Shopping Smarter, not harder

First of all, I have to just take a minute to share the wealth of shopping wisdom that hit me like one of Zeus's lightening bolts the other day (insert other mythological references here). Let me take a minute to open a mental scene for you, dear readers.





It was raining...HARD here is CFL, drivers were forgetting how to drive due to aforemetioned rain, accidents were piling up on roads due to drivers, and our cupboards at the Chapo house looked a little something like this:




Empty cabinets are just about the worst thing you can have when it's a rainy day in Florida. Especially when you and your husband are beginning to feel the needy grumblings of hungry bellies. We needed food, and that meant it was time for me to go out into society, come what may, and brave the awful crowds of the grocery stores.

As I was on the way there, I started racking my brain for which store would actually work for my purposes. This store would have to suit a trinity of needs which are the following: it would be convenient to my house, it would be relatively inexpensive, and it would not have lines that looked as though you were about to board a cruise ship.

I thought back to a few, great experiences that I had had with the grocer chain Aldi. Aldi is a cool, albeit different type of grocer that boasts excellent prices for non-brand name items. Non brand meaning most of the brands are Aldi-specific so don't go shopping with a fistful of coupons unless you know for sure a product is offered there. Some stores even offer beer and wine selections.

As I mentioned, there are definitely some differences between Aldi and other mainstream grocers. Some, of the many, noticeable items are listed below.
1) You must pay a quarter in order to attain a shopping cart. At the end of your shopping, you can put your shopping cart back and BAM your quarter returns right to wence it came. A pretty awesome ploy to get folks to actually put their carts back.
2) The aisles look interesting, as most pantry items are offered out of cardboard boxes--not shelves.
3) The produce selections are typically offered in bulk--but for superior prices to other retailers!
4) Shopping bags are an additional cost and items are not bagged for you (GAH!!! I KNOW!!! SHOCKING!!!!)
5) Credit cards are not accepted.

I actually put the link for frequently asked question posed to Aldi grocers here below. You can look it over and see for yourself if I didn't cover something you had on your mind above.

http://www.aldi.us/us/html/company/3503_ENU_HTML.htm

I really, REALLY wish I had taken a picture of everything I got. But like I said it was raining and crazy and my cheap little self didnt pay for grocery bags. So I was pretty much driving around an accident-ridden town with all kinds of interesting items sliding around in my trunk. In short, I was ready to get home and be done with it. However, some, of the many items I did pick up are listed below.
1) 3 bags steamable broccoli
2)Raisin Bran
3) Almond Milk
4)Bag of oranges
5) Bag of sweet onions
6) 1 pnd chicken breasts
7) 1 pnd ground turkey
8) 1 pork roast
9) 1 jar Vodka Sauce
10) 1 box farfalle pasta
11) 1 bag tortilla chips
12) 1 jar salsa
13) 1 tub sour cream
14) 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
15) 1 loaf wheat bread
16) 1 box freezer bags
17) 1 bottle wine
18) 1 jar chopped garlic
19) 1 granola bar

I know I got more than that, but as you can see with any other retailer I would have been over a $50.00 tab at least already. At Aldi I checked out for...wait for it...$47.50. I really couldn't believe what a bargain I got when I left! It made me feel great to know that my hard-earned money was going a little further towards to groceries. I would definitely recommend others give Aldi a shot and let me know what you think!!!



P.S. The produce,so far has been incredible and my husband and I enjoy a delicious Orange once each day!!

Designer Oops! It's (almost) a dupe :)

As a woman, there are a few universal concepts to which we can all as a sex (most likely) relate. Getting lipstick on your teeth, turning your laundry pink because of a forgotten red item you never wear, and owning fifty pairs of jeans...only to continually wear the same,solitary favorite pants until they crumble and DIE. But women also have it rough in this respect....we all live in a society who's fashion, health and beauty marketing teams seem hell-bent on making us believe we must spend boat loads of cash to look and feel good about ourselves. Have you been to the makeup counters at the mall lately or visited the designer sections? I can't speak for everyone, but I, personally, would have to live off rame noodles and live out of my car to make sure I was up-to-date on all things fashion. And, since it's pretty easy to run out of ramen options quickly...and I own too many clothes already to live out of my civic....I had to get a bit creative when it comes to fashion.

Now, my friends and family will tell you, I go shopping almost every weekend. Sadly, I'm on a first-name basis with many of the cashiers, sales associates, and inventory specialists at many a store. This might make my abovementioned soap box seem just a touch hypocritical...but hear me out first :)

You see...I believe that it is totally possible (and I'm here to prove it) that a woman can be totally fashion-forward and clothing-wealthy, yet can also spend pennies on the dollar to do so. You just have to get creative...and ohmygosh its so much fun to HUNT :)

Lately, I've found some pretty saucy items at one of my favorite stores...the GW Boutique. Otherwise known as GoodWill. If you havent visited your local GoodWill...get to steppin'. Especially if you are in need of a wardrobe basic (i.e. a black skirt, a white collared blouse, a couple of books, a few decorative belts), get out there! If you don't like what you find at the Goodwill nearest you....go to the one a few miles away. And keep trying. The coolest thing, in my opinion, about Goodwill, is how fast there inventory moves and how one GW can be completely different from the next!

Some people think that because an item comes from good ol' GW it means it looks worn or old. That is so totally not the case. You just have to be prepared to do some sifting. As a case in point of how much wealth the GW has to offer...I present you with two items I found that are very close to items for sale at major merchandisers.

First, sometime ago, I purchased this really pretty, pleated long sleeve blouse from Goodwill for 3.99. I love to wear it with a black pencil skirt to work under a black blazer. It really makes a professional outfit pop and I get compliments on it alot.



But here is the kicker....check out this shirt on sale at Macy's right now. It's almost an exact duplicate but in different colors!!!!



So, at Macy's on sale for 16.99...but at Goodwill for $3.99. Hmmm..... Another interesting thing for me to add here is I also saw an almost exact replica of this shirt on sale at JC Penneys for $28.99 under the Liz Claiborne line. It was awhile ago...and it's not on the website...but I remember thinking: "AWESOME!!! I just saved tons of dough to look like I shop designer :)"

Also, I bought this snazzy little dress today at the GW. It was on sale for $5.99 and it just was so different and interesting I had to buy it. For six dollars....I figured even if I don't lose those extra ten pounds to wear it..I could give it to one of my super beautiful girlfriends :)




As the tag states, it's from the designer Arden B who BTW have AMAZINGLY gorgeous dresses if you haven't visited their website. But, unless it's a re-he-heally special occasion, there prices are just a touch out of my ballpark. Since it's such a specific dress...I couldn't find it exactly on the website..but I did find this dress two dresses that look somewhat similar on the designer's webpage. They are selling as follows


BLACK DRESS $89.99
RED DRESS: $39.99

So essentially, I saved either about $84.00 or $34.00 for a dress I actually like better than either one of those. I'll take it. So, as a friendly reminder, keep treasure hunting, keep sifting, and keep the faith. You never know what might be one rack away :)

Makeup Madness

It's no secret to my family and friends that I am a woman of many different roles. I'm a corporate professional Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Saturday's and Sundays, I love to be a great housewife---making casseroles from scratch, cleaning the house, and getting all dolled up for date nights with my man. Throughout each day, I manage to maintain great friendships with people I really care for. And somehow, someway...at the end of all that....I'm still able to work in some personal hobbies. As you all well know by now, I heart to coupon and thrift. Also known to you is my passion of decorating for get-togethers all Martha Stewart style. But one thing you may not know about me is that I also HEART makeup.

Now when I say I love makeup and cosmetology...some of you may be thinking my love is like this.

But, dear readers, you'd be wrong to assume that. The love I feel for makeup is above and beyond what is normal for any human being. When I walk into any makeup store...any store at all...I instantly feel like

And then I have to tear myself away pretty quickly. Not leaving the store in a sufficient amount of time could easily result in:

I don't even want to calculate MENTALLY what I've probably spent on makeup and hair crap throughout the years because in a word....it's depressing. I especially love my makeup brushes which have lasted me FOREVER I will definitely admit (hey...sometimes you get what you pay for ;)

The only real qualm I have with my brushes is how friggin dirty they have gotten over time. I mean...it's pretty gross. I attempted to use those spray makeup cleaners, water, and even those expensive wipes and NOTHING came even close to restoring my beautiful brushes to their former glory.

This is when I came up with a brilliant plan to find a DIY makeup brush cleaner. All I needed for hte recipe I found was dish soap, warm water, and white vinegar. Most of us already have those guys just lying around anywho!

I just added a tablespoon of dish soap and vinegar to the cup of warm water as instructed. It kind of came out cloudy looking like this:

Yes that is one of my engagement photos on my glass. I know, I know....I'm awesome ;)

Then I basically just began dipping my brushes in one by one---giving them a slight push on the bottom. I swirled each brush for about five seconds, then removed it from the water, reshaped it, and laid it on a towel to dry.

You could

You could literally see the old makeup residue coming off in the water as depicted above!!!

If I wasnt fully convinced that this technique is not only inexpensive but HIGHLY efficient, here is further proof on one of my favorite MAC brushes.

BEFORE

AFTER

Aye carumba!!!!! I'll definitely be using this method monthly to clean my brushes!!!! Does it leave your brushes smelling like vinegar? Eh....maybe a little...but nothing I can't get past and just LOOK at how clean they are!!!!!!! Not to mention, it's nothing that I can post for proof, but holy guacamole....the brushes feel like HEAVEN!! I used a dish soap that is intended to be soft on hands and I so recommend it for those of you trying this tutorial. You can pick up a small bottle at the dollar tree and my brushes now feel even better than new!!!!

Take it from me and give this method a try this weekend :) You won't be sorry you did!!!!

Dollar Days

So...we all know how the scenario: your walking through a store at a casual pace when all of a sudden you see a certain item. But this isn't just any item at all...no hooo people not at all. Cause when you see this item, your heart skips a beat, you get all nervous and giddy, and you are pretty certain you've experienced whats referred to as "love at first sight."

....and then that horrid, god-forsaken moment comes when you actually look at the price tag and your betrothed, desired item is WAAYYYY out of your financial reach. This moment can only be depicted as a Greek tragedy times one million. It's like finding out that Santa Clause dosn't exist of that the Tooth Fairy forgot you this year. Been there many a time and it kinda feels like....

So I decided to do my first post (in quite some time I might mention....yikes) on some items that are more than affordable and won't ever, evah leave you with a broken heart. These items, folks, are either $1.00 or less. Better still, they are some of my favorite quality buys with reviews. Enjoy!!!!!

WHAT:"LA Brand Oxy Clean
WHERE:Dollar Tree

In short, this knockoff version of the leading brand "Oxy Clean" is an excellent laundry additive. Add it to your white loads, especially to end up with MUCH refreshed towels, tee shirts, of bath rugs. For one dollar it beats the alternative by about five dollars PLUS it lasts for about 2-3 months depending on frequency of use!

WHAT:Paperbook novels
WHERE:Goodwill

As an avid reader, most bookworms like me discover that their healthy habit can get quite costly.However, Goodwill offers used paperback books like these from well-known authors at affordable rates. Try 99 cents per book on for size! I hit up the local Goodwill here almost every weekend looking for new paperbacks to browse. Considering most other books cost betweent $7-$10 dollars, these prices are a true steal!

WHAT: False Eyelash Strips and Glue
WHERE:Target

As previously mentioned in earlier posts, I love me some false eyelashes!!! I think it really helps that glamorous look for a night-time look for all women. However, paying $4-5 dollars for most women each time they go out isn't really financially savvy. But, imagine you pay one dollar per pack of lashes AND glue and BAM you've just paid for one MONTH of Saturday date nights what you would have paid elsewhere in one day. Also a fun fact, I have now had the chance to test several ELF products and let me tell you---they really are all winners. I especially like the Makeup fix which contains aloe and keeps your makeup in place all night! For three bucks per bottle, you can't beat it. I'll probably be doing a post on my favorite drugstore makeup SOON!

Ta for now readers and I hope you have a chance to invest a few bucks and find out for yourself how great these dollar buys are :)

Fall-a-la-la-laaaa

Hey readers!!!


Holy cow, I can't believe we've already circled back to Thanksgiving once again!!! This year has truly passed me by quickly!!

Just like so many other blog writers, I realized today I'd hit quite a lapse between posts. I've been dealing with some things, away from the blog, that have taken a bit more of my time lately. Therefore, I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things and share more of my savings and daily life with all of you!!!

As I may have mentioned ever so briefly in the past, I LOVE Fall! And when I say I love Fall, I mean I'm psycho obsessed with it. If Fall were Arnold (of the classic show "Hey Arnold", then consider me the ever-secretly-worshipping Helga Petaki.

I love the fashion of Fall, all the holiday goodies and decorations, and of course the special occasions spent with your family during the season. Fall, to me, just seems like it brings everyone closer together. I swear....there is just something in the air.

I could almost promise you that some marketing executives, somewhere, tailor their whole line of consumer fall-related products to sucker me right on end.

My thoughts as I grocery shop these days: "Fall candles...definitely need. Lessee....oohhh fall room scent...can't live without....Fall cinnamon broom..I'll take 2. Ohhh...just a picture of a randome fall leaf....okay then."

It's crazy how much stuff I can talk myself into needing based solely on my love of the season. However, this year, as I've mentioned previously, I got so much smarter about the way I choose to shop. True, I still believe I need the Fall goodies--but at least I can purchase them at much lower rates. Here are a few of my recent purchases so far.

The cutest little scarecrow/door hanger ever! Purchased at the Dollar Tree

PURCHASE PRICE:$1.00

Silly turkey table decoration for Fall guests in the Kitchen. Who dosn't need a whimsical turkey to spice up their life? Especially when it comes from the Dollar Tree. Haha

PURCHASE PRICE: $1.00

Fall leaves on the welcome sign to announce this beautiful season! Purchased at Dollar Tree

PURCHASE PRICE: $1.00

Fall floral arrangement. Put together by regular flowers from Winn Dixie and items in the yard!

PURCHASE PRICE: $4.99

Assorted batch of holiday goodies. Chips and salsa/queso and of course spice cupcakes! All bough on coupon items from various grocers.

PURCHASE PRICE: About $5.00 for all ingredients (with coupons)

What can I say? I love Fall and I love savings even more ;) Happy awesome season everyone!!!

The Tale of the Three Dollar Sweater

So in the last year, I had gotten to a point in my life where I just hated clothes shopping. No, scratch that, I had gotten to a point in my life where I DETESTED clothes shopping.

In theory, clothes shopping used to sound pretty awesome to me, initially. I would think: "wow! This is gonna be great! I'm going to get some new, fresh threads and really spice things up!"

Yet, when I left all I ever thought was: "Never again."

Shopping, for me, often culminated in an experience of trying on fifty different items to find one possibility. Often times, the one possibility would turn out to be extraordinarily high-priced and beyond my budget. The result usually yielded a frustrated me leaving the store in a huff and choosing, instead of new-clothes shopping, to hide the rips and mysterious stains of clothing long-ago.

This was all before I discovered the majestic art-form known as "thrifting." I had no clue what I was missing out on before!! Some of the cheapest stores end up having the best, basic pieces and I was so wrong to have thought otherwise. I have attached a few, basic pieces of advice to commence in basic "thrifting." They are listed below



THRIFT SHOPPING BASIC RULES:
1) Know your budget. As previously mentioned, I often designate a budget that will not hurt my monthly expenses for clothing shopping. From this point, I carry cash because, to me, it's more tangible. Also, once my budget is established I don't spend a penny more. I buy the things I won't stop thinking about and leave the one's I will.
2) Know your discount retailers. Give stores like Ross, Walmart, and Goodwill a try for your clothing basics. Know which store best suits you for each need. For instance, I know that Ross can be hit or miss with professional wears. Yet, I also know that they sell economical, quality fashionable shoes at all times. If I need a pair...Ross is my first stop shop.
3)Know your coupons. This last part is oh so important. If I could stress one thing that is the most essential to thrift shopping this would be it. With so many online couponing sites now offering retailer discounts and discount codes, the savings are endless!!!

The latter rule, of the thrifting basics, produced a pretty great deal yesterday that I must share with all of you. Within our mail, earlier this week, we received a coupon for a Burlington Coat Factory grand opening event. The coupon, pictured below, offered a $10 discount off any purchase of $10. These types of coupons are truly the best because they do NOT have a minimun purchase price which often-times encourages you to spend more than you originally anticipated.

I've been looking for a flattering, Fall-inspired Thanksgiving sweater to wear home during the holiday's. Luckily for me, the Burlington Coat store had been laid out with easy to see, accessible racks that made the shopping experience feel comfortable and doable.

I found this little baby, that fit like a dream, for $12.97.

On it's own, this is not a bad deal, but a couponers work is never truly done. I provided my grand opening coupon and got $10.00 off the purchase price. With tax this made the purchase price:

THREE DOLLARS AND SEVENTEEN CENTS!!!!!

Coin & Cash Celebration

As we all know too-well, life can be tough. Each morning, it seems, we start with a jolt. From that point forward, we stay in a rush---doing our very best to accomplish our professional and personal daily goals. And the goals never really go away either. I mean, let's face it, you can be cozied in your covers, adorned in your favorite flannel pajama bottoms with your teeth brushed and your hair safely secured away when suddenly it hits you! You forgot to bring those wet beach towels in from your car. So, now, you are faced with a dilemma: rouse yourself from your half-asleep state, put on clotes and go get those things out of the friggin car OR have a car that smells like dead fish greet you early in the AM.



Situations, like the one previously discussed, are ones that face me on a daily basis. I swear I sometimes feel like life is one, extended sprint as I am forever racing as fast as I can to the next thing. Listen, I'd love to say I stop and smell the roses every day......but in the famous words of this wise and wonderful sage:



Which is why, in my opinion, it's so very important for pepople to take some, occasional opportunities to break away from the rat race of typical life. My husband and I try to find at least one weekend per every two months to enjoy a "special date."

Typically, as you readers know, our little family is pretty thrifty when it comes to date nights out, day adventures, and even travel. However, on our "special dates," we get to let our hair down a bit more and do something a little more expensive. This is due to the fact that we are not cutting into our own, personal accounts. It does take a bit of savvy in budgeting, but it is made quite simple with a few easy tricks.

First, we collect all change in this handy dandy coin counter. When doing laundry, I empty all change accumulated into this guy. I also find plenty of change while cleaning my car or the house. You wouldn't believe how fast the change adds up! Over the course of two months, we accrued almost forty one dollars!!!

Secondly, we bag all extra dollar bills into a ziploc baggie. Often times, I'll use my change from various purchases to sock away. Also, once again, the laundry proves and excellent resource for finding those missing one's and fives. If I get the go-ahead from hubs, the dollars go in the fund. The most important step of all this, if you are as cash-happy as we are, is to store the ziploc container in an inconvenient place. I know this sounds nutty---but keeping the money in a place where you have to hunt it down really cuts down on unnecessarily dipping into the fund.

Lastly, the most important thing we do for our "fun fund" is to continually count our monies accrued. We keep tabs, week to week, on what's in the containers and how much more we need to reach our goal. Once we hit $100-$150 dollars, we splurge!!!! Essentially, the fun fund is the money you don't even miss day-to-day.

This week was a really difficult one for me, and the fun-fund hit the right amount of money in the nick of time!!!

We decided to visit the beautiful New Smyrna Beach which is just a mere thirty minutes from our home. Now, if you are not familiar with the Daytona area, than you are probably unfamiliar with the fact that it is bike-tober fest. That's right....an entire month devoted to biking. Originally, we wanted to stay at a hotel for the night. However, those bikers must be as thrifty as me because they stole all the decently priced hotel rooms. Is it wrong that I keep envisioning a hardcore biker clipping coupons and putting them into a skull and crossbones caddy?



Anywho, in spite of those meticulous motorists, we gave New Smyrna a go. The first stop we made was to an eatery called The Garlic. The atmosphere of this place was so incredible, so beautiful that I honestly felt I was eating inside Eden. When you enter The Garlic, it gives you a hint of what's to come. You are instnatly greeted by this long,beautiful garden trellis with greenery all over. The establishment is literally built around these amazing trees that have huge palms and are strewn with lights. Freshly grown garlic hangs everywhere for consumers to note. It's just really, truly beautiful.

This place has serious hutzpah. The specials were written on lasagna noodles and the menu cosnsited of a dude in a crazy hat funneling pasta. You can just tell it's the type of place someone smart takes a first date---cool and jazzy but not trying too hard.

Perhaps my favorite thing about the place was the food! We are foodies after all. My husband wasted no time in ordering The Garlic's famous 160z meatball on the menu, while I opted for the goat cheese stuffed chicken. As an appetizer, they serve roasted garlic and just smash it with a fork right in front of you.

After such a beautiful meal, we picked up our wheelbarrows and rolled ourselves out of The Garlic. We then headed for New Smyrna Beach to watch the sunset.

Now, if you ever decide to go to New Smyrna, expect muddled parking. The parking...was...no....joke. I mean there were some parts where I felt like we were Austin Powers trying to navigate the mysterious realms of the three-point turns.

However, once we got there, it made everything seem so worth it. We packed a nice, big beach blanket and laid it out right in front of a beach club. This way, we had both the beautiful views of the purple sky over the beach and lightly piped music from the club's live entertainment.

It really felt great to put my toes in the sand and forget all about anything heavy. Jon and I just watched the little kids build their sand castles with friends and run from the waves. Oh yeah, and we loved the moment together too. It was just truly the perfect evening between a very in love and married couple :)

PRICE OF DINNER:$70.00
PRICE OF GAS:$20.00
PRICE OF EXPERIENCE:PRICELESS
CHANGE LEFTOVER:$30.00

Fashion Re-Cap Time!!!!!!

I couldn't wait to show you the ways I styled the outfit items from earlier posts :)

OUTFIT #1

*=BLOG POSTED EARLIER

OUTFIT COST
1)*Blouse---$10.99---Purchased at Ross and discussed in 10/7 blog post.
2)*Skirt---$12.99-----Purchased at Ross and discussed in 10/7 blog post.
3)*Belt---$0.99----Purchased at Goodwill and discussed in 10/8 blog post
GRAND TOTAL:$24.97

OUTFIT #2

OUTFIT COST
1)Dress---$9.99
2)*Boots---$19.99---Purchased at Ross and discussed in 10/7 blog post.
3)*Belt---$0.99---Purchased at Goodwill and discussed in 10/8 blog post.
GRAND TOTAL:$30.97

OUTFIT #3

OUTFIT COST
1) Cardigan----$19.99---Purchased at Marshall's and discussed in 10/7 blog post.
2) Black V-neck----ALREADY OWNED
3) Jeans-----ALREADY OWNED
4) Belt---$0.99----Purchased at Goodwill and discussed in 10/8 blog post.

GRAND TOTAL:$20.98