A Quick Thought

On saving money.

I just walked in from my grad class a few minutes ago and got in the blogging mood. Tonight at class we discussed our personal ties to reading, and I was quick to mention my thrill for blogs. I got a little bummed about my lack of posts and was inspired to share a quick thought.

Let's rewind to about 4 ago hours ago when I was debating on whether or not to stop at Starbucks for a hot beverage on this FREEZING day. I'm getting tired of this cold, snowless weather so either snow or bring on the spring. But anyway, when saving money some people tend to think of transferring a sum of money each month into their saving account.

However, JD and I realized that saving can also occur on a day-to-day basis. We manage this by eliminating the little things that over time add up to big savings. Like skipping Starbucks and making my own tea. Or like on Sunday when we planned on grabbing subs from subway but realized we had plenty of sandwich stuff at home.

Don't get me wrong, I still occasionally buy Starbucks and we always treat ourselves on our Friday night dates, but we feel it's ok because we eat at home throughout the week.

Summary of my quick thought: A lot of little purchases can add up quickly. Look at your everyday spending to see where you can save a buck a or two. 

A fall fashion show of bargains

I am definitely not a model or a fashionista.

But I do love a good bargain. I couldn't wait to share a few things I picked up (on the cheap) for the fall season. I had a fabulous time with Katie as we snapped photos in the park across the street from her house.

My goal when looking for clothes is: looks nice but doesn't cost a lot. I love J.Crew but hate to fork over the big bucks for the majority of their clothes. I have learned to look for the same style at less expensive stores. Target, H&M, and the J.Crew outlet are a few of my favorites.

Up first: J. Crew toothpick jeans
A girl always needs a great pair of jeans. These jeans are so comfortable and I love the skinny leg and dark denim look. Quick backstory to these jeans: Katie, also a deal hunter, called me one day while shopping at the J. Crew outlet and asked if I wanted a pair. They were $65.00. I told I'd think about it. The next day she called back and said they were now 40% off. J. Crew jeans for under $40.00? Who could resist? She picked me up a pair and sent them my way. To my surprise, when I received them there was a sweet note stapled to the receipt explaining that I do not need to pay them back and to accept them as a token of appreciation. So I got them totally FREE! What an awesome brother and sister-in-law I have!
Flannel Shirt:
Comfortable and warm. Bought from Target on sale for $10.00. They have a slew of colors.

Sweater Vest
Also bought from Target for $22.99. Very soft and cozy.
Vintage Bag:
Bought from Target on sale for $24.48, originally $34.99. Last one on the rack.
Gray Jacket:
Bought from H&M for $22.00. I love the polka dot lining.
So there are 5 items I picked up for the fall season.
Grand Total: $79.47
Not too shabby.

Happy shopping and saving everyone!

Negotiating: Douglas Style

Saving is a regular part of our life, hence the name of the blog High Style on a Small Budget. Back in this post, I explained how we reduced our Internet and cable bill by $35.00 a month and added DVR just by asking. We are always looking to score a deal.

I got this idea from my brother, Tom, when he took a negotiating class while getting his Master's. He went on to explain the power of negotiating, so I thought I'd give it a try. Of course not every attempt ends in success, but it never hurts to try.

So here are a few accounts of Negotiating: Douglas Style...
(some are recent while others date back to over 2 years ago)

Date: 2 years ago Location: Bridal Store Savings: $200.00

• This was my first attempt at negotiating so I was a bit nervous. I bought my wedding dress at Renaissance Bridal in York, PA and had a wonderful experience. Before I went I was reading reviews online and I happened to read that some stores offer a discount if you purchase a dress the first time you go. So I said to the women helping me, "I happened to read online that some stores offer discounts if you...." She said they never offer discounts but would kindly ask the manger. She came back and said, he must really like you, he is going to give you $200.00 off. Wahooo!
  

Date: About 2 years ago Location: J. Crew Savings: $75.00 (ish)

• JD and I both reeled in the savings on winter coats from J.Crew. I purchased mine about 5 years ago while he got his the winter of '08. All we did was check the online price and then ask the store if they would honor the online price and they did. Some managers will and some won't. So we got the coats for cheaper and didn't pay for shipping.

• ATTENTION TEACHERS: J. Crew always offers 10% off to teachers with proof. I take my ID or show my insurance card.

Date: Last Winter Location: Walmart Savings: $15.00

• This one just cracks me up. Most people wouldn't think of asking for a deal in Walmart but we thought we'd give it a run. We LOVE Prison Break the TV show and could barely wait to get our paws on Season 4. We checked around for the cheapest price and Walmart came up as the winner. We were shocked to see the price in the store was $15.00 more than the online price. I wouldn't dare pay $15 more, so I tracked down the store manager which is NOT easy in the Walmart in Germantown. It's a zoo. I asked him if he would honor the online price and he said, yes. I think it was because he was so busy, but he just had me tell he cashier how much it was online. No one looked it up and they took our word. Good thing we're honest.

Date: Last Month Location: Rent Savings: $25.00 a month

• Our landlord wanted to increase our rent and I just asked her not to and if we could go month to month instead of signing on for another year. She kindly agreed.

Date: 2 years ago Location: Circuit City Savings: $175.00

• JD's wedding gift to us was a Samsung flat screen TV. He did a lot of research and online price matching. Still when we went to buy it, the store had it listed for $175.00 more. We just asked if they could honor the online price and again after tracking down the store manager we were swimming in another sweet deal.
  

Date: Last Month Location: Express Savings: $30.00

• JD recently bought new dress pants. We rarely shop at Express so when I got the coupon I threw it away. I was kicking myself when we were checking out couponless. So I explained to the cashier that I knew they were running a promotion but didn't have my coupon and asked if there was anything he could do for us. He said sure just come back with the receipt and the coupon and they would subtract the difference. I went on to stay how inconvenient that would be for us that we live 20 minutes away...blah blah blah. He gave in :)
  

Tips for Saving
1. Always research any purchase and look around for the cheapest price.
2. We find many times that online prices are cheaper than in the stores. Always ask if the store can and will honor the online price. Some stores have strict polices while others are left up the store manager.
3. When negotiating be overly kind and polite. No one wants to help someone who is rude.
4. Always ask if the store or company is offering any promotions. I saved a few dollars this way when getting an oil change. I also attempted this when getting my car fixed but none of my car's needs were on special.
5. Use coupons.

I strongly encourage you to become a negotiator. Your wallet will thank you.

School Supplies & Savings

Reality has hit. I'm facing the music. School beings in 1 week. I officially go back to school Aug. 23rd (our anniversary) but the students do not arrive until the 30th. JD says school doesn't start until the students arrive, but I beg to differ. I'm on the clock Monday, August 23rd, at 8:15 so technically that's when school begins for ME.

Remember when you were younger the week before school began and you got all excited to buy your school supplies, book bag, and some new sneaks? Even in high school you kinda got excited for the 1st day of school. Well I kind of (sort of) get that feeling when I shop for new school supplies. So here's what I rounded up this year.
No that is not wrapping paper but fadeless bulletin board paper. I'm out in a portable and my paper fades quickly so I thought I would give this stuff a try.

I must say a HUGE thank you to my homeroom from last year for presenting me with a sweet $100.00 Target gift card at the end of the year. That really helped me buy most of my supplies, along with a skirt, shirt, and a necklace. Gotta have a little fun right?

I also took advantage of all possible promotions, sales, and discounts when purchasing my supplies.
To my fellow teachers out there-every Friday Michael's is offering 10% off everything, including sale items, if you present your school ID. But even better this Sunday, Aug. 15th from 4-8pm only they are offering 25% your entire purchase. That's for everybody not just teachers. So stock up.
My last deal happened at the teacher store. Some things you can only find at teacher stores. I try to buy at little as possible at these stores because they are expensive. While I was checking out, I asked the man if he had any coupons. He said no, but he would give me 10% off since I was a teacher in Montgomery County and not charge me tax. I said sweeeeet!

So I saved another few dollars just by asking. JD and I have been doing that a lot lately. Check back for a post soon describing our hits and misses while 'Negotiating Douglas Style'. Ha-Corny, I know, but worth it.

I've had a couple of requests to see my classroom. I just moved from one portable to another and am waiting for the floor to be fixed. I spent 3 hours cleaning it this week. I will really try to post pictures of my finished classroom when it is all set-up awaiting my new kiddos!

Ask and you shall receive

I tried to get JD to write this post, begged, and pleaded to make a "guest appearance" but with his hectic work schedule and my impatience, that didn't happen. I wanted him to recount our latest savings since he managed to swing this deal, but I'll try my best to replay it. So here it goes...

Last month JD said again (I've heard this for a while now), I really think we need DVR. I said oh just like we needed HD cable (up went the monthly bill), and also just like we needed Netflix (up went the monthly bill). With every effort to really analyze our "wants" and "needs" I just couldn't justify paying for another TV perk that in then end would lead to more TV time and less quality time together. I left the conversation at you-do-what-you-think-is-best. I wasn't angry or mad just kindly putting the decision on his plate, I added my input and that's that. He said, what if I could get our monthly rate decreased? I said yeah that would be great.

So his goal was to keep our current HD cable, ADD DVR, and get our current bill lowered. I said that sounds like quite a goal--have at it.

I will spare you the frustrating, 2-day, 4 different representatives, hours on hold, frequent "I'm sorry you have the wrong department" details of his attempt to attain this goal-but I'm happy to report it worked.

He is quite the sweet talker so we got free DVR for 1 year and lowered our monthly bill by $35.00 a month. So we pay less than $100.00 a month for high-speed Internet, HD cable, and DVR.

The moral of this story...don't be afraid to ask and negotiate.
Want your monthly bill lowered? Call your cable company and see what happens.
It's worth a try!
Happy negotiating!

How to SAVE even when on vacation

As you know we love to cash in on any sale and get stoked when something we purchase flashes a red clearance tag, but we aren't extremists. We don't live in a shack without running water or sit in the dark to save electricity. We like to take vacations, go out every Friday, and purchase items just for enjoyment. It's all in moderation people.

However, it is still possible to save even while splurging. Take for example, our most recent vacation at the Beach. After we punched some numbers into the calculator we chest-bumped and high-fived, (ok not really) but we were proud to see we significantly spent less money than we did last year. It took a little more planning and a lot more walking but saved us some moolah in the end.

Saving on vacation 101:

1. Be selective with where you stay
Last summer when we were checking out hotels at the beach we realized a hotel would likely cost us $300-400 dollars a night. Not something we could afford or wanted to spend. So my google searching continued to motels and eventually led us to a bed and breakfast. The motels were much cheaper but gross and dingy. We still wanted to enjoy our home away from home and the motels didn't quite cut it.

So onto the bed and breakfast. Much nicer, though still a bit pricey. Last year we (the hubby and I) compromised on two different bed and breakfasts. We stayed half the time at one and half the time at another. One was 1 mile from the beach with a so-so breakfast (yogurt, bagel, cereal) and the other was 1 block from the beach with a hot breakfast, fresh fruit, and homemade goodies every morning. The closer of the two was double the price. So this year we passed on the more expensive option, with a good breakfast, oh yeah and complimentary beer and wine that was just a short block from the beach. Instead, we stayed at the one that was further from the beach which was very nice, had bikes, and breakfast that wasn't great but satisfied our morning hunger. AND it was a lot cheaper. After 2 long day days of trekking with all our beach gear, we somehow manged to bike with all our stuff instead.
2. Keep your eyes peeled for food specials
Now since we have been coming here for awhile, we knew of a couple dinner deals ahead of time. But even if you're going somewhere for the first time, research the restaurants before you go. One of our favorite places at Rehoboth is called Arenas. They are known for their sandwiches and endless beer choices. On Wednesdays they offer half price sandwiches. Every night they offer a different deal. Thursday is Mexican night with dollar specials. So we always make our way to Arenas on Wed. night.
Check it out. 2 hefty sandwiches for 4.50 each. Can't beat that.
Another deal we spotted this year was the Thrasher $1 soda refills. Once you buy a soda from Thrashers, a random boardwalk joint we found, you can keep your cup all summer long and get refills for $1. We mostly drank water but couldn't resist a cold cup of soda while roasting on the sweltering beach.
3. Pack your lunch
Last year we left the beach went out for lunch. This year we brought bread, deli meat, mayo, chips, fruit, etc. and enjoyed our packed lunch on the sand. We made our sandwiches before we left in the room, so we wouldn't be consuming turkey sandwiches filled with sand. So the most we spent on lunch was $1 for our soda.

So there are 3 ways we cut back this year. Nothing major but small choices that added up to big savings.

Bridal Shower Invitations

I have often referred to the genuine excitement I get from landing a deal or finding a treasure on the clearance rack (I mentioned a similar experience here). I recently wanted to jump up and down when I scored my most recent deal. I was on the hunt for classy yet somewhat inexpensive bridal shower invitations.

I debated on purchasing them online and having them printed, but quickly found that out of my price range. I wanted that same look but was convinced with a little DIY, I could pull it off.

I needed 24 invitations, but wanted a few to spare. I first checked out Target. I found some I liked, but with a Michael's 40% off coupon in my pocket, I had to check there before I made my final decision.

Once in Michael's I scanned the wedding isle until BINGO, I spotted just want I wanted. I found a set of 50, blue wedding invitations. I was elated because they matched her wedding colors. I did another silent cheer to myself when I realized the bride could use the response cards and envelopes as thank-you notes for all her bridal gifts. Don't hang up yet, the story gets better.

As I walked to the check out lane, I probably looked like a kid in a candy store. I was so excited to find exactly what I wanted, with the added thank-yous included. I couldn't wait to whip out my coupon and watch the savings flash before my eyes. I waited patiently as a sweet elderly lady was checking out. She turned to me and said, "Could you use a 50% off coupon, it expires today?" I said, "Yes, thank you so much." The bells in my head went off as the adrenaline surged through my veins. The lights began to flash, did I just win a car on the Price Is Right? Call me a nerd, I know.

I couldn't wait to show my husband the cute invitations and the receipt that revealed all savings. Grand total: $13.26

Here's what I had to work with:
After 2 hours of designing/adjusting the layout then fighting with the printer, I had my final product ready to ship:
So there you have it, handmade invitations with class, style, and flair. With creativity, a budget-friendly eye, and the help of a sweet elderly lady, the invitations were complete.