I love terrariums. I love the look of them and the idea of having a little island in a bottle seems so cool. Terrariums evoke a very earthy and organic feel when you look at them and that’s why I wanted one of my own.
I always have these lofty ideas of what I’m going to do until I begin to actually do it. Once the research started, the pricing realized and the time needed, laziness began to ensue and I decided I’m going to fake my terrarium for only pennies and minimal effort.
Being a Budget Socialite, I am always finding ingenious ways to being fabulous without having to crack open my sample sale kate spade wallet. I have devised this top 10 list that can get you on your way to becoming the financially savvy socialista that I know you can be.
1. Set a short term financial goal. What financial goal(s) would you like to see within the next 5-10 years?
2. Set a long-term financial goal. Think about what age you would like to retire and how much you will need to live comfortably without having to worry about finances.
3. Train yourself to be financially independent. Create a budget and not rely on credit cards for purchases. If you must use a credit card, make sure that it is for a purchase that you can pay right off.
4. Buy a home. This is a great time to purchase a home with the housing market rates.
5. Fund or continue to fund 401(k) or IRA account.
6. Have at least 6 months worth of salary saved up for a crisis.
7. Pay off credit card debt if you have any. Start with the highest interest rate card 1st.
8. If you have children, now is the time to start saving for college. No age is too early.
9. If you have student loans and you are having a hard time making the monthly payments, call your loan holder to reevaluate your payment plan. If you call, they will work with you.
10. Think about starting a business. There are a numerous amounts of tax advantages for small businesses.
Let us know what you think or if you have your own ways to being more financially savvy.
Contributor | Charlene Bey Charlene Bey is an Accountant and is the owner of Easy Flow Bookkeeping, LLC. Charlene eats, sleep and lives accounting and loves giving her opinion when it comes to being financial savvy.
Are you the type who loves the idea of DIY projects, but when it comes down to it, you never actually do them because they tend to be complicated? Do you have a Pinterest board dedicated to DIY projects that you will get around to? Well, this easy DIY is so simple and clever.
The chalkboard memo board. I love doing this and it’s pretty easy to go overboard with it. That’s okay, because you can always give them away as gifts.
Remove the glass from the frame and wipe off any dust or debris to avoid air pockets, cut the contact paper to size, peel and stick.
Put your chalkboard into the frame and start writing to your heart’s content. What do you think? Will you make this? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
Starting your own business can be very daunting. As entrepreneurs ourselves at the Budget Socialite, we’ve compiled a list of some of the start up business services we use or have come across in our research that are either free or have a small fee. If you know of any, please add them to the comments so others can learn about them as well.
Dropbox
www.dropbox.com/
Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!
SohoOs.com
Our vision is to establish a new global micro-economy by empowering micro-businesses and freelancers worldwide with the management tools they need to flourish. First, to help stimulate and increase growth, and second, to provide a supportive environment in which to interact and collaborate with others- free of charge.
Mint.com
http://www.mint.com
Mint is fresh, intelligent online money management. Not only is Mint free, it saves you money. While existing personal finance software packages require hours to set up, a passion for accounting (is that possible?) and hours of weekly maintenance, Mint is virtually effortless.
Get Clicky
http://getclicky.com/. It gives you code to put on your site to track your traffic. It tells you how many people are visiting your site, where they are coming from (facebook, twitter, searches), how long they spent on your site, what the clicked on, where they are from (country, state, town), what provider they use, etc… It’s awesome because you can tell what is working in generating traffic and what isnt. Also if you send a link to someone important, you can tell if they visited your site. My friend sent a link to someone at MTV, and it listed that someone from MTV new york had visited.
Quickbooks Simple Startup – Free trial
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/
QuickBooks from Intuit is the #1 rated and best-selling small business financial software1. Find out why small businesses choose QuickBooks accounting software. Get a 30-day free trial and then, if you need more time, you have another 60 days to decide if you want to keep it.
MailChimp
http://www.mailchimp.com/
The Forever Free Plan
Store up to 500 subscribers
Send up to 3,000 emails per month
No contracts or credit cards required. You can link to your Zoho account to update your contacts as well as other popular CRM solutions through their API exchange.
ZohoCRM Free Edition
http://www.zoho.com/crm/index.html
Great CRM to keep track of your customers & vendors they give you alot for free
Number of Users Three Users Free
CRM Modules:
Leads and Sales Opportunities
Accounts and Contacts
Cases and Solutions
Marketing Campaigns and Email Opt-out
Activities and Calendar
Reports & Dashboards
Survey Monkey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/
Free version gives you up to 10 questions and 100 responses. You can view the responses, but can’t download which means you’d have to do your own copy and pasting. Square Up
https://squareup.com/
Accept payment cards on any device with an audio input jack, including your mobile phone. After signing up for Square, provide your address on the web and we’ll send your free card reader and Square sticker. It’s not quite ready yet, so sign up and once they’re ready, it will be all systems GO!
The Small Business Web
http://thesmallbusinessweb.com/
These guys have gotten together to help make small business better. They have an online directory of different service providers and you can join to add your own business to their listing.
Do you use any of these services for your start up business or have some not on this list? Let us know about it in the comments.
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
I put a loveseat in my dining room! And why not? Most people eat in the living room because the couch is so comfortable. Since the couch in my living room is white, eating in there is out of the question. And after I got done with my dining room loveseat, it quickly became my (and my guests) favorite place.
I found this piece on Craigslist for only $50 and paid an extra $20 to have it delivered by the owner. It doesn’t look like much because of the color, but the shape and size were perfect. The cushions were a bit to be desired and I had to do something about the height.
I used painter’s drop cloth to recover the loveseat. I liked the creamy cotton look that fit perfectly with my Shabby Chic theme and the price was great. I ordered mine online, but a quick online search will get you to a bunch of sites that offer drop cloths. (Tip: You will want to wash it first to remove the chemicals and to soften the fabric.) You can also order a nice slipcover as well. Check out this one for a real country look on Amazon.
I purchased a new cushion from a craft store, added batting and sewed a new cover for it.
Next, just fit the rest of your drop cloth over your slip cushion, tucking in extra pieces.
To raise the height, I used wooden risers so it was tall enough for the table.
What do you think? Would you put a love seat in your dining room?
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
Where has summer gone? Didn’t we *just* get accustomed to easy sundresses and skin-baring glam? ::SIGH::
Labor Day is upon us, but as we wave good-bye with BBQ salutes, it’s time to look ahead to autumn with excitement! Not only is September a fashion world explosion, but it’s also the start of fall “social season” in New York City! Charity dinners and auction invites and opera debuts – oh my! But…what does one wear to such events? Black tie? White tie? Cocktail attire? What’s a Budget Socialite to do?!
Not to worry – I’ve got you covered for every calligraphy laden invitation you’re about to get and ask me to attend with you. It’s not so tough afterall!
What’s it all mean?
Let’s start with some basic definitions.
White Tie: The most dressy and involved of the formal dress levels. You might hear it referred to as “tophat and tails” or simply, “tails”, referring to the long coat gentlemen wear that creates a…well…”tail” silhouette. Reserved for ULTRA formal occasions – think UN dinners, debutante balls, and super formal weddings. Ladies have only one option here: floor length formal gowns. Got a diamond tiara handy? This is the only time you might get away with wearing one outside your home. ::whispers:: So whip that bad boy out, sister! ***Shopping tip: Bloomingdales does an early fall clearance that is unbeatable for gowns. My favourite floor lengths silks danced their way from the sale rack to the Waldorf! Don’t miss this sale!***
Black-Tie: The most common formal dress code, though less intricate than White Tie. Gentlemen are required to be in tuxedos and ladies should don floor length gowns or cocktail length dresses. If you dare to do the Little Black Dress, it HAS to be your fanciest LBD ever…and I know you have one! The old stand-by won’t do here, Socialite. But…leave the tiara at home. Also, resist all urges to relive prom night: black cummerbunds on your escort are the preferred standard. (Did he choose plaid? Take your sister with you instead.)
Black-Tie Optional: For the gents, tuxedos are encouraged but not required, with a dark, well-tailored suit considered a perfectly acceptable alternative. You’ll see a mix of both choices on attendees. Ladies needn’t feel rooted to the floor length gown – you’ll see every length dress from floor to knee in the room. Your LBD still works, but can be less dressy, with your jewelry perhaps helping to make bold statements for you.
Cocktail Attire: Ladies hit their stride in this IDEAL Little Black Dress territory! It’s more fun than formal, and more sexy than stuffy, with elegance being the key. Nothing too formal or close to floor length, please. Gents, a dark suit and power tie are a MUST! Bright cufflinks all around!
FAQs
The invite says “Black Tie” – can’t I just wear a dressy knee length dress? Technically, yes. However, Black Tie is a formal occasion. You might be alone in a sea of elegant floor length gowns, so research your crowd/venue and make sure you’re choosing a formal dress, even at knee length. Still in doubt? Ask your host or someone close to the party planning. Better to ask than show up and be embarrassed.
A gown and a dress are the same thing basically, right? No! A dress may be any length, but once we hit the floor, sister you’re in a gown! A gown is always formal, whereas a dress isn’t necessarily so. Ever hear of a “casual gown”? A “flirty sungown”? I thought not.
These are old rules and customs. Does anyone care if I get it wrong? I mean really – it’s 2013. Pfft. Yes. Yes, people DO care – namely, your host. As an invited guest to anything, it’s important to show the simple respect of following an established dress code, if one has been requested. Still think it’s all nonsense? There’s no shame in declining an invitation. But…why would you willingly miss all that champagne?
Obviously, fashion is subjective and people interpret the rules as they may – it’s fun to bend them sometimes! But you have to know the rules to break them. The rules of formal dress lean towards classic style over fashion. To get even MORE technical, Wiki has some great point-by-point specifics. These are a general standard, meant to help you plan as you wade through the piles and stacks of RSVP cards that I just know await us you, Socialite!
See you next month!
The season approaches – are you dressed and ready? Have some formal dress tips? Let us know in the comments!
Contributor | Eva Said It Eva is a mother, writer, entertaining doyenne, and snark expert based in New York City. Money can’t buy happiness, but it buys her lots of wine and stinky cheese…which is close enough. Catch more of her stiletto clad sarcasm at www.evasaidit.com.
Here’s the game plan to detox yourself from bad financial habits and start living. oh so frugalously!
Unsubscribe from mailing lists. This includes your favorite stores, living social, and groupon. Until you learn will power to say no even when you can afford to say yes, you need to remove the temptation. The latest and greatest sale of the season will not help you get a hold of your money! Out of sight out of mind.
Identify unintended purchases by printing your last 3 months worth of bank & credit statements.Yes the latte, those cute shorts, impromptu drinks with friends, the extra massage this month. Ready for some sticker shock? Now add it all up. That’s the total options you purchased. Compare to the amount you saved in the last 3 months. How did you do? Don’t even tell me, I know, that’s why you’re here.
Check yourself, before you wreck yourself. If you spent more on options than you saved in the last 3 months then guess what… you’re grounded for 30 days! I know you’re going to go through social/sipping/shopping/ Starbucks withdrawal.. But trust me this will be worth it!! You need a system that will get you saving and fast!
Figure out how much you can save by taking the amount you spent in options over the last 3 months..
Divide that number by 2
Then divide it again by three.
The answer you get is what you will commit to saving for the next 3 months.
Set it up as an automatic deposit straight from your paycheck to an online savings account…. This way its hard to access,withdraw and you can’t forget to do it!
Ex. if you spent 1000 in the 3 months divide by 2 would be 500, divided by 3 is $166 which you would commit to saving a month. And you still get to live, a little.
5.Time for a Budget Scrub! Sort of like going to spa except when you’re done your bank account will be saying ahhhhhhh!
Now the point here was to get you savings something systematically..since we did that in step 4 let’s just see if that number actually fits into your budget. (your 3 months statements will help you with this!)
Identify all your fixed expenses, rent, mortgage, utilities, student loans, credit card bills, insurance
Add your new savings commitment to your fixed expenses
Identify all sources of discretionary spending, this is where the lattes, hair appointments, brunches, lunches and other go!
If it all works and you still have a few pennies left over then great you’re done!
But, if doesn’t…look through your discretionary list and see what can be reduced or eliminated. Premium cable that you don’t watch? All access gym membership you never use? Cell phone bill discount you never activated?
You want to get your budget to work without eliminating your savings commitment, do all that you can to keep that automatic deposit intact! Reduce it if you must, but never, ever eliminate it.
Is Financial Freedom one of your goals? How do you keep your finances in check? Let us know in the comments.
Contributor | Carrie Pink A reformed shopaholic, money MIS-manager & Chief Mom. Her taste is still champagne & croissants with balanced saving, spending & investing. Follow her recipe to true financial happiness!
Every Budget Socialite knows how important it is to look like a million bucks while only spending a few dollars and part of looking like you’ve spent a ton of money is by picking up those one of a kind pieces that you won’t see other places. There is no better place than getting these amazing deals than with your local street artists, craft shops and flea markets. I love shopping from local street artists because you’re getting handcrafted pieces that you won’t find in most places and when you purchase more than one, you can usually negotiate a great deal. Here are a few tips and tricks.
1. Speak to the street artist and learn as much as you can about their craft and how they make their pieces. Knowing how much time and love goes into making your one-of-a-kind will bring you two closer, and you’ll have a great story to tell when you receive a compliment.
2. If you pay with cash, you can try to negotiate a cheaper price. We love our plastic and with apps such as Square Up, more people are able to accept credit cards. But they usually prefer cash and would be willing to go a few dollars down for that pleasure.
3. Browse. It’s a good idea to walk around a little bit before making your first purchase. These street festivals can seem a bit overwhelming with lots of different tables to stop in. You don’t want to spend all of your money at the first place you see only to not have enough for something you’ve fallen in love with later.
4. Only purchase what you feel like you can’t live without. For me, if I keep thinking about a certain piece, then I know that I have to have it. Especially if I think I may regret not buying it later on.
5. Have fun!
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
While I know that none of you would ever engage in any violence over a pair of Christian Louboutin’s because they are 70% off, after watching ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ for the millionth time, and during a sample sale shopping trip (where my sister got her Vera Wang wedding dress for only $250 and I scored 4 bridesmaid dresses for $100 total!), I felt compelled to create some tips for attending a sample sale to help make everyone’s retail therapy a joyous and pleasant one and less of a scene from ‘Gladiator’.
1. Bring Cash. This is a general good rule of thumb so you don’t go through credit card shock when the bill comes in, but also some sample sales only take cash.
2. Maximize your time. One of my favorite sample sales has a strict policy of only allowing 90 people in at a time and for 30 minutes at a time. Have ideas of what you are looking for ahead of time by surveying the room for what they have.
3. Multitask. Pick up many things while keeping an eye on the next one.
4. If you know you don’t want it, put it back for another shopper to discover it. Remember that once it’s out of your hands it becomes community property.
5. Check items for any damage. A true sample sale will have items that were the actual samples shown to buyers and therefore might have a rip or a pen mark so it can’t be sold in the stores. Make sure you can (and will) repair it.
6. Negotiate. Don’t be afraid to negotiate with the cashier. I’ve walked out of sample sales with $200 worth of goodies for only $150, mostly because they need to get everyone out of there and also they’re looking to get rid of items. It’s not guaranteed, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
7. Have fun! Shopping isn’t just for therapy, but also the thrill of the hunt. Finding that perfect dress or bag at a ridiculously low price can be worth standing in line over an hour. Bring a friend or two (just make sure you don’t wear the same size).
Have your own sample sale etiquette tips? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
I am so excited for this DIY project that I’m about to share with you guys – Tea Storage Jars. Okay, I’m excited about every DIY project that I share, but stay with me because it’s pretty awesome. This project combines my 2 obsessions: mason jars and chalkboard paint. Now, aren’t you excited?
I love to drink tea and the different boxes they come in can become a pain to keep. Plus, they don’t keep your tea fresh. The best way to store tea is in an airtight, dark container. You can learn about proper storage here.
I decided to create these great tea storage jars so I will be able to easily label the different tea while keeping them fresh as long as possible.
What you’ll need:
1. Hot Glue Gun
2. Chalkboard spray paint – I used this Valspar version. I didn’t read the label until I got home and saw that it was for plastic and wood. I still used it on the mason jars’ glass and had no problems.
3. Mason Jars – I used the plain ones from Walmart to make it easier for writing with the chalk
4. Gloves + Goggles (optional)
Since we’re working with spray paint, you’ll need to be outdoors or in a well ventilated room.
What you will do:
1. After the glue in your hot glue gun is ready, you can add Tea to your mason jars – if you want to be fancy, you can write the french word for it: thé
(If you’re not happy with your letters, you can easily peel them off and do it again)
2. Place the mason jars upside down and begin to evenly spray the mason jars with your chalkboard spray paint. I did about 2 coats on each jar.
3. Prime the chalkboard with the side of chalk and then wipe off.
You’re done and ready to start storing your tea!
Is this something you will try? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
Recently, I had a life altering moment at the mall. I was killing time at the mall while I waited for my car’s oil change and decided to go to Victoria’s Secret. This Budget Socialite almost never goes into Victoria’s Secret because the bras, while beautiful, are pricey. Having realized that my bras hadn’t been fitting me right, I naturally assumed that the culprit was because they were from Marshall’s and had to be irregular or mislabeled.
The life altering Moment
I gingerly walk into the store, and the nice sales woman asks me if I needed any help. I told her I was looking for bras in 32C. She hands a bunch of the new (and expensive) bras in my size and like a fairy godmother, sends me off to the fitting room. While in the fitting room, there is a ‘Bra Expert’. She has her measuring tape in hand and asks me when was my last fitting and if I’d like to be fitted. I shrugged, said “sure” because I already know my bra size and she’s just going to confirm what I already know. She puts the tape around my torso and says “32”, then wraps it around my chest and says “D”….record scratch “Come again?” 32D??? Me? Petite me is a 32D? Well, this explains a whole lot. All this time I was blaming the poor discount department stores and my boobs grew, despite the fact that my weight hasn’t really changed.
After a scientific survey of my Facebook friends, it had been determined that quite a few women haven’t been to the bra store for a proper fitting, and the few who had gone were equally as floored over the news as I was over my own.
Let me be a cautionary tale to all of you out there. Do not go around with the “4 boob” syndrome. Get thee to a bra store and have a fitting.
When was the last time you had a bra fitting? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.
I love terrariums. I love the look of them and the idea of having a little island in a bottle seems so cool. Terrariums evoke a very earthy and organic feel when you look at them and that’s why I wanted one of my own.
I always have these lofty ideas of what I’m going to do until I begin to actually do it. Once the research started, the pricing realized and the time needed, laziness began to ensue and I decided I’m going to fake my terrarium for only pennies and minimal effort.
Easy peezy! What do you think? Will you make your own?
