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If you’ve seen our Insta, then you know ECD got engaged in December 2018. So what better way to celebrate her marriage and our love of personal finance then with a nitty-gritty, detail-oriented series featuring all things nuptial? The Official Wedding Series will be an 8-part series featuring all things wedding planning, like: Paying for the wedding Planning the wedding Wedding dress shopping Getting fit & pretty for the wedding Handling planning/in-law stress Planning the pre-wedding parties All things honeymoon Review of what went well & what didn’t Look out for Part 1, featuring the most fun of topics – wedding budgets – to launchRead More →

dog ownership

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It’s almost been a year since my little pup came into my life, and while it’s been one of the best years ever, it hasn’t necessarily been cheap. If you’ve ever been curious exactly how much it costs to buy and take care of a dog, then keep on reading! Initial Costs Due to severe allergies, some size/breed restrictions due to living in a 3rd-floor apartment, and some ridiculous requirements from rescues, the boyfriend and I decided to purchase a pure-bred miniature schnauzer from a local breeder. After thoroughly researching our breeder (and her doing the same to us), we filled out an application, putRead More →

save money wedding planning

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***This is a guest post. <3 from the Dames*** If someone handed you 30 grand right now, what would you do with it? Pay off some debt? Spend a little and save the rest? Surely you wouldn’t blow it all on one thing…unless you are planning for a wedding. According to The Knot, the national average cost of a wedding in 2017 was $33,391. Think of all the things you could do with that much money! If you’re planning a wedding, don’t let this number scare you. You can have the magical day you’ve always dreamed of without going broke. Here are five ways to planRead More →

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We’ve talked about spending fasts on the blog before, but I want to talk today about another method of spending less – having less! Specifically clothes. Today’s post is all about my experiment with using a capsule wardrobe. I have done a few purges since reading Marie Kondo’s the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (this is a great book by the way – see my review HERE), but I still found myself staring at my closet in the morning confused about what to wear. Then, I would pick something only to not feel great in it. And then I would end up buying things that IRead More →

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Because I’m a hostess at heart, and the boy and I now live together, I thought it only appropriate that we host a Friendsgiving this year. For the newbies out there, there’s no difference between Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving – except that Friendsgiving is for the family you pick (aww). The added bonus is that it lets you get your hosting desires out of the way if, like me, you’re from a family where the matriarchs refuse to pass the torch. Regardless of those hosting desires, you can’t let your need to be sociable get in the way of your financial goals. But, with a littleRead More →

staying on track

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***This is a Guest Post. <3 from the Dames*** Now that school is back in session, it’s time to put together a plan to make those college years the most successful they can be. Today’s guest post is just for our new and returning undergraduates as they work their way through a minefield of debt, expectations, studying, and maybe partying. Starting and staying on track is the key to success. Enjoy! There are several major changes in our lives and becoming a college student is definitely one of the biggest. We leave our parents’ houses, start managing our own time and money, all while adjusting to aRead More →

treat yo self

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

Hi friends, Ever feel like you’re just slowly walking towards your goals? It can be tough watching all of your money pay down debt day after day – especially if you have all your payments automated like us…and it’s going to take you 1.5 years to reach your goal. In order to keep ourselves motivated we’ve been investing in frugal rewards to keep us excited as we reach each milestone. It’s the same idea nutritionists often suggest for maintaining a healthy diet: everything in moderation. Anyways, here are some cheap(er) ideas to keep the gazelle-like intensity: Get that Starbucks grande iced coconut milk mocha macchiatoRead More →

moving

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

In the midst of everything else happening this year, my boyfriend and I recently moved in together. That’s right, we combined two households, including furniture, and guess what? We did the whole move in 2 days – day 1 for physically moving everything into our apartment & day 2 for unpacking/organizing everything. If moving brings up horrible memories of changing dorms or college apartments every year, well don’t fret, it doesn’t get any easier once you own actual furniture and/or live in a city where there’s no where to park a moving van. Moving is basically a frazzling, stressful and chaotic experience, and with so manyRead More →

whole 30

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In: Budget Beauty & Living, Saving Money

Oh hey there friends. As many of you know, I’ve been struggling with eating better (and within budget) since starting this debt payoff journey. The need to stick to my food budget got a little harder last weekend, when I decided to take the Whole 30 challenge. Essentially, you’re supposed to eat almost entirely organic, whole, foods…while eliminating a lot of cheap fillers like beans and quinoa. For more information and/or to be inspired to take your own Whole 30 Challenge, read It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways. I’m doing Whole 30 mostly because of some physicalRead More →

We Tried It

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Us Dames work hard for our money, as I’m sure you do too. So when we come across an opportunity to bring in a little extra cash, we figure why not give it a try? Today’s money making opportunity? Sweepstakes. I first thought about giving sweepstakes a try when I saw one of those TV specials on TLC called Sweepers or some such. It was pretty much a neighbor of the extreme couponers show. In it they followed three people who made their livings by winning sweepstakes. They each had their own strategies but basically spent about 6-9ish hours a day sweeping. Then they wouldRead More →