Every now and again I come across things that I want to share with every one I know. And there are times that I come across things that I want everyone I know to beware of. So here is the very first "Bex Product Endorsement" list! My absolute must haves and must stay away froms. Now I know that your thinking to yourself, "No way Bex, I don't share your interests in beauty, fashion, shoes, etc" Well check it out peeps, you don't have to because I'm going to systematically make your life WAY easier and you more fabulous!!
Everyday life:
Verizon Fios! Yep completely ditch Time Warner and check out Verizon. The internet is unbelievably fast and I've never once seen black out like TW's does. Neither does the phone or cable television. The quality of all 3 is amazing and they offer some seriously affordable packages! I've had their service for over a year and a half, before that I had Time Warner. Verizon wins hands down.
Liehs & Steigerwald for meat. For 75 years they've been serving the greater Syracuse area, today they have the shop at Grant Blvd and one on Rt. 31. L&S has a variety of freezer packages of meat to suit every possible need and if you sign up online you will receive an email with that weeks special deal package. Call ahead, pick up after work and for $79 you have 2 weeks worth of dinners! Better prices and better cuts of meat then the grocery store you frequent, trust me. If your not in the Syracuse, NY area I suggest you look up your local butchers. Give them a call and see if they offer meat/grocery packages. Not only do you save money but you get to support local businesses!!!
Dollar Tree!!!! I can not stress enough the importance of Dollar stores to the everyday family. Yes I know your thinking "Hell no Bex! I'm not shopping in that cheap ass store!!" And I agree with you however, through trial and error I have learned the lesson of what to buy and what not to buy. Household cleaners: You'll pay on average $1.80 less. Laundry Detergent: $6-$7 less on average. Aluminum Foil and Plastic Wraps: $2 less. Kitty Litter: $3-$4 less. Paper Plates: $3 less. If you go through paper towels like I do cleaning up after the kids then this is your place!!
You can save serious amounts of money between using these stores and your local butcher shops, I've run the numbers and I'm saving roughly $200 a month for a family of 3.
Quit smoking. Seriously not getting preachy!!! That's not my style however let's run the numbers here. Going to the Reservation I was spending $35 a week on a carton of cigarettes, roughly $10 a week on air fresheners (never liked the smell), and $15 extra a week in laundry costs (again, the smell). I'm saving $60 a week by not committing slow suicide. That's $240 a month that I can put towards bills, savings, or fun for me and my family. This month I've treated myself by shopping and going on adventures with Cameron. Everyday has been something new for us.
Clothing:
Every family has clothing expenses. When your single or when you don't have kids, clothes are fun but when you are a family, suddenly clothing is a serious chore. You don't quite realize how expensive clothing is until you have to replace it on a very frequent schedule. And because you have this enormous expense and the chore of going out and fetching this expense in crowded retail areas your perspective changes and clothing is no longer fun. You could suddenly care less about clothes. 10 years ago, I still had jeans that I bought while still in high school! Today I have a closet full of gorgeous clothing to reflect every single aspect of my personality and lifestyle and my boys are always in top of the line clothes no matter what the growth spurt schedule!
Faithful Readers, I am here to rescue you and restore your fun perspective on clothing!!!!! Ladies you will look like a magazine cover every day and Guys you will look sexy and in style thus impressing aforementioned ladies!
Plato's Closet!! Second hand store that specializes in seriously name brand clothing. Designer and "Mall Chic" clothing at Walmart prices! Mostly Women and Men's wear but some childrens.
Goodwill! If your kids are still growing the best advice that I have for you is Goodwill or Salvation Army. You can find some really nice clothing and it saves more expensive clothing by giving you a cheap alternative for play clothing!
Consignment shops!! Look up your local consignment shops not just Plato's Closet!! Support local business!! A Google search for "Consignment shops Syracuse" returned 15 different stores right on the top of the page.
Consignment and thrift stores also repair your "Fun Perspective" on clothing. Think of the emotional high you would get after sorting through a rack of mundane clothing and suddenly tucked into all that chaos you find a Vera Wang (Designer, see magazines for more info) dress for $5!!Or the cutest Rockabilly bowling shirts or the best cotton gypsy skirt or a top that magically makes your boobs look great while making your tummy look tiny! Good times!!
Subcategory Mall and online:
Most people will avoid the mall because it's crowded, there are teenagers, you don't know the stores so therefore you don't know where to go and all humans shy away from unfamiliarity. Easiest way to get familiar? ONLINE!! Look up your mall then look up the websites of the stores that you don't know. Do not judge by appearances!! Charlotte Rouse and Forever 21 Etc are not just stores for teenagers and their clearance racks are goldmines. Khol's and Macy's are expensive as hell but their clearance sections are ridiculous, I bought 3 pair of jeans for a total of $28 on Khol's clearance, originally each pair was marked $110 A PAIR! No lie. Sign up for email notifications at every single store that you walk into. I set up a specific email account just for this purpose so that it doesn't bog down my regular email. Yesterday I went to Old Navy and bought 2 hats, 3 tanktops, 1 long sleeve t-shirt, a sleeveless wrap around blouse, 2 henley t-shirts and I spent $22, my savings grand total was $36.58. I would have spent $58.88 on this particular trip however I signed up for email alerts! Old Navy sent me a 30% off coupon good on all departments in store and I looked online to get a general feel of their clearance racks to see if there was anything of interest to me. I also signed up for alerts from Charlotte Rouse, spent $17 on 3 pair of leggings (in style this autumn see magazines) all regularly priced $14 a pair and for signing up they sent me a 10% off coupon, no restrictions.
Shoes online is the newest craze but I strongly suggest you Google the site before purchasing. I've had good and bad experiences. And only use them if you know your true shoe size because over 70% of the time you are getting your size and more importantly the shape of your foot wrong. Go to an actual shoe store or podiatrist to get the actual size and width. Heels are the best example. Women will tell you "oh I can't wear heels or I can't walk in high heels" but it's a matter of the shoe being ill fitting, walking in a heel is no different than walking in a sneaker with an arch support.
Shoes don't have to be expensive. Charlotte Rouse clearance rack: my last 2 pairs of heels? $5 a pair. Macy's clearance rack: Ed Hardy sneakers $78 for $17. Marshall's clearance: $80 DC Sneakers $10. Amazon.com: Michael Antonio heels $200 for $18. Salvatore Ferragamo heels $300 for $23.
Beauty:
Guys and Ladies!! Guys do not skip this section cuz your skin needs care too. Brands that I swear by? Oil of Olay lotion and body wash, Philosophy Purity face wash, Garnier makeup remover face wipes (they strip the oil off your face but doesn't dry it out guys, everyone should use these) Mane & Tail shampoo and conditioner and Green Tea oil free face moisturizer. These along with B,C, D vitamins daily and your skin is flawless. Want beautiful glossy well shaped natural looking nails without going to get a mani every week? File your nail using a fine nail file and shape it exactly like your nail grows. Next, to get that super gloss finish my fave secret weapon, Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer!! No top coat needed, my nails always look professionally done and I don't take hours out of my life to do them, just 10 minutes while having my coffee and watching the morning news.
Ladies makeup need not be expensive or daunting. An older woman that I know has blue eyes and was stuck on the idea that blue eye shadow and pink lipstick was still a good look for her. No. Just No. First ladies, know your colors!! What skin tone are you? What colors suit your eye coloring AND your skin tone AND your hair color? Don't know? See magazines! Or Google it.
Blue eyeshadow isn't an 80's fad. With brown eyes and an olive or medium complexion blue, green eyeshadow makes eyes pop. Can't use fake lashes? Use Falsies Mascara (awesome stuff love it) No more foundation lines around your face like your wearing a mask! My trick? Concealer in the needed spots then a very LIGHT dusting of Maybelline Age Rewind Powder to even tone. That with a coat of mascara and a light lip gloss or lipstick gives you the natural beauty look that you see on magazine models. Going out after work? Pack an eyeshadow quad in your purse with sparkly colors and throw on a line of eye pencil, 5 minutes and your ready for the pub or club! Think your life is too busy with kids, significant others, pets, work and household chores for makeup and worrying about your clothes?? Think again. Ladies ever notice how getting your nails done makes you feel high for a whole day? Or do you remember how awesome it felt to show off a new outfit when we were in school? Take the 5 minutes to put some light makeup on even if your in sweats doing laundry. Not only do you feel better but it will attract your significant other with your new found attitude. Sweats and T's SEXY?? Hell yes ladies! I rock the shit out of my yoga pants and tank tops by wearing a hint of makeup and some nicely scented lotions and sprays. I feel more confident and every guy I date says that I'm just as sexy on my work at home days as I am going out. If you care, they care. If you don't care neither will they but they'll be more inclined to notice someone that does care. Fact of life.
Magazines:
Most people take magazines for granted. And most people will give you some sort of pretentiously snotty excuse to not read a magazine such as "Oh it's all celebrity gossip, why do I care?" or "It's all commercial trash" MY FAVORITE: "It's just propagating mass consumerism and creating negative self image in young people." If these are your excuses for not looking at magazines you in my opinion are a mental midget. Like it or not we live in a society with expectations as to dress and personal appearances and hygiene. You are judged by these and the absence of magazines do not change this. Being judged by appearances has been prevelant throughout time. Otherwise we would all be unwashed unclothed apes.
Finding out what's hot this season as far as clothing, makeup, beauty, cars, books, media, music, etc. is all captured in a couple of pages. Don't like the politics of Rolling Stone Magazine well I don't care. Look at their indie sections of music for some good bands with good tunes that no one else knows about my holier than thou friend. Yep I was listening to The Black Keys and Death Cab For Cutie 10 years before they were popular and on the radio. All because of Rolling Stone.
How am I always in fashion with my clothing? Allure, Lucky and Vogue. I see next seasons styles and then got to the consignment shop to find the styles.
How do I know what face washes and/or skin care works? Allure, Lucky and Shape.
How do I know which SUV is better crash & safety rated for my income bracket? Automotive Monthly.
Newest and best gadgets like cell phones, computers, laptops, TV's etc. Popular Science.
For $50 a year I am on top of everything.
So there you have it Faithful Readers. Now there is no reason to not know the next big band to come out with new tunes, look like an 80's reject, or know how cool your car is. Save money and use the products that I endorse, I've already tried them out and gone to the expense for you :)
Till Next Time Faithful Readers!
BEX
