Cha-ching: Budgets and Over-Shopping

Welcome to Cha-Ching: Posts about money. In these posts, we'll discuss budgeting, overspending, buying, selling, trading, you name it! Because extra money means more Lilly, it's important to make the most out of it.

The thing I've noticed the most from living alone is that no one is here to stop me. I am almost a full-fledged adult, and I've got a nice little paycheck and holes burned into my pockets.

It's taken me a whole year's time to figure this out, so please let me spare you, post-grads: your money is going to different places now. You must stop shopping on frivolous things.

What counts as frivolous? That depends, what's in your budget?

Are you saying, "Huh!? What budget?" because if you are, grab a piece of paper and write down everything you've spent money on this month. Everything - right down to the slush puppies you've been getting at the Circle M before work. (Yes, that may be a personal example. It's hot!)

Whattya got? I hope the first thing on your list is RENT followed by UTILITIES, such as electricity, heat and the like. After that, I'd like to see some GROCERY money, PET FUNDS (Kitty Cat's gotta eat) and maybe a little something for yourself - mine is the JULEP subscription box. And, if you've got everything under control, a little bit going into SAVINGS. Add all those suckers up! How much do you spend?

It doesn't have to be fancy! 

Now, grab your last paystub or two, depending on how much you get paid. Subtract how much you're spending from your paycheck -excluding your taxes and health insurance (if your company supplies it.) What do you have left?

Look at the number. How does it make you feel? Happy? Sad? Alarmed? Like you've lost control of your life? Some of those feelings I will encourage you to take to your parents, or a therapist (no judgements) but hopefully, you've got a little something left over.

There are a few ways to wrangle those numbers down, you know. If you have the patience, try couponing. Like books, movies and magazines? Get them from the library. Lots of designer clothes? Try selling ones you don't wear online.

I'll cover some more money-saving tactics I've been using as the month goes on. Do you have a specific tactic you'd like to see a how-to for? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

Lilly Pulitzer Endless Summer Sale

After logging on and then waiting for a considerable amount of time (too much traffic and not enough bandwidth!) I think I've decided not to buy anything from the Endless Summer Sale, at least for today. 

Why? The prices didn't amaze me, but I think it was more so because the products didn't amaze me. I haven't been too keen on the "new" Lilly and I wasn't in love with the summer line.

I did see a few things I liked (including a tie for my sweetie) that were worth the price and I may buy them later on. The sale does last for a couple of days!

Finally, I felt that some of the other customers were acting very childish and that sort of ruined the fun. People were writing scathing comments on Facebook posts and then when the requests they made were accommodated, they were still mad! I understand this sale is a huge help for those on a budget, but it's just clothes. 

I, too, was disappointed the site crashed so quickly, but I wasn't surprised. Instead of writing nasty messages to the social media team, I closed my computer and did something else. Patience is a virtue that I am working very hard on!

As for today, I think I have enough Lilly to last a while. And if I end up craving something new, I can always A) suck it up and buy it (or put it on my Christmas list), B) scour eBay and Re-Lilly or C) find a similar piece elsewhere. 

How do you feel about the Endless Summer Sale selection? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself (and don't let the sale get your goat!)

Alyson

Southern Spring

Spring in the south is a challenge. One day it's 30 degrees out with gale force winds and a downpour of rain, and the next it's a beautiful clear day with lots of sun.

With a closet of separates, it's easy to dress for anything! Here are four spring staples I recommend for a classic look during crazy up and down weather!

Southern Spring by alysonnnnnnn featuring knit tops

Knit top / Stretch pants / J.Crew j. crew shorts / Lacoste Sleeveless Stretch Pique Polo

Chilly out? Take the crops and cardigan and add a scarf and flats. Sunny, almost becoming hot? Sleeveless polo with shorts, plus your favorite sandals! And of course, the weather has the low at 40 but the high at 70? Grab the cardigan to throw over your sleeveless polo and crops.

What do you wear when the weather is all over the place? What else would you add to my list of separates? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

Card carrier

Recently, I realized I lacked business cards.

For someone without a job and therefore, not much to put on a business card, I didn't really think it mattered... until I went to my internship interview for that Big Company and didn't have one to attach to my resume!

It wasn't a big deal, but it's always better to be over prepared. So I took advice from The College Prepster and ordered some cards from Moo.com!

I used the 50 free sample cards offer instead of buying a ton of cards. I didn't need that many and I don't feel like the small Moo logo on the back would be an issue.

I designed my own cards featuring a Moroccan/Quatrefoil print (a little homage to Phi Mu!) and my name, phone number, email and Linked-in profile.

I got my cards in the mail quickly and they turned out fantastic! They were glossy, professional and no where close to boring!

Next task? Finding a sassy card carrier! I had a Phi Mu one but I used it to carry my loyalty cards and have since misplaced it. Wah!

While I look for it, I also am looking for other options. I like metal carriers, but they're often a little blah. Leather is always good, but finding quality ones in other colors than black is a little challenging.

Do you have business cards? What do you carry them in? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

Pay Day

Unfortunately not the candy bar, pay day is a mythical day that comes rarely as a college student.

I manage my school's online newspaper, so I get paid $150 per month to read, edit and pass stories through to post every week.

I typically like to save $50 from each of these paychecks, but last month was a struggle. I had all that I needed, but I did not like seeing my bank account dwindle, so this month I started out by saving $25.

It's hard to predict money. It fluctuates, for one. Some months there are really important things to pay for, some months there are only cute clothes to pay for. Sometimes you want to spend all of your money on sushi. It changes so frequently and it's hard to plan!

So how do you plan by ear?

1. Save something. Like I said earlier, I prefer to save $50 each month, but even half that can be helpful later.
2. Withdraw cash for food. I always get annoyed when I see a $3.25 charge for a snack. I withdraw about $20 and use it for food. If I need more, I'll get more. This also keeps unnecessary snacking down.
3. Decide if you want to save more. How did you first week go on your paycheck? If you didn't spend a lot, consider moving more money into savings. Even $10 per week in between checks can make a difference.
4. Treat yourself. If you haven't needed to spend your money on bills, food, or surprises, consider treating yourself to a little something. A piece of cake or a new necklace, it's important to keep you in mind.

Do you have a college paycheck? How do you budget? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

Rain, rain, go away!

It's raining here is Georgia today. In fact, it's been raining all week!

At Brenau, the campus used to have a trolley run through the streets. The tracks have since been paved over, but the streets are really high up and the gutters are really low, meaning there are always puddles to jump in!

I purchased a pair of pink rain boots when I came to Brenau, but last summer they sprang a leak. I was so sad! They went with everything! (I can't even find a picture of them! I have one somewhere....)

I purchased a new pair eventually due to a surprise storm during work - I was wearing a favorite pair of leather flats and refused to ruin them!

Today, I bought a new pair of boots. The second pair I had were outrageously patterned and was too much for my typical, already patterned outfits. So instead, I looked for another solid color.

This time, I picked a shorter pair in a berry color. The selection at my local Target was a little picked over (it is the rainy season!) but I found what I was looking for.

I was kind of looking for these guys - not solid, but how cute are the critter whales!?

I've always liked Hunter rain boots, but I can't justify purchasing $135 worth of rubber! Yes, they're cute, but it only rains once in a while down here, and after college, I'm not sure how much I'll wear rain boots! But since I'm not getting the expensive pair, maybe I'll get the Critter Whales too!

Do you own rain boots? What kind? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

SALE ALERT: Lilly Pulitzer on Rue La La!

If you are unfamiliar with Rue La La, it's a website dedicated to speciality boutique sales featuring tons of designers - men, women, children, home, you name it!

But there's a catch - the boutiques are only open for 2 days and are first come, first serve! It's also invite-only.

I peeked through the boutique, but didn't see anything I needed (trying to stay true to the resolution!)

Did you snag a deal from the Rue La La sale? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

Belle on a Budget!

Hey y'all!

Every college student is on a budget, whether we like it or not. But being on a budget doesn't have to trample your style!

Whether you're paying your way through or are slowly getting cutoff from Mom and Dad, a budget is always a good plan. It takes money to make money - and if you blew each and every paycheck without saving anything, you'd learn very quickly after college ended how much of a disaster that is!

So how can we outfit ourselves, our rooms, our beaus and our dogs on such a budget?


First, if you don't mind gently used, try thrifting. I really don't like to share or borrow clothes, but my expensive taste is slowly turning that stinginess off (although it is good to draw limits, especially for sanitary reasons!)

I don't really like to shop at thrift stores, but I have been known to stalk Re-Lilly into the wee hours and to routinely check eBay. Often times, you can find brand new pieces that just didn't lay right, or well-treated pieces worn once or twice for special occasions. You can even resell pieces that you haven't worn or no longer want! It's a win-win.

If that still doesn't float your boat, or if you are turned off about buying from strangers, be sure to check your local discount department stores. Places like TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshall's, Stein Mart and HomeGoods all get chunks of merchandise to resell.

After working retail, I've learned that a lot of these lots of clothes are redistributed due to silly things, like mislabeled or missing tags. Which means a never-worn, never-stocked item is available for half the price!

Of course, the merchandise varies by store and not every store has great merchandise. If you can, try to drive around to different locations - you'll get a completely different stock!

If you really can't stand buying discount or gently used items, consider adapting your budget. If you really want a certain top, try cutting out your morning Starbucks and brew a cup at home. Or, decide to eat-in for a week and put what you would have spent away for your must-have.

Where do you like to shop? Do you shop resale? Know any great bargain sites? Share in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson