Tag Archives: ballin on a budget

Mar5

Monday Update: Groovy Movies Edition

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Monday Update: Groovy Movies Edition

Hey everyone and Happy Monday! I just wanted to make a friendly PSA that Target has the best five dollar movie selection that I have ever seen. I went on Friday to browse around and ended up with SEVEN brand new DVDs for thirty-five bucks. Now, normally I would never purchase movies because they usually range in the ten to teen dollar range and that’s too much for me. But, five dolla holla? I can definitely swing that! Take a look at my purchases and be sure to hit up Target for some five dollar movie fun:

movies

I bought…

  1. Edward Scissorhands: Such classic Johnny Depp. It doesn’t get much better than this.
  2. The Heat: One of my favorite comedies – my mom and I LOVE this movie and I swear I watch it every time it’s on TV.
  3. We’re The Millers: Lol, this movie kills me. My sister and I saw this when it came out in theaters and we were dying the entire time!
  4. Beetlejuice: Need I say more? This movie rocks.
  5. Napoleon Dynamite: I reference this movie frequently in my daily life, so buying it was a must.
  6. Horrible Bosses 2: I love the Horrible Bosses movies. I own the first one, so I might as well have bought the second!
  7. School Of Rock: This flick is one of my favorites. It’s hilarious, the music is great, and everyone in my family freaking loves it.

I feel so spoiled to have bought so many movies, but it was such an amazing deal that I just couldn’t pass it up. In fact, I plan on going back to Target again soon to snag some of the DVDs that I didn’t buy during my Friday trip. How can you say no to five dollars?!

What is your favorite movie? Who else has shopped the five dollar DVD section at Target? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

Treat Yoself! Burrito Binge Edition

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Treat Yoself! Burrito Binge Edition

Hi! I like to think of myself as a fairly frugal gal. Yes, I like to shop – but I always try to score the best deals and get the most bang for my buck. One way that I try to optimize my savings is by being cautious about getting fast food when I am by myself. I have no problem with going out for drinks or dinner with friends one or two times a month. And I do love to snag a Starbucks drink every now and again. But, I try to keep my “I really could go for Taco Bell after work” trips to a minimum.

But, last month – I was bad! I got Chipotle and Taco Bell at least twice each. I also went to Moe’s, but I got that meal for free thanks to their handy app. Although I freaking LOVE T-Bell, Chipotle, and any food that is burrito related, I do sometimes feel guilty about eating out when there’s plenty of food that I could be eating at home. But, for some reason, I really didn’t seem to care last month.

I’m not going to lie, January was a real shit hole of a month. But, there was just something about answering my cravings and eating a food that I really enjoyed that was soothing. It was like, the world was shitting all over me, but I still took care of myself enough to treat for dinner at Chipotle or grabbing a coffee from Starbucks.

Now, is eating a fast food meal the most healthy way to take good care of yourself? No, of course not. But, damnit, a girl has gotta eat so I figured that I could be a little “bad” in my frugality regime. Treating yourself can be buying a new nail polish color, staying in and reading a good book, or taking a warm bath. In my case, treating myself was eating a massive burrito.

My burrito binge taught me that I can splurge for myself and it’s not going to destroy my bank account. But, it also taught me that, at the end of the day, I am the one in charge of making me feel good, first and foremost. And if making myself feel good means eating a burrito every once in a while, then I guess that that’s just my cross to bare!!

How do you treat yoself? What do you do to self soothe during trying times? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb17

Blog Post Ideas For When You’re Out Of Blog Post Ideas Pt. 2

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Blog Post Ideas For When You’re Out Of Blog Post Ideas Pt. 2

Hellooooo! Yesterday we talked about five different topic starters for when you are experiencing a case of writer’s block. And today, we are going to discuss a few more ideas for when you’re totally out of ideas for your blog post for the day or week. Let’s get to it!

You could write about…

A Movie/Book Review:

There is truly not enough time in the world to get through all of the books or movies on your must watch/read list when you lead a busy life. And when you finally get to tuck into that sequel or movie that you’ve been dying to see and realize that it really sucked can make it seem like you wasted your time. Not to mention that it’s disappointing! Reviews for books, movies, or even TV series are always going to be helpful for those who want to know whether to give that piece of pop culture the time of day. It also provides a hub for those who want to dish their opinions, as well. This is an excellent topic to focus on if you are a book worm or the film critic of your friends.

Your Favorite Songs/Bands:

It’s always fun to be introduced to new music. Not only that, but it’s interesting to see what your favorite blogging friends like to listen to when they’re making the commute to work. Use a post to highlight your all time favorite tunes or describe a concert that you went to recently. I’m sure that many of you revel in the chances to show your friends your favorite bands, so why not do the same on your page? Music posts are a great way to tell your readers more about yourself and starts great conversation in the comments, too!

Your Workout Regime:

Fitness will always be a hot trending topic, as most of us try to live a healthy lifestyle and try to incorporate some form of working out into our week. It doesn’t matter what level your workout is at. You could do the bare minimum or be a body builder, but there will always be someone who is right there with you and could benefit from your tips. New Year’s Resolutions are definitely still relevant, especially as some might be slowing down with their goals to get in better shape. Use your post for the day to help motivate those that are in the resolution slump or just beginning their fitness journey – it could help change someone’s life.

Crafting/DIY:

Pinterest will always be the mecca of all things DIY, but that doesn’t mean that your blog can’t become the next crafting hot spot! Similarly to working out, it doesn’t matter if you are an expert crafter or barely scraping by on your project, because someone will always benefit from it. Tell us about the best crafting products, give a step by step guide on your latest DIY endeavor, or you could even tell us about the time that your craft was an epic failure. Crafting is a fun and lighthearted topic to write about and can help inspire the artistic side in your readers. It doesn’t get much better than that if you have a passion for all things arts and crafts.

Ballin’ On A Budget:

Saving money is something that literally everyone could benefit from. In fact, if you were to write about your best tips for penny pinching, you would have a reader in me because I love that shit! Do you know where to score free swag? Maybe you know how to coupon so well that it brings new products to dirt cheap prices. Or, perhaps you know how to save tons of moolah on your travels. No matter what the saving money technique is that you shine in, I WANT TO KNOW! And, chances are, so does everyone else because who doesn’t love saving money?!

Writer’s block sucks, but the prompts above sure don’t! Use my tips above and you’ll be cranking out new content in no time. What are your go to writing topics? How do you cure a bad case of writer’s block? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb11

Bath & Body Works February Freebie

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Bath & Body Works February Freebie

Hihihi everyone! It’s been a while since I have gotten a freebie coupon from Bath & Body Works, but it happened last week. I assumed that they had finally caught on to me never buying anything and just cashing in the coupons, but it looks like I am back in the good graces of B&BW. Since I haven’t been in in a minute to nab my freebie, I haven’t noticed that they repackaged their signature scents and I am so not a fan. Take a look:

bbwwwfreebies

  • Picture 1: New School
  • Picture 2: Old School

In my opinion, pretty packaging is a must when it comes to bath and body care goodies. Good packing should tell you everything that you need to know about a product before you even smell it. The new packaging tells the buyers nothing. If you didn’t look at the minuscule print at the bottom, you would have no way of knowing that I picked out the Pretty As A Peach lotion.

Not only did they do away with their signature scent packaging, but they also eliminated the coloring of all of the lotions, as well. I guess that’s a good thing, because they’re getting rid of any excess or unneeded ingredients – but it definitely makes for a pretty blah looking product. #notimpressed

The final surprise when I got my freebie was that B&BW increased the price of the mini products from five dolla to five dolla and fifty cents. Is that a huge increase? Not necessarily. But is a mini lotion or shower gel really worth five fifty? Definitely not. But, I got my mini lotion FO FREE so who am I to complain?! 😉

Am I super bent out of shape over this new rebranding? No, I honestly don’t care. But am I petty enough to nitpick the not so nice looking aspects of it. Hell yeah. Unappealing repackaging and a price increase is never a good look, B&BW!

How do you feel about the new Bath & Body Works packaging? Are you a fan of the new school or old school marketing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb10

New Love Notes Cropped Button Down

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New Love Notes Cropped Button Down

Heyyyyyyy. One style of top that I have grown increasingly fond of as of late is the button down. I LOVE them and have began to accumulate quite the collection. And, my love grows even more specific, because I always seem to be drawn to blue, vertical striped button downs – like this cropped cutie by Love Notes seen below:

mini5mini6mini7

  • TJMaxx Price: $13

I really freaking like this shirt and, yes, it does look fabulous underneath the sleeveless hoodie that I wrote about yesterday! This top reminds me a lot of clothing from Zara and getting it for a fraction of what it would have costed there makes it an even sweeter buy. My new Love Notes lovely shows what looks like geese in different stages of flight and it’s just a cool pattern to have over the blue stripes.

Not only is the pattern of this top unique, but so is the style of it because it’s cropped. I am so looking forward to pairing this with black shorts this summer and maybe even during the spring with tights underneath for a quirky fun look. Everything about this top is a score for me and you definitely can’t beat a thirteen dollar price tag!

What is your favorite style of top? Who else is an avid fan of the button down? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan31

BYOB(urrito)

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BYOB(urrito)

Hey hey everyone and happy Hump Day! Did you know that if you download the app for Moe’s that you get a FREE CUP OF QUESO and a FREE BIRTHDAY BURRITO?!?! Yeah, that’s right. Moe’s, Taco Bell, and Chipotle are all my jam, but the rewards for Moe’s through their app are pretty cool.

AND GUESS WHAT?!

If you use yours truly AKA me, Sarah Mushenheim, as a reference when downloading the app, I get extra points. These points will help me, a constantly hungry girl, get free food. Consider referencing me like a gift to your favorite redheaded blogger. And once you download the app, your friends can reference you, so you can get closer to free food too! Talk about a win/win. 😀 #thanksinadvance #WELCOMETOMOES

Which food places/stores offer the best apps? Which places offer birthday freebies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan28

Mini Skin Care Haul

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Mini Skin Care Haul

Heyy everyone and happy Sunday! One thing that I have a strong passion for in the beauty world is skin care. It’s so important to me to put my best face forward (Literally!) every day, and that always starts with a good skin care routine. I like to use a lot of products from The Body Shop and I am obsessed with all things Vitamin C, so I was super happy with the mini haul seen below:

vitaminc

If you remember from yesterday’s finishes post, you will have noticed that I just had an empty of the Vital C serum. It was so nice that I had to buy it twice and I felt SO lucky because I picked up the last one ON CLEARANCE FOR SIX DOLLARS at TJMaxx. I was also pleased to have found a Vitamin C moisturizer from The Body Shop with SPF 30, which will be perfect for the summer time, that I also got for a six dollar steal.

As a pale princess, it’s really easy for my skin to take on a pallid appearance, which is why I try to utilize at least one Vitamin C product in my skin care regimen. Vitamin C keeps my skin bright and radiant even on the days when my skin is in the doldrums. I think that a serum is the best for achieving maximum glow, but a moisturizer for the right price can be just as good! And lucky me, I got both for a whole twelve bucks. Score!

Which products are a must in your skin care routine? Who else is Vitamin C obsessed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

A Myriad Of Money Management Mistakes

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A Myriad Of Money Management Mistakes

It is a fact of life that some people simply don’t manage their money particularly well. If you feel like you are one of these people, there are several things that you can do to change things. First and foremost, you need to work out the mistakes that you are making in the first place. In this article, we are going to take you through just a few of the most common ones so that you can avoid repeating them:

Lifestyle Inflation:

If you get a pay rise, you shouldn’t automatically ‘improve’ your lifestyle by that same percentage. Instead, you can use this extra cash to clear some of your debts, channel money into your savings, or make some sound financial investments. Just because you have the cash doesn’t mean you have to spend it!

Paying Bills Late:

Getting into a habit of paying your bills on time is a positive step that you can make. You can even automate this to happen directly from your bank account so it can be one less financial worry to have every month. The last thing that you want is to incur any additional fees or payments than you already have.

Paying Bank Fees:

Bank fees can come in multiple forms, but most of them are totally avoidable. For example, you should never use an ATM when you are charged an operational fee. Avoid paying late fees on your credit cards by clearing the balance in full every month. Compare bank accounts online to make sure that you are not paying more fees than you need to.

Not Educating Yourself Financially:

With all of the free tools and articles about money out there these days, you have no excuses for not educating yourself financially. You should know all of the different options available to you about where you can best invest your money, as well as information regarding where you can get quick support such as bad credit personal loans with guaranteed approval. Read as widely as you can and you can avoid many common money management mistakes.

Lack Of An Emergency Fund:

Though it may be frustrating to channel some of your paycheck off into an emergency fund every month, you will be very thankful for it once you need it. There are all sorts of life situations out there which could require a great deal of cash such as job loss, medical expenses, car repair, and essential home maintenance. Whenever you make a withdrawal from your emergency funds, make sure that you replace what you have spent as you never know when the next situation may arise.

Not Having a Budget

If you haven’t got any sort of household budget, you have no idea what is coming in and going out of your bank account every month. There are plenty of budgeting apps out there which allow you to clearly track all of your expenses. Otherwise, you can track everything manually along the way.

Now you know some of the most common money management mistakes so that you can avoid making them yourself. Budget wisely and watch your bank account increase over time.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan19

Walgreens Haul

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Walgreens Haul

Hi!! So a couple of days ago I got an email saying that Walgreens was doing a freebie bag similar to the one I got previously with a twenty dollar online purchase. I needed to buy more hair dye, anyways, and Walgreens is the only place that carries my beloved Vidal Sassoon shade, so I figured why not. I purchased four boxes of dye to last me until May and got this awesome freebie bag along with it (On top of free shipping and two dollars off from my rewards card!). Check it out:

walg2walg1

There was an amazing amount of goodies in my bag including:

  • Coupons
  • Vitamin/Probiotic samples
  • Lotion/Moisturizer samples
  • Colgate Optic White tooth paste
  • Two Aquaphor lotion sprays
  • CeraVe moisturizer
  • Clean & Clear cleanser
  • Aveeno cleanser
  • CeraVe lotion
  • Gold Bond lotion
  • Pantene volumizing foam
  • La Roche Posay healing balm

It was such fun going through my bag and picking out the items that I wanted and then sharing the wealth with my family for the products that I was not interested in. I spent a grand total of forty dollars for my dye and got so much more in return along with it. I freaking love these Walgreens grab bags and I hope that they are doing another one the next time that I need to restock my hair dye!

Which stores give the best freebies? Are there any beauty products that you stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Walgreens

Jan16

New Black & Magenta Nails

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New Black & Magenta Nails

Hi hi hi everyone! My last fill was a fun one, because my mom joined in on the festivities!! My mom enjoys a manicure every now and again so my sister got her a gift card to the salon that I go to for Christmas. Getting your nails done is a pampering, albeit a little boring, process so it was definitely nice to be able to wave at my mom when we happened to look at each other during our time at the salon. For this fill, I chose a magenta color as my accent nail and I love it! Take a look:

neww2

I thought that the accent nail color was so pretty that it didn’t even need glitter on it to make it pop. I love how the purple undertones shine through when it catches the light and it has an almost hologram-y finish that I am obsessed with. And, this time around, my nail tech didn’t put the gel top coat on my phalanges like last time so I am completely satisfied with my fill.

I’ve been going at least four and a half weeks between fills now and I’m really happy with that. My bank account is definitely thanking me for not going every three weeks like clockwork anymore! I’m all for treating myself, but ballin on a budget it important to me, so I’m proud that I was able to accommodate my pampering sessions to that lifestyle choice! 😀

What color of nail polish do you have on right now? Are you a gel, shellac, or normal polish type of gal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah