It is a fact that dressing the part not only helps you to be successful, but also makes you feel wonderful.  So, in light of my recent graduation and plans for moving to New York City, I set out to buy clothes that would prepare me  for any event.  Like anything worth doing, this required a bit of preparation.  I started saving for on big shopping spree because it is much more satisfying to come home with lots of things rather than just one.  Eventually I had a $350 budget by putting money aside from my birthday, and whatever I could squeeze out of my paycheck.  I found ten staple items that will help me achieve a timeless look and take me from the office well into the evening hours.   

1. A Classic Suit

The classic suit in black is great for work and after hours.  This consists of three pieces: A suit jacket, skirt, and pants.  This is the outfit you should wear to an interview or work.  It is important to dress for the job you want.  Not only will people take you more seriously, but ninety-three percent of managers surveyed said a person’s style of dress at work can influence his or her chances of earning a promotion¹.  A suit is crucial to your career and the individual pieces add elegance to a variety of outfits.

2. A White Shirt

A crisp, long-sleeve, white shirt is the building block of your wardrobe.  There are numerous varieties of this staple, but you can’t go wrong with a basic white collared button up shirt.  It looks great on its own with trousers or a skirt. You can also wear it under a cardigan or with a jacket.

3. A Little Black Dress

A black dress is slimming and will match accessories of almost any color.  Symbolically the color black means classic or new.  It exudes formality, wealth, style, and elegance².  I’ve chosen the sheath dress as a staple because it has slight curves and darting that tend to emphasize a beautiful, hourglass shape, even if your shape is not exactly perfect³.  This dress is great for cocktail parties or formal events.  Even if you don’t have somewhere to wear it to now, after buying a little black dress, an event is sure to pop up.

4. A Classic Pump

A classic pump is a staple of a well constructed wardrobe. Any closed toe pump is acceptable to wear at the office.  Wearing heels gives you a statuesque look and adjust a womens body proportions to come closer to perceived ideals(4).  Plus, it is extremely versatile so there is no problem going from the office to a night out. 

5. A Skirt that Flatters Your Figure

A skirt will instantly dress up any outfit.  Buy a straight cut skirt if you are petite or top-heavy; A-line if you are heavier around the hips/thighs; either one if you have a boyish figure.  Stick to neutral colors or a classic pattern, like tweed, that can be paired with different colors and textures depending on the occasion. 

6. Fresh T-Shirts in White and Black

T-Shirts are perfect for when you just can’t figure out what to wear.  Buy at least one in a solid color, preferably white or black.  You can layer them or sport them with fabulous accessories like bracelets, a scarf, rings, or necklace for an effortlessly stylish look.  You can get a great deal on these in the off-season.  Once I found two great white tee shirts at Eddie Bauer for $10 each.

7. Flat Front Bootleg-Cut Pant

Get this staple in a dressy khaki, black, or dark blue color.  The flat front cut is flattering for all body types.

8. A Denim Jacket

Buy a fitted denim jacket in a darker wash to make an outfit look more polished. It looks great over a blouse paired with a skirt, pants, shorts, or a sun dress.

9. A Great Handbag

All holds barred with this one. Just make sure it works for you in every situation.

10. A Favorite Pair of Jeans

This is one of the most important staples for your wardrobe. It’s okay to splurge on these. Find a pair that are flattering on you and make you feel fabulous.

No matter what your style is you can make the most of your budget by purchasing these essential pieces for your wardrobe.  These items offer a great all around foundation to go with clothes you already have or clothes you may buy in the future.  Check out all the essentials at the Investorista Photo Album

Investorista Fashion Essentials by investorista featuring Versace shoes

Attention! Forever21.com is having a great, limited time only sale! They have amazing finds for half the prices.

I loved the “outerwear” section they selected for this winter.

At left is their Double Breasted Coat in Olive for $20.99. It also comes in a beautiful Royal Blue.

Plaid Jacket $14.99, here in grey but also available in blue, and green plaid.

For the more daring and chic women out there I liked this festive red, green, and orange plaid poncho. It’s a freaking steal at only $8.00!

This is a great blue and black striped sweater that is sure to keep you toasty warm. At only $11.99 how can you go wrong?

Accessories:

Add a dash of glitter to your outfit with this adorable beret. It comes in a variety of colors including plum, red, and purple.  Get this it’s only 3 bucks!

Add some va-va-voom with these fabulous classic black pumps for just $10.00!

Suedette Black Pumps

All of these items can be found on Forever21.com’s home page under the sale items promo. Happy shopping!

This winter season a great way to bundle up and look great is to accessorize with an adorable hat, swaddled in a scarf, or keep your hands warm with a gorgeous pair of gloves.

For scarves  try these:

Both from PinkIce.com, $14.99

This is an adorable candy cane scarf from Old Navy for $12.50

Try cozying up in this multi-striped Old Navy find for only $8.00!

I love this striped oblong knit scarf in taupe from Urbanoutfitters.com for $18.00.

Gloves:

Keep your hands warm in these baby blue gloves from OldNavy.com. They will save you money since they’re only 6 bucks! Plus they come in a light pink as well.

These popcorn-knit mittens are a great addition to your winter wardrobe also from OldNavy.com for only $9.50.

Hats:

To keep your head and ears warm without ruining your outfit and looking like your mother this winter, try one of these fabulous ideas.

 This red chunky yarn cable knit hat from Target.com will help you look festive and stay warm. It is only $7.50.

 Cable Knit Beenie in plum, brown, white, black and mustard. Found at urbanoutfitters.com for $20.00

A modern earband with a  twist!

Knit Rose Head Wrap from PinkIce.com. Moderately priced at $14.99.  Shown here in Olive, also available in brown and white.

Any of these would be great additions to your wardrobe this season. They will keep you warm and looking hot. Plus, they are all under $20.00 and would make great gift ideas or an awesome stocking stuffer.

I am going abroad and needed a cross body bag to keep my things protected from pesky gypsies and pickpockets, that I have been warned time and time again about. I really loved the “pouch/satchel” trend. However, let’s remember I am a college student and I am on a tight budget. I fell in love with a “Olivia Harris Baby Ball Studded Lambskin Crossbody Bag” at Bloomingdales.com. Theenn I checked the price and cringed. $295.00 is not something that I can realistically spend or justify or live with spending for that matter. My hopes and dreams crushed temporarily, I picked myself back up and set out to find something-anything-similar to this beautiful bag. Yahtzee I hit the mother load. Forever21.com has a similar bag for meer pennies of the price. Peep it!

Olivia Harris Baby Ball Studded Lambskin Crossbody Bag

Price:$295.00

Forever 21  Shoulder Pouch Purse

Price: 14.80

While they have their differences, I’d say it’s not a bad option. Plus if anything does happen I can live because it was only fifteen bucks! Sometimes you really don’t have to spend the money honey.

Although most people enjoy the spirit of giving at Christmas time, it is also a fact that Christmas shopping can be a significant financial burden for many. This is especially true for those who have a large family or a large group of friends who regularly exchange Christmas gifts. Christmas shopping can also be a financial problem for those who feel compelled to purchase expensive gifts for each person on their list. However, there are ways to deal with the financial burden which often results from Christmas shopping. One of the ways to deal with this financial problem is to set a budget beforehand. Another way to deal with the financial stress of Christmas shopping is to shop throughout the year instead of all at once. This article will discuss the importance of setting a budget for Christmas shopping as well as how Christmas shopping can become less financially taxing by spreading out the Christmas shopping throughout the year.

 Those who have concerns over the amount of money they will be spending on their Christmas shopping should consider setting a budget for their Christmas shopping before they begin their shopping endeavor. In order to begin the process of setting a budget for Christmas shopping, it is important to first create a list of all the people you intend to buy Christmas presents for this holiday season. This list should include all of the close friends and family members you typically purchase gifts for as well as any co-workers or employees you normally purchase gifts for, your mail carrier or your children’s teachers. You may also wish to budget for gifts donated to toy drives organized by charitable organizations if you typically contribute during these events.

 Once you have your list of gift recipients there are a couple of ways to go about establishing a budget. Perhaps the simplest way is to decide how much you plan to spend on Christmas shopping and divide this amount by the number of gift recipients on your list. This will result in a budget in which you plan to spend the same amount of money on Christmas gifts for each person on your Christmas list. This type of budget strategy may be appropriate if you plan on purchasing similar gifts for everyone on your Christmas list but it may not work out well if you want to purchase something really special for a few of your closest friends or relatives.

 Another strategy for establishing a Christmas shopping budget is to determine how much money you would like to spend and then divide the individuals into different categories. Some of the categories you might want to include are close friends and relatives, business associates, acquaintances and gifts which are purchased for people you do not know. Once you have all of the members of your list categorized you can determine the percentage of your total budget you would like to spend on each category. For example you might decide to spend 50% of your total budget on close friends and relatives, 25% of your total budget on business associates, 15% of your total budget on acquaintances and the remaining 10% on Christmas gifts for charity drives. Then you can use these numbers to determine the total amount of money you will spend on each category and divide that number by the total number of people in each category to figure out a dollar amount for each person on your Christmas list.

 A final strategy for establishing a budget for your Christmas shopping is to start out by determining how much you plan to spend on some of the most important people on your gift recipient list. This will most likely include your closest relatives. Once you set dollar amounts for your closest relatives, it is time to divide up the remaining amount of money in your Christmas shopping budget. This can either be done arbitrarily by dividing the remaining amount in your budget by the number of people left on your list or you can continue to go through your list selecting a dollar amount for each person until you reach your budget. At this time if there are still people remaining on your list you will have to either reevaluate the dollar amounts you have already chosen or consider eliminating some people from your list.

This is one of a series of articles that have been provided to promote a Christmas website with lots of Christmas gift ideas. Check out http://www.xmassites4gifts.com or http://www.sites4gifts.com for other sites with ideas for gifts

We all have that friend who can wear the same dress over and over and over again, but each time it somehow looks new. Or different. Or cooler. “I wish I could do that,” you think as you stare at your dress and think that by wearing different shoes you will somehow achieve a whole new look.

FAIL FAIL FAIL, my friends.

Fact is, in order to make a dress look new and different you must change all components surrounding it. If you wore tights and heels last time, wear leggings and flats this time around. If you rocked red lipstick before, do a smokey eye and a muted lip. Add accessories, switch out the belt that came with it for a new chunky detailed belt, throw on a blazer…

Think about that piece in your wardrobe like your favorite fro yo place with an add-your-own-toppings bar: Oreo makes everything better the options are endless!

I know it can be a bit overwhelming (lord knows you can’t pile everything on top of a cotton tee like I pile on every. single. topping at Yogurtland), so let me help. As an example I took one simple gray conservative-ish looking dress and broke it down into 3 totally different, totally awesome Budget Stylista ensembles.

Look #1: Rocker Chic
Throw some lace, patterned or colored tights into the mix with a leather jacket. Add some rocker chain earrings and a pair of sky high platform pumps and this dress just laughed in the face of Hilary Clinton’s conservative pantsuits.

Dress: American Apparel
Lace tights: Apostrophe by Sears
Black leather jacket: Urban Outfitters
Black heels: Forever 21
Chain Earrings: Stella & Dot

Look #2: Casual With a Twist
Take that gray dress and work it for daytime with a pair of leggings and some adorable flat booties. Add a little touch of sparkle with a fun headband and make it more Fall-appropriate with a cozy scarf. If you wanna add more layers, slip on a long cardigan and you’ll be comfy and put-together.

American Apparel Dress
Black leggings: Forever 21
Headband: Forever 21
Flat booties: Yup, you guessed it, Forever 21
Scarf: Urban Outfitters

Look #3: Day or Night Glam
I love the option of this over the knee boot because you can rock it high or fold it down! Hide the tie that comes with the dress under this sequined belt (or put the belt on over the sweater in place of the cardigan tie), throw on black opaque tights and the beret and you are good to go! You can wear this for day (especially those days when your hair is dirty but you don’t want anyone to know) or trade the cardigan for a vodka soda and hit the town at night.

American Apparel Dress
Detailed Belt: Urban Outfitters
Chunky Cardigan: Old Navy
Black Tights: Hue (the best tights in the business, fo sho)
Over the Knee Boot: Forever 21 (these bad boys are a steal compared to the hundreds you’d pay elsewhere!)
Black beret/beanie: Forever 21

Okay, I ordered business cards, flyers and 10 promo calendars for our www.2cobkitchen.com business.  Not only did I make 3 mistakes BEFORE shipping, which they kindly corrected, I discovered – NO, it was beaha who discoverd the 4th mistake, and boy was it a BIG one!  AND!  The cards had already shipped.

So, I called VistaPrint – something so UNUSUAL these days – spoke to not only a live person, but a real, down-to-earth, friendly, helpful person. What did he do?

He made sure with me online that I had the exact copy that I needed with the corrections made and then placed the corrected order.  THEN – without my asking – he gave me a credit for the amount of the order that had ALREADY shipped-and which I could not use because of my mistakes. 

Yes, the credit is for future Vista Print orders, but I plan on making  several…like for www.2cobjewelry.com …which, by the way, if you haven’t visited, you must.  It’s just getting started, but beaha’s jewelry is breathtaking 

Anyway had to share all that. Vista threw in the link and copy below…that’s okay.  They’re worth it!

Save 25-50% off on custom printed products at VistaPrint. Order today!

-beeha

It’s that time again! I went bargain hunting and found an impressive melange of designer duds all for under $100. Let’s see what I’ve found:

Shopping list

White House Black Market: Long plaid bustier $39.99, straight leg pants $49.99 necklace $68.00, and piped leather button heel $49.99.

Anthropologie: Quintessential canvas carryall $29.95 and Lasata jacket $59.95

I’m not gonna let her serfdom beat my selldom.

-beeha

Average Customer Rating:

5.0 out of 5

Date: 10/17/2009

This vacuum is. by far the best one I have had so far…and at 73, I have had quiet a few….The pet cleaning attachment is just great…I even used in on my dog, who sheds really bad. She didn’t seem to mind it too much….

Pet hair cleaning tool  provides powerful suction and rotating brushes to easily remove pet hair and dirt from stairs and upholstery.

Back-to-school means two of my favorite things:

1) Back-to-school supplies.  Seriously. Walking down the aisles of Office Max the year I got a brand new set of scratch and sniff markers has earned this yearly event a very, very special place in my heart.

2) Back-to-school jeans. As a kid, it was because your jeans didn’t fit you come back-to-school time; you were growing. As a college student… well, same story but with one minor difference: we’re growing out instead of up. Details schmetails.

Credit it to the bad economy or credit it to the fashion gods wanting everyone to look GOOD in their denim (please no muffin tops thankyouvermuch), but right now the hottest trends in jeans are on sale sale sale sale SALE! 20% off here, $19.00 jeans there — and they’re cute! My two favorite C words! Cute and Cheap! (Oh, and Chanel. The day I can fit all 3 words into that sentence, I will be one very, very happy chick.)

There are deals to be had, people! Now is the time to snag the latest styles (think skinny jeans for tucking into boots and the boyfriend jean for comfortabe chic-titude) and  the wardrobe staples (throw on for class and go go gadget).  Right now is the time to reassess your denim wardrobe and start shopping for those denim discount deals!

The skinny (with a twist)

The boyfriend
(The key to these is to keep the top fitted since the bottom is loosey goosey. No need to look like a hobo or a pregnant homemaker.)

Yes, you can still wear white. It’s such a unique (and cheap!) twist on the BF jean that everyone else will be sporting.

The flare throw-on-and-go jean
(Great for flats, sandals OR heels)

PUBLISHERS are celebrating a ray of hope in the slowing rate of decline in magazine sales…. From The Australian. Full story

This site may contain information about: book shopping. For a different topic see wrap. The blog is also related to: smart shopping.

I saw this interesting article on True Slant that Jenna Webber from eat, live, run wrote regarding shopping on a budget. Check it out here.

Also, make sure you check out my older posts on groceries and grocery shopping.

If you have any tips that you’d like to share, please feel free to contribute!

I love shopping. LOVE it. I just can’t afford to do it very often. But when I save up my money, I try to go to stores that are not only stylish, but also affordable. Here are a few of my favorite budget-friendly stores:

Forever 21

I love love love Forever 21. I can always find a cute oufit to go out in. Their dresses are adorable, their accessories are great, and even their jeans fit nice. Most of their dresses are under $30, with a good amount under $20. Some of my favorite items in my wardrobe are from Forever 21.

H&M

H&M is a good store for professional clothing. They have a great selection of suits that fit pretty well and are a lot cheaper than other stores. They also have great blouses and skirts for business casual outfits. All at a really great price. Since I’m in law school, there are several occasions that require me to be in business or business casual attire. Since I’m not a lawyer yet, H&M is a great option. Also, as I posted earlier, they collaborate with great designers!

Target

Not only does Target collaborate with big name designers for limited-time only lines, they also have permanant lines from Converse and Isaac Mizrahi. They have very cute clothing for great prices. Their shoes are usually VERY cute, as well. They also have really great, affordable work out clothing made by Champion.

Old Navy

Old Navy is great for basics and pajamas. I have a few of their tank tops and their very comfortable. Also, their flip flops are my favorite.

Buffalo Exchange

I used to work for Buffalo Exchange when I lived in Brooklyn. There are locations all over the country. Basically they buy clothing from people and resell it for a good price. I got a pair of Diesel jeans there for $42 once, and they fit PERFECTLY. I’ve seen big designer names there (Betsey Johnson, Catherine Malandrino, Marc Jacobs, Diesel, Earnest Sewn), priced very well. It’s also a good place to go if you have gently used, fashionable items that you’re looking to get rid of. They’ll give you cash or store credit for your clothing!

Beacon’s Closet

Beacon’s is similar to Buffalo Exchange but it is only located in Brooklyn (Williamsburg and Park Slope). They have really great styles there. I’ve found a decent amount of cute Betsey Johnson dresses there from $20-$30.

Urban Outfitter’s (sale section)

Urban Outfitters is at the higher end of what I can afford. I LOVE their clothing, their accessories, and their apartment furnishings. They always have great sales, though. If you order online, they usually have online only sales, or additional percentages off of the sale prices. 

Remember, summer is almost over, so a lot of stores will be having great deals for end of summer/back-to-school sales!

I love American Apparel. Their clothing is very comfortable and decently priced. They also have several items that can be worn in multiple ways. The dress pictured above is called the Le Sac dress. I think it’s super cute, especially worn this way. It is $38, and comes in 28 different colors. It can also be worn in a bunch of different ways seen here. They say the possibilities are endless. So say there are about 10 different ways…that’s $3.80 per outfit! They have a bunch of items that can be worn different ways, and most of them are under $50. Check out all the different items here.

Today, I ventured to the nearest Goodwill store, which admittedly I had never before visited, despite the fact that it’s now several yrs. old.

This is not on account of snobbishness, gentlefriends, so set your minds at ease!  You may have gathered from my blog that I take a mild interest in fashion/beauty, and of course am beset by all sorts of woe for not measuring up to its haute standards.  I spend a fair–but not inordinate–amount of time thinking about clothes and outfits (and have recently discovered Polyvore, which only feeds the madness).  When I was in middle school, I created a gorgeous alter ego whom I spent a lot of time mentally dressing for the moment when she would show up (coincidentally!) at the busstop of my then-crush, who would be smitten by her beauty and impeccable taste (turns out I was taking the wrong tack, since it would later transpire that the boy in question was not, in fact, attracted to women!).

Sadly, I do not have the kind of budget that allows me to pay full retail price, but ultimately, I consider that to be for the best; most of us are horrendously overcharged, esp. when it comes to designer goods.

Anyway, despite the aforementioned monetary constraints, I have nevertheless managed to accumulate a vast quanitity of clothing articles.  When I began trying to prepare for the Peace Corps, I was faced w/ an overflowing closet.

So, I began to get rid of things.  I sold a score of items to Plato’s Closet; the rest I donated.  I felt good as I was doing it, b/c a lot of my clothes were beautiful and hardly worn…they just didn’t look good on me.  I also spent a long time trying stuff on, and trying to be honest–really honest–w/ myself about how I looked and how comfortable I felt.  More clothes were pelted into the “discard” pile, including a bright blue shift dress from J. Crew, a brown embroidered skirt from anthropologie, a grey tunic-sweater from Inhabit….All nice things, which rather depressingly forces one to conclude that the problem was w/ me and not the clothes.  Be that as it may!  It was quite exhilarating to liberate myself from all these belongings.  Everything that remains in my closet is now a familiar friend, someone I know I can turn to.

I went to Goodwill in search of garments in the vein of long dresses and button-up blouses, that I could bring along to Namibia.  Things were assembled into rough categories, w/ no size organization whatsoever; XL and XXS coexisted on the same rack.  There were lots of garish florals in cheap fabrics, but among all the polyester were a few items of interest.  Best of all, there was a rack w/ designer purses.  After looking through all of them, briefly contemplating a Louis Vuitton handbag, my eye was caught by a small tan Kate Spade shoulderbag.  It was a fraction of what it’s retail price must have been, and I was in love.  I also got 3 button-up shirts (all 100% cotton) for $3 ea., and a few assorted knick-knacks to give as gifts; these had obviously been leftovers donated from retail stores, since they were still in their original packaging.

But perhaps most pleasing of all was the deep sense of satisfaction I gained from knowing that I was recycling.  Far from being bothered by the fact that my new clothes were pre-owned, I was delighted that they were being reused instead of thrown away.

The store was so well-stocked in fact, that it got me thinking about our society and the way it treats its goods.  On the one hand, we are deeply materialistic; most of our pleasure and satisfaction is derived from consumption.  Conversely, we are always ready to discard what we have in favor of something newer and shinier.  There is already so much unnused, unwanted stuff just floating around out there…I feel like if we simply halted production of everything, we could all live for a few yrs. on what we’ve already created.  We luxuriate in our abundance, but we are also jaded by it.  I am no exception; I can’t help feeling guilty at allowing myself to waste so much money on stuff I didn’t need, or even apparently want all that much.

I think that what we need to do is start shopping w/ a little more consideration and thoughtfulness.  If you want something cheap, instead of going to Wal-Mart or Forever 21, go to Goodwill; chances are, you’ll be able to find something of better quality (I’ve stumbled on stuff from the likes of Michael Kors and Oscar de la Renta in discount/thrift stores), and you’ll be rescuing an abandoned garment and bringing it new life.

I might have a few money saving tricks up my sleeve, but everybody can learn a few new ways to save these days.  Here are a few tips I use to get what I want at a fashionably affordable price:

1. When you’re out browsing at a store or a garage sale, think about what the object could be rather than what it is.  It’s kind of like giving that first date a second chance because of their potential.  For example, I grabbed the opportunity to score a free bulletin board because I saw hope in an ugly second hand wooden board.  (You can read about the transformation here.) Remember a little bit of paint goes a long way!!  
2. Always comparison shop!  I love going to stores like Anthropologie and Paper Source for inspiration.  But I can’t always afford their prices.  So I go there for inspiration and if I see a book I like, I text out the title on my phone and check Amazon.com later for a used copy.
3. Patience is key!  If you want to buy something online, leave it in the checkout cart.  While you’re waiting, there may be a new sale or the retailer may try to motivate you to buy the item and offer you a discount.

Now it’s your turn.  Do you pick up pennies off the ground?  Skip the movies and rent free from the library instead?  Don’t save those advice to yourself.  Share them here.

We are now potentially facing some tough financial years ahead, our purse strings are tightening daily and many have reluctantly turned away from their environmental good intentions. Organic food sales have dropped by 20 per cent this year, hardest hit have been organic egg producers with dairy, chicken and fruit farmers bearing the brunt of failing financial markets.

All this can make pretty bleak news for those of us who try to eat well. There is also a real concern that many people will turn to cheap convenience food and put good nutrition way down their list of priorities. However – this is not the time to forgo our health, and good food, as we know, is part of that. So what to do? If we can eliminate as much waste as we can, use leftovers and be shop savvy, we can still make savings along the way and maintain a level of good health. Last week I took a family shopping with a seriously restricted budget as the husband had sadly lost his job. We managed to knock £17 off their weekly supermarket spend and reduce all their convenience food at the same time – I call that a result!

Below I’ve set out some simple ideas that will hopefully help you in the coming months. It takes a little time and initiative but eating healthily on restricted finances can still be done!

BEING SHOP SAVVY

Most important of all – make a shopping list and budget for the week and stick to it!

Avoid buy one get one free, unless its something you will definitely eat!

Don’t stockpile fruit and salad – it will end up rotting in the bottom of the fridge or the fruit bowl. If you can make smaller, more frequent journeys to the shops, this will prevent waste.

Buy cheaper cuts of meat and slow cook in stews. If you are not sure ask your butcher or at the meat counter. You don’t always have to scrimp on quality – free range chicken thighs are a fraction of the cost of chicken breast.

Rice portions. I’m forever cooking too much – at least three times the amount I need, and I’m ashamed to say it often goes in the bin. Remember to weigh rice out before cooking. A small cup per person should be enough. If you have cooked too much, turn it into a cold rice salad adding chopped peppers and spring onions, and add some sultanas and refrigerate for the next day.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are fine – especially, peas, raspberries, blueberries and most vegetables.

Avoid buying fresh baby vegetables . If you are in any doubt, check to see how much they cost per kilo!

We are very lucky to have extremely good drinking water in East Sussex – there is no need to buy bottled water!

Avoid ready grated or ready chopped foods, particularly vegetables and grated cheese.

Choose a large loaf of bread rather than a packet of four flabby rolls – it will go further.

Try out the deli counter – you often get more slices of ham/meats for your money than you would if it was repacked.

I’m hoping you don’t buy them but if you do (!) – ditch the cheese slices and cheese spread. Replace with a block of cheese instead. Replace any potato chips/wedges and buy a large bag of spuds and prepare them yourself.

Find out what time your local supermarket starts cutting prices on perishable foods (it’s often late at night). The other week I managed to get a bag of watercress for 15p, a bag of parsley for 5p and a cucumber for 12p. Look for reduced salad, bread, poultry and meat.

If you or your family get through loaves of bread each week, it might be worth investing in a bread maker. They cost about £40 but you can buy large bags of flour and an average family size loaf will usually work out at about 50p.

Buy loose as often as you can, and avoid salad in bags as they can go off very quickly.

Buy in season (you are not paying for it to be transported from abroad). Go to www.eattheseasons.co.uk for ideas.

If you would like some more ideas on how to use up leftovers and how not to waste food go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.

If you’re still interested in eating organically, try to buy food directly from farmers or from groceries which gets supplies direct from locally-sourced producers. Supermarkets tend to set organic food as a premium product, but if you cut out the middle-man, you won’t be paying for their costs.

Talk to your mother or grandmother! They may have lived through tough times and have a catalogue of ideas. For example, a roast chicken on a Sunday can be stripped down to the bones and the meat used for a casserole, and then the bones boiled up with vegetables to create a broth with barley or lentils.

Go to Jamieoliver.com for help with cooking on a budget. There are some great ideas on the blog and forums and he has some of his Ministry of Food recipes as well.

Never go shopping when you’re hungry. It’s a recipe for disaster – you’ll end up with all sorts of extra cakes and pizzas in your trolley.

Supermarkets are cleverly designed to entice you to buy more, with expensive items at eye level and the cheaper varieties on the lower levels, so keep that shopping list close at hand and wear blinkers.

Allow plenty of time to do your weekly shop – so you can ponder on which are the cheapest options or hunt down any bargains. If it’s at all possible leave the children at home. If that’s out of the question, see if you can find a creative way of involving them in your shopping – maybe counting out tomatoes or working out which cheese is the cheapest.

Try buying budget or economy own-brand foods, especially carbohydrates such as pasta and rice, and tinned goods such as tomatoes and fruit. They are often cheaper because they use less expensive packaging than the premium brands. Watch out for economy processed foods though as they often contain more sugar and salt than other brands.

Some fish is hugely expensive but there are some varieties around that are still affordable. Try mackerel. Ask your fishmonger what he’s got that is cheap today. And if you’re desperate for cod, it’s cheaper in the freezer section.

Beans, lentils and pulses are all excellent forms of protein and significantly cheaper than meat and fish. They are also seriously tasty … vegetarians are onto a winner! To bring your shopping bill down try having a vegetarian meal .

Growing your own is by far the cheapest way to get your fruit and veg so, if you’ve got the time, it’s a wonderful way to reduce your food bill. You can produce totally organic food and get some exercise at the same time. Either cultivate a patch in your back garden or contact your Local Authority about an allotment. Even if you only grow a couple of things, you can always trade with other growers. The National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardeners have more information on their website.

All laughs that follow owe thanks to my cousin Cathy.  Without her, her husband and her friend, Melanie, this blog post would not be.  Oh, many thanks, Cuz…I love you!  – beeha ;;  Spread the Word and the Word is Love.

Spending $10 and getting a pint of beer, a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and a mug of cappuccino the size of my head was pretty awesome. And a good use of $10.

But you know what is not awesome? Staying up until 2am because of the aforementioned cappuccino. I mean I spent my time well by reading Twilight. But for some reason I woke up at 4am and could not go back to sleep.  That made for a really cranky and mean Dianna. That is a Dianna no one wants around.  If I didn’t work from home I’d would have been at my desk in my office crying, with my head on my desk.  I’ve done it before. And there was cussing involved.

I’ve been having a bunch of teachable moments and life lessons this week. It’s been that kind of week.  So here’s my lesson from that day: NEVER drink that much caffeine at 8pm. And just because my day was crappy didn’t mean it had to end that way.  And thanks to Tracee, Miko, Tisa, and Tashar I had a FAB night!

I’m not rich. I don’t even consider myself middle class. I’m poor but I always want to look good even if I don’t have the money to spend on the really nice stuff.

Now, I’m a regular thrift/resale store shopper and I will remain one for the rest of my life and I make no apologies for shopping at these stores. Don’t get me wrong I like the Mall but as this  article suggests  the Mall is so yesterday..lol!!

But recently I haven’t been finding  as many ‘treasures’  (that’s what I call my finds at thrift stores, garage sales, Goodwill, the Salvation Army etc) as I’m used too. I think all the newbies have been stealing my stuff..lol so, I’ve had to come up with some creative ways of keeping my outfits looking hot for cheap. Normally, I’m not a scarf wearer but I’ve fallen in love with them and since adding a few key scarves to my wardrobe  I’ve been able to keep a few of my signature pieces looking chic and fresh. 

Check out a few great ways to wear your scarf  if you have one and if you don’t go get one now! And if you are a super diva and into the latest trends super long scarves are in…

This WSJ article  got me wondering what YOU ladies have been doing/do to keep your outfits looking fresh and hot?

After the exchange that followed my last post, I really want to know if Charles Darwin got some poontang after he got home from the voyage of the Beagle.  If that happened today, you know girls would be spreadin’.  Compared to that, being in the faggotty-ass Peace Corps or some shit wouldn’t be worth beans.  Just imagine:  Some hippie is all trying to impress a girl, telling her how much he learned about himself in the Peace Corps; and then Charles Darwin walks into the room, as cool as a cucumber, and starts telling how he spent five years camping out in Tierra del Fuego and Tahiti, collecting specimens and conducting hydrographic surveys  and revolutionizing biology.  It would be all over.  He wouldn’t even need to be wearing a fancy waistcoat.  It strikes me that in the past, distinguished men of science got kind of a raw deal.

Foxy redhead!

We can’t, however, all be irrepressable pussy-magnets like Darwin was.  This world is full of regular, hard-working folks who ain’t even ever revolutionized a fantasy baseball league.  Those people — “real Americans” — are who(m) this website is for.  So I’m going to offer you guys some tips I was offered recently while I was chatting with “Darren,” a sophisticated older man who seemed to know what he was talking about.  (He also told me an extremely scandalous anecdote about meeting some women while honky-tonkin’; maybe I’ll write it up as a post if I can ever decipher my notes.)

Tips for guys:

– “Be selective of your button-down shirts.”

– “Shop like a girl” by trying everything on, instead of just picking up your size.  He adds that if you like something but it doesn’t fit quite right, “don’t be afraid to alter.”   This is solid advice, because chicks hate it when your clothes are ill-fitting.

– “Don’t look like you just got a haircut.”  This means your hair is supposed to look natural and lived-in, even if you did just get a haircut.  If this very concept sounds like a paradox that is blowing your mind, it could mean that your stylist is crappy.

Tip for ladies:

– “I think there’s a lot of guys that like opaque stockings.”  I advised him that these are often referred to as “tights.”

Unisex tip:

– In a store, “you can learn how to change price tags.”  Shopping on a budget!  I neither endorse nor denounce this practice.

There you have it.  For everyone who didn’t get laid in 2008, I am wishing you the best of luck in the new year.  Go get ‘em!  But if you’ve been getting lucky already, please submit your New Year’s Eve CTGML tales to me.

*******SPECIAL APOLOGY:  I’m sorry I referred to the Peace Corps as “faggotty.”  I don’t know what I could have been thinking.