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:

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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

How to Save Money on Beauty Products

It's official, I'm into couponing. If you read my last post though you know I'm not in it for the stockpile.  I do not have room in my garage to stock pile & I really don't want to.  Couponing for my is buying brands I want & not couponing just because I have a coupon.  There are many other ways to save on cosmetics & beauty items besides just coupons.  The thing I want to point out here is that you don't have to go crazy as some would call it to save a few bucks.  Saving even a $1 is worth it to me.  Also, there's no need to spend all the time in the world clipping coupons.  Here are four simple ways to save money with out spending 30 hours a week doing it.

Shop at CVS - of course this would be my first suggestion!  For me CVS has the best & easiest to understand coupon program.  Sign up for their rewards card & sign up for the beauty club.  In their beauty club you earn $5 bucks for every $50 you spend.  Free. Money. Right. There.  Not really, but you get what I mean.  The main point of using CVS is that you can get Extra Bucks rewards when you purchase a certain amount of certain products then you can use those Extra Bucks on your next shopping trip.  Also, scan your rewards card or enter your phone number at the big red coupon box to see what kinds of coupons spit out for you.  You might find a coupon for something you're looking for. 

Clip Coupons in Bed - So you know how you put off sleep when your in bed by booping around on your phone.  Or your dicking around on your tablet while watching Law & Order, right?  Go to coupons.com & clip coupons while you're not paying attention to the episode you're watching.  Then you can email them to yourself to print later.  It's also super simple if you have a wireless printer - click on your email, print your coupons, press Next Episode on your Netflix and you're done.  You can also see if your favorite grocery store has an online coupon app.  Our Meijer does and that helps with coupons as well.  I just sit & clip from my phone.  The coupons register to my phone number & when I check out they apply.  I was told however that since those are MFG coupons that you may not be able to use more than one coupon if you buy more than one of the same item.  Haven't tried it yet...but I will!

Use Ebates when shopping online - It's not a joke that this site is awesome.  There's an app for both your phone & tablet (at least for my Apple gadgets).  Ebates works by giving you a percentage back for shopping online at your favorite stores.  If you're on your computer simply go to the ebates website, search for the store you want, click on it & the cash back is activated.  The apps will notify you of special cash back offers and often Sephora & Ulta will have double cash back offers running.  Once you shop, ebates calculates your cash back & issues it to your account.  Then you're able to get your cash back payments issued every 3 months (more info here).

Keep checking Dollar Tree & Big Lots - A lot of the times you'll find recently discontinued products or even over stock products at these retailers.  Recently I found a bunch of the L'Oreal Color Riche Caresse lipsticks for $4.  Of course these are/were a part of the CVS beauty clearance at 50% off this year so you could use CVS coupons to get them even cheaper....but it's still an option.  You can also sometimes find older discontinued products at Big Lots & Dollar Tree too.  A tip for both stores though: don't be afraid to dig!  Big Lots often has bins of make up that you'll have to dig through to find the gems.  Watch out for open lipstick & spilled cosmetics...but dig, girl dig!  Dollar Tree is a bit more organized as often things are hanging from cards on pegs.  But the pegs can be like 5 inches long so flip through until you find what you need!

These are my top tips for saving money on beauty products!  I keep these in mind all the time when I'm out & about or wanting to shop online.  Checking the deals at CVS also helps me plan around what to be on the look out for to spend my Extra Bucks.

How do you pinch pennies when it comes to beauty products?

xoxo, Moe

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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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Hasta Barista

So while looking for money saving tips, I got sick of reading article after article that told me not to spend money on my daily coffee.

This frustrated me a bit because, I can get coffee, from my work, for free.

I haven't purchased a frothy, foamy cafe whatever in ages.

source

I have a love affair with mason jars

Why? Because I am freaking poor!

I have too much to save for & pay for that I can't afford to use anything but el cheapo coffee.

In fact I am sipping on it right now.

anyway you can find some close to Starbucks recipes here

So for the lack of better budgeting, saving, & other important tips, here are mine:

If you have graduated or will graduate soon (or even next year) start out by saving your money.

open a savings account & try not to use it.

-save your graduation money.

thats all I asked for & I've put it away to help pay the expenses of starting off on my own.

-write out all your expenses & compare them towards your monthly income

Make a list and make sure you are bringing in enough during the month to cover your basic needs.

rent, utilities, phone, gas, food, internet, cable, car payments, credit card, student loan repayment

-there are things you can get by with out

you don't need the latest phone, you don't need cable, you don't need a new car.

The money you are spending towards these things you can put into savings

just in case your car breaks down, or there is another emergency.

-spend as little as you can on groceries but still eat well

I love the new my plate recommendations from the USDA.

this is a great guideline for eating well. It is easy & works great on a budget.

While you may need to sacrifice your gourmet habits (if you're like me you have none)

to satisfy your hunger but you can totally eat healthy for cheap.

The goal is to stay healthy & not eat those cheapo things with sodium 

like ramen, oodles of noodles, & soups 

I try to spend $100 a month on food - about $50 every two weeks.

However, I try to get away with $40 & put that other $10 away.

Anyway, you can use the my plate guide to organize meals.

one - buy generic

two - shop the sales, use coupons, make sure the deal is right

three - shop discount stores

four - buy canned veggies & fruit instead of fresh (they still count)

Once you get on your feet you can afford those fresh things again.

-apply for food stamps

if you qualify, there is no reason not to use them to get on your feet after graduation.

If you are like me & pride yourself in paying your own way,

you can still do so because these programs are here for those who need it!

- stay on your parents phone bill

If they don't mind that is.  Pay them what they pay for your added line.

If they say 'nope, get your own bill!' get a track phone.

From what I understand they have cool ones & if they don't

you're trying to pay bills, not look cool anyway. 

-write down when you will pay each bill

In my planner, I have written down when I will fill up with gas,

when I will buy food, when my rent money is due, when to get my oil changed, 

when my car insurance is due.

-get away from a 'stuff' mentality

You don't really need those shoes, that shirt, etc.

if you do...go to the thrift store.  Become a thrifter -- its a fun hobby!

-finally, take out a little for you each month

If you can afford it, take out a little bit of money from your paycheck each month

$20, $30, $40 or so to put away for yourself later.

put it in an envelope with your bills, on your desk, etc.

--its like saving up for a rainy day--

Use it to treat yourself, but try to stretch it out.

compile a little spending money over the month, combine it with next month, etc.

What do you do to save each month?  How do you afford what you want to do?

ps.  You can also find some great post grad inspiration from Megan over at Freckled Italian, Victoria from Be One of a Kind, & Hayley from The Weekend File.

Megan has load of spoil yourself recipes, Victoria has a bunch of DIY inspiration, & grab some outfit inspiration from Hayley 

PS. Don't forget to check out the link parties in the Side Bar or click here!