How to Control Spending and Buy Only What You Need

Here’s how to buy only what you need.

Because if you’re the type of person that walks into a store seeking a few specific items and walks out with a cart full of junk you don’t need, this post is for you.

Source: the5ncshays.blogspot.com via Justine on Pinterest

 
 

These tips are inspired from a request from my good friend, Christie. She said “I need tips for only buying what I need in the store.” Here’s how:

1. Take exactly enough cash.

Before you hit the mall, Target, or wherever you intend to shop, make a list of exactly what you need (If you don’t need anything and you’re going shopping, you’re entering into dangerous territory, friend.)

Then, estimate the cash you’ll need to purchase the items on the list.

Here’s the difficult part: bring only the cash. If you can, leave the debit and credit cards at home. Cash only + a specific list should make for a successful shopping trip.

2. Avoid stores where you know you will buy ___________.

If you love nail polish (like Christie and I) but you’re avoiding purchasing any, don’t even walk into a store that sells nail polish. If you need groceries, do not go into Target or Walmart, because we all know groceries only scratch the surface of everything these types of stores offer.

Shopping with others? If they want to go into the store you’re avoiding, either stay the heck away or only stick close to another person, which brings me to my third tip:

3. Shop with a jerk.

And by jerk, I mean someone that will slap your hand when you reach for nail polish, or flat-out make you feel like the smallest speck of a human being for even thinking of buying another pair of jeans. That last part might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.

He/she might seem like a major jerk in the moment, but a few minutes or hours later, you’ll realize they just saved you money (Your dignity? Maybe not. But money? Yes.)

Those are my tips to buy only what you need. What are yours?

My Best Thrift Store/Flea Market Finds: Part 2! (Jewelry and Storage)

Last March, I shared some of my best thrift store clothing finds, and last summer, I posted about flea market steals! Though I haven’t been thrift shopping or to any flea markets in several months (I gave up shopping for Lent), I still have some awesome and inexpensive items to share.

And before you head out to your local thrift shop, check out my Thrift Tips.

The items mentioned are either from Savers or my church’s annual flea market.

Jewelry

I’m not really a bracelet person, but I’ve never seen anything like this, so I couldn’t pass it up. Perfect for special occasions.

The Adirondacks is my favorite place to be, and this just screams mountain decor. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea for jewelry storage, but I am very fond of it.

I love trees. So when I saw this in Savers, I knew it needed to be mine. I’m not sure if it was intended for earring storage, but that’s the best use I’ve found for it.

Similar jewelry holders sell for much more, so this was quite a steal.

Storage

Originally, I used this for storing random beauty products:

but now I’ve turned it on its side and it holds my seasons of Seinfeld and other DVDs! It’s so handy that this can be used in multiple ways.

Love New Orleans, love this container. I store loose change in it.

While I’m not currently storing anything in this, I’ve used it for a variety of purposes, including nail polish storage (but now I have my fabulous nail polish rack).

So those are my best thrift store/flea market finds! Found anything fabulous lately? Let me know down below!

How to Double Your Nail Polish Collection for $15 or Less!

I am a big fan of nail polish! It’s a perfect way to spend time alone, unwinding and/or being creative, or with friends (I miss those nail painting parties from college!).

No matter the size of your nail polish collection, I have an inexpensive way to double it: top coats! Specifically, top coats that contain shimmer, glitter, etc. and other unique top coats.

Each of the three top coats below completely transform whatever polish you’re wearing underneath. Therefore, technically, each of the nail polishes you already own can look different depending on what top coat you use!

These are super old Maybelline Colorama Top Coats, but they are still just as good as when I bought them! I believe these went for around $1.50 each.

Both of these shiny top coats transform your nail polish. For example, I recently painted over a basic nude nail polish with #24 and I was left with a gorgeous, reflective nail color.

This is Essie’s Matte About You Matte Finisher. I purchased mine at Ulta, and it retails for $10. But, all savvy Ulta shoppers know that there are always $3.50 off $10 coupons floating around, so that is just what I used to purchase this top coat for $7.50. On the Ulta website, it states that this is excluded from coupons, but I know that I was able to use mine. It is still worth $10 to me, though!

A brief review: This stuff is like MAGIC. It literally changes your nail polish from shiny to matte within seconds, and it’s just plain entertaining to watch. It also makes my manicure dry faster, which I love. I do recommend this though for polishes that already have some shimmer in them.

Check out some of the manicures created with Matte About You here!

That’s my tip to double your nail polish! Do you have any fun polishes you recommend?

How to Save: Pre-paid Cell Phones and Plans Part 2 (Straight Talk Wireless)

Check out Part 1 if you want to read about my process of selecting a pre-paid wireless provider.

Straight Talk Wireless is a subsidy of Tracfone Wireless, and is only available at Walmart or online at straighttalk.com. It runs of AT&T’s cell towers. There are two plans you can purchase: a $30 “ALL YOU NEED” plan including 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30 MB of data or the $45 unlimited plan for unlimited talk, text and data. You also have the option to use your own unlocked GSM phone and purchase a Straight Talk SIM card to be used with the $45 unlimited plan.

One of my main reasons for picking Straight Talk was this phone: the Nokia E5.

Source

This phone fit all of my criteria: inexpensive, full keyboard (NOT a touchscreen), excellent battery life and a smart phone! I was able to purchase a reconditioned model for $40 (now the phone has been marked down to $25! Truly a steal!) and received the phone within a week.

So far, my experience with Straight Talk Wireless has been positive. There was a small problem with the first SIM card they sent me, so I did have to wait a couple days for a new one to begin using my phone.

Two-Cent Tip: If you need to contact Straight Talk Wireless Customer Service, do yourself a favor and go through their Facebook page. Click on the “Support” tab at the top of the page and submit a support ticket, and you will receive an email within an hour, and more than likely Straight Talk will call you to sort out the issue!

Another great aspect of Straight Talk is the option to pay for the unlimited plan for 3 months, 6 months of 1 year all at once, also saving yourself some money.

Overall, Straight Talk has reasonably priced plans, excellent coverage and inexpensive phones. Check it out if you’re in the market for a new phone without a contract!

How to Save: Pre-paid Cell Phones and Plans Part 1 (Straight Talk Wireless)

Source

As a recent college grad (aka I have multiple student loans) with a passion for good deals, you better believe I have a bargain cell phone plan.

Long story short: Before I settled on my current provider (Straight Talk Wireless), I had Virgin Mobile for a year. I had the $25/month plan (which no longer exists. Now it’s $35) for 300 minutes and unlimited texting and data. A pretty sweet deal and a perfect plan for me, but the service in my area was just plain bad. Ultimately, I got sick of the spotty service, so I knew I had to abandon my cheapie plan for a different wireless provider.

So, I began my search. I researched the HECK out of every possibility of a pre-paid phone with service in the Rochester, NY area. I spent a solid month comparing plans, reading/watching phone reviews and at the same time, trying to convince myself that I should just keep Virgin Mobile and deal with the horrible service.

What I was looking for in a plan/phone: 

1) Inexpensive 

#1 most important essential of my new cell phone and plan. At this point in my life, price takes preference over a fancy phone, data package, etc.

2) A phone with a keyboard. 

In general, the mobile phone market is clearly touchscreen-focused. Don’t get me wrong-I have my share of touchscreen devices (iPhone for work, iPod touch). But, I NEED a phone with a keyboard for several reasons:

          1) Just plain easy to type on

          2) When I end a call, I want a physical button to really END it, you know? Just touching “End” on a screen doesn’t give me the same satisfaction or reassurance that the call has really ended.

          3) Phones with keyboards (in my experience) tend to have a better battery life than touchscreen phones, which leads me to my next essential…

3) EXCELLENT battery life

It’s clear that my family has grown tired of my complaining about the battery lives of past poor-performing cell phones, but I can’t help it. I want, nay, demand, an excellent (2-3 days with moderate use) battery life in a phone. For me, a phone is essentially garbage if you can’t use it for more than a couple of hours without charging. And who enjoys the feeling of perpetually needing access to an outlet? Not this girl.

4) A Smart phone

It may seem crazy that I demand a keyboard and excellent battery life yet also desired a smart phone, but these were my rigid expectations. I know how awesome iPhones are because I use one for work, and I know how much friends love their Androids.

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Finding an inexpensive smart phone on a pre-paid plan with a keyboard and excellent battery life was tough, but so worth it. My exhausting search led me Straight Talk Wireless.

Check back soon for Part 2 for my experiences so far with Straight Talk!

Two-Cent Chick Re-Use: Bath & Body Works Candles

I apologize for the severe lack of posts. There’s no excuse, but if there was, it would be summertime and work.

If there’s one thing I always hated, it was candles. I always thought of them as a last-resort gift for somebody you don’t know very well. I always thought they smelled like floral, putrid (one of my Dad’s favorite words), expensive and over-hyped wastes of wax.

But, that all changed when I re-entered a Bath & Body Works about two years ago. Their candles are flat-out scrumptious, and relatively inexpensive as long as you use a coupon and wait for a sale.

So, now, I have four large, 3-wick candles from B&BW, just waiting to be burned. When you finish one of their giant candles, your first instinct is probably to throw it away. But, wait! There’s a great use for the empty containers…

Anything you want it to be!

No, I didn’t come up with the idea to use an empty candle for storage, but I wish I would have.

So, you shed a tear as your candle reaches the point where it will no longer burn:

And then you pry the wax out with whatever tool you have. I used the end of a makeup brush that I loathe, and it worked splendidly. The wax was soft enough that pressing down the brush in the middle yielded this:

I saved a few pieces for my tart (aka small chunks of wax) warmer. Then, throw out the rest of the wax and wipe the inside of the container out with a paper towel and some hot water. And then, you’re left with…

AAAAAND…the exterior label peels off super easily! The bottom label, not so much…

So there you have it! Creative re-use of a candle container. I already have two empties that I use for cotton balls and  cotton swabs and another for pens and pencils.

Do you have any creative uses for these containers? Leave them below!