Three Ways to Save Money While Building your Make Up Collection

I'd consider make up to be one of my many, many hobbies.  For me personally it's the thrill of the hunt (finding limited edition products or being the first to find something new on the shelves), the thrill of saving at the check out counter, and the thrill of the comparison.  Make up is really something I collect - of course I use it too - but it's fun to have a lot of things at your disposal when you want to play around.  It's also great to be able to find some amazing things for a great price, here are my 3 tips for saving money while building a collection:

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Clip your coupons and hunt for deals

The place I like to shop for drugstore make up is CVS mainly because of their coupon program.  I've written a post on it here but mainly you can join their beauty club and for every $50 spent you get $5 Extra Bucks to spend in the store.  Additionally, they have in store coupons that print when you scan your rewards card.  And you can stack a CVS coupon with a Manufacturer's Coupon with your Extra Bucks to get the most bang for your buck.  I shop at CVS for everyday things - cereal, tooth paste, anything really - to build up my extra bucks to buy beauty products.  This is a great way to try things you're interested in but don't really want to shell out cash for.  They also have really great sales every week.  The only thing I can complain about is the selection of some brands is very poor.  For example my CVS doesn't have a great selection of Wet n Wild.

Follow your favorite brands on social media & keep an eye out on places like HauteLook.  You can find amazing (& sometimes secret) sales but keeping up with the brands you love.  HauteLook also runs sales on some of my favorite brands - like the Balm - quite often.

Know the Best Drugstore Brands

When it comes to affordability there are a few brands that are on the top.  Wet n Wild & Eyes Lips Face (ELF) are the tops for me.  They are easily accessible, start off at a really low price point, and the quality pretty much rocks.  CVS often has buy one get one free on Wet n Wild and even if it's just BOGO 50% off, you're still getting a steal.  The Eyes Lips Face website is constantly running sales (really get on their 50% off everything sales) but they are also available at local retailers.  Here's the breakdown:  If you want an affordable foundation that lasts all day the Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation rocks.  Wet n Wild has the best eyeshadows & lipsticks.  Plus, they are constantly releasing amazing limited edition items which can fulfill you're need to hunt.  Eyes Lips Face is probably found in your local Target or Walmart and sometimes at Walgreens.  In recent years the brand has expanded to be more readily available and their product lines have only increased in quality.  In this line the blushes are a good range for what is available in store.  There are also a few blush & highlighting palettes that really impress me.  You don't have to place an order online to get a good grasp of the brand, however there are far more things online than in stores.  Their brushes are amazing and if you're just starting out your brush collection picking a few of their Studio Line Brushes will really build your collection fast.  (Here is a video on the essential Elf brushes that you have to have!)

Shop the Holiday Sets

If you want to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to high end, or prestige brand, make up be sure to shop the limited edition holiday sets.  You may be spending $45 but you might be getting a $100+ value.  First, save you're money...then weight the odds.  Whenever I want to try a brand or try something new from a brand, I look at these sets.  You'll often be getting a steal and getting a good sampling of that brand.  Additionally you're often getting smaller sizes of products in these sets so you're not tied to something you might not like.  You'll either work through it quickly or not feel as bad passing it to a friend because you didn't pay full price for a certain item.

If you're worried about bulky packaging you can also depot the things you like into Z Palettes to maximize you're storage space.  Brands like Elf and Physicians Formula also do holiday sets at the Drug Store and often you'll get more bang for your buck that way.  My personal philosophy when it comes to holiday sets is to shop for what you want.  Because these things are so, so popular I like to snatch up the things that I would be really sad if I couldn't find after the holidays.  Then, after the holidays, I'll go shopping to find any leftover sets that might be on discount.

You can really save a ton of money building your collection if you're patient and you build your collection one or two pieces at a time.  It's easy to do this if you coupon, coupon, coupon.  I stop into CVS quite often to see what deals I can get with my Extra Bucks and MFG coupons and that way I'm only spending a few bucks at a time but building a collection of things to try!

What are some of your money saving tips when it comes to make up?

xoxo, Moe

Trend Tuesday // How to Save Money on Planner Stamps

Planner stamps have become my jam.  I am in love with the crisp way they look in my planner.  I can't get over it!  My favorite place to use planner stamps is in my Mini Happy Planner which has become my main planner.  Who would have thought that would happen!  I also love the way they look in the 800 memory planners I have (I haven't decided on what planner I want to use this year for memory planning....)

this post contains affliliate links, please read my full disclosure here

The whole reason I bought planner stamps is was to save money because they are reusable.  You know what happened?  I can't stop buying stamps!  These collections can get pretty pricey.  Personally I can't wait for the new MAMBI clear stamps that I saw at CHA this year!  As with everything on the blog, I really want to show you how to save money while still having fun with this hobby.  Here are 5 ways to save money on planner stamps:

Blitsy

You all know I love Blitsy.  Whenever I want to find something new but I'm on a budget I turn to my trusted pal Blitsy.  Their planner stamp section has planner stamps from WaffleFlower, Hero Arts, Technique Tuesday, Lawn Fawn, Prima Marketing...so many brands.  It is best to keep a close eye on the site as the stock rotates (and comes back) often.  You may miss out on something if you don't check often.  I love that shipping to the contiguous United States is free over $30 and if you sign up here you can get $10 off your first order.  Once you sign up, you can share your own referral code.  You know what that means?  Rewards for you whenever someone uses your link to make their first purchase!  So you can get more planner stamps!!

Peachy Planner Deals

This is a brand new site I've found, a sister site to Peachy Cheap where you can find discount scrapbooking supplies.  Peachy Planner Deals offers a new deal each day - the true meaning of a flash sale site - related to planning.  I've seen two offers for stamps on the site so far so it's worth a check if you're in the market.  Sign up for their email to be notified of the deal each day too.  The stamps I've recently purchased from Peachy Planner Deals are from Chic Tags...I love them!

Amazon

Amazon might not be the best deal on this list - I suggest checking the other two first - you may find some good deals on something that is sold out on a site like Blitsy.  The benefit of Amazon for me is the Prime shipping since I'm a Prime member.  An added benefit of the site is visiting the Amazon Smile site allows you to donate a portion of your eligible purchase to a charity of your choice.  So get a good deal, get your stamps in 2 days, and donate to a good cause.  Win, win, win!  Check out some planner stamps here.  There are some of the Jessica Lynn Originals stamps there that I reviewed in this video.

Facebook Groups/Instagram
Another money saving way to buy stamps is from someone destashing.  I've gotten a few Studio l2e sets from someone destashing on Instagram.  I've also found a few Facebook groups that sell off individual stamps that the seller may not need from a stamp collection.  That is great if you're not trying to buy 30 stamps on in a set when you're looking for just a few.  It takes a bit of time, negotiating, and trust...but pay through something like PayPal Goods & Services (for a small fee) so that you're protected if the seller falls through on their end!

Etsy
In addition to any shop coupon codes you may find, Etsy also offers cash back through Ebates.  It is usually at 1% cash back but sometimes it will jump to 2%.  This is a great way to save a tad bit of money and buy from an independent business owner.  Etsy has so many shops to offer - I just found Starving Artist Stamps with a crazy set of clear planner icon stamps!  Do a quick Etsy search of Planner Stamps and you'll find unique sets as well has some name brand ones.

I can't get over the fact that after all the planner stamps I've purchased....I still need more!  So many planner stamps, too little time.  If you'd like to watch a few of my Planner Stamping videos, there is a playlist here on my YouTube channel.

Have you started planner stamping?  Any new planning thing you're interested in?

xox, Moe

6 Ways to Save Money on High End Cosmetics

I'm in the middle of a no-buy-turned-low-buy right now so I haven't treated myself to nice, high end makeup in quite a while but over the holidays I saved a bit on a Mac splurge and recently I've signed up for Glambot (more about that below) so I thought I'd do a little round up of ways to save money on high end makeup products!  Some of these you may know about but I also have so surprising tricks you may not have thought of:

this post includes affiliate links - these links help support what you read on the blog, please read my full disclosure here.

Ebates

I've mentioned Ebates before on my blog when it comes to saving money but when it comes to high end cosmetics, I've just discovered a trick.  It is an easy site to use - you go to Ebates.com first (make sure you have an account, so sign up here) then from their website, find the site you'd like to shop on.  You earn a percentage back on your online shopping by going to ebates first & finding your shop.  Once you click the shop you'd like to buy from, that is it.  Ebates tracks you purchase amount and issues you a credit to your account.  Believe me, it's not a scam.  I love it because there's no minimum pay out.  If you have an amount when payout time comes, you get that amount.

Here is a trick though - when I was planning on purchasing MAC's Lightscapade Skin Finish I reaaaalllllyyyy wanted to save a few pennies on it (even just a few!) but could not find the MAC store on the Ebates website.  I originally swatched some MAC products at Nordstrom so I found the Nordstrom online store through Ebates search and shopped MAC from there!  This is a great way to take advantage of any department store sales and any cash back deals going on with Ebates.  I can't believe I didn't think of this little trick earlier and I plan on doing this any other time I'm looking for something high end!  You can also install Ebates to your browser's tool bar and then it will alert you when you can get cash back.  That is great if you forget to go to Ebates like I do sometimes.

Choose a store & stick to it

I shop at Ulta almost exclusively for high end stuff - firstly because it's the only exclusive makeup place close to me and because I love their points system.  I build up my points by getting services at the salon - I always need a hair cut and an eyebrow wax, so I go there to build up my points.  I also shop their holiday collections and sets to get more for my moolah and am able to try different things.  If you go their and do your regular drugstore style couponing (though I really do love my CVS coupons!) you can get your drugstore essentials done and add to your points.  I try to cash in my points at the end of the year because I'll have quite a bit and get quite a bit knocked off my purchase.

Ulta also sends out 20% off coupons once or twice a year and sometimes they included high end/prestige makeup.  These are the best.  You get 20% off your whole purchase and that can be really helpful.  And if you have you points built up you can get even more off.  It's all about patience & timing to save!

Glambot

This is a website I just found out about recently but it is a site where you can buy fully sanitized, gently used make up.  I know that kind of turns people off but the site has strict sanitation regulations as well as regulations on what you can sell back to them.  That's right, you can make money from your gently used high end makeup!  From what I understand, the site sanitizes the products in a way that they are sealed/etc like new.

They are always offering sales and deals as well.  I can't tell you how many times I've found a Glambot email with a deal creeping into my inbox.  I love it!  The prices are great and the site tells you how much of a product is left.  It is great if you're looking to try something out but don't want to pay full price.  They have tons of brands - Nars, Urban Decay, MAC, Laura Mercier - and have tons of different products - lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, etc - so it's a great shop to browse.  But, don't leave anything in your cart too long or you'll loose it!  It's almost like a flash sale site because of the unique nature of the items they sell.  There may only be one so you should snatch it up.  They also have a great referral program too!

Hautelook & Nordstrom Rack

You may already know about Hautelook - a site that sells name brand products in a flash sale style.  Usually, Hautelook has a group of products on their site for a week or so and you can purchase high end makeup/skincare for a really good price.  I've bought nearly all my The Balm cosmetics off of Hautelook.  But Hautelook is also a part of Nordstrom rack which also has an online site.

I do like to go into the Nordstrom Rack stores and browse their selection from time to time.  I did pick up some Lorac Cosmetics there before.  This is a store you should check back on often!

TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls

These stores were just added to my discount arsenal after I found a GlamGlow face mask, Kat Von D lipstick, and an Estee Lauder travel case!  These stores are hit & miss but soooo worth it to stop in often.  I do have a TJ Maxx near me & a Ross will be coming soon, so I can't wait to see what else I can scope out.

I think that Ross generally has good, bulk drugstore make up - I've picked up some Physician's Formula products 3 to a pack for about $7.  But TJ Maxx and Marshalls have the really good stuff.  They get in the high end stuff.  The things I've found were from a line that got new packaging - the Kat Von D lipsticks - and the Estee Lauder compacts were from a travel collection in 2013.  So it's not the brand new releases but if you're looking to try a brand you may find something helpful there.

I hope this little round up gave you some ideas on where you can find some awesome deals on high end makeup!  I looovvvee a deal and these are great ways to try new things with out breaking the bank.  My favorite little trick is the Ebates trick....I plan on using that in the future.  Sephora and Ulta sites are on there so you can get a percentage back & build up your points!  Man, I love rewards systems!!

How do you save money on your high end purchases?  Any products you've gotten at a super great deal?

xoxo, Moe

Budgeting App Reviews // 4 Apps to Help Manage your Money in 2015

In this post earlier this week I mentioned 4 apps that I had tried out for budgeting in 2015.  Today I want to get a little bit deeper into these apps because I know a lot of people have a lot of different needs when it comes to budgeting.  I mentioned some apps in this post about my money management plan for 2015 and I wanted to do a little review/overview of them.  First let me say that the screen grabs for the Mint apps below are from the iTunes page...not my personal account..so don't worry :)

Let's jump in:

Cash Strapped

What is it?

Ever struggled to keep your throwaway spending under control? Cash-Strapped is for you! 

Set a daily, weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly or monthly budget for all your disposable income and keep track of it quickly and simply. Every time you spend money at the pub, on snacks or takeaways, or that impulse purchase, just enter the amount and your remaining budget will be recalculated immediately. 

No messing around typing in loads of info - this app does away with all the complexity so that you actually bother to do it. 

Feel richer at the end of each period, in the knowledge that you'll have some idea how much you spent!

info taken from iTunes description here

Easily add a transaction out of or deposit into your budget with no hassle

Why I like it

Just like the description says - you don't have to enter tons of info to use the app.  Spending entries are user defined.  I've used apps before - like Mint - where it auto-defined your purchases and I couldn't figure out what I spent $134 on groceries when it really was a clothing trip to Target.  If you define the purchase you remember what it is.  You can also add in titles like 'shopping trip with Katie' or 'Johns birthday present' so you remember exactly what you spent and exactly what is was for.

Additionally, I love the budget allowance countdown.  It is straight forward - there aren't any charts or graphs on the front page so it's simple to see that I have $40 left until my budget resets.  

The only thing that may be a downside for some users is that you can only set one budget.  So I plan on using this, as intended, for disposable income.  It is just for the so many odd dollars I allot to spend on whatever I feel like in a week.  I think this app would make a fun challenge - to see how much you can carry over to the next week.  This would not be good to manage a more specific, or complex budget.

Well Spent

What is it?

WellSpent is an easy-to-use budgeting app that helps you take control of your spending habits by helping you stick to your budgets! Using WellSpent has helped us pay debt faster, save for down payments and keep our expenses in check during family vacations. Enjoy more control over your finances and discover the guilt-free way to spend your money. 

We designed our app so it would be super easy to use so you can focus on keeping your money WellSpent, not in silly settings, unnecessary features, and gimmicks offered by other apps.

info taken from iTunes description here
get the free version here

Why I like it

The best part about this app is that you can set multiple budgets.  This is great because you can set a disposable income budget, the house/mortgage/utilities budget, a savings budget, etc.  There are multiple budgets available and you can keep track all in one place.

Purchases/entries are also user defined in this app as well and it's pretty straight forward.  Much like Cash Strapped you can keep track of expenses in a way you'll actually remember and they aren't preassigned to certain categories.  You don't have to link your accounts on either Cash Strapped or Well Spent.

Mint Personal Finance

What is it?

The free Mint app pulls in all your personal finance accounts and investments into one place, so you can track your spending, create a budget, receive bill reminders, and save more money. You can also check your credit score for free.

info & images taken from the iTunes description here 

Why I like it

This app automatically links your accounts to one app.  Track your spending through your bank, add in bill reminders, and create budgets.  It is an all in one app that corrals everything in one place.

This isn't my favorite app though because I can do the same thing through my bank's app.  I create my bigger budgets on paper and pretty much just pay things as they come in so this app isn't really for me.  It also automatically categorizes your spending and I just felt that it never really lumped things into categories where I wanted them to be.  Pretty much I only need to budget my disposable income and make sure i'm not over spending. Every other bill gets paid when it comes in because I know how much it will be.

Mint Bills & Money

What is it?

Mint Bills (formerly Check) is an award-winning app that stays on top of your bills & money for you, so you never miss a bill or get hit with overdraft & late fees again. Just set it up once and the app goes to work – proactively staying on top of your bills and monitoring your bank accounts and credit cards, all in one place. When bills are due or funds are low, the app will let you know so you’re never caught off guard.

info & images taken from the iTunes description here 

Why I like it

This app is great because you can link accounts and pay bills all in one place.  No more setting up individual payments on individual websites.  Pay with the swipe of a finger and get bill alerts all in one app.  You don't have to keep track of paper bills and you don't have to wait until you get an email.  Just pay and go.

Again, though, this app isn't for me.  I already have a lot of auto paid bills set up on the individual  company websites.  I don't really feel like going back through and setting it all up again.  This would be great however if you are the sole bill payer or the sole person responsible for paying the bills.  I can see how this would help you swipe and pay easily each month.  I even think that this app plus the Well Spent app would be the best together.

I hope this little review/overview was helpful for your budgeting goals this year.  I can't wait to keep up with the Cash Strapped app because I think that will prove to be the most effective for my needs.  But I would love to hear from you and what you're doing this year for your finances.

What apps are you using?  Do you have any budgeting tips?

xoxo, Moe

No Spend November // Free Budgeting Filofax Inserts

You know what I love...unexpected bills.  You know what's even better?  Two unexpected bills two months in a row.  Well the second bill wasn't really unexpected I knew it was going to come up sometime I just wasn't paying attention.  So now, in these most expensive months before the holidays, I need to kick my butt into gear!

Sooooooo......the other night I came up with some budgeting printables I'm going to stick into my A5 Raspberry Saffiano to keep me on track.  I've had the Bills tracker for a while now because I was constantly thinking 'Did I pay this? Did we mail that out?' but I need to start thinking about a real budget.  Instead of just the willy-nilly I'll pay it when I get it mentality.  I've always had a pretty good idea of where my money went....I knew I'd spent too much at Target but it really didn't cut into anything else.  I knew that I had the money and I knew where it was going.  I wasn't ever too loose with my money, but I did spend it where I really didn't need to.  I had a pretty decent savings until I had to buy a new car ..... and with that comes a whole new budget game.

When it comes to numbers and rations, I'm a planner.  I like to calculate out this and add up that just to make sure I'm on track with what I need to be.  I can't tell you how many times I find little papers lying around with numbers, addition & subtraction, notations, and lines lying around.  They are especially prevalent in little tiny note books I have.

Today I want to share with you three desktop sized (8.5 x 5.5 inch) inserts that fit perfectly in an A5 filofax.  I could be all technical and do it at proper A5 size......but that is a waste of paper especially since its only a few centimeters off.  So these are desktop sized, half page, inserts that you can print at home.  

Here's the breakdown:

No Spend Tracker - Because I reeeaaaallllyyy want to spend as little as possible this month, I'm doing a no spend.  That means I will not buy clothes, make up, stationery, Project Life supplies, shoes, purses, yarn, etc for the whole month.  I reeeeaaalllllyyy would like to carry this into December and I hope I can!  So that's what the No Spend Tracker is.  I'm going to mark everyday that I don't spend and we'll see what happens!

Monthly Budget - This is like the name suggests, my monthly budget.  I had a vague budget before but now it's going to really be broken down.  There is a section for the income, your starting balance budget, list of bills with due dates, name, amount, and a section for if it's been paid, an ending balance, and a spot to keep track of your savings.  Phew...thats a full sheet of paper!  There are two files in this one a right margin and a left margin so you can print back to back if you wish.

Bill Tracker - This is pretty simple, it is an at a glance look to make sure you've actually paid what you think you've paid.  For me it's good because I can see not only when bills are paid but which bills are every six months, which bills are quarterly, etc.  Like our trash bill is every 3 months and my car insurance is every 6 months.  Things like that are good to have at a glance.  You can see what's coming up due or if you've forgotten anything that month!

I hope these printables are helpful for you all I really had a fun time breaking it all down.  Printing instructions as well as terms of use are included in the .zip download from Google Drive, download the files here. 

Have fun and budget them dollars!

xoxo, Moe

How to Coupon With Out Stockpiling

Now, I'm not claiming to be a coupon expert...oh god no...but I want to share with you my coupon journey.  That journey involves no stockpiling.  I've been couponing mainly on beauty products for the past month & just now feel comfortable branching out into non-beauty products.  The other day I scored an awesome deal on laundry detergent (I'm actually thinking about picking more up on this sale because who doesn't need laundry detergent....but that is on the verge of stock piling for me!)  So below I just want to share with you what goes through my head when I'm trying to coupon:

Keep track of sales & check store sale weekly - If you have enough time I'd suggest keeping track of store sales.  I've heard the average sale cycle is 6-8 weeks.  To me, ain't no body got time for dat.  Dat being keeping a sales book, comparing prices, and traveling from store to store.  There are 2 stores I mainly shop at - CVS & Meijer.  However, I do want to start at least keeping an idea of the rotation of sales.  But also I check the sales at CVS each week which easy because you can view the ad online usually on Saturday nights.  I also check our Meijer's ad and clip their coupons often through their mPerks app on my phone & iPad.  It doesn't hurt to save a little something when you go in.  Even if you're not dropping you're $150 grocery bill down to $2.  Also try doubling coupons on top of sales.  Meijer had a good sale on paper towels last week & they had a coupon on their mPerks app.  And it turned out to be a bit better to buy a huge pack than a small pack.

Buy what you need when you need it (part 1) - While you can keep track of sales, the best thing to do is to buy what you need when you need it & stock up when it's on sale.  The best example of this is the laundry detergent I just bought.  Zach & I are a two person household so laundry detergent goes a loooong way.  Recently I bought 3 Arm & Hammer 32 load detergent bottles at 3 for $7.49 (a buy 1, get 2 free deal).  It would have been sweeter with another coupon on top, but alas I did not have one.  So I know we are going to need more laundry detergent in the near future, I keep that in the back of my mind as I'm out looking for deals.  I saw that deal & stocked up because 96 loads can last us at least 8 months (I do about 3 loads of laundry a week).  So the point of this is to buy what you need when you need it.  Do I care that I got Arm & Hammer and not Tide? Nope, we don't have sensitive skin nor do we notice the change in any sort of way from different brands.  Same sort of thing with toothpaste & tooth brushes - if you find a really good sale & are down enough in that department to justify picking up a few, do it.  I try to have no more that 3 things depending on the size.  Ain't no body got room for a serious stock pile (but if you do, go for it!)  Toothpaste is small so 3 items take up no space while detergent can be bulky so 3 things might end up being too much.

Buy what you need when you need it (part 2) - Don't buy 3 of a product you tend to change up often.  I bought Pantene shampoo on a great sale once right before I decided to try out Suave Moroccan Infusion line and now I have a whole bunch of shampoo that I don't want to use because I have a new favorite.  Same with face wash - I'm getting bored of my L'Oreal Youth Code collection but I have 2 other face washes I need to use and I don't want to because I want to try something new.  The other side of this is you can always donate anything unopened through your church or other group that may collect for a shelter.  Along the same lines - if you have 3 of something but want to try something new, try with all your might to use it all up before you migrate.  You might also find that you won't get a bang up deal all the time when you wait around to buy what you need but try to double up coupons and purchase the smaller item to save the most, shop with your rewards (like CVS Extra Bucks), and keep in mind when you'll need to be looking for this item again.

Clip coupons for what you need - Don't need any cat food? Then don't select clip all on coupons.com because you'll be printing for days.  Take the time to clip things you are thinking you will need & keep in mind what you'll be in search of over the next month or so.  Keep a mental list or an actual list...doesn't matter, but clip what you need & not everything.  It's always nice to have extra coupons on hand for Advil and the like as you may need to run out and get some randomly.  Think a tummy ache with no Pepto or suddenly sick with no NyQuil.  It doesn't hurt to save even a little bit.

You don't have to use a coupon (part 1) - Just because you have one doesn't mean you have to use it.  Along the same lines as part 1 & 2 above - I have a $2.00 off two Head & Shoulders shampoo which both of us use sometimes.  We are nearly out with only half of a back up bottle (don't ask me how that happened) so it's time to start looking for a good deal.  While I'm writing this, CVS has Head & Shoulder's as 2 for $10 so with that coupon it brings it down to $8.  Well the CVS brand shampoo is something like 2 for $7...so that's not a great deal.  I don't have to use the coupon and in fact I lose out a dollar when it comes to overall savings.  That Head & Shoulders coupon is good for another month or so, so if & when I find a better deal I can use it.  But until then we are set on a back up there's no need to waste a dollar.

You don't have to use a coupon (part 2) - Stacking generic store coupons - like $3 off $15 in beauty type of coupons - may help get a store brand product for free.  For example, I have a $1.10 off of an Olay body wash but I got the CVS brand for free using a CVS $1 off $$ body wash or shower gel coupon + a $5 Extra Buck reward.  That brought the $5.99 CVS body wash down to free when I would have paid something like $3 for the Olay brand.  That was a good price to grab another & use the coupon before it expired.  Sooooo I guess if you can use a coupon you should - but only if it's going to be awesome.

Mix & match BOGO sales - If you can mix & match your BOGO sales so you aren't stocking up on too many of one thing.  A good example is with the CVS beauty department.  Often they will have a sale where Maybelline, Revlon, & Almay are buy one, get one 50% off.  Look carefully but usually that means you can pick up one Maybelline and one Revlon item & get the lesser one 50% off.  I did this in Meijer the other day - knowing I need more Suave conditioner I picked up a large Suave conditioner & dry shampoo along with a Pantene hairspray because the deal was buy 2 of any Suave or Pantene product, get one free.  I use conditioner a lot so I got the big bottle.  I don't have any more dry shampoo.  And I find my self needing hair spray again but not too often so I picked up the smaller bottle of hair spray.  That meant my hair spray was free.  By mixing & matching and buying the sizes/quantities you need you'll never be over purchasing.

So those are a few tips I have on couponing & saving without stock piling.  If you think you need a garage full of paper towels then do it but even saving 20% on something is worth it, in my opinion as I don't have room for floor to ceiling paper towels in my garage.

How do you save money on everyday items?

xoxo, Moe

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I'm A (New) CVS Couponer // Saving Money on Drug Store Make Up

Do you ever have something hit you and all of a sudden you're all over it?  Like it's suddenly the best thing since sliced bread & you don't know why you've never been into in before?  Well recently that happened with CVS coupons.  Now, my favorite drugstore is Walgreens...no real idea why.  I attribute it to like the feeling I have when it comes to Coke over Pepsi (definitely Coke) or the fact that I will only go to the Tire Barn in my town because they've always helped me with my tires - it's a mix of preference & habit.  I just feel like Walgreens understands me.  CVS just isn't my jam.  But you know what is my jam?  Saving money.  And CVS has the easiest to understand coupon system.  So I'm in love now.

Recently I threw away a $3 Extra Bucks coupon and was devastated.  Isn't that how you know you're in love?  When you lose something & just die a little inside?  Well, I'm in love with CVS coupons.  So, as you know, I've been really digging the cosmetic industry lately and as it goes into Summer I really want to try all the new products from various drugstore lines.  I've made a resolution to only buy makeup if I have a coupon or there's a really good deal in the store.  If you're interested in saving a significant amount but you're not ready to have TLC come to your house to film a show about you...CVS is a great place to start.  Here's what I've learned so far - keep in mind these are things I've learn as I've just gotten into CVS coupons...so I'm no expert!

Sign up for their rewards card - Not only do you get coupons at the end of your receipt but you can scan your card at their little coupon box & get other coupons (like $5 off $15 or $3 off a Physicians Formula product, etc).  You can also earn Extra Bucks if you're a part of their Beauty Club (I believe you have to sign up for that separately).  It's just pretty fantastic to get like free money to shop around with!  If you register your card you'll get coupons in emails too.

Extra Bucks are like money in the bank - CVS has deals every week where if you buy so much $$ of a certain brand or product you get Extra Bucks back.  These print at the end of your receipt at check out & usually expire in a month or so.  So literally, after shopping, you have money to spend on your next trip.  You can maximize your Extra Bucks by using those bucks on other products that have Extra Bucks rewards as well, the next time you shop.  So you're walking into the store with $5 in your pocket!  That's what sold it for me...I was cleaning out a few of my purses & found a lot of Extra Bucks receipts that I just didn't use and didn't care about!  Man...that was money in the bank!

Coupons at CVS are easy, it's not a waste of your time - Even if you just use the Extra Bucks rewards randomly & don't purposefully purchase items that give Extra Bucks....it's not a waste of your time to tear off the bottom of your receipt & save those Extra Bucks for later.  You can take couponing as far as you'd like, but simple money in the bank as I see it is not a waste of your time.  Saving money is never a waste of time!  Also, go to the scanner...it doesn't hurt to see what coupons are available while you're in there.  There might be a coupon on something you're going in for.  You don't have to spend hours preparing...unless that's what you're into.

You might not be going on a shopping spree - I know that sometimes you just want to go buy stuff.....have a little bit of retail therapy.....but sometimes it's better to buy just one thing using your coupons.  For example, I bought a CC Cream & Mascara from Revlon for $0.73 (seventy three cents) with a bogo 50% off, MFG coup for $2 off eye product & MFG coup for $2 off foundation/face product, $5 Extra Bucks, $5 off two Revlon products CVS coupon from the red box scanner thing, & $3 off $15 cosmetics coup from the scanner......seventy three cents, I'll say it again.  It would have been better if I managed to get Extra Bucks on top of that but I'm learning.  I know a lot of other couponers want to stockpile, but that's not what I'm shopping for.  I'm not going to purposefully use all my coupons just because I have them...I'm mainly focusing on beauty items here.  Also I've never been a fan of keeping things in a stock pile....I got a good deal on Pantene shampoo once & now I don't even want to use whats left of it because I found that Suave Moroccan Infusion is my favorite.  I did once buy three of the Suave shampoos because I was out & knew I would use it in order to get Extra Bucks rewards.  Another side note - if you're looking for the best price on a single item, CVS won't have it.  For that go to Wal-Mart or Target, but you can use the specific CVS coupons to get things at ridiculously low prices!

Stop in often - Right across from where I grab lunch everyday is a CVS so I pop in, scan my card, check the coupons, and leave.  It's not a waste of my time because it's literally a driveway away.  You can scan your card about 2-3 times a week I've realized so sometimes I'll pop in & buy something or just stock up my coupons to pick something up on the weekend.  Also coupons are good for a little while so you can totally pick & chose them to use with sales during the week.  You can even make it a game if you want!

Multiple Transactions are allowed - While I've never done this you totally can do multiple transactions at a register.  While I was reading up on CVS coupon policy one blogger mentioned doing a transaction then moving the back of the line - because do you really want to be behind someone doing 3 transactions at a register?  Probably not.  So coupon considerately....if you get what I mean.

I folded it over bc I bought Mother's Day Cards too and couldn't fit the savings in the frame.

Stack coupons - Now this might be a little too far but you can use CVS coupons as well as Manufacturer Coupons in your purchase.  I tried this out in the example above & as you can see it's one MFG coup per item....so you can totally mix, match, & save!!!  My receipt is above with that example.

So that's what I've learned so far from trying to save money on my beauty product habit!  CVS has an easy coupon system so if you're trying to get into saving money or you want to see if you don get a coupon high check it out.  There are tons of resources out there to learn from as well - my favorite place for drug store deals & info is a blog called Nouveau Cheap.  Every week she posts a round up of the sales & mentions MFG coupons you can use to save even more money.  CVS is a great way to casually get into couponing especially if you want to save money on drug store make up!

How do you save money on things you love?  Are you a couponer?

xoxo, Moe

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Boost Your Blog // How to Make (a little) Money Blogging

In an effort to tell you some awesome info & an effort to be more transparent I want to share with you how I've monetized my blog and how you can too.  This is a great thing to do whether you're a small blog or a big blog or a medium blog.  If you think you're in this blogging thing for the long haul, starting now means you'll have more links through your blog that will yield you more over time - at least that's what I think.  So here's what I've done on the blog to try to earn a little bit of cash:

Affiliate Programs

I am a part of quite a few of these (most of them I forget about, honestly) but they are always linked in my side bar.  Craftsy, Modcloth, Blurb, Lulu's to name a few.  I joined these programs through ShareASale.com.  This little site has everything you need to manage your programs - links, images, offers, etc.  You also get an email every now & then with offers to write a blog post for $5 or so bucks regarding a sale or new promotion.  I usually do these because I'm only a part of programs I love.  I've written posts for money - mostly on Modcloth & Blurb offers.  ShareASale tracks your sales/earnings & issues you payment when you've reached a certain amount.  I'm also an Amazon affiliate & you can shop my aStore here.  That means I've created a little store of some of my favorite things - I have that linked in my sidebar too.  I also link to a lot of products on Amazon in blog posts (this Kitchen Essentials post is all Amazon links!).  The Amazon affiliate program is one of the first ones I joined and I really like it.  I joined because I like Amazon - you get amazing stuff for way cheap.  You sign up, make your affiliate ID, and then any time you want to link to a product on your blog there is a widget bar at the top of your Amazon screen where you can get your links.  Making an aStore is pretty fun but requires upkeep & hasn't been that successful for me....but it's something.  Another program I just joined is Shopstyle by PopSugar - I don't have much experience with this.  But so far it gives me more options to link to products.  Many sites participate with ShopStyle so you can install a widget to your bookmark bar & click it when you want to link to something.  Some sites don't participate but you'll get a notice in the pop up window.  You can also add looks & products, have followers, and other things I haven't explored yet!  And finally the last one I just signed up for is Lovocracy.  This is a site much like the ShopStyle site but more closely related to Pinterest in it's layout.  You can shop right from the site, add products, & earn.  It's kind of like if your Pinterest boards could earn you money - as of right now I'm not sure if you can link things in a blog like you can with ShopStyle, Amazon, or ShareASale but you can link to your list.  All of these are great options if you want to have your hand in a few things.

Subscription Boxes

I'm subscribed to two boxes currently: Ipsy & BirchBox.  While you don't earn money in the bank with these services, you do earn points.  You can refer friends & when they sign up with your link you get rewarded.  My favorite service is Ipsy but I like BirchBox's reward system better.  With Ipsy you get points per review & per person who's signed up with your link to go towards 1 of 4 or so prizes once you meet the 1000 point mark.  With BirchBox you get points per review & per person who signs up with your link that translate in to credit to shop the site.  You also get points per order you place with BirchBox.  So BirchBox points, to me, translate into something more tangible than Ipsy points.  You can choose from more things.  But with that being said I'm always talking on here about Ipsy & rarely BirchBox because I love Ipsy.  I'm not going to say I love something to death when I don't really just to reap the benefits of you believing me.

Blogger Programs & Networks

Currently I'm apart of the Blue Print Social network & the Clever Girls Collective.  While I haven't done a campaign in a while these are the easiest to complete & the easiest to get paid for.  I like to apply for crafty campaigns with companies like Martha Stewart & Plaid.  Last year I did quite a few campaigns but I haven't gotten chosen lately.  I like Blue Print Social the best as I've gotten to work with them the most.  They chose blogs of all levels - not just super huge ones - so you'll get a chance to shine.  Since I sign up for the craft related projects usually I get a box of free craft supplies to make the project & just have to provide the base for the project.  There are requirements you must follow, disclosures you must make, etc but after it's all done you get money in your PayPal for the post.  Sometimes there's no compensation but the products you get to use.  I still think it's pretty neat to be a part of.

Monetize Your YouTube Videos & Add AdSense to your Blog

If you have added any YouTube presence to your blog you can monetize them through Google.  Again, I've done it but haven't had too much experience so I don't know everything about that yet.  I've also looking into joining networks - like StyelHaul & FullScreen - but haven't done much with it.  If you haven't noticed I'm a don't put your eggs in the same basket kind of person.  You can also add ads through the Blogger interface & Google.  This can be done in your settings tab on Blogger & in your layout tab.

Sponsors of your Blog/Selling Ad Space

For me this is soooooo hard to keep up with.  In fact I'm nearly close to taking the option down permanently.  I just don't do enough to make it worth while nor do I have the page views to make an ad alone worth it.  But ads/sponsors are something to consider to monetize your blog if you can dedicate time to promoting others.

Monetizing your blog can be a great way to add a few bucks to your pocket but unless your diligent with it & have a great reader base it's not an instant success.  Just like any other way you make money it takes time & work!  But I thought I'd share with you a little secret that I feel like no one really talks about - I discovered these through personal emails & through clicking links with weird URLs that I later learned were things like ShopStyle or ShareASale.

Side note: I've not earned too much, really nothing at all, from these little things.  I have a few dollars here & there in various accounts I've signed up for.  So these are just options & I'm not a success story if you want to call it that but I have had some success with this sort of thing.  It takes a bit of work & you should work in links that are relevant to your posts.  Posting on things you love & linking them comes off more genuine than a post full of random links.  Also, make sure you have a disclaimer telling your readers that they may interact with affiliate links on your blog - I believe this is a legal thing & I believe in transparency (I'm not here to trick you, you know) - so make sure you tell readers so they can choose not to interact with those links.  Also, there's some tax related stuff if you decide to monetize your blog like reporting earnings - I'm not going to go into this here because I'm no tax expert!  But do your research before you decide to take the plunge.

What are your money making tips?  Have you learned anything from blogging you'd like to share?

xoxo, Moe

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I Had A Dream Last Night Where I Was Harry Potter // On Success & Failure

Last night I had a dream where I was Harry Potter.  Weird.  Believe me, I know.  In the dream I was insanely popular, everyone thought I was awesome and, counter to the actual HP story, when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire everyone cheered for me.  It was great. I woke up this morning & thought 'Man, this it totally related to my life right now!'

(Pardon any seeming arrogance but..) I know I make an impression on a lot of people through my blog.  I know because I have tons of friends through blogging, tons of acquaintances (which I had to look up because I couldn't spell that word!), & tons of followers/readers that I appreciate so much, & tons of people that have given me tons of advice.  But my reach doesn't go beyond the magical world of blogging, really.  Just like Harry, where no one outside the magical world knew who he was, no one out side of the small part of the blogging world I am in know who I am.  Even with in Harry's personal life he felt alone & as if no one understood him.  Sometimes, even with in my own personal life, I feel alone.

But, just because your mom's sister's best friend's cousin doesn't read my blog, that doesn't mean I'm not worth something...that I should pack it all up & go home.  Just because you've never heard of me doesn't discount all the things I've done or work hard to do.  Just because I am struggling doesn't mean I am failing.

We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided
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In HP, Harry Potter saved the world, & millions of people never knew or ever will know that he did....but he still did it.  That's a little epic for just wanting to be a blogger & I'm not saying my blog will save the world, but what I am saying is I still want to do it, even if only one person cares, even if no one understands....because I know, out there somewhere is someone who is nearly like me..& I want to reach them & I want to tell them that I am trying too & that it will all be ok. Hopefully.

I don't want the fear of failure to stop me from doing what I really care about
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I've achieved so much in this year not only in blogging, but in growing to know myself & knowing what I could do.  As Zach & I try to make plans regarding me moving up to meet him I've realized that I am not financially able to do it without his help.  I am fiercely independent.  Its hard for me to accept help because I am afraid it will dangle over my head as a debt & I'd rather not owe anything to anyone.  But this inability to move doesn't mean that all the things I've done to be financially stable here don't count, that doesn't mean that I'm a failure.  For the past few days I have felt that I haven't lived up to the something that you're supposed to be after college: Financially well off & not just stable.  However, the dream last night made me realize that I've lived up to every goal I've set for myself in this past year & I am so proud!!

I took the job I have now a year ago because it would give me the most experience knowing it wouldn't give me the most money & a year ago I wasn't looking to move 800 miles away.  I've been able to meet all of my financial obligations every month since I've moved out of my parent's house AND put money (however little it may have been) in savings each month.  I've not asked money from my parents once.  I've been able to afford pottery studio time, clay, supplies, etsy fees, sponsor fees, rent, loan payments, insurance payments, gas for my car, trips, visiting my family....all on time, all on my own.  I only asked for help once from someone & only for gas.  I set a goal for myself (ages ago) to not go home after graduation.  So I bought a car, insured it, found a job, & moved, on my own.  And while I haven't been making bank for my first year post grad, I've gained tons of resume experience, tons of experience in indie biz, & I proved to myself that I can do it..what ever the hell the 'it' is that I've been trying to reach, I feel successful.  I've paid off debt & haven't racked up any more, I've been financially responsible for the past year but the fact that I've done this sometimes seems to only matter to me.  I've been able to keep my blog & shop afloat on sales, etc...but that seems to not mean much because I am not profitable yet.  Through all of this I've been able to pay on every debt I have & still use the degree that gave me the majority of my debt, makes me successful.

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.  If only one remember to turn on the light
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Now, the Voldemort I face is not being able to afford to move.  So I hope that, like Harry who, in the end, discovered he had the support of everyone around him who felt he was worth it will work out for me.  They didn't help Harry because they felt sorry for him, they helped him because they knew he was worth it & that it was one thing he couldn't do on his own.  That's what I want: Help because I have deserved it not help because it looks like I am failing.

I am very proud of where I am.  My poorly paid job & my success.  Happiness makes me happy, not money.

Sorry for any poor grammar....

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Job Hunting

Job hunting is really getting me down.

I have so much to think about paying for.

I am afraid I won't be able to find anything that pays or is let alone fun.

Working in retail can only get me so far, right?

Don't I need a real job?

This is what I need to remember

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