I hosted, not only Christmas parties, where I ended with a headache and not really remembering enjoying myself much. In fact, I stopped hosting parties for a couple of years because of this. I am not hosting anything this year and I am not saying become a hermit or stop party planning. Just organize, do manageable meals, do things ahead of time, and remember that it is a party so smile, laugh, and have fun.
How do you plan to manage your festivities this year?
Cheers,
VICKI
I titled my post Christmas bliss because one of the definitions of bliss is – great joy! That is what we all should feel on Christmas. For those of us who honor the true meaning of Christmas, we are celebrating God’s greatest gift to us — the birth of his son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Because of this, there is so much to celebrate and be thankful for on Christmas Day.
Unfortunately, for many people it can also be a really stressful time and why wouldn’t it be? We are bombarded with commercials of people giving cars with big red bows on them, a zillion different toy commercials that have our children repeating over and over, I want I want I want and if he didn’t go to Jared well, then maybe he’s just not that into you. Others of us measure our Christmas success by how many different kinds of Christmas cookies, candies or other goodies we can mass produce in a month. What it boils down to, is many of us simply try to do too much and want everything to be as perfect as possible. Then, when we fall short — well, we feel like we have failed.
Please believe me when I say that there have been many Christmases where I mailed presents late, got caught up in the stress or wished I had just done more — but you know what? Christmas still came and I still felt great joy when the day finally arrived.
One of my favorite Christmas stories – How the Grinch Stole Christmas – illustrates this point beautifully. It has such a great message and one of my very favorite parts of the story is when the Grinch is listening for the Who’s to be sobbing and sad because all of their Chirstmas decorations and presents have been stolen by him but when they wake up they aren’t sad. They feel great joy and instead of crying, the Grinch hears singing and you know what…
“Christmas came just the same…It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.” Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas he thought doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas …perhaps…means a little bit more.” ~ How the Grinch Stole Christmas • by Dr. Seuss
So how can we enjoy all that this blessed season has to offer and still keep things in perspective. I touched on this a bit in the post I wrote last year The Magic and Meaning of Christmas and I’ll provide a few simple tips on how you can feel the true joy of Christmas through and through.
1. Scale it Down a Bit – Don’t overdue by trying to be perfect. Don’t overspend, don’t over plan just don’t over extend yourself to the point where you and your family are stressed and miserable. See those gingerbread cookies pictured above. I made them. They aren’t perfect (gingerbread heads were rolling) and even though I had wanted to make about 3 different kinds of cookies, I got so stressed out making those that I decided not too. This year St. Nick is going to have to be happy with the cut and bake cookies from the store. Whew! What a weight off my shoulders.
2. Give Generously–This can be of your time, talent, heart and/or your treasure. Whenever you give, give with love and not out of a sense of obligation. I just read a wonderful story about an anonymous person who paid off a bunch of layaways for some people at Kmart. It honestly brought a tear to my eye. While the season can sometimes bring out the worst in people, it also certainly brings out the BEST in people too. You don’t have to spend money to be generous, you can volunteer to help with a toy drive, ring the bell for the Salvation Army, work in a soup kitchen or winter shelter, there are so many things you can do and it will really help you to feel the true spirit of the season.
3. Simplify Gift Giving — If you have a big family you can draw names or choose just to buy for kids. There are lots of fantastic DIY Christmas present ideas and photo gifts are fun, special and usually economical.
4. Stay Home– Traveling to see family is something that many people do but sometimes it just can’t happen. Traveling (especially with children) is stressful on a normal day but during the holidays you multiply that by about a thousand! I’m not just talking about traveling out of state either. I know many families have several places they need to be. Consider hosting your own celebration, trading off every other year or visiting one family on Christmas Eve and one Christmas Day. If you have a lot of invites it is a huge blessing to know so many people love you and want to spend the holidays with you, but it can be tough too.
5. Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas — If you are feeling stressed or getting caught up in the holiday craziness instead of appreciating all the beauty, wonder and magic think back to that first Christmas. When a young mother gave birth to her sweet baby boy in a barn. She and her husband didn’t have much but they wrapped him in some blankets and laid him on soft clean hay in a manger. Simple yet miraculous.
John 1:14 — The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!!
Christie
What is it about Christmas that just brings out such glee in kids? Is it the wonderful, beautiful lights that festoon every lamppost or anything upright for that matter? Is it the entry of seasonal, very delicious meals? For kids, Christmas time is Santa time! The moment my tree comes out of hiding at home, my kids automatically do their own short versions of Balki Bartokomous’s ‘Dance of Joy’ (age hint here). It is such a funny thing to see and truly the excitement from them is fantastic. Then the pressure sets in and I start to feel all the responsibility attached with Santa Claus and making sure they have a memorable Christmas.
This year, I started to think about this tradition. What is it really? Where did it come from? And how do I divert the seemingly mindless consumerism of the idea of Santa Claus to what Christmas should truly mean? I did some reaserch first (naturally) and this is what I found.
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and simply “Santa”, is a figure with legendary, historical and folkloric aspects who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24.[1] The modern figure was derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, which, in turn, may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver Saint Nicholas…Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots (images of him rarely have a beard with no moustache)… According to a tradition which can be traced to the 1820s, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, with a large number of magical elves, and nine (originally eight) flying reindeer. Since the 20th century, in an idea popularized by the 1934 song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, Santa Claus has been believed to make a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior (“naughty” or “nice”) and to deliver presents, including toys, and candy to all of the good boys and girls in the world, and sometimes coal to the naughty children, on the single night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of the elves who make the toys in the workshop and the reindeer who pull his sleigh. (Wikipedia)
Basically, it appears that the current tradition of Santa Claus and gift-giving is in fact a mix of ancient Greek folklore, Germanic Paganism, and Dutch folklore. The figure of Santa Claus can be derived from a combination of the Greek Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Christian saint known for giving generously to the poor, who is also the basis of the Dutch Sinterklaas, and the Germanic god Odin who was known to ride his eight-legged horse Sleipnir over great distances and giving gifts to children who would leave carrots and star and treats for his horse to nibble on as he passed their chimneys. Sinterklass is a stately old man who gives gifts to well-behaved children, and Odin is known as an old man with a long white beard. Over the centuries, all these figures appear to have merged together to become the Santa Claus of today. Of course, thanks to Coca Cola, we have the ubiquitous jolly, round, old man with a long white beard, in a bright red suit.
All in all, the main theme of what are the supposed origins of the current tradition is giving and this is what I want to focus on this year. I am trying to teach my kids that this is the season for giving- giving to the people you love as an expression of love, to your friends as an expression of friendship, and not so much in expectation of something in return. I have started asking them what they want to give their friends and cousins and aunts and have tried to tell them that it does not matter what they get if they get gifts and that the important thing is that they are able to show friends and family their love and friendship. Now, I don’t want them to be too materialistic so I tell them that they don’t need to buy anything expensive to show how they feel and that they can make their gifts too. Of course, I don’t want to be a complete Scrooge and take away the joy of wishing for favorite toys so I have also asked them to make their list to Santa but I have told them that he won’t be able to give everything on the list because he has to give other children gifts too and that it is still great if he gives them one or two from their list, to which they expressed satisfaction.
What do you guys think? Too Scrooge-y or over-thought?
What are some of your thoughts about the meaning of Christmas, beyond the lights and the commerciality of it all?
Cheers,
