Beauty and the Budget

DIY Part 1: T-shirt scarves

2012-09-19T11:52:00.004-06:00

So over the course of the next 3 posts, I'm going to give a little tutorial on T-shirt scarves . It's fun and quite possibly the cheapest way to accessorize. I originally found the inspiration and instructions on Pinterest here. I was amazed at how simple they are to make.

My dad had some T-shirts that he was getting rid of. I was happy to take them off his hands since they were perfect for this project. But if you don't have any old T-shirts on hand, goodwill is a great place to pick some up in a variety of colors.

Now, the key to this project is to make sure you've got a good sized T-shirt (Size Large and up is good.) and you're using a pretty good pair of scissors.. They'll make better cuts and therefore a better, smoother finished product.

To start,

1. you lay a T-shirt flat.

2. Cut the bottom seam off. And also cut the shirt off just below the armpits. So now you have just a square/rectangle of a T-shirt. (Sorry I don't have a picture.)

3. Keep cutting the shirt across (the same way you cut the seam and arms off) trying to ensure the strips cut are roughly the same size (you can measure if you want to get precise.) Don't worry the strips will look smoother and more finished in the end.

4. When you've finished cutting, you should have a bunch of pieces that look like big loops or circles. Simply gather them together (as if you were going to put them over your head) and begin to pull them gently, causing them to stretch.

I wanted mine to wrap around my neck twice so I stretched mine quite a bit. Let me know how yours turned out!

DIY: Scarves

2012-09-17T08:42:00.002-06:00

So this is my first installment of DIY projects (finally.) This is almost like a "Money Saving Move" and "Steal of the Week" combined. I love to crochet and moreso, I love to crochet hats, scarves and the like. So, consequently I have A LOT of scarves. I recently came across a pattern for a neck warmer.

However, as I went along, I added a few variations of my own. When it was finished, I realized I had something of a 3-in-1 scarf.

Cowl:

Hooded Scarf:

Neck Warmer:

The pattern I used for this is as follows:

Yarn: Red Heart (I forget the shade of blue) This pattern would work best with a bulky or chunky yarn. But, If working with worsted weight yarn (as I did above,) hold 2 strands together.
Hook: 6.5mm

Row 1: Ch. 60 (or as many as you need to comfortably wrap around your neck twice.)

Join round with a sl st. Use a marker if need be to mark the start of your row.

Row 2-3: DC in each st across.

Row 4-5: Treble Crochet in each stitch arcoss

Row 6-7: DC in each stitch across

Row 8: SC in each stitch across. Finish and weave in ends.

This is a fairly simple pattern and great for beginners. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy scarf-ing.

Your Weekly Money Saving Move: Craig's List, Freecycle and Garage Sales

2012-09-16T14:49:00.000-06:00

I have found that the free section of Craigs List is a great place to find some old things you can up cycle or use for another craft/project. Another good website is freecycle.org. You have to sign up for freecycle.org (it's free) but you can fund great stuff in your very own community.

I recently looked on Craig's list and found some wicker chairs and matching glass table for free. If I had the space to store it for the next house, I would've picked it up, spruced it up with some white spray paint and new cushions and vóila! Some new front patio furniture for practically nothing!

Garage sales are another good place to pick up some things you're looking for for cheap. The key to a garage sale is go early, know exactly what you're looking for and if they don't have it, move to the next garage sale.

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week

2012-09-14T14:11:00.004-06:00

Girl's Tiered Ruffle Tank From Gap

Top: Gap $2.50 (originally $14.95)

Total Savings $12.45

I. Love. Gap. Sales. I got this today, so if you like this tank, you might be able to snag it if you get out to your local Gap in the next few days.

P.S.... the online price $9.99. So you'll probably have to actually go to a store to find it for this low price.

Money Saving Move: Accessories.. Continued

2012-09-13T11:58:00.002-06:00

Ok so do you guys remember the original MSM post a few weeks ago about...

New Accessories, Not New Outfits?

I promised some pictures to go with the post. Since I don't want to have a bunch of stuff related to the same post scattered all over the blog, I'm re-posting this one. So I apologize for those of you who already read this post. So here you go.... again.... except with pictures this time. :)

We all know that accessories really add "oomph" to an outfit. My latest strategy has been to invest in a few new accessories instead of completely new outfits. And it's amazing how effective that has been.

Shoes, belts, handbags and scarves are among some of the most inter-changable accessories. You can switch up just a few of these and come up with a very different look. Clothes I have not worn in a long time are slowly creeping their way back out of my closet as a result of a few extra accessories.

Scarf: Plato's Closet $4
Belt: Rue 21 $1.25
Dress: NY&C: $15.00

My recommendation for accessories is buy (most of them) second-hand! I say "most" because there are a few things I would not buy second-hand, like hats. These items are usually in good condition and are much more reasonably priced. Let's face it! Nobody wants to pay $20 for a lightweight summer scarf. That being said, some of my favortite stores for accessories are Plato's Closet and My Best Friend's Closet (A local Aurora, CO store.) At Plato's Closet, you can find scarves for $4-$ , belts for between $6-$8, and handbags and shoes from $8 on up.

Scarf: Plato's Closet $4
Belt: Rue 21 $1.25
Top: (It's actually a dress) NY&C: $15.00

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week: Flats

2012-09-07T14:54:00.002-06:00

So I had something to return to JC Penney the other day. As a general rule of mine, I always browse the clearance section of a store "just to see." I came across these 2 pairs of shoes for J.

Shoes: JC Penney $8.00 each (originally $20.00)
similar here

Total Savings: $24.00

I had actually seen these a couple months ago on sale for $14. I decided against getting them at the time because she didn't need them. But as soon as I saw they were down to $8, I quickly snagged them. So for 2 pairs, I spent just $2 more than what I would've spent for 1 pair when I initally saw them. Patience truly was a virtue in this instance.

Your Weekly Money Saving Move: Viggle

2012-09-05T12:21:00.001-06:00

So do you remember a few posts back when I talked about how I got these lovely little shoes for free?

Well my answer is called Viggle. It is a free app for the iPhone (not sure if it works on smart phones.) And basically how it works is you get points for watching TV which you can then redeem for gift cards to various restaurants, retail stores and more. Yes, it's that easy!

I saved up my Viggle points and redeemed them for $30 in gift cards to Old Navy to do some back to school shopping. I've also redeemed gift cards to Starbucks, JC Penney and Lowes. So if you have the iPhone, get the Viggle app and start saving!

Inspiration Photo Series: Simply Fresh

2012-08-29T12:03:00.001-06:00

Easy Ways to Spruce up Your Bathroom

Inspiration photo 1

When we were selling our last house, I had to find a very inexpensive way to "Stage" our bathroom. Ikea was my go-to place for this. These towels (below) will actually go in our guest bathroom in our next house as well.... and this time I'll be sure to iron them ;)

Beauty and the Budget Version

White Bath Towels: Ikea $3.99 each. Get it Here
Mauve Hand Towels: Ikea $2.99 each. Get it Here
Frame: Ikea $1.99. Get it Here
Print: Ikea $3.00. Get it Here
Black Ribbon: Michaels (already had)

Total: $19.00

Tip: you can make this less expensive by buying just one set (see photo below.) Or if you have some coordinating towels on hand, all you need is some ribbon.

Inspiration Photo 2

Coming Soon!

2012-08-27T16:48:00.002-06:00

Hello to all my beautiful readers. If you're not a regular follower of the blog, make sure you check back in sometime during the next few weeks because I have some good things lined up!

Soon, I will be featuring a series of (Inexpenisve) DIY projects ranging from fashion to home decor to crafts. I am also trying to get some guest posts lined up that are along the same lines, but are of things that I haven't already featured.

I'm also going to start working on a segment that focuses on "Inspiration photos" for home decor. Much like a fashion "inspiration photo," it'll be a picture from a magazine or webiste, followed by a picture of what I managed to find that was close but for WAY less money.

So that's just a head's up on what's to come! Stay tuned! And don't forget to Follow, Refer and Win!

Your Weekly Money Saving Move : DIY

2012-08-26T13:44:00.003-06:00

This may be one of those "Duh" statements. Most of us already know that doing things ourselves tend to save us money. But I'm going to reiterate it anyway.

I have found that I have saved myself quite a lot of money by doing things myself, especially when it comes to home decor.

So again, I apologize for another short (but still sweet) post, on money saving.

By Request: DIY Candle Recipe

2012-08-24T14:17:00.000-06:00

So I recently got a question asking if I had any candle recipes. And, while I did not, I was more than eager to do some research and find one and also provide examples of how to do it from scratch inexpensively or how you can take the "FREE-WAY" and do it using things you probably already have in your house.

MOLD

you first want to start with a mold. From my understanding, you can use a variety of different candle molds from glass to plastic (you have to be careful with temperature,) metal and latex.

Metal Mold $7.99-$9.99 from Hobby Lobby

Latex Mold $4.99 and up from Hobby Lobby

Glass Mason Jar $2.99 and up from most grocery and super stores (Wal-mart, Target, etc.)

TAKE THE FREE-WAY
1.) Now some of these you may actually already have in your kitchen or around your house. That would bring the cost of a mold down to FREE (my favorite word.)

WAX

Next you have to choose a wax. You can use a variety of waxes from Bee's wax (kind of expensive) to parafin to gel (highly flammable) to wax crystals (found at hobby stores.)
For this segment, we'll use wax crystals since this appears to be least expensive

Wax Crystals $3.29 at Hobby Lobby (and they have a variety of colors)

These packages generally have heating instructions that you follow on them.

TAKE THE FREE-WAY
1.)Use old burned down candles from around the house

2.) Use old broken crayons (those of us with kids are never in short supply of these)

These can be melted down in a microwave, crock pot or pot. I recommend some kind of liner (maybe foil) for easy clean up.

SCENTS

You can buy products that are designed to scent your candle like scent blocks. I was not able to find any online to do comparison pricing.There is a company called Scentchips. They make little chunks of scented wax that is meant to be melted in electric warmers.

However, they are quite fragrant and could probably be added to wax to scent it. You can even create your own scents! They have a few retail stores around the country. If there is not one near you, you can always order online here.

For those of you in Colorado, there are two stores, one in Estes Park and the other in Colorado City.

TAKE THE FREE-WAY

1.) You can use aromatherapy or essential oils to scent your DIY candle. I've read that these oils aren't really designed for the intense heat so I would not add very much of it and would recommend doing this at the very end of the melting stage, right before you pour it into your mold.

WICKS

You can buy wicks

$2.79 from Hobby Lobby

TAKE THE FREE-WAY

1.) Use Twine. Attach it to popsicle stick or fork and lay across the top of your mold until wax sets.

So you can make an unscented candle for as little as $10.. OR you could make one from things around the house for as little as FREE!

If anyone has done this and has some tips and pointers to make it easier, better or less messy, we'd love to hear them!

Easy Breezy

2012-08-22T10:45:00.003-06:00

Simple Nautical Themed Decor

Ok, So I can't take credit for this being one of my creations. But, I do believe something like this could be done for relatively cheap so I decided to feature it. I have a nautical theme for one of my bathrooms and plan to add something like this when we get into our new house. Below, I have researched the products you would need for this project along with prices to demonstrate just how inexpensive this could be. You could do it for as little as $10-$11.

Tip: If you want to make it even less expensive (and more green,) you can try thrifting vases and decorative plates at places like Goodwill, or any other kind of home goods consignment store. For more on thrifting craft supplies see here.

You can find the original instructions at http://todayscreativeblog.net/nautical/

Seashells $2.99 from Hobby Lobby

Charger Plate $2.99 from Michaels.

$2.99 - $3.99 from Walmart or Hobby Lobby

$2.50 from Hobby Lobby

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week

2012-08-17T13:50:00.001-06:00

So I am actually featuring TWO steals this week because they were both too good not to be featured.

PEDIPEDS KIDS' SHOES

I went the the Pedipeds website and did a little research on these these particular shoes.

Retail: $49.00

About Isabella Chocolate Brown FlexIsabella is buttery soft with a bow! You’ll find lots of ways to show off your little lady in this popular favorite.

All natural leather upper and lining
All natural rubber sole
Mary Jane style with strap for easy on and off
Features the Flex Fit System™, which extends the length of wear
Approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association for promoting healthy foot development

I picked up the same pair From Little Tykes Trading Post for $12.00. I had store credit from items I consigned so I actually did not shell out a dime for them.

These were priced at $24.99 at Little Tykes. They had recently marked these down to $14.99 with an additonal 20% off today. ( By the way, even though these were from a consignment store, these are actually brand new)

I love Little Tykes Trading Post. For those of you in Parker/Aurora, CO area, this is a great store for kids clothes, toys and baby gear. I consign my youngest daughter's clothes and baby gear there and I get 40% of the selling price. This can be used as store credit or you can cash it out for a little extra pocket money

The next one is some belts I picked up.

Rue 21: All three for $3.99

Yes! I got all 3 of these belts for $3.99. I really only wanted the black one but they came in a 3-pack so the yellow and pink one made the trip home with me as well. These were on the clearance rack and the store was having a 50% off their clearance so these ended up being a great deal.

Some ways I found to wear them: ( I apologize in advance for the horrific quality of these pictures)

I even found a use for the pink one!

Your Weekly Money Saving Move: Receipt Surveys

2012-08-13T12:21:00.004-06:00

Yes, I know... when the cashier starts to rattle off "and when you go online in the next 7 days and fill out this survey....," I, too would tune it out. But come to find out, some of those surveys are pretty worthwhile. I now check the bottom of all my receipts to see if there is a survey on it. Examples of this include:

Jamba Juice

Fill out the survey and get a free 16oz. beverage on your next visit

Buffalo Wild Wings

Fill out the survey and get 6 traditional wings free on your next visit

JC Penney, Old Navy, Children's Place, Victoria's Secret and other retailers

Fill out the survey and get a % or dollar amout off your next purchase

Grocery Store Starbucks

Sometimes you get a receipt to fill out a survey and then get a free tall beverage

Now the retail ones don't always have what I deem to be a "worthwhile" reward. Meaning, it's not something I am realistically going to use. The Victoria's Secret one is typically get $10 off your next purchase of $50 or more. Now while I love Victoria's Secret, I rarely every spend $50 there at one time. However, the Children's Place survey is usually 20% off a $30 purchase. This is an amount I would realistically spend there.

The restaraunt surveys are the ones I find to be the most beneficial. I fill out these surveys and use the "rewards" frequently. I highly recommend if nothing else, you at least fill out restaraunt survey.

Regardless, your interests, lifestyle and budget; receipt surveys are a perk everyone can enjoy.

Anybody else come across a survey that had a reward that you found worthwile?

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week

2012-08-09T13:43:00.002-06:00

Top: The Childrens Place $6.00 (Originally $16.95)
Cobalt Blue Skinnies: The Childrens Place $12.00 (Outlets)
Shoes: Old Navy $ 5.97 (Originally $19.95)

Outfit Total: $23.97

Savings: $24.93

This is a back to school outfit I got for Jordyn this past week. Childrens Place is one of my favorite go to stores to get really good deals on kids clothes. I actually didn't pay a dime for those shoes (my tip on that will be featured in an up-coming Money Saving Move post.) But they were a great deal none the less since they were on clearance and I had a 25% off Coupon.

Inspiration Photo

Beauty and the Budget Version

I love this color combination and am actually going to start keeping a lookout for something similar for myself. Until then, Jordyn will just have to be my personal barbie doll.

Your Weekly Money Saving Move: Crafting with Goodwill

2012-08-06T09:33:00.000-06:00

I will be featuring a weekly "Money Saving Move" here on the blog. It can range anywhere from fashion, crafts, and groceries to gardening and home decor.

This weeks Money Saving Move is craft and home decor centered.

THRIFTY AND NIFTY

Ok so it's a corny catch phrase..... But it's true!! I needed some cheap T-shirts for another project and decided to swing by my local Goodwill. I was pretty amazed at all the home goods they had and on the cheap! I am a big fan of up-cycling. If I don't have the materials needed for a DIY or up-cycle project, I head to Goodwill. I have found a variety of vases (which I always have a use for.) as well as pictures and frames and an assortment of other things; all of which make great up-cycled items.

Take this picture frame for example:

This frame I found at Goodwill For $3.99. I simply, took the picture out and spray painted the frame and gave it a whole new purpose!

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week

2012-07-10T11:05:00.001-06:00

Top: New York and Company $5.97 (normally $24.95)

Skirt: New York and Company $9.99 (normally $49.95)

Belt: New York and Company $5.99 (normally $19.95)

Sunglasses: New York and Company $7.00 (normally $14.95)

Necklace: New York and Company $ 2.99 (normally $24.95)

Shoes: (A couple years old from Dillards)

Outfit Total: $31.94

Total Savings: $102.81

This outfit was a GREAT deal. I love saving more than I spend.

Great outfit for Fall

All of these Items were on sale or clearance.

Top: Kohl's $8.00
Sweater: JC Penney $11.00
Belt: New York and Company $5.99
Jeans: JC Penney $15.00
Wedge Shoes: Old Navy: $7.00

Outfit Total: $47.00

Not too bad for an ENTIRE outfit! And this outfit would transition to evening attire simply by removing the sweater, unrolling the jeans, adding some black or nude pumps and a necklace.

This is also a good example of how you can get good deals at many different stores. Because let's be honest, while stores like, Forever 21, and Love Culture, etc do have clothes at great prices, not all of us can fit into everything they have.

Necklaces: $2.99 each from New York and Company.
(Normally $24.95)

Savings: $19.96 each

I recenltly stopped in New York and Company on one of my "let's just see if they have anything good on sale" kicks. I found these two necklaces. Between the two of them I saved almost $40 bucks! I will be posting more of my great finds soon.

Seeing Stripes

2012-05-14T16:41:00.001-06:00

Finally a fashion post!!

I love these little flats. They compliment so many outfits. They were only $10.00 (on clearance) at Old Navy! I have found some great deals at Old Navy in their clearance sections.

Dish it Up

2012-05-10T13:48:00.002-06:00

Bronze Dish: $1.99. Candle: 4 pack for $2.99. Potpurri: .99 cents. Rectangle vases: $1.99 each. Bamboo Shoots: .59 cents each. All are from Ikea.
Mini River rcoks: $2.99 from Michaels.

Total: Less than $11.00

The Dish was actually on clearance and I just spray painted it Bronze to match our room. But this was quick and relatively cheap decor to put together.

Total: $4.00

The serving dish is the same kind as from above; just spray painted black. Candle and porpurri are the same kind from the picture above just in a different color. This matched my youngest daughter's room very well.

Princess Meets Safari... continued

2012-05-10T13:32:00.003-06:00

Zebra Print Pictures
Total: $2.00

Found these picture frames in the "As Is" section at Ikea. I could find abdolutely nothing wrong with them. I snagged these for .99 cents a piece. The actual zebra print part is material. Many kids comorter sets are coming with a little "baggie" of the same print as the set. I guess you're supposed to put your sheets or pillow cases in it?
Anyway, I decided since I wasn't using it, it would make some great pictures. My mom actually did the work but it's not bad for some empty frames and scrap material.

Mirror: Ikea $3.99. Vase: Goodwill $2.99. Zebra Print picture: Ikea .99 cents.

Total: $8.00

Found the mirror in the "As Is" section at Ikea (it was normally $9.99.) The flower I already had made from a previous project (see: Princess meets Safari post)

Rectangle Dish $4.99 from Ikea. Candles: Set of 3 for $4.99 from Ikea. Potpurri: .99 cents from Ikea.

Total: $11.00

Ok, So not one of the cheaper ones. But still makes a great addition to Jordyn's room.

GUEST BLOG: making your own household cleaners

2012-04-25T08:24:00.002-06:00

Anyone who has been to the grocery store has found that one of the more expensive buys is household cleaners. They are tough on your wallet and full of harsh chemicals that are tough on your home. However, natural and cheap alternatives exist! If you think that some store bought cleaners are better for certain jobs, well think again. There is a natural ingredient for just about every use and they will save you money. Here are just a few:

Tea Tree Oil- it is antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal.

Lemon Juice- it can be used in place of bleach and disinfectant

White Vinegar- works great for soap scum and basic cleaning.

For this blog I am going to be focusing on white vinegar. I bought a generic 2 quart jug of white distilled vinegar a year ago and have learned about its many and varied uses. I use it on my counter tops, pots and pans, and windows. For those who think that the odor alone would cause you to keel over, I can say that the smell starts to fade as soon as it is rubbed into the surface. I have walked into my kitchen after cleaning it and have not noticed the smell unless I put my nose to the counter (but there is usually no reason to do that).

So here is a few uses for the wonderful white vinegar:

* You can get rid of under arm stains on shirts by soaking the area in white vinegar until saturated then wash as usual.

* Make cut flowers last longer by adding 2 tbl of vinegar and 2 tbl of sugar to 4 cups of water.

* Rub stainless steel pots with white vinegar to remove spots. I used vinegar with a wire scrub brush

All Purpose Wash
3 tbl white distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp liquid soap
2 1/2 cups water

I use this cleaner for my kitchen and windows. It works great.

by: Kristen Childs

Money Saving Move of the Week: Coupons

2012-04-19T22:03:00.001-06:00

ok, so this is another no brainer for most people. But I have heard some people say "clipping coupons is a waste of time." Oh contrare my friends. With just a little extra effort, you can save yourself quite a bit of money over time on every day hygeine and other household products.

Take for instance this:

2 bottles of shampoo and 1 bottle of conditioner

Total Price: $2.40

Total Savings: $2.09

Jacq's money saving rule number 1: ALWAYS check the clearance aisles in every store you walk into. Target, Grocery Stores, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, etc. Even if you're only there to get one or two things, you should still scan the clearance sections just to see what's there.

I picked these particular shampoos up at Safeway. I found the shampoos on the clearance aisle for .69 cents a piece (normally $1.40 each) and I also had a coupon for buy two, get one free on suave products. These were the only two suave products in the clearance bin, so I just picked up a regular priced bottle of conditioner at $1.69. After clearance price and coupon I walked out with these three items saving almost as much as I spent.

Now $2 may not seem like much; but think of how many bottles you use throughout the year. When you multiply the savings by that, it turns out to be a lot more. I have a stash of shampoos, body wash and conditioners in my house, all of which I got for prices like this. Even if you do not need it at the moment, I recommend buying them when you come across deals like this. It will prevent you from paying full price out of necessity when you do run out.

Another example of this:

Two 29oz. bottles of conditioner for $2.92

Total Savings: $8.78

I picked these up at Target. They were normally $5.84 per bottle but I got them for $1.46 each. I saved $8.78. I have recently been coming across coupons for Pantene that are along the lines of "Save $1.00 on two." I did not have said coupon when I got these but if I had, I would have only spent $1.92 for BOTH of them.

And my last example:

Toothpaste w/toothbrush: $1.68. 4 pack of razors: $2.99
Total: $4.67

The toothpaste, I just found on clearance at Target. I thought it was a pretty good deal since it included a toothbrush as well. The razors were on sale at Safeway for $4.99 and with a coupon for $2.00 off one, it brought my price down to $2.99

So for these 7 items the total was $9.99 but the savings was $13.18... all because of coupons!

Princess meets Safari

2012-04-17T16:13:00.001-06:00

Vases: Goodwill ($4.00) Flower, Ribbon, Rhinestones: Michael's (all for under$10.00)

Customized home decor: $14.00

Randy and I recently re-finished a room for Jordyn. The theme is purple and zebra print. My mom helped me put together these vases for decor to match the room. We spent quite a lot of money finishing the room so any new decor I wanted, I had to make inexpensive. I already had the vases. One was a left over vase from flowers my husband gave me; and the other two I found at Goodwill awhile back for $1.99 a piece. Next up was trip to Michael's where I picked up fake flowers in zebra print and purple, large rhinestones. The beauty of this project is you can customize it to any color scheme you want!

Here's what the rest of the room looks like:

Welcome

2012-04-17T11:48:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my blog (my first one ever... yay!) I am a huge fan of DIY (Do it Yourself) projects, crocheting, sewing, hosting parties and saving money while I'm at it. I love finding the best deals in fashion, groceries, home decor and more. It almost gives me a rush (sick, I know.) And while
I am a fan of coupons, I do not exteme coupon or take outrageous measures to score deals.
This blog is about sticking to the hot dog budget while still walking out with the filet mignon and doing so practically. It will incorporate how to's for hobbies, passions and overall lifestyle... on the cheap! And who doesn't love getting more for less?

I have a Pinterest Passion. Feel free to check out my link
http://pinterest.com/jacqdlt/