Thrifty Thursdays

As a reformed shopaholic, I often am actively thinking about the things I do to save money, or at least be more efficient with it. I still have to de-privatize my blog post that talks about my history with this, but I will just say that years ago I was very irresponsible with money. I am still a shopaholic and will never stop loving makeup and clothes. But over the years I have found a much wiser and thriftier way to do it. A girl can still shop and be girly and have nice things; you just have to be smart about it. I will try to blog about it every Thursday; for myself and for anyone else who might find help from my ideas.

Todays Topic: Beauty Products, household items... in other words; TARGET

I have talked to many women who say they could easily walk into Target and spend $50-100. My sister once told me about a Facebook group called, "I went into Target to buy shampoo and spent $100". This hits home for me. When I was a new nurse making 5 times what I made at any previous job I had, my spending got a little out of control. Since we had just bought a house I was actually going to Target and spending $50-100 about once a week. That adds up! Given, I was buying essentials like curtains, but I could have been thiftier. I could have gotten something way nicer and cheaper at GoodWill or Craigslist. Better yet, I could have MADE them myself and they could have been 50 times cheaper and prettier.

What else did I waste money on? Clothes, beauty products, and household supplies. I recently cleaned out my closet and cupboard and got rid of all the useless crap and failed beauty products. I mouned for a moment as I calculated in my head the hundreds of dollars I watsed on eyeshadow (which I have an addiction to, but rarely wear anything other than Stila Kitten or something taupe-y), sunscreen that I already had, and conditioner that claimed to make my frizzy hair unfrizzy. If I knew I would never use it, it went in the trash, goodwill, or for other donation. If I knew I could still use it, I put it in to rotate with my favorite shampoo/conditioner/bodywash just to use it up so I could recycle the bottle and be done with another plastic container polluting my life. This process has been very therepeutic and helped me learn a very valuable principle:

Minimal is better.

Some of the nicest homes I have been to haven't necessarily been full of fancy decor and expensive items; they have been tidy, well kept, and minimal. I am on a quest to obtain this in my home. My goal is not to spend money on items to make my home and life nicer; but to actually use what I already have (along with some elbow grease) and get rid of the unecessary.

Oh an as for clothes? I consigned a bunch of stuff I don't wear anymore and made over $100! I noticed that the things I DO keep for years I hold on to are from Nordstrom. The reason for this is because they are quality and classic items that tend to stick around season after season. Do they cost more? Yes. But a few Nordstrom shirts are better than 20 shirts from Target that I end up tossing or just wear out after a few months (which requires buying NEW ones). Does it sound like I am trying to make a case for shopping at Nordstrom? Yes :) BUT, its true. But if you think about all the money spent on crap, consider this:

$100 at Target can get you:

a few makeup items you may or may not use but look worth trying out: $18.50
2 bottles of shampoo/2 bottles of conditioner that smell nice: $17.96
antifrizz serum? Thats a steal compared to salon prices!$5.99
3 "super cute" shirts on clearance:$19.97
a skirt you HAVE TO have: $12
Coffee at the Starbucks inside Target: $3
US weekly Magazine: $3.50
Sparkly baby sandals! AWW perfect for summer...$9.98
Maddy needs more onsies, right? $12.99
Picture frame: $13.99

Okay, what am I at? Oops; $116.88 already? See how fast those "bargains" add up? Especially considering those shirts really aren't that great, I don't NEED new makeup or hair product, I can brew coffee at home, I can get onesies for Maddy at a garage sale for $0.25 apiece, and I should concentrate on hanging picture frames I already have.

So for anyone who can admit to making the same kind of shopping mistake I did, consider the above paragraph, and consider this:

$100 (without going over) can buy you:

-An almost new pair of ultra flattering and comfy Citizens of Humanity jeans (that retail at $149) at a trendy consignment store (here's an example of these jeans, mine are a slightly lighter wash. I paid $45 for them):
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3029147/0~2376780~6009391~6009808~6009811~6012045?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6012045&P=1
-This jacket in "storm grey" (I actually only paid $32 for it, because I got early entrance to the Half-yearly sale, though it retails for $52): http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3111307/0~2378467~2378483~2383026?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2383026&P=1

so here you have a nice jacket and jeans you can enjoy for years (I have jeans I've had for 5 years that still look nice) and you still have $3 to get a mocha if you please :) The other benefit is you don't have extra crap lingering around your house! As for the baby, she will be fine without that pair of sandals. I ended up getting her some unused ones at a garage sale for about $0.50
edit to add;*dude- i just re-read this and why didn't anyone inform me I cannot do simple math?! $45 plus $32 is actually 77$, not $97. So even bettah- now I actually had $25 leftover to get a couple nice shirts from Nordie's at their anniversary sale!*
-OR-

even better yet: you can put that money into your savings account every month. It may come in handy in case your husband loses his job right before you have a baby and go on maternirt leave ;)

This may seem irrelevant if you are good with your money, but from talking to friends and others, I think a lot more of us suffer from this "buy more" mentality that plagues our culture. I obviously am still guilty of being a consumer, and I won't give that up. But since I have been shopping garage sales and consignment and cutting out unecessary household and beauty items, my bank account, my house, and my husband have been MUCH happier.

Next topic:
Costco: Thrifty Friend or Foe?