$50 a month shopping budget challenge: Getting past the first month and $0.68 under budget!

Well, I've made it past the first month of my $50 a month shopping budget challenge, and only spent $49.32! $0.68 under budget!  Yay!  I must admit, putting myself on this tight budget has really been hard, and I thought I was going to cave and go back to my regular spending, but I think I did good.  I really need to break myself out of the "I see, I buy" habit, because there's been a LOT of things that I saw and liked, but had to control myself and walk away.

As you can see, I bought mostly accessories and shoes last month (see posts here, here, and here), and with my last few bucks, I took advantage of CVS' 75% off Milani cosmetics clearance sale a couple of weeks ago (a tube of lipstick and an eyeshadow single for less than $3, woo hoo!). This month, I'm going to concentrate on adding more pieces to  my wardrobe- mainly for work.  Also, I haven't been thrifting in a couple of months.  I've either been too tired or didn't have the time to go, but this month, I'm going to drag my butt out of the house and go.  Let's see if I can stay within my budget this month.



Did you join the challenge?  Did you stay within budget last month or did you overspend?

Cheapalicious Deals 2-7-12

Not many coupons this week.  Sorry!  Enjoy....

• Old Navy:  $15 off $75 or more purchase (via Facebook).  Expires 2-16-12
• Loehmanns:  15% off your purchase.  Coupon code: 15OFFSITE212.  Expires 2-29-12
•  Folica:  $10 off $20 or more purchase.  Coupon code: CUPID.  Expires 2-8-12
• Too Faced:  15% off your purchase.  Coupon code: VDAYLOVE12.  Expires 2-14-12
• Urban OG:  20% off pumps.  Coupon code: 20PUMPCRUSH.  Expires 2-9-12
• Dots:  $20 off $100 or more purchase.  Expires 4-15-12
• Hobby Lobby:  40% off one regular priced item.  Expires 2-11-12

Nifty under $50: Jason Wu for Target

The wait is over and the Jason Wu for Target collection has finally hit stores.  I'm loving the neutral color palette with a splash of nautical goodness thrown in.  The cute skirts and accessories are definitely on my list of things to get.  Here are a few pieces that I adore.

• Poplin dress $39.99
• tie neck tee $22.99
• pleated skirt $29.99
• blue stripe tote $39.99
• cat print scarf $19.99 (out of stock as of 8:23 AM EST)

Did you order anything or plan on getting anything from the collection?

Cheapalicious Links of the Week

image source:  A Dime on a Dime

• Sweater dresses for under $50 [A Dime on a Dime]
• Iris Apfel is awesome! [What the Frock]
• Eboni is inspired by Diahann Carroll's style, and I love it! [Fashionista Next Door]
• Marni for H&M will be here soon.  Take a look at some of the pieces in an ad from People StyleWatch [The Budget Babe]
• Budget shopping tips for teens [Viva Fashion Blog]

Have a great weekend!

Today's Video: Wendy Williams unveils her new accessory line "Adorn"

QVC host, Lisa Robertson, stopped by the Wendy Williams show to unveil the talk show host's new accessory line that she's been working on for over a year simply called "Adorn".  Check it out!



And get a sneak peek of some of the items in Wendy's collection....





Catch “The Lisa Robertson Show,” this Friday at 10:00 PM EST on QVC to see more of Wendy’s accessories.

Shopping for men's shoes

Men's shoes are one of the hardest things to buy. Many guys don't know anything outside of their work shoes and their sneakers. Trust me, I know- my husband's one of them. So, when it comes time to find men's shoes on sale, some guys just don't look that hard. They find some sneakers they like and they move on. However, a guy can have a very large shoe wardrobe that matches their personality and suits just about every article of clothing they have. If guys play it right, they can have a reason to have many pairs of shoes.

The first thing to check on are dress shoes. Every guy should own at least two pairs of dress shoes-  lace-ups and a pair of loafers. Lace-ups can be wing tips or more plain, but they should probably be black. Really, no guy can have too many black shoes. If you want to diversify your wardrobe a little, you'll need a pair of burgundy, or cordovan shoes as well. Loafers look good in black, but brown is a really nice color for a couple pairs of loafers to wear to work with your lighter suits or even your blue suits.  Here are a couple pairs from Macy's that I've found (on clearance, score!) for under $100.

Via Europa Scranton oxfords $59.99

Madden Rhode dress boot $44.99 (reg. $70)

Casual shoes do not have to be just sneakers. There are nice boat shoes, but there are also shoes designed by luxury brands that are not for the office. Plus, there are reinvented sneakers and stylish interpretations of old classics. You could choose from one of many different kinds of casual shoes and have a different casual shoe for everyday you're off work.  Check out my choices below.

Sketchers "Murray" slip ons $55.99 (reg. $75)

Nike low chukkas $51.99 (reg. $70)

Buying the right shoes was never so simple.

Cheapalicious Deals 1-31-12

• Lane Bryant:  $25 off $75 or more purchase.  Expires 2-27-12
• NY & Co:  $30 off $75 or more purchase.  Expires 2-2-12
• Payless:  15% off your purchase.  Expires 2-29-12
• Ulta:  $3.50 off $10 purchase.  Expires 2-11-12
• Kohl's:  15% off orders $100 or more.  Coupon code: GAN15OFF.  Expires 2-15-12
• Old Navy:  20% off a single item (via Facebook).  Expires 2-2-12
• Conair:  15% off your purchase.  Coupon code: CONAIRSAVE15.  Expires 3-31-12
• bebe:  Free shipping on orders $25 or more.  Expires 2-3-12
• Go Jane:  20% off regular priced items.  Coupon code: Winter20r.  Expires 2-2-12
• Shu Uemura:  Free shipping on all orders.  Coupon code: FSHIPPING.  Expires 2-5-12
• 6pm.com:  Steve Madden up to75% off.  Expires 2-6-12

Designer Way vs. Cheapalicious Way

 Current/Elliot's "The Stiletto" leopard print jean retails for $403 at FarFetch.com.  That's eight months of my $50 shopping budget. Sheesh! Blogger buddy Eboni of the Fashionista Next Door blog, tweeted me a pic of these leopard print jeans from Tar-jay, with an oh so lovely price tag of $23!  So glad that she thought about me, because I will be adding these to my "current wants" list.  They're not available online, so it looks like I have to do some stalking at my local stores.  Thanks again, Eboni!