Heyyo! As y’all know, I spent this past year taking a long, hard look at my spending habits – especially clothes! Well, it’s officially been 12 months since I began my spending fast. So what’d I learn after 12 months of selective buying? Let’s find out!Read More →
Remember those resolutions you formed around January 1st? How’re you doing on them? I, for one, have failed hard at multiple of mine, and that’s what today’s post is all about. Today (September 22nd) marks 100 days until 2017! Crazy, right? This means you’ve still got 100 days to get yourself back on track with saving money, not spending money, eating better, and working out…or for me, all of the above. Here’s how it works: Consistency transforms behaviors into habits. Adopting good daily habits can only happen if you consistently engage in those habits every day. For the next 100 days, focus on engaging in oneRead More →
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 →
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 →
Stress can be a great motivator, but it can also be terrible for your health. I find there’s a very fine line for me between productive stress to get my finances under control, and hurtful stress that depresses my mood and health. Your health is very important, and during this stressful time in your life, we need to make sure we don’t neglect it. So this week’s post is a 7 day yoga mini-challenge. Boo-ya! #getexcitedRead More →
I spent money. I know, Jensen, I know. It wasn’t much but it was something I could have waited to buy and was not set forth in the law of my budget. But self-compassion and all that. I made a mistake, it happens. I had a moment of weakness and now I know I need to change my strategy. (And no, beating yourself up about things is not a good strategy.) New strategy: wait to buy. I got out of the habit of saving for purchases, and now it’s time to get back to it. If I see something I want (but don’t need) I willRead More →
***This post contains an affiliate link. <3 from the Dames*** Laundry, o laundry, I hate you. Clothes! Beautiful clothes! I love you. But you get dirty. Why hasn’t someone invented clothes that don’t have to be washed yet? How is this not a thing? Unluckily, we have no washer/dryer in the apartment 🙁 I’m ‘lucky’ enough to have a laundry room in the building, one of which always seems to be broken. There are three machines, for over 45 apartments…Somehow the math just doesn’t seem to add up. So, just to be clear, let me break that down for you: mountains of laundry > 3 machinesRead More →
I like to think that I’ve always been good at handling my money. I’ve been tracking my spending and using a budget since undergrad. I opened a Roth IRA while still in law school, and I’ve been trying to save whatever possible for an emergency fund. Despite doing all these things though, I never really made progress on any of my financial goals: I was spending more than I earned, my credit card debt increased, and I had approx. $25.44 in my emergency fund. This year, I set my goals for my financial life like I usually do, but then, I decided to do somethingRead More →
***This post contains an affiliate link. <3 from the Dames*** We Dames have been a little heavy lately, so today’s post topic is a little lighter and fun and introduces a new series we will be working on: budget beauty and house tips! Today we tackle the magic that is coconut oil. Let’s get started! From my Taking Stock series, Part One and Part Two, you know that I went through all of my possessions Marie Kondo style. When I hit the bathroom I was surprised at how many items I had in there. Now I’m not that into makeup or hair appliances or nailRead More →
Hello there friends! Is it just me or does it seem like all the s#!t just hits the fan at once? Since 2016 started it seems like everyone around me has gone through at least one major life transition and/or struggle. Life is hard sometimes for sure. But, today’s post isn’t about complaining about how hard things are. Today’s post is a reminder that you can and will get through whatever struggle you are presented with. Read More →