making frugal fashionable..

I had what one would call a very rude awakening in the last few days, that being that I need to save in air of 10 grand for my trip to South America in December. And that after having my license for over a year, I still don't have a car.

Pathetic, one could say. And in desperate need of money.

After weighing up the pro's and con's of both stripping and prostitution I decided to make a new New Years Resolution and that is to be frugal with my money, but to retain the aspects of my social life that are important to me.. even if it's just to try and make sure I avoid working any street corners in the near future.

So here is my guide to saving money, but not crawling in a hole to do so.

1) Don't pay for drinks at a restaurant: The biggest money sucker in the whole world is that soft drink or glass of wine you order to go with your meal. Ladies and gentlemen, that jug of water on the table - It's free. And they refill it. Free of charge. Say you drink three glasses of whatever at dinner, at say $3.50 a pop. That's $10.50 a meal. Thats $42 a month if you go out for dinner once a week. Fabulous!

2) Scoping out good deals at your favourite store: While everyone else would say 'Don't shop at all', I know that that is definitely not a realistic option for me. So I have one word for all you poor shoppers out there - SALE. Instead of hanging around the shops everyday waiting for a sale to pop up at your favourite store; join their Facebook group, or follow their Twitter. Perfect way to be informed of your favourite stores sales and not be tempted at the shops hunting them down. Online stores like ASOS have sales quite literally ALL THE TIME and free shipping so they're also a brilliant option!

3) Drinking your coffee at home, instead of at a cafe: Ahh, going out for a coffee. The quintessential catch-up activity. While nothing beats a barista made coffee, or latte (so I've heard, I don't actually drink coffee), you can save a bundle by having your catch ups at home. Invite your mates over for a cuppa sitting at your coffee table. Definite upside: you don't even have to get out of your trackies.

4) Pre-drinking: An oldy but a goody. I personally think I have undervalued pre-drinking in my previous years. Possibly the greatest money saver of all time - getting hammered beforehand so you don't have to buy any drinks at the club, or less than you normally would. Think of it this way - a 4 pack of doubles (the perfect amount for the lightweights of the world, such as myself) for $20 as opposed to two and a bit piss weak mixer drinks at a club. Cha-ching!

5) Recycling your clothes: Gone are the funds that allowed us to buy a new outfit whenever we go out. So ladies, dig into the backs of your wardrobes, spend a day trying all your old clothes on that you're contemplating throwing out and see what you can match them with to make them look new again. Chuck on a different necklace, style your hair a different way, anything to re-energise an old outfit. In the end, if it looked good then, it's going to look good now! Ps. Your girlfriends all have wardrobes too!

If all else fails.. find yourself a sugar daddy!
Happy saving xx