Tag Archives: budget

The Problem with Stuff on Sale

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I can hear all of you saying “But, Sydney, you love sales! Literally every time I see you, you are talking about something awesome you got on sale!”.

To that I say: “Whoa, some of you I have never seen before, be right back while I go into Witness Protection.”

But I digress. If you’ve never met me before, I can assure you that I am usually blabbering on about something that I got at a ridiculously good deal. A $10 J. Crew sweater, a $300 iPad (a lot of cash money, but that’s actually a lot off the list price), a $6 iPhone case (also thanks to the Crew that I love so much) are some of my spoils. But there’s a problem with loving sales so much.

Beautiful heart shirt that I love so much, I would never have you if I didn’t tear myself from the sale section!

It came to me in a J. Crew Factory store, of course. I was there with K (I think) and I tried on all of these things that lived on the sale rack. Truth be told, I was only looking at these items because of their low price. Which explains why I wasn’t really satisfied with any of these things. I was about to settle for something that I only halfway liked but wouldn’t break the bank when I saw it…the above shirt.

Silky smooth and riddled with a fun heart pattern, it cried out to me from the full-price section. (Actually, I didn’t even end up paying full-price for it thanks to my student discount, but it was still far more expensive than anything on the sale rack.) I was so torn. I tried it on and loved it, of course, but it was slightly out of my usual price range. I wouldn’t go hungry if I bought it, but it would make me feel awkward to plunk down my plastic for such a big ticket item.

But you know what? I shoved those not-“me” clothes right back onto the sale rack and bought the Heart Shirt. And I am so happy I did! I wear this shirt once a week almost. It looks great with army green jeans and riding books for class and with black slacks for work.

If I had bought the sale items, they would have ended up on the floor of my closet, not being worn. That’s a waste of money, plain and simple. So, really, buying the more expensive item that I wear ALL OF THE TIME was the better economic decision.

Too bad they never gave me word problems like this in my high school econ class.

The Cost of Being a Runner

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I was inspired by Meghann’s recap of how much it cost her to train for an Ironman, so I composed this little recap of my spending over the past year on my tiny running habit. While I’m not an Ironman by any means, I did drop a pretty penny for a college student!

Race entries (Oklahoma City Half Marathon, Route 66 Half Marathon, and about 6 5ks- some of which were free): $260

Hotel costs for out-of-driving-distance races: $225

Food while traveling to races: $30

New shoes (I replace mine yearly): $120

Running gear that was purchased this year: $75

Miscellaneous racing stuff (fuel beans, Nuun, fuel belt): $50

Extras (race shirts): $50

TOTAL: $810

Close to $1000 spent on running last year! Oof. Luckily, some of these costs were covered by my family (shoes by my parents, a hotel room by my aunt). I still included them, however, to present a more accurate picture of the cost.

What do you think? Too much spent on a little hobby? I honestly thought it might be more, but I’m okay with spending this amount on something that brings me so much happiness. $1000 sounds like a lot, but it obviously wasn’t all at once and I save up for a while before I blow cash on large items like half-marathon entries or a new jacket. Do you have a hobby that costs you some serious cash?

Grocery Shopping for the Young, Broke, and Health Conscious

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Last month, I was able to move into my first ever apartment.

I know you’re all expecting some cute design photos, but unfortunately, this is only a summer gig. My sweet friend E is letting me sublet a room in her apartment while I wander around OKC this summer at my three (!!!) jobs. I don’t see the point in decorating a place that I’ll only be in for 10 weeks, so all my adorable decorating will have to hold tight for a bit.

My first forays into grocery shopping have begun, however, so I’ve decided to keep track of what I buy, what it costs, and where I went. That way, I can try to keep my costs down and inform you all about where to shop and what to buy if you’re a budding semi-organic/peanut-free foodie on a Taco Bell Value Menu budget.

For my first shopping trips, I went to Target, Homeland (local grocery chain), and Sprouts (a new natural foods store). I’ve spent $70 and I think I’ve gotten about 2 weeks worth of groceries.

I bought…

Deli turkey
Fresh baked bread
Baby carrots
3 apples
2 tomatoes
2 frozen burritos (Amy’s and Evol)
2 Chobani yogurts
A bag of grapes
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Laughing cow cheese
Wheat thins
Fruit cups
Salad dressing
2 pack of Justin’s almond butter
Black beans
Spinach
Romaine

Sour cream
6 pack of Gatorade
Corn

2 organic pastas
2 mangoes

We’ll see how long these last! I will also have posts detailing how my grocery budget has gone down significantly thanks to a growing trend…