Spending Freeze Series - Being on a Budget Really Stinks....Until I Consider the Alternative!

This past week has been harder than the first week as far as sticking to a budget goes!  At various times throughout the week, I became stressed, bored, and tired (all triggers for my online shopping).  I resisted though and am quite proud of myself for that!  I did get a pedicure Friday, which I ended up feeling guilty about (although my aching feet thanked me for it).  I never would've felt bad about doing it before and that's when it hit me....being on a budget stinks....until I consider the alternative.

As I've mentioned before, taking this new job also meant taking a BIG pay cut.  I became frustrated this weekend though b/c, of all things, it's the end of the Lia Sophia Spring/Summer 2014 catalog and there's some items that are being discontinued that I wanted to order.  (Yes, I realized how ridiculous that sounded as soon as I typed it.  I should be focused on my debt snowball anyway).  Instead of letting the b-word get me down, I kept reminding myself that I could be having all the fabulous clothes and Lia Sophia jewelry I wanted...if I were still at my old job.  The money there was great, but being on-call 24/7 and the stress and frustration level I felt every day just wasn't worth it.  I know the Lord lead me down this path for a reason and I'm thanking my lucky stars for my new job and the sense of peace that comes with it!

Spending Freeze Series - What I Wore this Week

Here's a look at what I wore during this first week of my "No New Clothes" Spending Freeze....

Monday:

Top:  the Limited (purchased last month)
Bottoms:  Target (Several years old.  They're maternity shorts actually, but I bought them b/c the elastic upper is slimming underneath tops - just a little trick I found).
Shoes:  White House Black Market Wedges (purchased two or three years ago).  Put them on eBay after trying to wear them.
Jewelry:  Lia Sophia (Debating putting the necklace on eBay.  This is the first time I wore it and I just don't know if I love it.  It's blue on one side and white on the other, which limits what you can wear it with b/c the chain turns throughout the day.  I wear the earrings at least monthly).

Lia Sophia "Check Please" Earrings and "Chain Reaction" Necklace

Tuesday:

Not sure why the photo is sideways, but you get the point.  

Top:  The Limited (Several years old.  I have this top in 7 different colors b/c it's so comfortable & versatile)

Capri Pants:  Style & Co from Macy's

Jewelry:  Lia Sophia "Sierra Vista" Necklace and Earrings

Wednesday:

Top:  The Limited

Bottoms:  Capri Pants from New York & Company

Jewelry:  Lia Sophia "Exotic Bloom" Necklace and "Botanica" Earrings

Thursday:  

Top:  the Limited

Cover Up/Cardigan:  the Limited (it's on the left and is black)

Bottoms:  Black Capri Pants from New York & Co - Got these from a second hand store by work last summer and I love them!  They're great for work!

Jewelry:  Lia Sophia Necklace and Earrings

Friday's outfit is now in the laundry room to be washed.  I can tell you that I wore the bright pink version of the same shirt from the Limited that I wore Tuesday, along with a beige cardigan and denim capri pants from the Limited.  We had a work retreat and were allowed to dress more casually, which was great.

Weekly Re-Cap:  I did a great job sticking to my budget/spending freeze!  It was tough, especially since I keep getting coupons in the mail since this is my birthday month.  I resisted the urge to use them though.  (Maybe if I get some birthday money, I'll do so then).  I also pushed my next Stitch Fix back as promised.  

I spent the following and did so with cash:

~ McDonald's - breakfast one day ($4.29) and lunch another day ($5.60) b/c I didn't have anything at home to pack.

~ Kroger - gas for car - $32.64

~ Longaberger Golf Course - 1 drink at our retreat - $7.97 

~ Vending machine at work - 1 pop - $ .75

~ Kroger - grocery stock up - $120.65 (Kind of lost my marbles at the grocery stocking up on my husband's favorite potato chips b/c I thought they were on sale and on shaving cream since I had coupons).  Oops!

Spending Freeze Series - You Look Familiar....

As you know, I'm currently on a 30-day spending freeze when it comes to clothes.  The action steps for this "freeze" include the following:

Step 1:  Don't spend any money on clothes until after 8/5/14.

Step 2:  Take inventory of what I already have.  I know there's clothes/shoes in my closet that I've never even worn (and have forgotten are even in there).

Step 3:  Donate or sell what doesn't fit or what I won't wear.

Step 4:  Be accountable on my blog.  I'll post an update every few days (hopefully more often) and let you know how it's going.

While going thru the shoes in my small closet, I discovered 2 pairs of shoes that looked familiar (as in almost alike):

The ones on the left are from White House Black Market.  I bought them 2 or 3 years ago and have worn them once.  The ones on the right are from INC Concepts (Macy's) and were purchased last year.  They've also been worn once.  When I bought the INC shoes, I had honestly forgotten I owned the WHBM ones and fell in love with the fact they were on clearance, were sparkly, and were a wedge.

Guess I have a type!  Since the WHBM ones (on left) are more versatile than the ones on the INC ones on the right (they have purple/lavendar crystals on them), they stay and the purple, sparkly shoes are headed to eBay.  (Again, making my closet work for me versus me working for what's in my closet).  If I don't wear the WHBM wedges this week, they're headed to eBay as well.

Update:  I actually wore the WHBM wedges Monday to work and they killed my poor little pinkie toes.  By lunch time and I had to switch over to my Sperry's.  I hate to get rid of them too, but there's no sense in keeping shoes that I can only wear for 1/2 a day.  Looks like they need a new home as well!

XOXO,
Stephanie

Spending Freeze Series - 58 Layering Tank Tops - Really?!?

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I'm currently on a 30-day spending freeze.  Part of that freeze includes taking inventory of what's in my closet right now so I know what I have to work with as far as putting outfits together.  I knew I had a box (the black and white one you see below in the photo) and a cubby of tanks, but what I didn't know was how many that entailed exactly.

When I pulled them all out and counted them, there were 58 total (and who knows how many more are in my spare closet).  58 tanks?!?  Who on earth needs that many tanks?  The crazy part is that I don't even wear most of them b/c of my stomach that I'm trying to hide at all costs right now.  Out of the 58, here's what I actually wear (plus one green one that's not on the hanger):

I recently bought the light tan one in front from the Limited and I wear it all the time.  That one along with one white, one cream, and one black tank are all I really need - 4 layering tanks total.  (Honestly though, I could just use the tan one for everything).  Talk about a waste of money (and valuable closet space)!!  Guess what I'm not going to be buying any more of any time soon!  I didn't realize I had that many.  

In the end, I took these 11 tanks out:

The 6 on the far left have been deemed "casual evening/weekend tanks" either because they may have a make-up mark on them or because they have shelf bras (AKA - make my chest look way too big to wear to work).  They'll be nice to put on at night when I come home and do the instant bra-toss (ladies, you know what I'm talking about).  

The 2 in the middle and 3 on the far right are going to be sold in two lots on eBay according to their size.  I'm going to take that money to put towards my current Snowball item (on the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover) I'm trying to pay off.  This way my clothing will be working for me towards my goal versus sitting in my closet collecting dust.  And it gets me down to 47 tanks in my closet (which is still too many, but is at least a start).

XOXO,
Stephanie

Update:  I've since found 4 more tanks that I wear by themselves.  So, the grand total was 62 (and is now 51).  :(

Spending Freeze Series - If You Don't LOVE It, Send It Back!

How many of you are fans of online shopping?  That's how I normally shop.  I HATE going to the mall, fighting lines, and walking a mile to get from one anchor store to the other.  The only downside is that you can't try on your purchase prior to buying it and sometimes the size is bigger/smaller than imagined.  Luckily for me, I shop at the Limited enough that I know how their clothes fit.  Today though, I decided to send some things back that arrived last week.....

Here's what didn't make the cut (and into my closet):

In person, these stones were much bigger than I had pictured.  The colors also didn't vary as much as they do in the photo, and overall, the necklace just looked cheap in person.  Back you go and $16.64 comes back into my wallet.

This eyelet top also didn't make it.  In the photo, you can't see the model's bra thru the holes, but in person, you definitely can (and I didn't feel like layering another shirt underneath).  Back you go!  $19.02 coming my way.

In person, this necklace is HUGE.  Plus, I already have 2 nautical-looking necklaces that I found in my jewelry hanger.  Decided I didn't need a 3rd one.  Welcome back $16.64.

There was also one more necklace from Express that I sent back as well because on, I just didn't like how it looked.  Thank you $29.90.  

So, just by saving my purchase receipts and taking the time to send these 4 items back, I saved approx. $80.11 (minus the return shipping fees).  That was worth it!  And now I know, once this spending freeze is over, don't buy anymore nautical necklaces, eyelet tops, plastic necklaces, choker necklaces, or anything else that I don't love when I come across it.  Lesson learned!

XOXO,

Stephanie

Spending Freeze Series - These Shoes Tell a Story!

I recently put myself on a spending freeze of not buying any clothes for 30 days.  (I'm a stress and boredom shopper, so for me, this will definitely be a challenge).  The action steps for this freeze were simple:

Step 1:  Don't spend any money on clothes until after 8/5/14.

Step 2:  Take inventory of what I already have.  I know there's clothes/shoes in my closet that I've never even worn (and have forgotten are even in there).

Step 3:  Donate or sell what doesn't fit or what I won't wear.

Step 4:  Be accountable on my blog.  I'll post an update every few days (hopefully more often) and let you know how it's going.

As part of Step #2 and #3, I began going thru my closet to take inventory of what I have and to sell what doesn't fit or I won't wear.  That's when I came across these little beauties....

I only wore these shoes once over a year ago and when I tried them on today, they kept sliding off my heals.  Naturally, they're going up on eBay.  Before they go off to their new home with someone fabulous who will rock them, their story needs to be told.  (I mean, after all, when you find shoes with red glitter (yes, freaking GLITTER) on the bottom of them, they represent a fun time)!

Picture it: A work conference, a Katy Perry outfit, and these fabulous heels!  

Every year my former employer holds a 3-day conference.  As part of the first night, there is a theme party.  In 2012, the theme entailed dressing up as a famous character/celebrity.  I decided to be Katy Perry (a-la California Dreams).  I had so much fun putting this outfit together!  I ordered the dress, the necklace, the wig, the microphone, the pink tutu to go under the dress, the white knee socks, and of course, the fabulous pink shoes.

By the end of the night (after a celebrity talent show of sorts and a few glasses of wine), a bunch of us ended up in the pool and we swam for what felt like forever, costumes and all (fabulous shoes sitting safely on the pool deck), rotating between the pool and the hot tub, laughing, throwing people in the pool, swimming, and just hanging out/having a good time.  (Hence, the red glitter from my costume ending up on the bottom of my shoes.  That stuff washed right off the cupcake on my costume onto the pool deck when I got out and then I stepped in my red, sparkly puddle).

And that is the story of my fabulous, sparkly hot pink shoes (that now need a new home).  If you're a size 8 1/2, you can buy them now on e-Bay and make some fabulous memories of your own.

XOXO,

Stephanie

Spending Freeze - Life AFTER the Big Garage Sale

If you read my post "The Price of Happiness", you know that I recently took a much lower paying job.  In preparation for this change (and to pay off some debt), my mom and I decided to have a joint garage sale.  (We're averaging one every 3-5 years since I was little).  Unlike the last garage sale we had 3 years ago where I took over 30 boxes of stuff up to my mom's to sell, this time we pulled it together in just over 2 weeks and I took about 9 five-gallon totes of things to get rid of.

After 3 days of sitting in the hot garage with my mamma (who is QUITE the saleswoman by the way), we got rid of about 3/4 of what we had put out to sell.  Once again, we also vowed to curb our spending habits.  (Though I've gotten much better since the last garage sale, there's still room for improvement).  

With that and inspiration from my best friend, Shayla, (who has gone nearly 2 years and only bought clothes with Christmas/Birthday money and/or clothing essentials) in mind, I'm going to try to do a 30-day clothing spending freeze and see how I do.  I already put myself on a Bath and Body Works spending freeze starting in January 2014 and have done great on it.  I've been using up what I already have in the cupboard and haven't bought any new. Yeah!  Go me!! (Dave Ramsey of the Total Money Makeover would be proud)!

Action Steps:

Step 1:  Don't spend any money on clothes until after 8/5/14.  (Stitch Fix #8 - you just got pushed back baby).

Step 2:  Take inventory of what I already have.  I know there's clothes/shoes in my closet that I've never even worn (and have forgotten are even in there).

Step 3:  Donate or sell what doesn't fit or what I won't wear.

Step 4:  Be accountable on my blog.  I'll post an update every few days (hopefully more often) and let you know how it's going.

Feel free to follow along and do this with me.  Changing habits is hard, so accountability partners are great to have!

(Mom - this last garage sale picture is for you).  :)

The Price of Happiness

I recently had to make a tough decision for my life - one that changed everything in fact.  What that decision boiled down to is what is the price of happiness?

For the past 9 1/2 years I worked for a company that serves individuals with Developmental Disabilities.  When I first came to the company, I had only minimal experience serving such a population, but quickly fell in love with it.  I worked my tail off for over 5 years in the same position until the promotions finally started opening up and thru much hard work and dedication, I quickly advanced within the company.  In late 2013, I reached my ultimate career goal within the company - being a Director with my own region.  I poured my heart and soul into the position and quickly, my new region grew.  I fell in love with the marketing aspect of things and loved that this "baby" was all mine!  The region began taking off and everything was going so well.  And then it hit me - I was exhausted, frustrated over things I couldn't change, and I knew in my heart it was time for me to move on....  (Wow!  Wasn't expecting that revelation)!

I'll never forget the day when I hit my breaking point.  I was driving to work and it hit me - it's time to move on.  Not one who is a fan of change - I gave the situation to God and prayed He would open whatever doors needed to be open and that if it wasn't time for me to go, that He would tell me that too.  That day was a particularly tough day at work and I came home and updated my resume.  (Something I hadn't done in nearly 10 years).  At the same time, I also typed my resignation letter to the company.  I didn't have a job lined up.  I hadn't even applied anywhere or talked to anyone about looking for a job.  But my resume and resignation letter were ready.  I had reached my limit of what I was willing to deal with.  I also looked at my financial situation and determined what the minimum salary was that I would need to be able to leave my current position.

That night and the next morning, I continued to lift the situation up to God.  Low and behold - at a meeting that was in a completely different County from where I live, I ran into someone I had known for 13 years.  She asked how things were going with me and I said I was looking for a job.  I asked her if her company was hiring.  Much to my surprise, she said yes.  Factoring gas into the equation, it would be a significant pay cut though ($10,700 to be exact).  Ouch!

That's when I had to decide - what is the price of happiness?  Can you even put a price on it?  In the end, I prayed, crunched the numbers many times over (thank goodness I had been doing the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover and paid a lot of bills off), and prayed some more.  Taking this pay cut would put me at the bare minimum of what I could live on, but I would get my sanity back.  No more being on call 24/7, no more trying to fill 3 roles at once, and no more working long days that involved taking work home all the time - and no more Coach purses, buying patio furniture on a whim, and getting monthly manicures and pedicures.  $10,700 - that was the price of my happiness.

Now, a week into my new job, I feel peaceful for the first time in years!

STITCH FIX REVIEW - July 2014 - #7 - Julie Understood my Style!

This is my 7th Stitch Fix and it was definitely a good one!  It was packed full of color and unique patterns, which I LOVE!!!  (Kind of like a Starburst exploding out of a box)!  At first, I had decided to keep the entire fix.  However, the great part about Stitch Fix is that you have 3 days to decide what to keep/send back.  After two days of deliberation, I finally decided on two great pieces!  Read on to see what made the cut.... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First - a little bit about what Stitch Fix is and how it works:

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. You tell them your style, size, and budget preferences, and they'll send you a package of stylish goodies to try on at home. Each Fix™ is unique and hand-picked just for you.

How does it work?

1. Sign Up (you can click on this link and do so) and Complete Your Style Profile - After signing up you can start immediately on your Style Profile.  They need to know your size, shape, style, budget, and lifestyle to get your Fix right. The Style Profile will take about 10 minutes to complete.

2. Schedule a Stitch Fix - Pick a shipment date, and they’ll send you a box of 5 clothing and accessory items they’ve hand-picked just for you.  You can even opt to schedule a monthly delivery if you'd like.  You pay a $20 styling fee when your stylist selects the items in your Stitch Fix. This $20 fee will be applied as a credit toward anything you keep from your shipment.

3. Try On All Of Your Items - Try on everything they send you—you never know what you’ll like until you see it on (trust me on this one). Pair each piece with items already in your closet to try different outfit options. Each item includes style cards with ideas and inspiration on how to wear it.

4. Decide - Take 3 days to decide what you’ll keep. Return the items you don't want in the pre-paid mailing bag (they include this in your box) at any USPS mailbox.

5. Check Out - Login to your account and pay for those items you kept.  If you buy all 5 items you save 25% off the entire shipment price.  Make sure to leave them feedback on your Stitch Fix shipment so they know what did and didn’t work for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enough technical stuff - Here's what was in my 7th Fix....

First off, they add a nice little envelope with a note from your stylist about why they selected the pieces they did for you, as well as styling cards that give you ideas on how to style each piece.

I had a new stylist again this month, Julie!  At first I was a little annoyed that my stylist has continued to change the past few boxes, but honestly, overall Julie did a GREAT job picking out things I liked, that fit, and that were around the price point I was wanting (the cheaper the better).  

Here's what was in my box:

41Hawthorn Apollo Sleeveless Geo Print Sheath Dress - $68

Ezra Hailey Geo Print Tie-Waist Dress - $58

41Hawthorn Alessandra Striped & Colorblocked Blouse - $54

41Hawthorn Breyson Split-Neck Tab-Sleeve Knit Top - $48

Le Sample Kahlo Embroidered Racerback Tank - $48

Pieces #1 - 41Hawthorn Apollo Sleeveless Geo Print Sheath Dress - $68

I like three things about this dress - 1.  The bottom half is a dark color (black), which is slimming, 2.  It has a unique, printed top, and 3.  the price point was GREAT!  However, this dress is hanging on the mannequin because it was just too small overall.  (Sad face)!  

Here's the dress styled with a black cardigan (to calm the print down a bit) and a Lia Sophia necklace.  This is how I would most likely wear the dress for work.

VERDICT:  SENT BACK

Piece #2 - Ezra Hailey Geo Print Tie-Waist Dress - $58

OK, first of all, please forgive the facial expressions.  I was trying to hold my stomach in so much that I ended up making goofy faces, which I didn't notice until I went to write this blog.  I should've put some Spanx on, but I just got home from work and didn't feel like wrestling with that contraption.  

Back to the dress...  On the card, it looked blue and white, but in person, it's actually a beautiful purple-y blue color with pink and white accents (see photo below).  

Adding the pink sweater really brought this dress to life and made me fall in love with it!  (White would've looked great too, but I'm a color person).  It is so comfortable on and will be great for work or for wearing casually.

VERDICT:  KEPT

Piece #3 - 41Hawthorn Alessandra Striped & Colorblocked Blouse - $54

This was a top I have pinned on my Pinterest board.  I LOVE the hot pink/navy color combo! (Necklace is from Lia Sophia).  I know it's bubbling in the front right now, but I gained weight over the last 3 or 4 months and am currently in the process of losing it again.  Once I lose about 5 lbs, I think this tank will lay right.  It's really well-made too and the fabric is dressy enough that this will be great for work with a navy or white cardigan over it.

VERDICT:  KEPT

Piece #4 - 41Hawthorn Breyson Split-Neck Tab-Sleeve Knit Top - $48

When I took this top out of the box and realized it was knit (AKA - stretchy), I literally stood there making the "aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" sound as if it were sent from above.  OK, so maybe that was a little dramatic, but when I Googled this shirt, I couldn't tell what fabric it was and figured there was no way it would fit.  In person, the fabric is so silky soft and stretchy!  It's also bright pink, which I LOVE!!  I was initially in love with this shirt (in case you couldn't tell - ha!).  However, after thinking about it for a few days, I decided the top just wasn't flattering on me.  Plus, it had a dark spot on it that I couldn't get to come off.

VERDICT:  SENT BACK

Piece #5 - Le Sample Kahlo Embroidered Racerback Tank - $48

I had the navy/bright yellow version of this top pinned on my Pinterest board and was hoping they would send that one.  However, the kelly green/pink combo is great too!  The fabric is really stretchy, which I like.  The embroidery is also really well done and pretty!  In the end though, I just didn't like the cut (shorter in the middle/longer on the sides) and decided the horizontal stripes (especially bright green ones) weren't flattering.

VERDICT:  SENT BACK

In the end, Julie did a great job!  She sent me several items from my Pinterest page, which I love!  She also kept the pieces affordable, colorful, and sent ones made with stretchy fabric (which I had requested).  The merchandise total this time was $276.  If you keep all 5 pieces, you get 25% off your purchase for buying them all.  Since I wasn't keeping all five pieces and getting that discount, I decided to keep only the pieces I really loved.  My total for the two tops was $97.29 (after the $20 styling fee was deducted).  That may seem like a lot for two pieces, but considering one piece was a dress, I'm happy with it.  

For my next Fix, my note to my stylist was, "Would love the Cheyenne Cross-Front Short Sleeve Top. Love bright colors, stretchy fabrics (for my large chest), and the pieces HAVE to be affordable. Would also love the Nora Solid Jersey Dress, Blue/White Adrianna Maxi Dress, or any of the other items pinned on my Pinterest page. Would like a pair of bermuda shorts too (black or a bright color)."  We'll see what she sends.  :)

If you like this blog and want to sign up for your own Fix, please click on this link.  If anyone signs up by clicking this link, I will receive a $25 referral credit towards my next Fix.  :)

XOXO,

Stephanie