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Heels for fall include a sohisticated mix of menswear inspired tailored details, shiny patent pumps, and a dash of plaid thrown in just for fun. I for one am happy to say goodbye to unisex flip flops and hello to heels that are always lady like, especially when worn with this seasons menswear inspired clothes. Read the rest of this article.
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Heels for fall include a sohisticated mix of menswear inspired tailored details, shiny patent pumps, and a dash of plaid thrown in just for fun. I for one am happy to say goodbye to unisex flip flops and hello to heels that are always lady like, especially when worn with this seasons menswear inspired clothes.
Rampage Meadow shoes on sale for $34.99.
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Of course as a self proclaimed Diva, I tend to gravitate toward shiny objects. I love shiny patent shoes for fall. They contrasts beautifully against all those dull clothings textures and heavy fall fabrics.
MixIt Tessa Patent T-Strap for $44.99 also comes in black.
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The aptly named Worthington Devine Peep toe Pump on sale for $39.99 looks devine in a black patent version as well. Please keep in mind that these are to be worn before the weather gets cold enough to demand hosiery with shoes. Hose of any kind worn with open toe pumps are always a fashion blunder.
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Most of the "menswear inspired" womens shoes for fall seem to be lacking in one aspect inherent in menswear, comfort! After viewing one to many pairs "menswear inspired" shoes with the toe part as sharp and narrow as a knife with sky high heels the width of a pencil, I was relieved to find these Isaac Mizrahi for Target Becca Platform Pumps for $29.99. The platform in the front of the shoe helps distribute weight more evenly so all of the weight isn't pushed forward onto the balls of the foot. The heel is narrow but not pencil thin and the tooled leather design plus the stiching on the toe of the shoe are enough of a nod to menswear to be fashionable without being a fashion victim.
A Bare Affair, 4 piece vintage eye & cheek collection from Bare Escentuals for $44.00.
The best way to describe ULTA is that its like a really nice drug store with a salon in it whose main focus is on beauty products. For those of you not lucky enough to have an ULTA store near you, there is always there web site at ulta.com. ULTA carries a lot of the same bargain brands like Cover Girl and Oil of Olay that mass retailers do along with more expensive brands and hair care products. For customers, what separates ULTA from Walmart and other mass retailers is the ability to give yourself a better deal. Read the rest of this article.
A Bare Affair, 4 piece vintage eye & cheek collection from Bare Escentuals for $44.00.
The best way to describe ULTA is that its like a really nice drug store with a salon in it whose main focus is on beauty products. For those of you not lucky enough to have an ULTA store near you, there is always there web site at ulta.com.
ULTA carries a lot of the same bargain brands like Cover Girl and Oil of Olay that mass retailers do along with more expensive brands and hair care products. For customers, what separates ULTA from Walmart and other mass retailers is the ability to give yourself a better deal. ULTA has frequent sales. You can usually print a $3.50 coupon from their web site. By combining this coupon with a sale price on selected items to make youir purchase an even better deal. Sign up for their club card, a card the size of a credit card that has a barcode on it that is scanned every time your purchase something that keeps track of your purchases, and you will receive a free gift quarterly. The gift is based on how much you spent in the previous quarter. The more of a beauty junkie you are, the better the gift. I highly recommend using a coupon combined with a sale if possible. Some of the regular prices for items are a few dollars higher that you would pay at other retailers like Walmart, so for some items a sale price without the coupon would be close to Walmart's regular price. Of course shopping at ULTA is a lot more fun than grabbing a lip gloss at Walmart before hurrying off to buy your groceries, so watch for sales, print those coupons, rack up points on your club card and beautify and pamper yourself like a true Cheap Diva.
I remember the thinking that I just had to find at least two pairs of shoes in the shoe store because of the great buy one get one half off deal they were having. It was this thought that drove me to reach up and grab for a shoebox sandwiched between other shoe boxes stacked slightly out of my reach. The shoeboxes came tumbling down in an avalanche that almost hit passing shoppers. The other shoppers were gracious, but I was mortified and I knew I had a problem. What possessed me to grab for a style of shoes I didn’t even like that much and embarrass myself in public? I didn’t love the shoes I was reaching for, I was just afraid of missing out on a good deal and I was willing to spend over 50 bucks on shoes that I didn’t really want or need just so I could take advantage of this “good deal“. I decided to pass on the shoes and save my $50.00 for something I really wanted. Read the rest of this article.
I remember the thinking that I just had to find at least two pairs of shoes in the shoe store because of the great buy one get one half off deal they were having. It was this thought that drove me to reach up and grab for a shoebox sandwiched between other shoe boxes stacked slightly out of my reach. The shoeboxes came tumbling down in an avalanche that almost hit passing shoppers. The other shoppers were gracious, but I was mortified and I knew I had a problem. What possessed me to grab for a style of shoes I didn’t even like that much and embarrass myself in public? I didn’t love the shoes I was reaching for, I was just afraid of missing out on a good deal and I was willing to spend over 50 bucks on shoes that I didn’t really want or need just so I could take advantage of this “good deal“. I decided to pass on the shoes and save my $50.00 for something I really wanted.
One of the strongest emotions behind shopping mistakes is fear. Fear of missing out on a good deal or bargain causes otherwise savvy shoppers to overlook doing the math on the bargain to see if it really is a good deal or seriously question if the item is necessary, or even really wanted. Get past this fear, do the math and question why you are buying this item. Remember it is better in the long run to spend a few extra dollars on something you love than to get a bargain that feels like you settled for less.
Feeling compelled to buy something because of circumstances is another shopping mistake. Emotions like frustration when you have very little time and are getting more and more frustrated at the prospect of leaving the store empty handed. It feels like failure to leave empty handed so you buy something just to make the trip feel like it wasn’t a total waste of time. Calm down, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it is better to waste only your time than to waste both time and money.
Satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment can come into play when taking advantage of coupons & sales. Buying something on sale or using a coupon can make you feel like a smart shopper. I once saw a bottle of 32 oz. mouthwash on sale and I almost bought it. I stopped when I saw that if I bought two bottles of 16 oz. mouthwash of the exact same brand and flavor at regular price it would be cheaper than buying one bottle at the sale price. Retailers expect customers to be so distracted by the sale sign and assume it was a good deal. Want to feel really smart? Pay more attention to prices and less attention to sale signs.
Before you whip out your wallet take a moment and think about why you are spending money on this item. Look at you motivation and buy things only for the right reasons. Let go of the fear and keep in mind that if you don’t get seduced into buying things you don’t really want, you will have money to spend when something your really love comes along.
These mirror displays from Potterybarn.com demonstrate how grouping similar home decor accesssories together creates a greater impact than one stylish mirror hanging by it's lonely self. You will notice in the picture on the left how the mirrors reflect a window, bringing a sense of the outdoors inside. Before hanging a mirror, stand in front of the spot that the mirror will be facing and look at what the mirror will be reflecting. A mirror's refection can visually open up the space if it is reflecting a blank wall or window, or it can visually add more clutter if it faces a bookcase filled with lots of stuff for example.
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Amazon.com Be Yourself Wall Mirror for $34.95 is a mirror with a message. The message of "Be yourself, live life with no regrets" insures that there will always be something positive to gaze at in your reflection even on bad hair days.
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The rich gold frame of this Victoria Hagan Chloe Mirror for $29.99, reminds me of links in a piece of jewelry. The deeper shade of gold and burnished look of the frame contrasts and balances out the brightness and shinyness of the silver mirror. Shiny objects work better if they are surrouned by less reflective textures like the frame on this mirror, or a wall painted in a neutral shade in a nonglossy paint.
These mirror displays from Potterybarn.com demonstrate how grouping similar home decor accesssories together creates a greater impact than one stylish mirror hanging by it's lonely self. You will notice in the picture on the left how the mirrors reflect a window, bringing a sense of the outdoors inside. Before hanging a mirror, stand in front of the spot that the mirror will be facing and look at what the mirror will be reflecting. A mirror's refection can visually open up the space if it is reflecting a blank wall or window, or it can visually add more clutter if it faces a bookcase filled with lots of stuff for example. Read the rest of this article.
As much as I like to think of myself as a well mannered considerate person, there is one kind of invitation I never bother to R.S.V.P. to. The plug a product party. You know the ones I’m talking about. The Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Tupperware in home infomercials that try to pass themselves off as a social occasion.
Before an onslaught of promoters pelt me with overstocked merchandise, let me clarify a few things. I have the utmost respect for how Mary Kay and other home based businesses have given economic opportunities to countless women. I love pretty things and have nothing against people selling a product and making an honest living. I just don’t consider a glorified sales pitch a party. I don’t care if it slices, dices and makes Martha Stewart weep with envy, a live infomercial is not a real party.
Mutual indifference usually prevents me from socializing with coworkers and !yet I have had coworkers who never asked my out for lunch or encouraged any other kind of social activity outside work present me with a postcard for a product “party”. The corporate mass printed postcard conveys all the warmth a intimacy of newspaper coupons. The difference between the two is that I wouldn’t throw a perfectly good coupon away. If the invitation comes from a casual friend who never offers to have parties at her home unless she is selling a product I react the same. The message is clear. It’s not worth her time to clean her home and do all the prep work for a party just to enjoy the company of others, the payoff for her efforts has to be financial, not social.
Avoiding selling “parties” altogether leaves me with more money to spend on wine and potluck dishes for real parties where the hostesses is gracious enough to throw a party without trying to sell something. I do enjoy a good party and I will happily arrive at a party with a sunny disposition and a side dish, just don’t ask me to bring my checkbook.
As much as I like to think of myself as a well mannered considerate person, there is one kind of invitation I never bother to R.S.V.P. to. The plug a product party. You know the ones I’m talking about. The Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Tupperware in home infomercials that try to pass themselves off as a social occasion.
Before an onslaught of promoters pelt me with overstocked merchandise, let me clarify a few things. I have the utmost respect for how Mary Kay and other home based businesses have given economic opportunities to countless women. I love pretty things and have nothing against people selling a product and making an honest living. I just don’t consider a glorified sales pitch a party. I don’t care if it slices, dices and makes Martha Stewart weep with envy, a live infomercial is not a real party. Read the rest of this article.
No time to read? Many books, including Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny by Suze Orman are available on CD.
For many busy readers the only thing harder than finding time to attend a book club meeting is finding time to read the assigned book. What started out as a great way for people with a common love of books to socialize can easily turn into a pressure filled ordeal with readers struggling to finish the assigned 400 word literary opus shortly before the meeting. The hostess has the added responsibility of cleaning house and providing refreshments for book club members. Read the rest of this article.
No time to read? Many books, including Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny by Suze Orman are available on CD.
For many busy readers the only thing harder than finding time to attend a book club meeting is finding time to read the assigned book. What started out as a great way for people with a common love of books to socialize can easily turn into a pressure filled ordeal with readers struggling to finish the assigned 400 word literary opus shortly before the meeting. The hostess has the added responsibility of cleaning house and providing refreshments for book club members.
It’s time to put that 10 pound behemoth of a book down and introduce some time saving tactics into your book club. First, get out of the house. Give the hostess a break and meet at coffee houses, tea shops, etc. anywhere that can provide a quiet atmosphere and some light snacks and refreshments. Have the “hostess” email members at least a week in advance with the time and location. Be sure to start the meeting at least an hour and a half before the coffee shop closes. A 7:30 meeting time at a coffee shop that closes at 9:00 guarantees you won’t be cornered by the group chatterbox until the late hours.
Short stories exist in just about every genre of book. Find an anthology, a collection of short stories, in the genre your club enjoys reading and read one short story a month. Members should be able to read the story in one sitting and they will save money by having to buy fewer books since each book contains a collection of stories. Short stories can also be found in magazines and online.
A book club doesn't have to be limited to fiction books. Poetry is perfect for the book club express idea. Members can take turns reading their favorite short poems out loud. The poems can be from their favorite authors or they can read their own poems. Another option is nonfiction books, such as books on finance, which can broken down by reading a few chapters at a time chapters. Each book club meeting would then discuss those specific chapters instead of trying to cover the whole book in one meeing.
For the book club members who have a hard time sitting still long enough to read much of anything, books on CD are worth looking into. Members can enjoy hearing dramatic narrative from their favorite books come to life while completing unexciting tasks like housework. Incorporating time saving tactics into your book club makes it easier for members to keep up and allows them to focus on the pleasures of reading a good book.
A loose fitting top worn with the trendy wide legged pants so popular for fall makes the wearer look like a fashion victim wearing a tent. To counterbalance the wider legged pants, fashionable shirts for fall shirts emphasize a leaner fit through the waist. These streamlined fitted shirts looks just as great by itself as it does layered under fall jackets and sweaters. Read the rest of this article.
A loose fitting top worn with the trendy wide legged pants so popular for fall makes the wearer look like a fashion victim wearing a tent. To counterbalance the wider legged pants, fashionable shirts for fall shirts emphasize a leaner fit through the waist. These streamlined fitted shirts looks just as great by itself as it does layered under fall jackets and sweaters.
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Mossimo Black: Long-Sleeve Ruffle Collar Top $17.99 from Target.
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Newport News Silk Animal Print Blouse $39.00
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New York and Company City Stretch Satin Stripe Shirt $36.95.
Navy nail polish is the new black. The goth influenced black nail polish from previous seasons has been replaced by this dramatic midnight color as the "it" nail color for fall. Deeper colors of nail polish require more attention since it's more obvious when they chip than a lighter more neutral shades. To make nail polish last longer, apply a clear top coat about once a day.
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The decidedly rich nail color palette for fall also includes deep plums as a slightly more timeless less trendy alternative to navy nail polish.
At less than $8.00 a bottle, these nail polishes by OPI, sold at mass retailers, are a budget friendly way to enjoy the latest fashion colors. When OPI names a nail polish Catherine the Grape, the color may be dark, but the name is certainly lighthearted.
I often see financial advisers on TV. telling in debt free spenders how to lower their debt. Of course you rarely see them advising people in debt because of a medical emergency, probably because it’s easier to tell someone to stop buying expensive handbags than it is to tell them to stop having medical issues. What I don’t see is advice for people like me who because of cheap living and a lack of expensive emergencies are not currently in debt. Read the rest of this article.
I often see financial advisers on TV. telling in debt free spenders how to lower their debt. Of course you rarely see them advising people in debt because of a medical emergency, probably because it’s easier to tell someone to stop buying expensive handbags than it is to tell them to stop having medical issues. What I don’t see is advice for people like me who because of cheap living and a lack of expensive emergencies are not currently in debt.
Some day I will be in debt of course. I will have to buy something expensive like a new car for practical reasons like shopping and going to work to support my shopping habit. One approach would be to pick a comfortable affordable number like $100.00 a month and have it automatically transferred to a savings account whose meager interest rate wouldn’t pay for a decent bicycle at this rate. Or I could develop a real strategy based on a realistic timeline that insures my new car doesn’t drive me straight to the poorhouse.
I like to call this strategy trying on debt for size. If I expect to be replacing my car within the next few years and the cost of a car loan for the type of car I want is $300.00 a month, then that is how much I need to start saving NOW to be able to afford that car. I could transfer $300.00 from checking into a money market account every month, which usually has higher interest than a regular checking account from a local bank, look into high interest checking from online banks found through bankrate.com, or invest in short term bank CD’s depending on how soon I expect to need the money. There are a lot of savings options out there, some of them require a degree in finances to understand. The important thing is to make a payment into some sort of savings tool as if you were making a car payment. The difference is that you are paying yourself and earning interest instead of paying for your car dealers second home. For every year I keep the car running after I start this savings plan, I have a year of car payments taken care of. When the old car dies and goes to that great junkyard in the sky, I can use it for the first year of car payments or make a bigger down payment on a new car and take out a smaller car loan. The smaller the loan, the less interest I will be paying over time and the lower my monthly payments will be. By setting aside $300.00 a month for an extended period of time I know that this is a realistic amount for me to be able to afford for a car payment. If I can’t consistently come up with the $300.00 for an extended period of time before buying that car, then I know I need to increase my income, lower my spending or become familiar with the local public bus routes.
This basic strategy behind trying on debt for size can be applied to just about anything you want to save for. Just be sure that you are taking all the expenses related to this purchase into account. For a house you might need to take into account increased insurance, taxes, homeowner association fees and moving costs. Just picture yourself in your new house watching your TV, laughing at all those free spending clueless wonders on the talk shows who don’t know how they got so incredibly in debt.
A change of the seasons means fresh ideas for your home and wardrobe are hitting the stores. What better time to get together with your fashionista friends and design divas at an upscale shopping center before lunch for a free lesson in style? As your little gathering of gal pals casually wanders from store to store, take notes on what trends you see for the upcoming season in clothing and home décor noting such things as colors, shapes and materials that seem to be featured prominently. Pay special attention to interesting tabletop and furniture arrangements in home décor merchandise, the creative way clothing and accessories are put together on a mannequin or anything else that could be translated to everyday use. I call this retail to reality. At lunch discuss what the trends are and what you saw on display that could be imitated in your own dress or home décor without spending a lot. Shopping for inspiration is a cheap and easy way to connect with your girlfriends while learning about trends and style in general.
The first time I touched this modal sheet set, it felt so luxurious I wanted to wear it, not sleep on it. Modal, a fiber created from the beechwood tree, produces this soft breathable fabric that begs to be touched. Silky to the point of decadent, these beech jersey sheets are as sensuous as a silk negligee . Read the rest of this article.
Bed Bath and Beyond Pure Beech Jersy Sheet Sets $19.99-$59.99
The first time I touched this modal sheet set, it felt so luxurious I wanted to wear it, not sleep on it. Modal, a fiber created from the beechwood tree, produces this soft breathable fabric that begs to be touched. Silky to the point of decadent, these beech jersey sheets are as sensuous as a silk negligee .
.Bed Bath and Beyond Pure Beech Jersy Sheet Sets $19.99-$59.99
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Bamboo blends beautifully with cotton in this bamboo blend sheet set from Target. Bamboo is eco friendly, soft breathable and for those of us who like a to mix a little practicallity in with our luxury, extremely durable.
Coral Bamboo Sheet Set $29.99-59.99.
A change of the seasons means fresh ideas for your home and wardrobe are hitting the stores. What better time to get together with your fashionista friends and design divas at an upscale shopping center before lunch for a free lesson in style? As your little gathering of gal pals casually wanders from store to store, take notes on what trends you see for the upcoming season in clothing and home décor noting such things as colors, shapes and materials that seem to be featured prominently. Pay special attention to interesting tabletop and furniture arrangements in home décor merchandise, the creative way clothing and accessories are put together on a mannequin or anything else that could be translated to everyday use. I call this retail to reality. At lunch discuss what the trends are and what you saw on display that could be imitated in your own dress or home décor without spending a lot. Shopping for inspiration is a cheap and easy way to connect with your girlfriends while learning about trends and style in general.
One does not become a Cheap Diva by being born with a silver spoon in ones mouth or consistently landing lucrative jobs. Not this Cheap Diva anyway. No I became a Cheap Diva out of necessity, not a love for the frugal lifestyle. Being hired and fired from a string of low paying forgettable and regrettable jobs taught me the importance of having cash reserves in case I am subjected to the “You’re doing a good job but your fired anyway” speech. There were some situations in which the quality of my work justified nominating me for disgruntled employee of the month and the subsequent firing. In any case, being fired not only robbed me of income (paltry as it was) but it also robbed me of the immense satisfaction of quitting and giving my employer the “I’m leaving this dump for a job that pays something closer to a living wage” speech. Read the rest of this article.
One does not become a Cheap Diva by being born with a silver spoon in ones mouth or consistently landing lucrative jobs. Not this Cheap Diva anyway. No I became a Cheap Diva out of necessity, not a love for the frugal lifestyle. Being hired and fired from a string of low paying forgettable and regrettable jobs taught me the importance of having cash reserves in case I am subjected to the “You’re doing a good job but your fired anyway” speech. There were some situations in which the quality of my work justified nominating me for disgruntled employee of the month and the subsequent firing. In any case, being fired not only robbed me of income (paltry as it was) but it also robbed me of the immense satisfaction of quitting and giving my employer the “I’m leaving this dump for a job that pays something closer to a living wage” speech.
One of the most insensitive firings was an office job for a home decorating company. The economy slowed and so did the decorating business. I was scheduled to get a raise the week I was called to my employers office so I assumed he wanted to talk to me about increasing my salary, not eliminating it. When he got around to the part about me being newly unemployed in a slow economy he talked about how unpleasant firing me was for him! Try figuring out how to pay your bills without a paycheck mister, that's unpleasant!
Jobs where the employer knew from the start that the job could turn out to be short lived and didn't tell me were particularly irritating. In one case, I was working for a merchandising company that had just been contracted to supply the store with a certain product and someone to merchandise that product. In spite of the fact that I did the job well and consistently ordered product correctly, the stores that had hired this merchandising company often received the wrong product due to a new computer program the merchandising company had installed shortly before I started working for them. I received the "You do good work, but don't bother coming to work on Monday" speech on a Friday. The merchandising company had lost the contract with the stores I was merchandising due to their inability to send the correct product. What added to the irritation of being fired for someone else's screw up was when the person firing me said something to the effect that "we all knew from the beginning there was a chance we could lose this contract". No, "we" didn't all know. Someone forgot to send me the memo that repeatedly receiving the wrong product to merchandise was a dire warning that I should look for other work immediately. Another example is a job with a retail store where I did merchandising prior to the holiday season. I knew things slowed down a lot after the holiday season, so I asked when I interviewed for the job whether this was a temporary seasonal job or a permanent position. I was told during the interview that this was a permanent position. Apparently their idea of permanent was different than mine because I was fired after the holidays. The explanation given was things slowed down after the holidays and they didn't have enough work for me.
My theory as to why employers don't warn the about to temporary employees because they need a warm body now to do the job and warning the potential employee that a job is temporary might lead to that warm body walking out the door, either passing over this temporary job or if the warm body is smart, accepting the job as way to keep a paycheck coming but still actively looking for a better job. If the warm body ends up finding a better permanent job before their temporary job is over, they will most likely dump the employer as quickly and unceremoniously as the employer was going to dump them.
For the record, I did eventually escape the unstable purgatory of retail store employment. I am now working in an office job for a stable company that is not a retail store. While I have been with this company for over five years and I don't anticipate the "You do great work, your fired" speech anytime soon, I have never forgotten the important lesson of saving money for the unexpected.
