spending fast

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In: Money Challenges, Saving Money

It’s been six months since I started my spending fast journey. Honestly, it’s become pretty routine now. Not that I ever struggled to not shop, but I’ve realized how little I actually need. I’ve also realized my food budget (& not packing my lunch) is a far more pressing problem. Oh well, I’m a work in progress. Regardless, I’ve learned a lot in my six months of fasting. Here are six lessons for six months: Impulsive shopping is the worst kind of shopping. I haven’t broken my spending fast, and I’m pretty proud of that (though I did ask my boyfriend to buy me aRead More →

frugal socialite

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

I’ve gone six months without buying a single non-essential item (part of my $pending Fast), and I’m not going to lie, sometimes it’s tough. But over these last few months, I’ve realized why. Not spending makes me feel like I’m not participating. I miss hanging out with my friends at happy hours and dinners. I miss going to the movies or to the mall without worrying about my bank account. And sure – while you can always go on a walk with your friend – going to a rockin’ spin class or sauna just feels more fun. These *frugal* days you’ll find me less likely to suggestRead More →

asking

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In: Personal Finance 101

We talk a lot on Dames in Debt about ways to save money or smart spending, but let’s not also forget another very important piece of the no-debt puzzle: increasing your income. You can scrimp and save all you want, but at some point, you just can’t save any more. It’s unfortunate in this day and age that many of us technically considered “middle class” full-time employees can’t earn enough to live off of our 40 hour a week earnings. The answer? You need to make more money. Today’s post is about the quickest, easiest way to increase your earnings: asking your boss for aRead More →

wedding budget

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

  Well, it’s officially wedding season. And while I happen to love weddings (much to my boyfriend’s dismay), I’ve got to admit – they can be pricey…and not just for the happy couple or wedding party. The average guest plans to spend $673 to attend a wedding this year according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, and that’s not even including a destination weddings. Being a budget wedding guest gets a little trickier when the expectation is to spend almost $700. Weddings are expensive for a lot of reasons. They tend to take up whole weekends of your life (especially if you’re traveling), whichRead More →