SPLURGE VS SAVE- wardrope edition

Hello Recessionista's! I know it's been a little while since i last posted anything however- I should be back and running pretty soon!

To kick it back up I ran into an article on when to Splurge and when to save this morning and couldn't agree more with. Below i have the items listed in the article with my won twist on why I agree as well as a few items I think we should consider splurging on:

Splurge:

1.  Leather Jacket- or a lamb skin. You can find non-leather jackets that are just as great also if you're against wearing animal skin.

2. Jeans- we all know the coworker that wears ill-fitted jeans. Don't be THAT person.

3. Bra's- nothing is more embarrassing then a women with a great set of assets and a poorly fitted bra. Get one or two that fits and wash them properly. Take care of the items that make you feel and look your best!

4. Black Dress- I think when we say spend vs splurge- it doesn't mean u should go out and spend a fortune- but take the time to find one that fits you like a glove. You may get lucky and find the last AMAZING dress discounted. Just have your perfect go to dress.

5. Blazer- a fitted one. You can wear this anywhere and everywhere- haveing one great Blazer will take u from the office to the after party in style.

6. A great Work Bag- I am a huge advocate for saving up for a great bag. You can take that ONE bag with you everywhere. I work in an office 5 days a week and like a great big bag for shopping. A great work bag is ideal for someone like me. Instead i don't have to constantly purchase new bags- they'll end up costing more than the ONE investment bag.

7. Shoes- you don't need to buy a Louboutin but take a moment to purchase shoes that wont give u blisters.

SAVE:

EVERYTHING ELSE.

Sandals- although i always say you should invest in your feet. You can always find a imitation of the high end sandals with the same comfort at a lower price. Let's be real If it's flat then they probably didn't put much effort in creating them.

Skirt and printed pants- Buy a skirt that flatters you- however most skirts don't need to be THAT tailored so you can save in this category. Printed pants come and go so I would save those extra $$$ on something you would rather splurge on.

Formal dress- you wear this ONCE. So unless you're a celebrity- I would save your precious Benjamin's in this category.

Read more here: http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/5-fashion-items-that-are-worth-a-splurge-and-4-that-aren%E2%80%99t-213602423.html

Neiman Marcus + Target Collaboration

Wasn't sure how many of you were as obssessed with the Neiman Marcus- target collab as i was but... Target has the ENTIRE collection on 70% off!

Finally got the remainder of the items i wanted without breaking the bank.

I still want to go back and buy more but i really don't think that's a great start to the new year.. ahem spending more money.

I'll update you all on what i bought tonight!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Altuzarra Double Old Fashioned Glasses- set of 4 = $14.99 - Probably my most WANTED item from the whole collection :)

Originally $49.99 ( no way was i going to pay that.. had to order online since most stores sold out- wonder why.. they are BEAUTIFUL!)

2. Alice + Olivia Luggage = $53.99 originally 179.99

( online purchase since this was sold out in stores.. HOWEVER.. i got FREE SHIPPING and i actually need a carry on and i plan to travel this year :)) SUPER cute!

3. DVF JEWELRY BOX $14.99 originally $49.99 - sadly this may be a return, i did look through all of the boxes and thought this was the best one however i came home and saw a part of the lid had a chunk missing. Guess something hapned in shipping or the top is plainly cheap. :( i LOVE the inside though so i may make this work. sadly i only have a few days to think about it since all these products have to be returned by January 5th..

4. Rag and Bone shot glasses! $10.. ORIGINALLY $20- CURRENT PRICE: $5.99

love these... even though i am only using them as decoration right now.

5. Clothing- i have this theory that when clothing items from Designers hit Target.. at a cheaper price, they are never a good quality. Although i found cute items, including the Marc Jacobs scarf.. i found that the material was so thin it was falling apart. so i passed. Everything else has lived up and is beautiful.

To be honest i would have purchased all these items whether they were brand name or not solely based on the appearance of the items.

If you did shop the Neiman Marcus + Target collab products be sure you return any items you dont want to keep by January 5th 2013! Otherwise they won't refund the full amount you originally paid for..

Did you purchase anything from the line? if so tell me which product and if you paid full price. i would love to hear what you thought about this collaboration!

Keep it classy recessionista's!

xoxo missLada

To Cyber Monday or NOT to Cyber Monday..?

Hello Recessionista's!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday! I know I was grateful for such a great year. Even if you weren't as blessed as I was this year- remember with every GOOD there's a bad AND you wouldn't be able to get that Happiness HIGH if you never saw the bad and ugly.. :) ever since I started looking at life that way I realized I had MUCH to be grateful for and my life def turned around for the better!

Anyways- getting to the point of CYBERMONDAY. I thought it may be worth it to give you my two cents on this day. Typically on days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday- i stick to the brands and stores i repurchase from alot. For example makeup, jewelry and clothing stores i shop frequently at. This way i know if I'm getting a good deal.

Here are some of my top sites to hit. ( yours may vary)

1. Amazon.com

I already have my saved items in my cart- all i do is check on them and see if the prices have lowered- Today ALL the items had lowered anywhere from .50 to $6.00.

Depending on how high the price of the items are in your cart- I'm sure this number can vary. My items didn't go over $50.

2. The MINT family

I am a sucker for Jewelmint, Stylemint and Homemint- I'm stocking up on the items I've been eying since they are running a 50% deal through out the weekend and today.

3. Sephora- I don't know about you but Sephora is my number one spot to hit up during Black friday. Everything else that i forgot i grab on Cyber Monday- You can save a lot if you stock up on these days. I stocked up on alot of goodies for 2013! Some packed palettes and combo deals may be worth getting. I scored full sized products i use frequently for a fraction of the price!

4. Kohls and Macy's

Department stores run all kinds of specials. Kohls and Macy's are two i know most about. (I don't put Nordstrom in that category). Currently Macy's is running specials on Jewelry items and Kohls has 20 percent off and free standard shipping! ( I hear Kohls is great for the yogis and athletes on your lists)

5. Nordstroms- I put this in it's own category - Because i do not shop for clothing items on this website- I must be there in person to see it and feel it! Purses and shoes and accessories are a top hit. But be aware... sometimes their discounts aren't the lowest they can get throughout the year. So if it's a must buy item that you need for a gift go ahead and purchase- otherwise i would stay away from the most wanted items till after the holidays. Their annual sales are much much better!

6. Express

I love Express. As soon as i get an email- I'm the first to order those jeans or dresses I've been eyeing for weeks. The site shut down on Black Friday and the stores were packed. Thankfully i got my shop on Thanksgiving day. Only downside is i paid shipping. If you held out to today- you won. They are running 40% off EVERYTHING yes including sales items and free shipping. This one is worth it to me.. ESP if there is a holiday dress you're looking at getting!

7. Free shipping- The best part of Cyber Monday are the free shipping offers. Which is the ONLY reason i shop online.

Verdict: If you can pass then go ahead and pass on cyber Monday- but if there is something you've been wanting- it wouldn't hurt to see the promos running today. :) Also, remember there are better deals outside the holiday season so waiting till January on something for you couldn't hurt. Plus you may get two things instead of one with the lower prices after the holiday season

Happy Cyber Monday Recessionista's!

Let me know if you know of any good Cyber Monday deals worth shopping at today!

xoxoxo missLada