Rich Girl

I am a cheapskate.

That's right. I'm a cheapskate. I don't spend money.

Ben and I are young and we don't make a lot of money. Whatever we make in salary goes to mortgage, car notes, power bill, cable bill, groceries, etc. Whatever little we have left over goes in our lovely little savings account that usually gets depleted whenever there is some big event that needs to be paid for, like a tire blows or Charlotte needs an emergency vet trip.

In other words, we make enough to live comfortably, but we don't have a lot extra.

I always get really ticked off at the "Splurge vs. Save" sections in fashion magazines like they are saving you a big bundle. They compare, say, two dresses. The splurge is a runway designer like Badgley Mischka for $400. The save is from Bloomingdale's for $120. I'm sorry. Our country is in a recession. I don't know who thinks $120 for a dress is a deal. $20 FOR A DRESS IS A DEAL. I need to write that column. I'll show them how to bargain shop and bottom feed for a good deal.

Things I am cheap about:

1. Clothes

I don't spend money on clothes. I never go shopping without an intent. When I do go shopping, I go places that are kind of ghetto, especially if it's for something trendy that I'm going to wear for just a season or two. Places I frequent are Rue21, Forever21 (I'm not sure what the 21 thing is about), Target, Walmart, and Maurice's. If I'm lucky, I can catch a good sale at New York and Company, Express, JCPenney, or outlet stores. I never buy anything at full retail price. At these really cheap places like Rue21, you can usually catch basic pieces, like the brown shrug I bought today for $7. SEVEN DOLLARS!!!!! I will wear the heck out of that. And for shoes? Nothing beats Rack Room. Accessories? Claire's and this great store in Hoover called Accessory City.

2. Technology

Ben and I both had Blackberries at one point. We were spending $200 a month on a cell phone bill. Why? So we could check our Facebook and play BrickBreaker. After a few months of that crap, we traded down to two free phones, splitting the lowest possible minutes plan, and no internet on the phones. We cut our phone bill in half! And we didn't die! This is one thing that Ben and I have to work with each other on. He LOVES Best Buy. We "need" a bigger tv for the living room and a flat screen for the bedroom (even though the one in our living room is 2 years old and the one in the bedroom words fine - has a VCR and DVD player in it! What a relic!). We "need" a Playstation 3 to replace our Playstation 2 (that we never play and doesn't do anything different). All those things are fine if you have cash-money to spend. Lord knows I want a Canon Rebel camera and an iPad, but it's just not gonna happen! If it ain't broke, don't fix it! And if you really "need" it, check Ebay first! And NEVER buy something as soon as it comes out. Wait for the next generation so they can work out the kinks or you can buy a "gently used" version.

3. Home Decor

Hello! Home Goods and TJ Maxx! My whole dang house was decorated from there, with a few spatterings of sale pieces from Pier 1 and this super awesome store in Brookwood Mall, Z Gallerie. Our furniture came from Roomstore and a discount furniture warehouse. We even made our headboard! Again, no full retail price!

4. Entertainment

Have you been to the movies lately? I cannot imagine what it is like to take an average family of four to the movies. Tickets at $8 dollars a piece, plus popcorn, drinks, candy...ridiculous. If you ever want to buy Ben and me a gift, we LOVE free movie tickets. Then we split a drink and popcorn. Bowling is always a cheap date, too. Netflix? GENIUS!!! $9 a month for unlimited movies that I could keep until I watch them and no late fees! Books? Amazon! I've bought books for $2 before!

5. Name Brand Food

If you've got a Publix near you, you must use Publix brand anything. It is fantastic. Their quality is usually equal, if not better, than name brand. Their cookies are AMAZING!!!!! I buy Publix cereal, pasta, milk, cheese, lunch meat, and so much more! Same thing goes for cosmetics. I buy all my makeup and shampoo at Wal-Mart. There is no MAC on this face. Maybe it's Maybelline!

Things I will ALWAYS splurge on:

1. Travel

I like to spend money on things Ben and I will enjoy and make memories from. We love to explore new places. Our favorite cities to visit are Nashville and New Orleans. We may only be able to steal away for a few days, but it is usually much needed. Our next trip we are planning is actually for next Christmas. We want to go to Colonial Williamsburg! Our trick? Book waaaaaaay in advance through a discount site like Expedia or hotels.com. Another trick is to book tour packages through the destination's tourism website. When we went to Nashville on our honeymoon, we were able to visit 4 Nashville sites for only $70! It was a great deal! We love live music, too, so we plan far in advance to attend a concert. Jason Aldean is next up on the list - Ben's favorite.

2. Work Clothes/Wardrobe Staples

There are some pieces of clothing that you just should spend money on. I always spend a little extra on good dress pants and skirts, suits, dresses, etc, that I can wear to work. These pieces will never go out of style. You can always pair an $200 pantsuit with a $10 blouse and look like $1,000,000. I always look to Express, Limited, and Banana Republic for these pieces, because, let's face it, I'm still not going to spend a bundle on those. $80 for a pair of pants is a LOT. But I've worn them for years! And to a multitude of occasions.

3. Name Brand Toilet Paper and Mattresses

There are some cases when you just can't skimp. Toilet paper is such the case. I can skimp on paper towels and paper napkins, but never on toilet paper. It must be Quilted Northern. Mattresses are the same. We were lucky to get a great (cheap) deal on a mattress, but I'm all about spending money on something that is going to keep you healthy and sane. You need sleep. You need a not-raw butt. There are other things you must buy name brand also - laundry and dishwasher detergents (the inactive ingredients are different), my makeup foundation (comes from my pageant makeup guy, Clay Spann - buy it once a year, FANTASTIC), dog food (Charlotte needs Science Diet), and razors (they just shave better - I don't know why).

4. Lunch

Ben and I only see each other at lunch for an hour a day. It's much easier for him to come get me from work and us go grab something than for me to drive all the way home, spend 20 minutes, and then drive all the way back. If he comes to get me, then we get to spend the whole hour together! :) But we usually don't go expensive places. The most expensive it gets is Moe's on Fridays. Yes, that's every Friday. They know us by name and when I get to the line, they call for "NACHOLITOS!!!!" before I even order. It's awesome.

This is how I'm cheap. I am not a rich girl by any means, but it keeps me from being stressed about money all the time. I do like to spend a little on myself every once in a while. I bought myself a dress today...for $12. I was pretty proud of myself, so I bought a necklace to match...for $7. LOVE.

Random Fun Tip: If you're shopping online, google "promo code for..." whatever you're ordering. I ordered Ben's Lakers jersey from Dick's Sporting Goods, so I googled "promo code for Dick's Sporting Goods" and got a coupon for 15% off my online order! It doesn't always work, but it's worth a shot!