Why I Took a Break from Blogging

It has been over a year since I quietly stepped away from blogging.

What started my hiatus was just being extremely BUSY. However, some pretty big philosophical shifts were at play, too.

I was struggling financially, which forced me to restrict my spending. This forced separation from consumerism gave me a new perspective and made me more critical of the greedy forces that fueled my fashion obsession.

While I have always been thrifty, I became even more interested in frugal living, saving money, and minimalism during this time. So, in addition to being busy and poor, I suddenly found myself having some existential conflicts related to my love of fashion and beauty.

Now, my situation has improved. Although I am still on a fairly tight budget, I finally have some wiggle room. I also have more free time. I've been feeling called to write again, even though I still feel tension between my consumerist fashionista side and the thrifty minimalist in me. 

As with everything in life, I believe the key is balance.

While this blog has always been about looking your best for the least, expect to see some hints of my new philosophy and interests in future posts.

I look forward to sharing some of the things I've learned and the ideas I've been exploring during my little break from blogging.

New Freebies

I've been very busy lately, so for awhile, I really slowed down on my couponing and freebie habits. 

Now that my life has calmed down a bit, I started requesting samples and couponing once again.

Here are a couple of my latest freebies.

Wet N Wild has been offering 50¢ off coupons.

Since my grocery store offers to double coupons that are under $1, that means that the 50¢ off coupon is actually worth $1, allowing me to choose any $1 Wet N Wild product that I like for free.

I got this summery coral and bright baby blue polish for absolutely nothing with coupons!

This deluxe sample set of three Aveeno face creams arrived in my mailbox this week. I was really impressed by this sample. 

With the amount of lotion I use, there are at least two to three applications in each container. It's nice to be able to see how your skin reacts to a few days of use. I'm excited to try them.

Look for reviews on these in the future.

So, have you gotten any good freebies or deals lately?

Have you tried any of these products?

Why It Pays To Shop Off Season: Rue21/Tilly's Haul

Check out this cute online shopping spring/summer haul from Rue 21 and Tilly's.

I managed to score all the clothing pictured for just $30 including shipping.

So, what is my secret for finding bargains like this? Well...all of these warm-weather items were actually Black Friday 2015 deals!

Shopping off-season is one of the biggest ways to save on clothing. If you know how to take advantage of end-of-season sales you can easily build a stylish wardrobe for next to nothing.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your clothing budget: 

• Shopping off season doesn't mean you will be out style! Fashion flows in waves. Most trends circulate for a few seasons in various forms before dying out. If you stay up-to-date on fashion and have a good grasp of what's still in style and what's on its way out, you can easily grab trendy and fun clothes that still look fresh for next season.

• Shop holiday sales. I find that the best time to shop online is during any holiday. There are deep discounts and better than usual shipping deals.

• Never pay for shipping! When shopping online, be smart about shipping. Shop on days when stores are offering free shipping on all purchases or lower free shipping minimums. But don't buy things you don't want/need in order to get shipping deals.

• Have patience and plan ahead. You have to be forward-thinking in order to shop this way. You've got to know what you are going to need and what type of events you are going to need to dress in coming seasons. You have to be prepared to let your new purchases hang in your closet until the seasons change. 

• Shop mid-season sales. Since the sale cycle starts so early in retail, you can easily get clearance clothes that are still in season.

• Look for past-season clothes that can transition into the coming season. For example, if a store is clearing out winter merchandise, snap up that light-weight pink sweater that works perfectly for a cool spring day. 

• Be choosy. I used to buy just about anything I found on sale. While I did have fun trying lots of different styles, I also threw money away on clothes that didn't suit me, or that I never found a reason to wear. Now, I put just as much thought into buying sale items as I would full price clothes.  

Rue21 Faux Suede Skirt $6

Rue21 Geo Print Joggers $3

Rue21 Crochet Fringed Sweater $3

Rue21 Halter Top $3

Rue21 Open Knit Sweater $3

Rue21 Crochet Back Top $3

Rue21 Crochet Back Top $3

Rue21 Strappy Tank $3

Tilly's Floral Duster Vest $3

So, Do you ever shop off season? What is the best deal you have ever found in end-of-season clearance sales?

Bargain Brag: 99¢ Clothing Online! 5.99fashion.com Raised Their Prices, But Check Out This Amazing Clearance Haul!

5.99fashion.com has been one of my online shopping obsessions for the past five years. 

What made them so much fun to shop was the fact that everything on the site was $5.99 or less. Prices like that are a rare find online, let alone an entire store at that price point.

So, I was disappointed when 599fashion.com recently raised their prices. Most of their merchandise is now $8.99. 

At $5.99, their clothing was reasonable. The quality was generally pretty decent for the price. The styles weren't exactly cutting-edge fashion, but I liked that they had cute things that were somewhat different than what you would find at the mall. (You can check out a past review and haul from 5.99fashion.com here.) 

Sadly, because of the price increase, I don't plan to shop the site anymore. For $8.99, you can easily find very trendy items at stores like Forever21 and H&M.  

While I was reading customer comments about the price increase on their Facebook page, I happened to see a response from the company that mentioned a clearance sale. When I went to the website, I found over 100 clothing items on sale for 99¢! No, that is not a typo-99¢ clothing online!!!

So, here is my spectacular final haul from 5.99fashion.com...

13 tops for $19! That averages $1.46 each (including shipping). 

Lace Top $1.99

Most of 5.99fashion.com's merchandise is from brands you've never heard of. This top has a cut out tag, so it is some sort of closeout item. Both my sister and I think the tag looks like it is from H&M.

Printed Tank 99¢

I think this little tank will be cute in the summer with a black maxi skirt.  

Knit Top  99¢

This open knit top has gold threading and a few subtle sequins. 

Floral Print Crop Top  99¢

This top is very cropped, but I think it will look nice with a black midi pencil skirt and some heels.

Sheer Top with Caged Back Detail 99¢

This top is simple and pretty from the front and I love the strappy back!

Back View

Fringe Tee 99¢

I saw some fringed tees similar to this one selling for $9.99 on American Eagle last weekend! 

Tie Dye Sleeveless Blouse $1.99

I like the early 90s feel of this top. The open scalloped back is cute. I've also recently seen some tie-dye runway looks in fashion magazines.

Cute Open Back

Sequin Shoulder Top 99¢ 

I thought this top was cotton with sequin shoulder insets. It is actually a knit and the stripes have some silver shine in them. That's a little more bling than I expected, but still cute.  

Side Tie Top 99¢

This little top with a lace back and side ties is a pretty basic for the summer.

Lace Back

Cream Lace Hi Low Top 99¢

This lace top is so pretty on! Simple and beautiful. 

Scalloped Back Tank 99¢

This is a nice tank for the summer. The open back is sexy.

Scalloped Back

Printed Tank 99¢

This little ethnic print tank will look nice with a long black maxi skirt, or some flared jeans and platforms.

Top with Open Knit Detail on the Shoulders 99¢

I Thought this top looked like it might be cheaply made on the model, but for the price I took a chance. In person, it is so nice! It has a really flattering shape. The simple style means you can wear it with almost anything.

  

I'll definitely miss 5.99fashion.com, but what a way to say goodbye!

So, What is the best deal you have ever found online? What store is your online fashion addiction?