save money wedding planning

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

***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 →

holiday cheer

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In: Saving Money

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to spread holiday cheer, drink peppermint mochas, look at beautiful lights, & pretend you’re living in a Hallmark holiday movie. Or is it? If you’re like me, the holidays can be bittersweet. On the one hand, you want to spend all of your money to buy all the things for all the loved ones in your life. On the other hand, you’re poor, and not only that, but also you’re spending 1/3 of your budget on debt repayment each month. So how do wannabe-Cindy-Lou-Whos spread holiday cheer without breaking the bank? Read on to find out. The SinkingRead More →

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

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 →

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 →

slow cooking

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In: Money Challenges, Saving Money

As I mentioned in my 2017 financial goals post, I am planning to stay within budget for the whole year, which includes my notorious food budget. To help myself out on this fairly ambitious goal of mine, I’m going back to an old, money-saving favorite of mine: the slow cooker. As a mini-goal, I plan to make at least one slow cooking meal per week…for the whole year. -that’ll be 52 recipes for those of you playing at home. Before we get to the recipes, I wanted to share my machine of choice. In case anyone is in the market for a nice, decent, money-saving simpleton, thisRead 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 →

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 →

budget travel

How to Travel Comfortably on a Budget

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

  Hello fellow humans! I’m writing this today from 35,000 feet up as I speed over your heads around 500 miles per hour. Fun! Or is it? In general I’m of the camp that flying sucks. It’s freaking expensive, and everyone is crammed into a confined space for 5+ hours with 2 toilets and 18 crying babies on board. Eww, right? But there are a few things you can do to make air travel a little more budget friendly and definitely up your comfort level. Tickets and hotels are usually the most expensive part of the trip. To save some cash book tickets more thanRead More →