Showing posts with label Deals. Show all posts

Alright yall, this is the post where I reveal all my secrets, aka my online shopping spots. This is how I do everything. What am I missing? Where do you find the best deals?


Travel:
  • Hotwire: Hotels, hotel alerts, rental cars (my friend got a $7/day rental car this way, um yes). With hotels, you don't know the name of the hotel, only the stars/amenities/general location, until after you book which is a little sketch but I've always had great luck with this, and it's always been the least expensive (I've done it in Memphis, Boston, Savannah)
  • Kayak: Compares flights/hotels etc between all the big sites (expedia, tripadvisor, etc).  Set Kayak Alerts to e-mail you when your trip's prices go down, plus they show charts of how likely it is that the prices will rise/lower. Amazing.
  • CruiseCompete: Travel Agents vie for your business. Whoever gets you the lowest deal on the cruise you want (includes flight and excursions!) wins. Totally free! My co-worker swears by this, and we are doing it for our cruise in December.
  • Travelzoo: Always tons of good deals on all-inclusive vacays. I also buy baseball tickets here?
  • AirBnB: Stay in people's homes when you vacation- generally half the price of hotels. You can find dog-friendly homes, choose "whole house" options or just "rooms" or "bed and breakfasts". My friends just booked their honeymoon via AirBnB, and Sahra stayed at a B&B in Mexico City via this site too so it's legit internationally! 


Workout Gear:


Clothes:


Kitchen Accessories


Dogs:


Accessories/Jewelry/Makeup

Furniture/Home:

What am I missing? Where are your favorite online shops??

 Linking up with some of my favs today: Little Friday and Lovely Thursday

Broke and Bougie BEST Discount Websites Index (i.e. Broke and Bougie Bible)

Thursday, April 17, 2014


Yall! Set an alarm!! It's virtually impossible to find actual discount Toms sales but this is legit so set your alarms and get up for Zulily's massive Tom's sale! They have women's, men's and kid's in all styles and sizes. Also after you buy you can send a link to your friends and when THEY buy you get $15 off your next purchase. If you follow this blog you know I buy everything from bakeware to jewelry  to atheltic wear on Zulily. Basically if I own anything namebrand, it comes from Zulily- you know this girl doesn't pay full price for that kinda stuff.

*Word from an experienced Zulily bargain shopper: last time they had a Toms sale the site crashed around 9:30 am, so I suggest getting on this bright and early. Especially if you, like myself, have the most common shoe size in the world (8) and it automatically sells out everywhere in every style that anyone else wants to buy.

Check out some of the Toms styles coming on Zulily:

PS did anyone know Toms has a bangin men's line? I had no idea! Good thing Harrison doesn't read this blog because he'd be seeing his birthday and Christmas gift this year (first 2 below). 
 
Gonna put my yonce (aka fiance) in a pair of these babies for $44 Gray Denim Desert Botas

$74 Black Suede Brogue
$37 Hemp Embroidery Classic

I got these!! $31 Natural Zebra Zag Classic

$44 Multi Knit Classics- look at that lining!

$44 Natural Zebra Zag Wedge Sandal

$42 Coral Crochet Wedge Sandals

Why do I want these? Is this my secret longing for Uggs to be acceptable again? $48- Blue Leopard Denim Fleece High Botas


$48 Mixed Taupe Suede Tribal Boots

DISCOUNT 40% OFF TOMS SALE!! On Zulily TOMORROW (or today depending on when you see this)!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

one of the rainless days. so beautiful.

Soooo I pretty much had the best week ever. Jamaica was beeauuttiffull (despite record-breaking rainfall), our friends' wedding was a blast (despite being outdoors during record breaking rainfall), spending a week with friends in paradise is straight up good for the soul (despite record breaking rainfall), annndddd I got engaged! So I guess I'll start posting about planning a Broke but Bougie wedding soon? Anyway I don't like the sound of the word "fiance" but I do love the sound of "biance" (just say it out loud). And one note about the engagement: I think my biance may have a career as a jewelry designer- check out the sapphire ring at the bottom!

Anyway, in honor of an incredibly broke & bougie vacation, I want to spread the lessons I learned on planning a paradise vacation on a super tight budget.

Flights: Kayak Alerts are your best friend! Tell them where you're going and when, and they e-mail you a daily roundup of the best airline prices of the day (or week, or you can get push notifications on the phone). It's essentially extreme airline bargain shopping, but they do the work for you.
OH and don't forget to sign up for those frequent flier miles- they rack up fast (especially during wedding season) and you could end up with a free flight by the end of the year!

Lodging: The destination wedding was clutch when it came to lodging. We stayed at a resort that is usually $600/night for $175/night. I got a lot of recommendations for Riu as a more affordable all-inclusive option, and everyone and their mothers says Secrets and Sandals are the most amazing experiences for 24 hour room service, top shelf drinks, and 100% all inclusiveness.

Food and Booze: My brother used to sell timeshares in Cabo and I'm going to let you in on a little secret he once told me: you are almost never saving money doing all-inclusive. There are definitely times that all-inclusives are worth it and you are saving money, but we skipped that this time around, got a cab to the grocery store, loaded up on lunch meat, bagels (I know I fell off the clean wagon), bread, snack bars, beer and liquor. For $150 we had lunch, breakfast, snacks and a few suppers covered. We could also bop down the street to the famous Scotchies for jerk chicken, and eat at the hotel bar for $10. Again, the wedding was clutch as we had 3 meals paid for while we were there. All week we walked around with our own mixed drinks and beers at the beach and it was not a problem (and we weren't paying $10/drink either!)

Entertainment: This is where having a large group was crucial, and also traveling with a promoter didn't hurt either. We didn't need to go out that much as it was so fun to stay in and hang out with everyone and drink. We went out two nights to touristy dance clubs (Margaritaville and Pier 1) in shuttle buses coordinated by one of the guys in our group. We had a great time and drinks didn't cost that much at the clubs compared to DC. The bride also organized a catamaran tour for us one of the days which was great with such a big group. Couldn't recommend doing Jamaica with a group more for the entertainment factor.

Take advantage of deals: Some definitely seem too good to be true but Groupon Getaways and LivingSocial Escapes offer tons of awesome vacation deals. One of my friends just got back from a 7 day trip to Ireland where the $1200 Groupon she bought paid for round-trip airfare, activities, rental car, and 6 nights stay in the Ritz. And my mom did Jamaica last year on a Groupon Getaway. Just make sure to read on-line reviews of the companies offering the deals. Expedia and Priceline also offer last-minute deals for great prices. For cruises subscribe to cruiseline newsletters- Carnival sends weekly discount especially during off-season. Sidenote: we went on a ridiculously cheap carnival cruise last year because we booked two days after the infamous poop cruise incident. Timing is everything, people!

Annnnd for a look into our incredible vacay:
gotta do the catamaran! rain or shine this is such a fun way to spend the day in Jamaica

I know. How beautiful is this? Almost want to have my own destination wedding!


I KNOW RIGHT?

  

Vacation on a Budget (Jamaica Recap)

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Every year I spend New Year's Eve Day scrambling all over town with cold sweats looking for the perfect NYE shoe...that I can afford AND dance in (apparently the impossible standards). This year I did my research and I'm ready to go! So enjoy the shoe porn and remember, they're all $35 and under so you can look AND touch. 



If you can get past the name, they're pretty cute shoes





$22.49 Women's Mossimo® Noreen Cap Toe Pump
Can we wear these to work too? Double the pleasure with this pair.






$35 Romantic Soles Vicenza7 from Zappos
Oh hayy sparkles!
 



$39 Pumps at H&M
YES. All of this. Yesyesyesyesyes get on mah feet!




I so would have worn these when I was 22. New Year, Younger Me?




$33 Simply Vera Vera Wang Snakeskin High Heels at Kohl's
I mean Vera designed them so they are perfect.



$29 GlamGirl Metallic Pumps at Forever21
Hi I'm here for the tequila shots. 

 




$27.49 Liliana by Adi Women's Glittering Stilettos  from Overstock.com
(FYI when I ordered my coat from Overstock it came in 3 days)

NYE Shoes {on our tiny budgets}

Thursday, December 12, 2013

YALL! The best day of the year for the broke and bougie out there is almost here!!! CYBER MONDAY! For those of you who live under a rock, Cyber Monday is the internet equivalent to Black Friday. To me, Thanksgiving is about enjoying my short time home with family and friends which equates to Friday being all about nursing hangovers- not the ideal condition for power shopping on Black Friday.

Some of my top picks:


Cyber Monday Sale Guide:

To Do Before You Shop:
  • Make a list! It's easy to get distracted if you don't know what you're looking for, then spend too much money and not even get what you need
  • Measure yourself so you can check measurements against the sizes  we all know small in one brand could = medium in another brand so save yourself the headache of returns. Measure your waist (where you crease in your middle when you bend over), hips, chest. **don't have a tape measure? Use a string or long cord and measure up against a ruler or yard stick.

Broke & Bougie Guide to Cyber Monday

Wednesday, November 27, 2013


The Gods of Groupon Goods are hearing Andi's and my prayers with this deal today:
In the last 6 months Andi has developed a kind of car anxiety where as soon as the car goes into drive she shakes profusely and sheds approximately 2-5 lbs of hair (depending on how far the drive is)- I mean in reality it is probably for attention and probably because she has discovered it earns her a seat in my lap if I'm not driving. But she's almost 60 pounds and front seats are just not build for 2. Enter: AKC Car Seat Covers from Groupon Goods. As soon as this hit my inbox I ordered- $12 + $2 shipping and handling- yes please! When I researched these at the onset of Andi's car-anxiety I couldn't find anything under $50.
Just look how happy this dog is in the car, No anxiety anywhere.
Apparently most people get this to keep dog hair off their seats not necessarily as a barrier to the front seat. You say potato and say pota(h)to. Whatever.

I may or may not have strayed over to the "customers like you also liked this" page and purchased this LED leash (hey Christmas is coming!)


Ok ok ok and an LED collar..Andi will be so safe!  And the coolest dog on the block in our new neighborhood! (more on that later)




Dogcessories: The $12 Doggie Car Seat

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Time to get creative! These are my favorite classic couples costumes with DIY and Where To Buy. What are YOU going to be for Halloween? What are the best couples costumes? 

  1. Mario and Luigi: The best price on the full costume I could find was at Oriental Trading for $28 each. Not so great if your budget is like mine. Fortunately this is a super easy DIY. I found overalls at Goodwill and Martha's Outfitters. Target and Wal-Mart have plain green and red t-shirts AND white gloves, and these days fake adhesive mustaches are everywhere (Target, Oriental Trading, any gift shops). We found red and green hats (thanks, neighbors!) and drew an "M" and "L" on white paper, cut it out, and taped it to our hats. Easy and done for under $10 each.
  2. Bacon and Eggs: We ordered our's from Fantasy Toyland for $24.99. 2 costumes, $12 each!
  3. Thing 1 and Thing 2: Adult onesies are quite an investment. The best price I found was on Amazon for $34 . Let's be real- onesies are the gift that keeps on giving, especially in red (hello tacky sweater party!?) so definitely can be worth the money. If you want to keep it simple (and not sweat your ass off), EBay has a store that sells Thing 1 and Thing 2 tshirts and gear.
  4. Monkey and Banana: How cute is this. And easy. Also I could start a business if I charged every person who borrows my banana costume and Amazon has options for UNDER $10! They also have simple monkey costume pieces (cue: not sweaty) under $10 here.
  5. Flintstones: This is an easy DIY that I have done more than once. For Wilma we made a toga using a white sheet, borrowed a pearl necklace, and sprayed my hair orange. For Fred, we bought 3 yards of orange felt and about 1 yard of black felt. In the center of the orange felt, we cut a hole for the head to go through (envision a pancho), and hot glued black felt pieces all over the orange "pancho". You can also buy the costumes at Wal-Mart for $20 each.
  6. Loofah and Bubbles: Thank you, Pinterest! How awesome is this costume! I've seen it done with "soap" but the bubbles take the cake. This is amazing. Here is a tutorial video for a no-sew loofah costume.  You can put this costume together for less than $10 total.

 Need a hot glue gun? I ordered this gem for $20 and it has lasted years. Hot glue guns are TRULY the gift that keeps on giving.
 

Best Couples Halloween Costumes on a Budget {DIY & Where to Buy}

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Is it just me or is it a lot easier to workout when I have workout clothes I like? Well, everyone who's with me is in luck because Zulily is having a massive Under Armour sale! While it is still cheaper to go to Wal-Mart to get $10 shorts, Under Armour makes quality clothes that last forever- no joke, in the winter I wear the BF's long sleeve Under Armour shirts from high school football...annnddd just an FYI our 10 year reunions are right around the corner. So that means Under Armour maintains the same quality after a decade of disgusting sweaty boy who likely doesn't take care of clothes, and sweaty running girl. Also I have searched all corners of the earth for affordable winter running gear and haven't been able to find a single item under $40, so this is a steal to me. They have Men's and Kid's Under Armour too- makes a great gift! Here are some of my favorites they have in the sale:
Ultra UA Muscle Tank $20.99 

Black Heat Gear Sonic Long-Sleeve Top $24.99

Hibiscus UA Shorts $20.99

Black and Purple Sonic All in One Shorts $20.99

Water Edge UA Hoodie $31.99

Under Armour Sale- Workout Clothes for $20 and under!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013


I have listened to a lot of panels comprised of very important people (CEOs, female leaders in male dominated industries, etc etc), and for some reason one VP's quote has stood out in my head for years: "You have to dress the part of the job you want, no matter what job you are currently working". Maybe this has always stood out to me because I have never made enough money to dress the way I want to dress, add to that being a woman in the workplace presenting millions of questions like what is too racy? what is too conservative? do I look stuffy? do I look like I'm trying to dress like my male counterparts?

Anyway, this season you can't go wrong with the Ponte blazer. Everyone from CEOs to VPs to non-profit workers to artists are wearing these. I like the versatility- I pair mine with jeans if I have somewhere "nice but not too nice" to go; my black blazer goes with colored dress pants; and I have an orange one that I wear to spice up black pants. The fabric and the make of the ponte make it light and somewhat form-fitting which makes me feel like I look skinnier than when I wear my old blazers that are a bit less flattering. Here's where I've found the best steals on the Ponte:

  1. Mossimo Women's Collarless Ponte Blazer from Target- Assorted Colors: $30.00. This comes in black, cinnamon cake (great fall color), officer blue, and railroad gray. So basically black, orange, blue and gray. You can only get them online and my experience with Mossimo sizing is that it's pretty much on par with other brands. One of the reviews claims this blazer is friendly for the large chested (not an issue for me, unfortunately).
  2. Solid Open Blazer from Forever 21: $27.80. Comes in black only, and sorry about the model who looks like pre-rehab Lindsay Lohan. The sizes generally run a little small at Forever, but I like the look of the sleeves. It is also somewhat slimming as it doesn't have the extra fabric for closing the front.
  3. Methaphor Ruched Ponte Blazer from Sears: $18.00. Comes in 8 (yes EIGHT!) different colors- my favorites are raspberry and mustard. Comes in petite which is nice for those of us who were "blessed" with wide hips and narrow shoulders. On that note I think I like these blazers so much because none of them come over the hip, and my big hips/butt make my whole body look much bigger in jackets that cover the bum.
  4. Attention Women's Ponte Blazer- Faux Trim from K-Mart: $20.99. Before Sofia Vergara came into the picture I thought K-Mart was extinct, but they've been reincarnated. I like the "leather" trim on this blazer, gives it kind of an edge. You can order it and pay shipping or get free store pick-up, which confirms they are in fact still a physical store.

Workwear: The Ponte Blazer for Under $30

Thursday, September 26, 2013


Picture from ridetheboomerang.com

Few things make one feel as glamorous as sipping cocktails on a chartered yacht. Thanks to The Boomerang, everyone can feel this glamorous for a mere $15 (which includes your first drink!). Here's my breakdown:

DC Happy Hour- ON A BOAT

Friday, September 20, 2013

 
Sometimes I think Phil from Modern Family is actually based on my own dad, so needless to say he deserves great gifts. But what to get a man whose hobbies favorite hobbies are roaming around Home Depot, watching Mash reruns and building shelves? Well thanks to Livingsocial  we have a crisis averted for one more birthday season: $25 for $50 to spend at Brookstone, and what do you know Brookstone's website has an entire sections of "Gifts for $50 and under". No joke. Here are some of my thoughts for my dad's gifts:

Stick-n-Find Bluetooth Locator: A thing you put on your stuff (keys, remotes, what else does my dad lose on the reg?) that you can locate from your iphone. O.M.G. I want one for myself






 Motorized Automatic Tie Rack: Ok I really don't know how necessary it is to have this, but it is such a dad toy


Emergency 30 Day Lantern: This embodies all elements of appropriate dad gifts: totally unnecessary, rustic, kind of electric, and something all other dads will want to play with



Broke Gifts- Dad Edition

Monday, September 16, 2013

Posted on the wall. My kinda place
"Wait so you go down to a sketchy Asian basement in Dupont and let them touch your coochie?" -Good friend 2 months ago. As of one month ago she is a regular at Dupont Nail. It's that much of a bang for your buck yall.


  • Price: $35 Brazilian, $8-$12 eyebrow IN DC YALL
  • Service: Kim is great. She's really sweet and truly cares about her service. And she waxes her own self. I don't know what says you can trust a waxer more than that...
  • Quality: Same quality as an $80 wax I got a Groupon for a few years ago.
  • Cleanliness: They change out the wax after every appointment and do the same with the table coverings. This makes me feel even better than other places that just don't "double dip"

image from betcheslovethis.com

I discovered this place 2 summer ago when they were advertising their $35 Brazilians- $35!!! In DC!!!! At that point I was so desperate for a clean-up that I didn't care that it gives off the aura of a Vietnamese basement dive salon, so I went for it and have been going back to Kim every 4-6 weeks since then. Kim is so sweet and gives you a hug every time you come in, like, she really cares. (They have since been taken over by a salon management company and it has a better feel inside.)
I understand one of the ways they can keep their prices so low is by using regular brand products (i.e. aloe vera, Neosporin), but an old waxer friend told me that most salons just put "Neosporin" into a bottle with an exotic label and tell you it is a special healing cream from another country, so I don't feel that gypped by the fact that Kim doesn't try to hide the products she's using. When I go in for the eyebrow/Brazilian combo they give a little discount and only charge $42 for all the services which is still half the price of just a Brazilian at other places. I have never had my nails done here before because it is a little pricier than Revo and I just can't justify that extra $8 (it's a whole eyebrow wax!), but a friend has said good things about their gel manis. Also not sure if this is a selling point for anyone out there, but they just got a new chocolate flavored wax that smells like chocolate. I might be missing something but I really don't understand that. Neither does Kim. If anyone has information about the benefits of chocolate wax, please let me know. Until then Kim and I are assuming the salon management company has a fetish.

Here is the price list:


Dupont Nail- $35 Waxing

Caramel Leopard Moon Walk Flats from Zulily for $14 + $5 shipping
I may or may not have an online shopping problem. But whatever, if I was shopping in real life around DC I'd spend 10 times as much money, and I can justify this purchase as a "work wardrobe expense". I found these today on Zulily  for $14 plus $5 shipping and handling. I really like the dress loafer style and in my online research have had a hard time finding this style for under $40. I love the coloring of these, and I like the lack of studs or other odd bling I've been finding on other options. Here are a few other leopard print flat options:



JC Penny Leopard Print Studded Flat for $24 (but they have studs...):








Kenneth Cole Reaction Slipified Flat at DSW for $39.94
 







Unleashed by Rocket Dog Conner Flats at Kohl's for $34.99




$15 Leopard Flats from Zulily

Monday, September 9, 2013

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