Tag Archives: saving money

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.

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…