Living Well and Spending Less (At the Same Time!)

The average one-bedroom New York City apartment is rented out for around $1,150 a month, give (usually) or take (rarely) a few hundred. And, if you've got a shitty job like I do, you're barely making that a month.

Money. Don't. Come. Easy.

Most of us transplant-tenderonies arrived to this city with stars in our eyes, cotton-candy dreams, and chump change in our back pockets. We might have a similar dating pattern and taste in clothes as Miranda or Carrie, but our mere scruples can't hold a candle to their dividends, let alone that of well-to-do millionaire wife Charlotte, or PR powerhouse Samantha. In the real world, trying to keep up with your bills, your kids, your family, and your man is more than enough, without having to worry about keeping up with the Joneses.

Nonetheless, every woman wants to live well and - occasionally, enjoy the finer things in life. It may seem impossible when you're in the midst of a financial crisis, but, if you follow our guide to being financially stress free, worrying about bills could be an all but played-out phase of the past. By reinventing how you have a good time out, focusing on what you already possess, all the while, working towards something in life that brings you not only money, but joy, you'll find that you've had access to the finer things in life the entire time!

We here at SSNY used this week as a warm-up for our upcoming "Budgeting in Your Borough" issue, following the official launch of ShesSoNewYork.com. We've been gathering information on any and every bargain store/cheap restaurant/bar with a great happy hour/sample sale/museum/breathtaking park/free show that we come across.

What we're trying to prove is that there's no price tag on living well. Don't worry about what name brand is stamped on the back of that cute top, just try it on! And yes, you can trick your lover into saving money and spending time outdoors exercising by suggesting a nice walk in the park would be romantic.

Life is too short and precious to constantly worry about bills and how much money you don't have. Instead, appreciate what you've already got and follow our guide to living well and spending less!

If you have any suggestions on places we should highlight, or, great ways to save/make money, write to us as walkergordonproductions@gmail.com


Tamela J. Gordon

Tales from a Mother: Budgeting in the Name of Fashion!

I am constantly on the go with these two kids attached to my hip. A majority of the time, it is plenty of sacrifice and letting go of that MAC makeup I wanted to buy or those shoes I just NEEDED to have, just so that my family would be good.

It's worth the sacrifice, seeing their faces light up and I know that I would do it again without question. BUT.. (and that is a HUGE but!), when I need some me time, IT IS ALL ABOUT ME!!! I have mastered the art of shopping for me without the hassle. Here, I will share some of my tips on how to maintain your fabulosity on a tight budget!

• Designer Looks for Less: Websites like Haute Look http://www.hautelook.com/, Ideeli http://www.ideeli.com/, Ruelala http://www.ruelala.com/ and Gilt http://www.gilt.com/ offer designer looks for half the price (up to 75% off!) for their members who sign up. With 24-48 hour sales on anywhere from handbags, clothes, watches, and perfumes, these sales allow us fashionistas to look good without the hassle of empty pockets!
  
• Designer Looks for Less (cont.): Places like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, Talbots, Daffys, Express, H&M, Target, Joyce Leslie, Strawberry's, Rainbow and Century 21 ALWAYS have the greatest sales on your favorite items! You can always score a great find rummaging through the clearance racks of these stores, I know I have!
  
• Sample Sales: What is New York without the luxury of sample sales? All of my fashionistas know that a sample sale is like the heavens giving you a hug. Where else can you find designer wears for less in some of the most discreet locations in the Big Apple? Websites like Top Button http://topbutton.com/ and Daily Candy http://dailycandy.com/ offer lists of sample sales (and more) throughout the 5 boroughs from a list of premier designers. Magazines like Time Out NY http://www.timeoutny.com/ and newspapers like The New Yorker http://thenewyorker.com/ always offer weekly insight on the hottest sample sales happening near you. If you feel like splurging, you can pay to be in the know with sites like The Bargain HOTline http://www.thebargainhotline.com/ and pay $6 a week or $40 a month for a comparative list of the hottest sales!
  
• Fashion Blogs: You can't go wrong with sites designed for the fashionista in mind! Blogs like The Daily Fashionista http://thedailyfashionista.com/ ,Shoeaholics Anonymous http://www.shoeaholicsanonymous.com/ , The Budget Fashionista http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com and The Frugal Fashionista http://frugal-fashionista.blogspot.com/ offer readers their 'know how' tips and insight on the hottest trends happening!


• Online shopping: One of the best ways to save money while shopping for the latest trends is shopping online! It can be addictive shopping from the comfort of your home while in pajamas and feeding a four month old (at least in my case). Some of my favorite sites to go to are Forever 21 http://forever21.com/, Top Shop http://www.topshop.com/, Cutesy Girl http://www.cutesygirl.com/, DSW http://dsw.com/ Endless http://www.endless.com/, Kitson http://shopkitson.com/ , Urban Outfitters .)http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ ,) Dulce (owned by Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada,) http://www.dulce.com/ and Fly Jane http://www.flyjane.net/.
  
• Online Shopping (cont.): Support your local designers by scouring through sites like Etsy http://www.etsy.com/. Many designers, like one of my favorites Ayanna "Yanni" Dixon of La Bella Bijoux http://labellabijoux.com/, offer handcrafted items for sale on Etsy. Scour the website for more than just fashions as the website is the platform for all!
  
• Online Coupons: THE BEST ADDITION TO THE WORLD WIDE WEB EVER!!! The various sites offering you coupons on EVERYTHING you can think of, is definetely something you should keep in your back pocket while adding everything to your online shopping cart! Sites like Fat Wallet http://www.fatwallet.com/, Deal Catcher http://www.dealcatcher.com/, and Retail Me Not http://www.retailmenot.com/ offer savings on everything from shipping to percentages off of your favorite items. They even have codes for additional free items to be added! With a simple search engine where you put in the store you're looking for, you will always find a list of codes to add. Beware, sometimes those codes are expired or do not work altogether. Either way, it is a great way to save!
  

Did I miss anything? Let me and your fellow readers know your tips! Until then, Happy Shopping Babes!

Portia