Library Museum Passes

One of my favorite things at the library is the museum pass program.  I have never lived in a city in Massachusetts that does not have the program.  The museum pass program allows people to visit local museums and attractions for free or discounted admission.  I am lucky, as I have several library cards from living in different parts of the state, so I have many attractions to choose from.

Today I visited the Tower Hill Botanical Garden in Boylston, MA.  Total cost $6

From Trip Advisor: Tower Hill Botanic Garden is New England's year-round botanic garden, a living museum of plants exquisite in every season. Several distinctive gardens arrange plants according to an overall Master Plan, that includes a Lawn Garden, Secret Garden, Systematic Garden, Cottage & Vegetable Garden, Wildlife Refuge Pond, Winter Garden, and more. Two conservatories--the Orangerie and the Limonaia--display non-hardy plants in winter, with blooming flowers in every season. Springtime brings more than a quarter million flowering bulbs, including a signature field of more than 25,000 daffodils.

Picture credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

Picture credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons

Enjoying a bench swing

Walking along the paths

 Wearing: Blue Maxi Skirt Amazon $12; Black Button Down Shirt Brooks Brothers $49 (outlet/coupons); Belt Tommy Hilfigers Mens (shh, don't tell!) $26



I ended up purchasing a membership to this place as I know I will be visiting often.  I used my student ID for the discounted rate of $25.  They deducted my $6 from today, making the total cost for a year round membership $19.  Not a bad deal.

Check out their Instagram below!

Should you pay off your student load debt early?

I'm often asked the question if you should invest your money or pay off your student loan debt first.

  The answer is, it depends.

Do you have an emergency account with 6 months of expenses?  

No?  This should be your number one priority before you save or spend any money.

Yes?  Then it depends....

Are you carrying credit card, auto loan, or any other debt that has an interest rate hirer than 7%?

No?  Good for you.  Then it depends.....

Yes?  This needs to be payed off first before any student loan debt.

Here is where the big questions come in... Do you have a 401k?  Does your company give you a match?  Say your company gives you a 50% match for every dollar you put in up to 3%.  If you put in 6% of your salary, you are getting an extra 3% free.  Isn't free money great?!

But what if you don't get a match or don't have a 401k?  

Are you maxing out your IRA?  

Are you saving for a house or some other large expense?

Can you deduct your student loan interest at tax time?

The choice to pay off student loan debt or not is purely a personal one.... You need to do what is right for you and your circumstance.  This is my personal approach.

I have a basic budget of X amount a week.  This includes all of my set bills and general expenses.  Any amount over X I break up into different categories:

40% to debt (student loan) repayment... Note that I have no credit card debt.

30% to cash savings (for future and unexpected expenses like medical deductibles)

20% to stocks

10% to fun money

These numbers work for me.  Figure out the numbers that work best for you. 

Free and Cheap education

Over the past 15 years, I have held several jobs in many different industries.  I have degrees in music, cosmetology, nursing, biology, and now looking into business school.  The truth is, I love learning.  Knowledge is power.  

Education can be expensive.  I'm lucky that I live in the same neighborhood as many world class colleges and universities.  With that comes the option to attend free lectures and informative classes.  

When I was younger, I moved to a lower tier city and was shocked to discover that education is not as freely available in other parts of the United States.  Luckily technology have caught up with the times and now continuing education is available to all.

But what does this have to do with fashion or finances?  

The more you know, the more salary negotiating power you have.

Say you are a nurse and wanted to learn more about emergency medicine.  You can find thousands of Grand Rounds online.  What about an office employee looking to move up in the ranks; perhaps a project management class.

Best of all, these classes are run by well known, well respected Colleges and Universities... ever heard of Harvard or MIT?  Some offer certificates that state that you completed the course.  Others offer you college credit (although often for a fee).

Here are some places to check out:

Open Culture Free Online Courses

Coursera

Udacity

Edx

DIY beauty: The Asprin Acne Mask

When I was a teenager, I suffered from Acne.  As an adult, I never broke out during my years on the birth control pill.  However, after I switching to Mirena IUD (which I love), my skin turns into a mind field the week before my period.

I take good care of my skin.  In another life (aka one of the multiple careers I had in my twenties), I worked for several big named salons and spas.  As a cosmetologist, I learned to take very good care of my hair and skin... if I didn't I would not have any clients.  Now in my thirties, I see how critical skin care is... I can still easily pass for someone in her 20s.  

When searching for an acne treatment, there are ton of treatments costing from $1 to $1000+  The main ingredient in several acne medications is Salicylic acid.  Perhaps you have heard of it's brother, acetylsalicylic aka Aspirin.

Without getting into all the technical jargon, Aspirin is broken down by the body into salicylic acid.  Because Aspirin and salicylic acid are "essential the same" (yes, I know the biochemistry and why they are different but for this blog, we are not going to get into all the technical jargon), we can use Aspirin to exfoliate and decrease the redness and appearance of acne. 

Here is the recipe:

5-6 uncoated aspirin

1-2 tbsp of water

1 tbsp of honey (optional) 

Put the aspirin in a cup (I use a shot glass because it's easier).  Slowly add a little bit of water until the aspirin has dissolved.  If it is too thick, add more water, to watery, add another aspirin.  Mix honey into the paste.  Apply the mask for 10 mins.  Rinse your skin with water.

  

Beautiful skin can really be that easy.  Best of all, you can find aspirin for around $1-2 dollars at any store. 

Warning:

Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Do not use if you are allergic to aspirin.

Do not use if you have Reyes syndrome.

Do not use on a child.

Always apply sunscreen after using any type of salicylic acid.

If the mask burns your skin, take it off!

If you are unsure if you can take aspirin, please contact your doctor.

Know your product. How to buy Manolo Blahnik or any designer for cheap.

One thing that I'm good at is window shopping.  I have been known to spend hours are Saks Fifth Avenue; trying on, examining, and studying good quality clothes.  I do this for two main reasons: 

1.  I'm teaching myself to sew.  By learning about these expensive brands, I have learned which cuts and designs look best on me.  I can also identify the best tailoring techniques and fabrics to use.  

2.  I love to shop, but I have a small budget.  By knowing what makes a great piece of clothing, I can easily translate my knowledge to thrift stores.

I either make my clothes or purchase them second hand.  Yes, for good quality designer clothes, you may be paying a pretty penny, even for second hand clothes.  But if you know what you want and what you are looking for, you might just get luck.

Today I got lucky.

My Groupon for $30 of merchandise for $15 at the Garment District was going to expire.  So I rush off to the store looking for something fabulous to wear.  In the shoe department I found these:

After a quick websearch, I confirmed that yes, these are real Manolo Blahnik's that originally sold for $595 at Barney's New York.  

The Garment District price $30!

Why so cheap?  Well, first off the Garment District is known to have great amazing quality items for super cheap.  Secondly, look at the bottoms:

As you can see, the soles have been well loved.  You can also notice that on the leather near the bridge of the foot is also starting to peel.

Sadly, these shoes were also too large for my foot, a size 8 when I wear a size 6.  

Did I buy them?  

YES

You're probably asking why would I buy a pair of shoes that are slightly damaged and two sizes too big for me.  The answer is easy:  To sell.

Manolo Blahnik's are good quality shoes... there is a high demand for them.  The leather near the bridge is easily fixable.  The soles of the shoes can be replaces for around $25.

So, total cost of shoe $15 (using $30 groupon) + $25 = $40

To be continued once the shoes arrive home from the cobbler.......

The case for convertible clothing.

While packing for my trip to Beijing, I came across a common packing issue...

How will I fit 15 days of clothing into a suitcase and be able to bring back souvenirs?

That's when I decided it break out my trusty sewing machine and make a convertible dress.  If you are not familiar with the popular convertible dress, here are some examples from Jersey Maid.

The Jersey Maid Etsy Store


I love that it will not be obvious to anyone looking at my vacation pictures that I am wearing the same dress. Even better, the material I picked out dries quickly and does not wrinkle, so I can wash it at night and it will be dry in the morning. Add a T shirt and it becomes a skirt. Add a blazer and the dress is great to wear to work. Or mix it up with an over skirt.

Henkaa Blog

Henkaa sells not only the dress, but also accessories such as a lace or chiffon skirt to dress it up or down. Check out their blog for other ideas on how to style a convertible dress.

Are you ready to try to make your own convertible dress? Check out this great tutorial at Sew Like My Mom.
Little Red Infinity Dress Tutorial

Help! I have nothing to wear... how to shop your closet

Have you ever stood in front of your closet and discovered you dont have anything to wear?  It happens to all of us.  Instead of running to the mall for this season's hot trend, take a step back and learn to shop your closet.  

Step One:

Pull everything out of your closet.  Sweaters, coats, panties, socks.  Everything.

Step Two:

Organize all your items into piles.  One pile for dresses, another for pants, etc.  Don't concern yourself with seasons.

Step Three:

Try on all your clothes.  

Does it fit?

Take a good look at the fit.  Would you want to run into your ex holding hands with your arch nemesis while wearing this outfit?  If not, it probably doesn't flatter your body.  Sadly, if it's too small, then it will probably have to go into the donation pile.  If it's too big, you can always bring it to a tailor, which will not only would make your clothes look high end, but it's cheaper than buying new clothes.

Is it stained, torn, or outdated?  Can it be fixed?

We all have that "lived in" T shirts we have had since High school.  But if you wouldn't wear it in public, why keep it in your closet?  Some items can be fixed easily (hole in seam, broken zipper, etc).  A good tailor can perfectly darn a hole in your favorite pants. If the clothing is not able to be saved, it can always be recycled.  Google "clothing recycle" to find a location near you.

Step Four:

Return all your clothes to the closet with the hanger facing backwards.  By doing this, you will be able to see which items you wear the most and which items you hardly wear.  My rule of thumb is if I have no worn it either once a year for seasonal/specialty items, or once a season for year round items, then it goes into the donation pile.  

Step Five:

Enjoy your clothes.  Now your closet is filled with items that look great on you.  Dont be afraid to mix and match to create new looks for this season.