New To Investing? Here’s Some Investment Advise for Beginners!

December 8, 2016 by Angie Leave a Comment

Believe it or not, investment has been a hot topic around my house as of late. Boyfriend is taking a Personal Finance class and is OBSESSED with investing. All he talks about is CD accounts, Mutual Funds, etc. I tune him out a lot (sorry babe!), but it really is something important to think about. Even small investment opportunities can help you out later in life.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that investing is only for people with a lot of money, but that’s far from true. Believe it or not, investing is something that anyone can do, from bankers to stay at home mums, investment is open to everyone. So, if you’re looking for an extra income stream and have some savings in the bank, perhaps investing them could be the answer?

A lot of parents invest money for their children’s future, to go towards their college funds or the cost of their first car. Other people choose to invest money so that when they retire, they have a little nest egg to top up their pensions with. Whatever your reason for wanting to invest, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are aware of the best ways to go about making your investment.

Admittedly, investing does come with an element of risk, and it’s important to realise that. However, the good news is that if you’re wary about how you invest and what you invest in, you can limit the risk. So, without further ado, below are some handy tips to take note of if you’re new to investing and want to build a little nest egg for yours’ or your children’s future.

Don’t Rush to Invest

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of rushing to invest. You might be excited about investing your money, but that doesn’t mean that you should invest it in the first opportunity you come across. You need to take the time to think things through, to ensure that you make a good decision.

Read Up

It can be helpful to do a little reading before you choose to invest, to ensure that you have a good understanding of what’s involved in the process. Blogs like The Fortunate Investor, for instance, are great for this as they’re packed full of useful advice about investing and the best ways to go about it. Take the time to have a read, so that you’re able to get to grips with the process. If there’s a certain type of investing that you’re more interested in than other types, it’s also worth taking the time to do a little more research into that investment type.

Speak to Someone with Investment Knowledge

For reassurance about the investment that you’re thinking of making, consider speaking to someone with a specialist investment knowledge. If you give your bank a call, they should be able to arrange a meeting for you with an investment adviser. Beforehand, write down any questions that you may have, so that you can get anything that you’re worried about answered.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

A word to the wise, whatever you do, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. No matter how good an opportunity it seems, remember that there is always a risk. To make it less likely that you will lose all of the money that you invest, invest in a few different things. That way, your chances of success are much higher, as you’re not just relying on one investment.

Investing can be a great way to give your savings a boost. However, it’s important to remember that there are no guarantees and that there is always a risk of losing your money. Of course, if you’re smart about what you invest in and how you invest, you can significantly lower the risks.

How are you on the Investment front?

This post contains an affiliate link. Thank you so much for supporting my blog!

Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Frugal Advice for the Thrifty Online Shopper

October 17, 2016 by Angie Leave a Comment

The economy has improved somewhat since the last recession in 2007. The US Census Bureau’s Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015 report showed that the median income for family households increased by 5.3% in 2015 from 2014. This was the first time the numbers showed any improvement from 2007.

Although this may seem encouraging, the truth is that the labor market is tightening. There are more qualified candidates for each available job today than before. In addition to this, it is becoming harder to stretch the dollar today. It doesn’t matter whether you’re single, living with your partner or have a husband and children; expenses can add up. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average cost of living in the US is over $40,000 annually. The survey by the institute showed that more than a third of households in the US cannot afford this.

Frugality has become a trend. However, many people don’t understand what it is all about. Many people equate being frugal with being cheap. A cheap individual is focused on spending less. A frugal person is focused on getting more value out of life. Therefore, the following tips aren’t about getting items cheap, but getting better value:

Have a Budget

Just because you’re shopping online doesn’t mean that you should give in to buying whatever you want. You should have a budget and stick to it. Determine what you need and avoid buying on a whim. Learn the difference between a need and a want. Buy only those items that you truly need. After all, you still have bills to pay…

Compare Prices

One of the great things about shopping online is that you can compare the cost of items from different retailers in an instant. You don’t even have to leave your seat. Compare prices of the items from online shopping sites like DailySale and find the best prices for the items you need.

Take Advantage of Discount Codes and Coupons

Search online retail sites for discount codes and coupons in order to take advantage of hot deals. Never purchase anything until you’re sure that you have found the best discounts and coupons for the items. Check if the site allows you to apply more than one coupon and try to apply them when possible.

Sign-Up for Newsletters

Do you have a favorite online retail store? Sign up for their newsletter. This will help you to stay up to date with deals and discounts being offered by the store. You’ll know when items you’re interested in are being sold at a bargain and make big savings on your purchases.

Create a Wish List

Are there products that you would like to purchase but aren’t available or you can’t afford at the moment? Create a wish list on your account in order to keep track of items that you’re interested in. You can keep an eye on the items you’re interested in. You’ll be able to take advantage of the sales and discounts when they occur.

Online shopping offers convenience, but it can also make you a frugal shopper. With the tips provided above, you can save money and purchase those items you truly need at a great price.

How do you stay frugal online?

This post may contain an affiliate link or two. Thank you so much for supporting my blog!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Quick Tips on Saving for Your First Home’s Down Payment

August 30, 2016 by Angie 3 Comments

Buying a home is usually the biggest single purchase a person will make in his or her lifetime. If you’re currently preparing to make a big real estate purchase, it’s vital to consider the complexities of it. Not only are we talking about the mortgage, but the down payment you’ll have to come up with.

Here are the things you need to know about saving before you buy.

Finalize Your Home Preference

The home location plays a big part of its overall cost and that of the down payment.

Where Will You Live?

Have you already found a home to spend your hard-earned money on? Home ownership, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer is riddled with a variety of steps that you need to commit to. If you’re still on the process of choosing, consider the houses for sale in Adelaide, where you and your family can enjoy a Mediterranean climate and a relaxed lifestyle all year around.

Assess Your Buying Capacity

Before starting to look for homes, the first step is deciding what you can purchase based on your financial capacity. You also need to list your basic requirements such as size, location, maintenance, utilities, and other bills.

If both you and your spouse have income, consider finding a home where you can cover every applicable expense in a single pay check.

Consider A 20% Down Payment

Typically, it’s best to provide 20% or more when purchasing a home. At 20% down, you’ll have a quicker time getting approved for a mortgage and will be able to reduce, even avoid a Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). PMI is an additional monthly cost for low-equity home owners.

What if I can’t give a 20% down payment? You can STILL buy a house with a lower down payment, but you will need to pay a monthly PMI. Many banks and lenders offer loan programs for first-time, low-income homeowners through government programs, so check that out too.

Start an Automated Savings Plan

After knowing how much you can afford to spend for buying your home, you can now start saving. The best option for most people is to save a part of their pay check automatically.

You may choose a fixed percentage or amount of each pay check to go directly to your savings account into an appropriate account. Save as much as you can to build up your balance and make a purchase as soon as possible.

Building Equity

After the painstaking process of saving and making your first home purchase, you are a bona fide homeowner! Now it’s time to build your home’s equity.

As you continue paying your mortgage, each month you’ll own more of the bought property. Over time, the property value can also increase, which will automatically add to your equity. When you decide to sell your home in the future, chances are your next down payment will be bigger than the one you started with. This is one way to build your wealth, and something you should consider as an investment strategy in the future.

Are you saving up a home’s down payment?

Saving for your first home’s down payment is both an exciting and hard phase, but once you set foot in your own home, those hardships will be gone in an instant. Best of luck!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

How To Save Cash On Those Bills You Just Have To Pay

June 6, 2016 by Angie 36 Comments

However we look at things, we always have certain bills that just have to be paid. The ones that keep our homes running and our families going. They are unavoidable and what most of us will go out to work each day to pay for. But many of us don’t save as much money as we should on those bills. We sometimes can just accept what the amount is and get on with our lives. However, I am here to tell you that even though we have no choice to pay those bills, there are ways you can bring them down. So I thought I would share with you a quick guide on how to save yourself some extra cash.

Keeping Your Home Lit

Our homes need to be lit throughout the year but more so in the Winter months. Most of us will use electricity providers for that. Thankfully as a customer we have the power to choose who supplies are energy and who doesn’t. This is where you can save yourself some money. The chances are you are paying more for your electricity than you should be. This is due to you not changing providers and hunting out a new deal. So a great way to save some money on your monthly payment would be to do just that. You can click here for more information about.

Keeping Your Home Warm

Also during the Winter, we need to keep our homes warm. So a great tip to save you some money on this is to get your boiler checked regularly. You could also consider paying out for an additional cover that will fix any heating issues should they arise. Saving you a big bill in the long run. Regular checks should be enough to keep things at bay and provide you with some warning if your boiler is on its way out.

Keeping Your Home Cool

Many of us can deal with some hot Summer days. If you have an air conditioning unit, this is when you will need it the most. So make sure you keep on top of it by having it serviced regularly. You could also save yourself the charge altogether and look at more conventional ways to keep your home cool during the Summer. This might mean things like opening your doors and windows first thing and the last thing at night to let a cool breeze in. Or keeping your curtains and blinds closed, so the sun doesn’t glare in.

Keeping the Family Fed

Finally, your food shopping bill is an essential to keep your family fed and watered. But this is where a big saving can be made each week. All you need to do is change your current shopping habits. This might mean changing the store you shop in for a cheaper alternative. Or meal planning and writing a list of what you need each week. This allows you to save money as you only end up buying what you need. You also waste less food offering a huge saving to you. You can also consider using coupons which can bring a food shopping bill down.

I hope this guide helps you save money on those bills that have to be paid.

How do you save cash on bills?

This post may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

A Simple Guide To Managing Your Money Effectively

March 3, 2016 by Angie 34 Comments

If you’re on a tight budget, it’s imperative that you manage your money effectively. Spending extra on unnecessary items is no longer an option if you want to be able to pay your bills. You might find that you’re spending lots of money on shopping without even realising it. Finding a way to manage your money will pinpoint any areas in which you might be going wrong.

Start a Budget

First of all, you need an actual budget! That means taking the time to sit down and actually write one. There’s no excuses here, you can even get apps on your phone that’ll help you. You can either go back over your previous bills or start keeping track of what you spend for one month from today. Analyse how much you’re spending and what you’re spending it on. Then, look at how much you make each month and compare the difference. Is there an area you could cut back on? Are you going out and spending money too often? Analyse and create a solution.

Check Your Bills

You also need to look at your bills and see how much you’re paying. Are you still paying full price for Sky TV even though you’ve had it for five years? Did you know that you could halve that bill, simply by calling them up and renegotiating? We have a tendency to fall into bad habits when it comes to bills. We hate dealing with them, so we leave them be and accept whatever we’re told. Look at heating and electricity bills and what you’re spending. If it’s too much, try cutting down on heating as much as possible, or stop using five different technology devices at once. There are lots of ways to cut those bills down.

Compare Products

Managing your money doesn’t have to mean neglecting your health or even buying new items! From time to time, you’re going to need to buy products for yourself. Don’t go overboard and buy that nice pair of new shoes that you’re idling in the window. However, if you need a new printer or set of office equipment to get your work done, buy it. Don’t waste money on the cheapest option that’ll go faulty within a week. Instead, look at product comparison websites for something that’s reliable. The key to budgeting is to remember that needs like this will crop up. Set aside a certain amount of money every month to account for this.

Use Coupons

Another way to shop effectively is to use coupons. You’ll find these on websites like http://www.coupons.com/, as well as newspapers and magazines. Gather some of these together and bring them with you next time you go shopping. These coupons might only offer a small amount off of the overall price, but they add up over time. Suddenly, you might find that you’ve saved a lot of extra cash over the course of a month. Of course, always look for the best price for any item you desire. Don’t just accept the first price you come across.

Avoid New Credit Cards

If you can help it, stay away from credit cards. Although it’s tempting to pick one up when you’re in dire straits, it can be a path to a dark place. Depending on how well you manage your money, it’s easy overspend with these cards. Debit cards are much easier to manage and won’t allow you to go over your limit. Even if you think you’d be fine with a credit card, I urge you to stay away as much as possible. You don’t want to be getting into massive amounts of debt.

Avoid New Loans

Something else that I advise you avoid is loans. However, there are circumstances where you need a loan to pay for something particularly important. Home loans are one thing, but personal loans can get very risky if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you absolutely have to take one, make sure you keep an eye out for the APR. This represents the interest rate that you’ll be paying. Sometimes, this figure is astronomical, particularly if you’ve got a poor credit rating. You must read the small print before you enter into any agreement as the consequences could be devastating.

So, there are lots of things to think about when it comes to managing your money. This is why it’s so crucial to have a plan of action and a budget written down. With the right amount of self-discipline, you should see an improvement over time. Keep working at it, and you’ll be financially healthy in no time. You might even be able to go on holiday with the extra money!

Are you good with money?

The links in this post are sponsored, thanks for your support!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Five Awesome Things To Save Up For

February 27, 2016 by Angie 20 Comments

Unless we have a specific savings goal, it can be hard to squirrel away money for a rainy day. It can be just too tempting to spend, spend, spend! To make it easier to save some cash, you should decide on something that you want to save up for. This will give you a much-needed incentive. And the savings goal can be anything you want. Something physical, or an exciting experience! Not sure what to save up for? Here are five awesome ideas.

A Big Holiday

Haven’t left the country for a while? Well, get saving and you’ll soon have enough to visit far-off and exotic locations! You don’t have to push the boat out too much. There are many cheap hotels out there, even in the most luxury destinations. But saving for a holiday doesn’t have to mean travelling too far. If you can’t get too much time off work, go on a staycation.

A New Car

Cars seem to go out of fashion after only a few months, so this is one item we often long to upgrade. Even if you have the latest model, it’s a good idea to have enough in the bank in case something were to happen to it. Accidents happen all the time, especially during driving. Save up enough money so you are always prepared to replace your car. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and it’s better to have saved up some cash rather than be stranded without a vehicle!

A Deposit For A House

Houses are only getting more expensive. That means you’re going to need a sizeable deposit to put down to secure your dream house! Even you don’t have much extra money to put away each month, every little counts. Keep putting some money to one side and, eventually, you’ll have enough cash to bag your dream home! One thing to remember is, the bigger your deposit, the smaller your mortgage will be. No one wants to be paying off a mortgage for years and years, so give yourself enough time to build up a really big fund for a deposit. It may be a long, hard slog, but you’ll reap the benefits with small mortgage repayments!

Pay Off Debt

Whether you have a large debt from college, or you’ve got to pay off your credit cards, put your savings towards paying off your creditors. Debt can cause us lots of unnecessary stress, so put every spare penny towards clearing your slate. Once you are all paid up, then you can start to focus on saving for fun stuff!

Fun Stuff

We all need to treat ourselves sometimes! So for those times when you need a pick-me-up, set some cash aside for fun day trips, presents for yourself and fancy clothes. Anything you want really! If you’re all about giving, save up some cash so you can get your friends and family super cool gifts for birthdays and Christmas!

Looks like it’s time for you to open a new bank account. One for all your hard-earned savings!

This post contains some sponsored links. Thanks for supporting!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Top Tips for Buying Clothes on Credit

May 30, 2015 by Angie Leave a Comment

When paying for clothing via credit, you have to know what you are paying for. Some people simply do not consider repayment amounts, interest, or repayment period; this is a big mistake. Before you buy on credit, consider these factors so you don’t overpay, and so you end up with exactly what you are looking for.

Top Tips for Buying Clothes on Credit

Find a Reputable Catalogue

Just because a site says interest free orders, doesn’t mean they are reliable. The catalogue you shop with should be reliable, should carry different clothing styles, and should be a well known UK supplier. Not only does this ensure you get real, genuine clothing when ordered, it also ensures you won’t get caught in a scam.

Consider Repayment Periods

If you spend £500, can you repay this in 12 months? Some people can, others won’t be able to. Look for interest free periods, but also consider how much you are spending. Consider, what interest rates are per month, and if possible, can you spread the repayment terms out longer? For some, interest free is good; if you are not a responsible shopper, look for longer repayment periods instead.
Spreading the cost normally involves two options; pay monthly and pay weekly, where you pay back what you’ve borrowed in monthly or weekly installments. The buy now pay later clothes option is where you pay nothing for a certain period and then either pay in one lump sum once the period is over or spread the cost.

Interest free

If interest free is offered, consider how long it is for, and how much you have to spend in order to receive it. If you have to spend £1000 to receive 3 months interest free, is it worth it? For some, it is not. So, make sure you can abide by the terms, and know what penalties are, in the event you don’t repay the amount on time.

You also want to know all terms prior to paying on credit. How much are late payments? What if you don’t repay on time? And, so forth. Find out what company you are dealing with, what they offer, and how reputable they are, so as to avoid getting caught up in something you can’t repay, when your first bill arrives at home.

This is a sponsored guest post in line with my disclosure policy.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

The Weekly Round-Up: Favorite March No Spending Posts

March 29, 2015 by Angie 1 Comment

It’s the end of March, so it’s time for me to showcase my favorite posts from the March 12×30 Challenge-No Spending posts. So here we go!

♥ Grace, Faith, & Glitter wrote about 4 Tools for Managing Your Finances, and it is so much help-I need that YNAB program.

♥ Instead of just saving, Happiness with a Side of Tea shows us how we can make money simply with Spring Cleaning!

♥ Life, Love, and Coffee Stains wrote about 6 Tips for Budgeting After College. So necessary-it’s rough!

♥ My co-host Chasing My Extraordinary shared her tips on becoming more financially stable. There are good ones!

♥ And of course, don’t forget my post about How to Curb Your Spending & Start a Budget from Your Bank Account.

What are your favorite posts this week?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

How to Curb Your Spending & Start A Budget Right From Your Bank Account

March 24, 2015 by Angie 37 Comments

Remember how I said I wasn’t going to participate in the No Spending 12×30 monthly challenge for this month? Well at first I wasn’t… I spent a ton of money at the first of the month-I bought things for my apartment, I bought supplies to open my new shop, and I fully admitted I wasn’t going to be stopping my spending. But then I was surprisingly thrust into a new budget.

I’m going to buy a house. I mean, I just decided I was ready to move and if I was going to be spending so much I might as well buy something. So I applied for a mortgage, I was approved, and I’m already house hunting. It all happened in a matter of hours, and the one thing that has been stressed above all is “save save save!” So now? Now I’m on a no-spend budget.

How to Curb Your Spending & Start A Budget Right From Your Bank Account

So in the spirit of budgeting, the first thing I needed to do was get an idea of where all my money goes. I mean I make pretty good money, it’s not a ton, but it’s a lot more than I did years ago. So why do I still mostly live paycheck to paycheck? Well, because I don’t budget. I don’t pay any attention to where it’s all going-and that’s a problem.

Most banks allow you to go in and categorize your spending, so that’s what we’re going to talk about today. My online account allows you to simply click on a transaction and put it in a group and even add notes about it so you don’t forget what it was for. That’s where we start, and you should go ahead and log into your bank account and start categorizing.

I did a test period of 45 days-from February 1st to March 17th, and now this period included my tax return so I’ve removed the amount of the return and the (rough) amount of it from both my payouts (I paid off a bunch off all of my credit cards and a few other things with it) and my income to make this more like a normal amount of time. I even went through my credit cards to see how much I am charging.

For this period, I spent/paid out roughly $4,108.45.
For this period, I charged/went in debt roughly $1,649.52.
For this period, my income was roughly $3,526.21 (not including income from blogging.)

See the problem? Why on earth am I spending so much MORE (roughly $2,231.76 more) than what I’m earning? This is how we end up with credit card debt-and yes I paid it all off and already have a good chunk of it again. This is not okay. This is where I realize that something needs to change. But what?

Here’s the part where you now get to sort your bank account history by individual sections so you can see how much you spent in each of the categories you outlined previously. This will help you see where your spending has gone to. Here’s a break down of my expenditures:

Utilities: $1,659.98 Rent: $1,402.7 Electricity: $45.27 Internet: $78.95 Television: $33.06 Phone: $100	Auto & Transport: $457.25 Car payment: $219 Car insurance: $111.55 Gas: $120.86 New tail light: $5.84	Food & Dining: $1,158.78 Groceries: $650.35 Restaurants: $77.18 Fast Food: $241.68 Coffee Shops: $128.37 Alcohol & Bars: $60.89
Business/Blog Services: $294.28 Shop Supplies: $209.15 Blog Upkeep: $85.13 Educational Expenses: $9.72	Entertainment Purchases: $202.85 Music: $54.18 Movies: $25.00 Books: $88.67 Games: $35.00	Personal Care: $115.97 Hair & Beauty: $58.29 Gym: $57.68Travel: $122.63 Rental Car: $107.70 Other: $14.93
Shopping: $1,374.72 Home Furnishings: $655.37 Clothing: $211.75 Online/Subscriptions: $128.60 Pet Food & Supplies: $174.25 Other/Hobbies: $146.15 Blog Swaps: $58.60

Yikes. I mean really yikes. When you break it down like that it’s pretty easy to see where I’m going wrong. I’m sure if you’ve broken yours down you’re looking at it in the same kind of horror that I am. Well, maybe you’re not, but I certainly hope I’m not the only one who lets my spending get out of control. Not that I would wish that on anyone, but man it’s nice to not think you’re alone in your bad choices.

So what can I do about this? Well I can’t really get any of the money I spent back, but I can take a look at my bad financial choices and learn from them going forward. A penny saved is a penny earned right? I’d rather funnel some of those wasted dollars into my savings account-which I need to be doing if I’m buying a house.

So let’s look at where my biggest offenses are. I mean I can’t get around paying rent obviously, nor can I get around any of the auto expenses since I have to drive myself to work. Honestly, my mistakes are in laziness and trying to shop my feelings away. My food budget, specifically the hundreds of dollars I spend on fast food, is WAY too high. I mean I know that the groceries bill isn’t entirely groceries either, it’s lazy shopping. I’m also spending way too much in shopping, entertainment, and other categories…

Here’s the part where you look at your break down of charges and decide where your trouble spots are. Once you’ve identified those parts of your life that are costing you too much money you can make a plan going forward for how to fix it. Pick out the things you are willing to give up or do more frugally, and make some goals going forward.

So what am I going to do about it? Well here are my new financial goals:

No more fast food. Instead there will be meal planning, shopping lists, and preparing ahead.

Coffee shops = no. I need to make coffee at home, it’s just lazy lack of planning on my part.

Shopping = no. No more frivolous spending. No more retail therapy, just real therapy.

Entertainment budget-No more buying books (except for swaps) until I’ve read 80% of what I have already.

Funnel all the extra funds into my savings account.

Try and sell the products in my shop.

How do your finances look? What are you doing about it?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Saturday Spotlight | Nikki Tells Us How to Save Money On Beauty Products

March 21, 2015 by Angie 4 Comments

Hello lovely readers! Today I’m giving you Nikki from Confessions of a Makeup Addict, and she’s going to take some time to teach us all how to save money on beauty products-which is a lesson I’m sure all of us could desperately use! Enjoy, and please leave Nikki some love in the comments.

Saturday Spotlight: Nikki Tells Us How to Save Money On Beauty Products

I’ve been asked many times how to save money on beauty products. There are tons of different ways, and today I’m going to share some of them with you. Some are obvious, others may not be, so let’s get started!

Tips to Save Money on Beauty Products

Always check for coupon codes when ordering online.

This one seems obvious, but it’s one that I often forget as well.

Use a cash-back site, such as ebates.

This is one that not everyone knows about. When shopping online, you can shop through ebates to get cash back on purchases. They deposit the money straight into your Paypal account.

Shop sales.

Another obvious one, but this one seems more difficult. The best thing to do is wait until the store you’re shopping in has it’s semi-annual sale or a friends & family sale. Almost every store does this.

Leave items in your online shopping cart and close out the site.

Sometimes when you do this you’ll receive an e-mail letting you know that you left items in the cart, and usually they’ll send you a discount code in that e-mail as an incentive to purchase.

Join rewards/loyalty programs.

Sign up for the rewards or loyalty programs at the places you’ll shop. You’ll receive notifications of sales as well as special discounts.

Sign up for newsletters.

These often give you early access to sales and special discount codes that you wouldn’t get otherwise.

Return products that you don’t like.

If you buy something and hate it, return it! You don’t have to be stuck with a crappy product! If it doesn’t work for you, take it back and get something else.

Check flash sales.

Sites such as Hautelook have short “flash sales” where for a very limited time you can get products at a steep discount. Check often as these are typically short and have a limited supply.

Buy travel size items.

Some products you won’t use as much as others. Those you may not need a full size of, such as Benefit Benetint. The sample bottle lasts forever.

Check out discount stores.

Stores such as Marshalls and TJMaxx have amazing sales. Checking those stores often is a good idea. I tend to find a lot of perfectly good nail polish and hair products at Marshalls.

Splurge on products that have multiple uses.

Products such as the Nars Multiples, Stila Convertible Cheek/lip colors, Bronzers and highlight powders have multiple uses. I’ll be doing a separate post on my blog about this later this week.

Search for dupes.

You can typically find cheaper alternatives to some products. Lip products are typically the easiest to dupe; just do a google search!

Shop at the drugstore.

There are amazing products at the drugstore. Some are as good as or better than their high end counterparts. It’s trial and error, but if you’re on a budget, it’s a great idea.

Fix broken products rather than repurchasing.

Broken powders, eyeshadows, even lipsticks can be repaired when broken.

DIY products.

Hair masks, face masks, face scrubs, lip scrubs, even body butter can be a DIY project. I’ll be doing a separate post for my recipes soon!

Shop blog sales.

Beauty bloggers are always selling beauty products that they either do not need, do not want or do not like. If it’s something you’ve been after, why not buy it from a blogger at a (typically sizeable) discount. Just make sure it’s a blogger you trust! I do not recommend buying cosmetics on Ebay or Amazon unless it’s a verified seller.

Back to Mac.

This really isn’t the best deal, but it’s better than nothing and there are other companies that do similar things. Take 6 empty containers to MAC and you get a free lipstick. Take five empty containers to Lush and get a free mask. Take 10 contains to Kiehls to get a travel size collection.

Those are some of my money saving tips for saving money on beauty products. Thank you so much for reading!

Don’t Rush to Invest

Read Up

Speak to Someone with Investment Knowledge

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

How are you on the Investment front?

Have a Budget

Compare Prices

Take Advantage of Discount Codes and Coupons

Sign-Up for Newsletters

Create a Wish List

How do you stay frugal online?

Finalize Your Home Preference

Where Will You Live?

Assess Your Buying Capacity

Consider A 20% Down Payment

Start an Automated Savings Plan

Building Equity

Are you saving up a home’s down payment?

Keeping Your Home Lit

Keeping Your Home Warm

Keeping Your Home Cool

Keeping the Family Fed

How do you save cash on bills?

Start a Budget

Check Your Bills

Compare Products

Use Coupons

Avoid New Credit Cards

Avoid New Loans

Are you good with money?

A Big Holiday

A New Car

A Deposit For A House

Pay Off Debt

Fun Stuff

Top Tips for Buying Clothes on Credit

Find a Reputable Catalogue

Consider Repayment Periods

Interest free

Tips to Save Money on Beauty Products

Always check for coupon codes when ordering online.

Use a cash-back site, such as ebates.

Shop sales.

Leave items in your online shopping cart and close out the site.

Join rewards/loyalty programs.

Sign up for newsletters.

Return products that you don’t like.

Check flash sales.

Buy travel size items.

Check out discount stores.

Splurge on products that have multiple uses.

Search for dupes.

Shop at the drugstore.

Fix broken products rather than repurchasing.

DIY products.

Shop blog sales.

Back to Mac.

Leave a comment and let me know what your tips are!