Tag Archives: ballin on a budget

Aug14

If The Shoe Fits: Olivia Miller Platforms Edition

Posted on August 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! I don’t know about all of you, but scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed only makes me want to shop. The vast majority of my ads are, unsurprisingly, clothing, shoes, and accessories. It can be extremely tempting and usually I am able to exercise self control. However, I simply couldn’t pass up the deal of a lifetime when I saw the platforms we are about to take a look at. They are Olivia Miller brand and were purchased online at Walmart for eight bucks a pop. How can you beat that?! Check it out:

I am a shoe girl through and through, but I have not purchased a new pair in literal years. The last edition of If The Shoe Fits was in February of 2022. And, yes, I absolutely justified this online order because of that! I love Olivia Miller shoes and am always excited for fall weather to roll around so I can wear my favorite pair of chunky heeled boots. I was shocked that Walmart had the brand available and for so cheap too. I would have been mad at myself if I didn’t get them! Walmart had these platforms in four different colors – black, white, pastel pink, and pastel purple. Trust and believe I would have bought the lot if the black and white pairs were in my size. The pastel pink and purple will do just fine but I may or may not have been checking back in on Walmart’s website to see if there has been a restock. *Fingers crossed!*

I was really excited for my new shoes to come in the mail because it has been a long time since I got a new pair. Ordering these platforms was the perfect treat for the perfect price and I am pleased to report that they are just as fab IRL as I imagined them to be. They give off such Bratz doll vibes, which I am living for. I’m not going to lie, I wish that one of these pairs was in black, but the sweet pastel hues play into the fashion doll aesthetic even more and I am definitely okay with that. My new Olivia Miller platforms will be such fun to wrap up the summer with but I can’t wait to wear them in the fall. How cute would they be paired with sweet socks and patterned tights? The answer is: Too cute!

I could not be happier with my Olivia Miller purchase from Walmart as well as one additional pair that you can peep tomorrow. I think I might have to start shopping Walmart fashion more often after this highly successful introduction!

What is one of the best deals you have gotten in store? What other stores have shockingly good fashion options? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul2

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on July 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! Although I wasn’t able to get everything I wanted from the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale, I still did pretty well for myself. Thanks to promotions and a birthday gift card, I only spent forty dollars for twenty products and you can’t beat that. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I could get a bunch of the foaming hand soaps as they are tried and true staples in my apartment. The selection was slim pickings by the time I shopped the sale, but I did manage to find a couple as well as an awesome deal on hand sanitizer. I got a five pack for two dollars which was a total score! Check it out:

Would I Use Again?

Firecracker Pop: YES

Wild For You: YES

Bright Summer Days: MAYBE

Mahogany Teakwood Hand Sanitizer: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Firecracker Pop & Wild For You: One of the classic B&BW tricks is that they will recycle the same scent with a different name and packaging. Hence, why we are discussing Firecracker Pop and Wild For You together. As I took a whiff of each scent, I found them to be very similar. Then, I looked at the back and the scent description of “Red cherry, fresh citrus, and juicy berry” was almost a perfect match. The only difference being that Firecracker Pop offered juicy berry and Wild For You featured frozen berry. So, in other words, a perfect match lol.

I like this scent well enough so it’s a good thing I have two of them. However, I would have went for a different scent had I realized I was buying two of the same products. Both options smell exactly like a Bomb Pop and is delightfully reminiscent of summer. Something that I don’t love, though, is the slightly medicinal after scent from the cherries. It’s not terrible, but it does smell like straight up cough syrup if you are looking hard enough for it!

Bright Summer Days: Shopping for fragrances online is, of course, a difficult thing to do. When I am online shopping with B&BW, I never pay too much attention to the scent description because it could be hit or miss regardless of what I end up picking. Had I done my Semi Annual Sale haul in stores, I would have skipped over Bright Summer Days but it’s not the absolute worst. This scent features notes of “Coconut milk, sunny starfruit, and warm sands”. I can’t speak for the starfruit or sand, but the coconut is there!

I wouldn’t say coconut is one of my favorite scents but I am especially partial to the Coconut line from The Body Shop. It is such a pure fragrance without anything else mixed in. Knowing that the B&BW coconut isn’t nearly as good is enough to make me not like it too much. If the price is right, however, I would probably still buy it again.

Hand Sanitizer: I really like the hand sanitizers from B&BW. Yes, the scents are always nice. The best part, though, is how they don’t dry out my hands like other sanitizers have done before. The Mahogany Teakwood five pack of sani was the only option available online and I went for it. I knew Johnny would appreciate the manly scent and even if it’s one I normally wouldn’t use for myself, it was an excellent deal. As far as the scent goes, have you ever smelled Old Spice products? It is literally just that lol. I will keep one handy in my purse but I will be purchasing more hand sanitizer in a scent that I actually like the next time I go shopping!

This Hand Soap Haul wasn’t the best and that’s okay. Although the scents weren’t all slam dunks, I got what I needed and got it for a song. Not too shabby!

Did you shop the Semi Annual Sale? What is a scent that you can’t stand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Posted on July 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Something that I always look forward to is the Semi Annual Sales at Bath & Body Works during the summer and winter. Countless products are marked down to seventy-five percent off and it is perfect for bulking up my stockpile and purchasing gifts. There is nothing better to me than a revamped bath and body care hoard that was bought at an amazing price! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to the store to shop the sale so I did it online. And, unfortunately, by the time I got around to it everything was pretty picked over. However, I still did alright – actually better than alright. Thanks to a birthday gift card to B&BW from my sister, I got twenty items for… FORTY DOLLARS!! You simply can’t beat two bucks a pop for each product! Check it out:

I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed with myself during this haul. I actually looked at the B&BW website shortly before going to bed and there were at least fifteen pages worth of marked down product. Fast forward to when I shopped it the following day and there was only five pages left. I was SO annoyed as I was hoping to rebuy several things that Johnny and I liked before. Their selection was very limited, especially for the men’s department and a majority of what was left online was candles, wallflowers, and a random assortment of lotion and shower gel.

Although I was wishing to score some cheap skin care and the gummy vitamins that Johnny loved, beggars can’t be choosers. And, at the end of the day, I still got lots of goodies for a song! I was able to get a great supply of wallflowers (Which I don’t think work all that well, but I like them anyways!), hand soap, and lotion and shower gel in my favorite scent of Calypso Clementine. I am also really eager to try the body butter, which is entirely new to me. I live for the body butter from The Body Shop and nothing will hold a candle to it. But, it doesn’t hurt to try! 😀

In the next few days, we’ll go over some of these different scents that haven’t been discussed on my page before. I am confident that there will be a few duds in the mix so we can all better learn what to skip on during our next B&BW shopping spree! The winter Semi Annual Sale, perhaps?!

Who else shopped the summer Semi Annual Sale? What was in your haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar4

Bath & Body Works March Freebie

Posted on March 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! After going absolutely insane during Bath & Body Works’ winter Semi-Annual Sale, I have been receiving hella coupons in the mail and it is great. Each packet has contained a free travel size or full size product coupon and even though my shelves are fully stocked, free is free! 😀 This past Thursday, I had a quick minute to run into the store and used my coupon to get a free travel size shower gel in B&BW’s new scent, Tropidelic. I never would have picked it for myself so I was glad that the sales associate pointed it out! Let’s discuss:

Whenever I stop into B&BW during the work week, I am going at high speed because it’s in between shifts. I am a woman on a mission and I have been told as such the past two times I walked into the store lol. As per ushe, I bee lined to the travel size section to pick whatever tickled my fancy. I am never too picky when it comes to the smaller size because it’s nice to try something new without having to use it for forever.

As I was making my decision, the sales associate asked if I had tried out the new Tropidelic line, I said no, and she returned with a fragrance spray tester stick. I took one whiff and it was good enough for me. Tropidelic offers notes of “passion flower, ylang ylang, and misty rainforest”. I’ll be honest with all of you, I have no idea what any of this is supposed to smell like lol, but I liked it! This really is a lush scent that teleports you to a tropical climate. It’s slightly floral, but the main notes are quite earthy. Tropidelic is way different than what I normally go for. I can’t say I would make the plunge to buy it in full size, however, I’m happy to sample it for a while. 😀

Bath & Body Works has been dropping new fragrance lines like it’s hot so if you are looking for a new spring scent, you know where to go!!

Do you like to use one specific scent or do you change it up? Do you swap scents with the seasons? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct20

New Lucky Brand Flannel

Posted on October 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I have been dwindling down my holiday shopping list as often as I can and I decided to spend an afternoon off at TJMaxx so I could put in some more work. Obviously, it turned into a shopping trip for me too, but I needed a little treat!! I should have known that my willpower wasn’t strong enough to simply go in for Christmas presents lol. This flannel was actually purchased because I didn’t plan accordingly to a surefire clothing shopping outing. Check it out and let’s discuss:

^^^ That TJMaxx price adjustment! Score!!

When I am going shopping for clothes, I always make sure that I have a T-shirt on in case I need to try on a jacket. However, this time around, I just had on a hoodie with nothing underneath because I told myself I was only shopping for the holidays. Naturally, while I browsed the clothing selection I found the Happily Grey jacket that you all saw yesterday and I didn’t have on a shirt to try it on with. As soon as I put two and two together, I grabbed any old shirt in my size and made my way to the fitting rooms. The shirt just so happens to be the Lucky Brand one you see above.

I had absolutely no intention of buying this flannel… That is, until I tried it on lol. I am a huge fan of Lucky Brand and this flannel is definitely the best one I own. It is soft as can be and fits just right. It’s not too tight or too loose and is very flattering. I was also blown away by the button down detailing on the back. I have never seen anything like that before and thought it was the cutest! This flannel will be perfect for an All Black Everything OOTD and I already have a look planned for it so be on the lookout for that soon. 😀 Also, can we talk about the price going from eighty bucks to twenty-five at TJs? You can’t beat that!

Flannels are a must have fall staple and I am loving my new one. I was technically not supposed to have tried this Lucky Brand number on if I wore a shirt under my hoodie but I consider that to be a happy accident! 🙂

What is your go to fall staple for clothing? Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct11

That’s So Fetch

Posted on October 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I used to be an avid user of the site InboxDollars and haven’t been on it in weeks. InboxDollars is a survey taking website to earn money for gift cards and I used to get Amazon cash pretty frequently with their paid emails. Then, they did away with them and I haven’t visited the page since. Luckily, my bestie introduced me to her favorite gift card app called Fetch when we were at dinner last week. I have been using it every day since and I am obsessed!

Fetch is really neat because literally all you have to do is take a picture of receipts from purchases and you earn points for gift cards. The receipts can be any price and from anywhere. In fact, I just submitted a receipt that was barely over a dollar from McDonald’s lol. You guys know I love a crispy Diet Coke! Fetch is a handy little app and I thought I would share it with all of you. Why not get something back from the items or services you are buying anyways?! I am already a fifth of the way there to a ten dollar Amazon gift card – it’s that quick and easy.

Below is my referral code so we can both earn points when you create your own Fetch account. Here’s to free money!

Have you used gift card apps or websites before? Which one is your favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun26

New Gottex Swimsuit

Posted on June 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! As all of you know, I am a certified shopaholic. I pride myself on my own personal boutique room with a huge collection of clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, hats, skin care, and bath and body care. There has always been one thing missing from my wardrobe, however. That being, swimsuits. Every year when the pool opens at Timber Top, my sister mocks me for having the same swimsuit for almost a decade. But, in my defense, my Victoria’s Secret bikini still looks great and also bathing suit shopping sucks lol.

For years and years, I have avoided swimsuit shopping like the plague. My thought process being that I’d rather spend the money on something that I can wear anytime. I have seen bathing suits that I like online, but they are SO expensive. And, many of the options in store don’t have a bra style top which is what I need to feel comfortable. Rather than order suits that might not fit and spending time being disappointed in a fitting room, I turned my attention to other things in the store time and time again.

During my birthday gift card shopping spree at TJMaxx, I decided I would look through the swimsuit section just to say that I tried. I was not expecting to find anything as it was very picked over already. So, you can imagine my surprise when I found a one piece option that might work if luck was on my side. I am writing about it now so, clearly, the summer fashion gods were in my favor. Check it out:

When I found this little number by Gottex hanging on the rack, I thought it was too good to be true. This one piece is in a style that I LOVE with the frilly skirt bottom, it was in my size, and there was a bra clasp on the inside of the suit for the top. I didn’t let myself get too excited because that would have really bummed me out if I tried it on and it didn’t work. I definitely had some anxiety going into the fitting room because I didn’t want to mentally go back to all of those times that I tried a suit on and it didn’t fit. Then, I mustered all of the courage that I had and slipped it on…

AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!! Oh my GAWD was I happy when the suit was on and it was everything that I was hoping it would be. The straps were thick and supportive, the bra top was perfect, the rouching on the tummy was flattering, and the skirt was cute as can be. I loved the way my body looked and I loved the way I felt even more. In fact, if I didn’t have a late afternoon shift after my shopping, I would have headed straight to the pool to show off!

I am so thrilled with this purchase and I feel very confident in my new suit. I have grand plans of a poolside OOTD complete with a sun hat, huge sunglasses, and sandals. And, now, I am officially ready to splash around in the pool with my nieces while frantically trying to not get my hair wet lol. This suit was originally one hundred and sixty dollars and I got it for forty – it was worth every penny and then some. You can’t put a price on feeling amazing in a swimsuit after almost a decade of bathing suit shopping abstinence!

TJMaxx came through for me during this shopping trip and I still can’t get over the fact that I found a swimsuit from there. My expectations were so low and now my confidence is sky high. I can’t wait to wear it!

What is your least favorite thing to shop for? What is your preferred bathing suit style? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun23

Money Is Tight: Tips To Help Pay Your Rent

Posted on June 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Money Is Tight: Tips To Help Pay Your Rent

As the cost of living rises across the globe, many people are wondering how they’ll manage to continue to pay for everything. Food, gas, energy, and rent have been steadily increasing for the past twelve months. If you’re struggling to pay your rent on time, you’re not alone. Rather than burying your head in the sand, now is the time to sit down and make arrangements with your finances. Being in total control of your income and spending will put you in the best position for paying your rent. Take a look at these tips:

Consider a Roommate:

If you’re renting a property and have a room to spare, you may want to consider advertising for a roommate. Sharing your property is one of the easiest ways to significantly reduce the amount of rent you have to pay. It’s important to check with your landlord before making any decisions. If your landlord agrees, ask family and friends before making a public advertisement. Someone you know and trust will often make the best roommate. However, it’s essential that you do all of the appropriate checks before accepting any applicant.

Reduce Your Spending:

Look at where you’re spending your money each month. If you’re buying coffee every morning, paying for subscriptions you barely use, or splashing on takeaways, it could be time to change your habits. By reducing your spending, you may be able to find the extra money you need to cover your rent costs without needing to worry further. There may also be ways of lowering other bills. For example, using less energy at home or negotiating lower payments with debtors. You’d also be amazed by the deals you can get by telling your internet provider that you are considering switching!

Consider Mobile Homes:

More and more people are starting to consider mobile homes instead of other properties. There are many benefits to living in mobile homes, including reduced rent payments and a higher chance of being able to purchase a mobile home. For example, Mobile Homes Direct 4 Less guarantees to beat the price of their competitors in the same area. It can be a great starting point for anyone who is looking for their first home and wants to build up proof of rent payments on time. Mobile homes can prove to be a great option, but the removal of them can be tricky if you are ready for an upgrade. If you have reached the point of moving out, consider doing a search for “mobile home transport in Alberta” (or your local area) to find the most efficient option for you.

Take On A Side Hustle:

It’s important to rest and stay healthy, but if you’ve got a few hours to spare each day, you could top up your income enough to make all of your payments. For instance, you could make deliveries for a local takeaway or care for someone elderly who needs assistance with meals and medication. Another alternative is to try your hand at freelancing. If you’re a talented writer, graphic designer, or you have experience in customer service, you could find opportunities that allow you to work from home in your spare time.

These tips are not a cure all, but they can be helpful to boost your wallet even a little bit!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jun21

DIP ISLAND!!!!!!!

Posted on June 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! After being fed the frig up by the sky high prices at Giant Eagle, Johnny taught me the joys of grocery shopping at Aldi’s this past week. It was AWESOME and we saved over one hundred dollars during our shopping trip. We have been enjoying all of the new to us food and drinks and, as lame as it sounds, it is exciting every time I open the refrigerator!

One thing that I was really hoping I would find at Aldi’s was the Pickle De Gallo dip and I was so happy that it was available in mild and medium heat. It is absolutely delicious and a must for any pickle fan! I didn’t have any intentions of buying more dip after that, but I couldn’t say no to a Hummus Quartet and Street Corn dip! Chips, veggies, and dip are mine and Johnny’s favorite snack and these purchases have improved Dip Island a million fold. Check it out:

For those of you who don’t know, Dip Island is how Johnny and I refer to our go to snack. And, yes, all it is is various dips and chips on a table lol. I tried the Street Corn dip when I made cheesy gordita crunches for dinner and it really blew my mind. It was so creamy, cheesy, and flavorful and was amazing on top of the street corn corn chips. Together, it formed a blast of lime and chili spices and I was in heaven. It was also a fantastic deal – I paid three dollars for the chips and three for the dip. At Giant Eagle, a similar purchase would have been close to or beyond ten dollars.

Johnny isn’t a hummus fan at all, but I make up for it for the both of us. I LOVE hummus of any kind and my favorite way to have it is dipped with mini red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. A container of Sabra hummus at Giant Eagle costs around six dollars and the bell peppers are between four and five. At Aldi’s, I only spent seven dollars! I was so excited to have found the Hummus Quartet, which gave the option of alternating flavors with every bite. The Original, Garlic, and Red Pepper ones are all good, but I am especially partial to the Cilantro Jalapeno. I got that flavor of hummus as an appetizer at a restaurant with Johnny and the one from Aldi’s tastes just like it! 😀

Aldi’s has revolutionized Dip Island and I am so grateful. As always, if you are looking for ways to save money on groceries – head to your local Aldi’s. I deeply regret not doing it sooner!

What is your favorite kind of dip? Where do you do your grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun19

Almost All Aldi’s Dinner – 2.0 Veggie Burgers

Posted on June 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Almost All Aldi’s Dinner – 2.0 Veggie Burgers

Hello! Last week, I learned the joys of grocery shopping at Aldi’s when Johnny and I decided that we had enough of the high prices at Giant Eagle. We went on our shopping trip after work, which resulted in a cart full of almost everything that we needed for over one hundred dollars less. My mind was blown, my wallet was happy, and I was thrilled to have gotten all of our essentials for a fraction of the price.

I have been making excellent use of our grocery haul and have been cooking dinner every other night. On Thursday, I made doctored up veggie burgers with every ingredient minus the MorningStar patties from Aldi’s. They were a hit! Check it out:

Shopping at Aldi’s was, honestly, so exciting lol. I have always really enjoyed grocery shopping and it was fun to buy so many new to me items like the everything bagel brioche buns and aioli spreads. I was also stoked to find a Southwest salad kit, which I would get at Giant Eagle all of the time until they stopped carrying it. And, can we talk about their resealable cheese packages? I’m amazed that this isn’t the standard because it’s such a simple but revolutionary idea!

Our burgers with all of the fixings turned out wonderfully and took ten minutes to make. You just can’t beat that! The brioche buns were so thick and fluffy and our taste buds went on a spin with the smoky Gouda on top. The Southwest salad was crisp and it was accentuated even more with a dollop of the chipotle aioli for good measure. My 2.0 veggie burgers with Aldi’s ingredients completely blew the ones I was making before out of the water.

Although I love to try new recipes on Pinterest, I still make a lot of standby dishes that Johnny and I will always enjoy. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t a bit bored with it, but simple and quick meals are often the best thing for me to make during the work week. Being able to make our usual dinners with a twist on the ingredients used has been an absolute game changer. Now, if only there were an Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s right down the street from me!

If you are feeling bored with your standard groceries, go to a different store lol. Aldi’s has turned our go to meals into something special again and what we saved is unmatched. A change of scenery for grocery shopping goes a long way!

What are some of your standby meals to make? What toppings do you like on your burgers? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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