Adult hot Live Within Your Means [#MoneySavingMondays] - lookmybody - lookmybody

Today's post could be separated into several posts, but I feel like it's going to turn into a rant, so I'm going to post it as one big tip.  Ready?  Let's go.

When I was younger my mom always told me that we had to "live within our means".  This was what she said to me whenever I really wanted something in the store and she refused to give it to me.  While I hated this phrase as a kid, I've come to appreciate it as an adult, especially as an adult with a credit card and no self control (lol).

Living within your means simply means living within your budget.  You can't be making a bread and butter salary, while living a fillet mignon life.  You can't be making ALDO money while living a Kate Spade life.  You can't ... ok I'm done with the bad analogies.  You get my point.

Now, I know that there are times where people's means do not cover their expenses.  This post is not about them.  This post is about spending money wastefully on luxuries like eating lunch out daily, buying new and expensive clothing, going on vacation, buying designed bags, all while racking up the credit card bill and not having enough money to pay it off.

I get it, having stuff is nice.  But using ONLY your hard earned money to buy those possessions is even better.  The BEST feeling is looking at that $0.00 credit card balance, and knowing that everything you own belongs to you.

Take it from me ladies and gents.  Living within your means is the only way to achieve financial freedom.  All of the tips I have posted, and all of the tips to come, are really about teaching you to live within your means, and be satisfied with what you have.  If you take nothing else away from this post, please remember that it is NEVER worth going into debt over material possessions.

Cheers to living within your means.  I wonder if I've said that enough to drive you crazy :)

xoxo, Jayy

Adult hot Minimalism & My Self-Esteem - lookmybody - lookmybody

For a lot of people, the move towards minimalist living is a trend that will pass when the next big thing comes along.  But for me, this is a serious (though VERY difficult) life change, because it will (1) help me save money and work towards my life goals, and (2) because having less means less stress in my opinion.

The thing is, minimalism is closely tied to my self esteem.  The need to have a lot of stuff comes from my own insecurities about my material possessions.  Growing up, I always had just enough (ironic that I am trying so hard to get back to my roots, isn't it!), whereas many of my peers had excess.  Lots of clothes, shoes, accessories ... and I wanted to be like them.  To fit in.  In trying to do so, I bought into the consumerist mindset and began to hoard items.  And that's how I ended up where I am now, trying desperately to create new, healthier habits.

Minimalism is tied to how we feel about our most basic selves - our personalities and our physical appearances, our lifestyles, our habits.  For a lot of people, minimalism is a vulnerable position.  It takes away the items we use as a shield from the outside world.  Who we when we're not hiding behind our stuff?  Are we comfortable enough to present ourselves to the outside world without hoarding an abundance of material items?

Minimalism means that we have to stop thinking about how others will judge us based on our material possessions.  Repeat after me - I am not my stuff!  I am more than the clothes, shoes, accessories, Bath and Body Works products that I own!  I am more than a brand name or high end label.  Minimalism means that while you can enjoy and appreciate the material goods you own, you can still be yourself, and be happy with yourself, without those material possessions.

Minimalism means that you enjoy your items, even if it's not 'cool' or 'trendy' enough to do so.  If you put on a blouse and it makes you feel like the ruler of the world, wear that blouse as many times as you want!  Who said we can't repeat outfits!  Enjoy that blouse, and enjoy the way it makes you feel.  Wear it every day if you want to - at the end of the day it's not the blouse that matters.  It's the life you live while wearing that blouse that is important.

My minimalism journey has to coincide with my self-love journey.  While I work on owning less, I am also working on loving myself more.  I am working on ignoring the perceived judgement from peers, and instead focusing on living a life that makes me feel happy and fulfilled.

I went on a bit of a ramble here, so I'm going to end this post now.  I hope that something I said today resonated with you.

Cheers to minimalism, as it leads me on a journey of self love!

xoxo, Jayy

Adult hot Shop Early [#MoneySavingMondays] - lookmybody - lookmybody

This tip may seem counteractive, but hear me out!

I know my friends and family well.  Well enough to know exactly what they like when I see it in the store.  And when I see it on sale for a good price, I might just buy it for them, even if their birthday or Christmas is months away.  Why?  Because shopping in advance is the perfect way to save money.  Why buy an item for three times the regular price, when you can get the same thing for a fraction of the cost?

Now, this tip only works for people who won't be asking you for the newest or most in-style items.  If they're picky, it might be harder to buy what they're asking for in advance.  But for that friend who's willing to accept a nice item, even if it isn't fresh off the runway or out of the catalog, this tip is perfect!

Cheers to shopping early, and on a budget!

xoxo, Jayy

Adult hot Room Tour! - lookmybody - lookmybody

If you haven't already seen it, I've posted my Room Tour video on my YouTube channel!

Be sure to check it out, and be sure to send me feedback! :)

xoxo, Jayy

Adult hot The Golden Rule of Decluttering [#MinimalismMondays] - lookmybody - lookmybody

If you want to move towards minimalism, there is one simple principle you have to embrace:

The things you declutter do not need to be replaced.

I'm a poet and I didn't even know it.

Sure, you can replace the basic items you had to get rid of because they were tattered, torn, or didn't fit anymore.  Whenever I get rid of items like undergarments, jeans, and neutral pants/tops, I either already have purchased a replacement, or have plans to do so in the near future.  There are some items I just can't go without.  But the excess items I get rid of, like the handbags I let go of because I like the other 15 I have more, those don't need to be replaced.

Here's a simple challenge if you have trouble with this concept.  When you declutter your items, count how many of each item you have gotten rid of, and only replace HALF of the items you got rid of, including staple pieces.

For example, say you got rid of 2 pairs of shoes, 4 handbags, 20 blouses, and 10 pairs of pants.  Of those 36 items, 6 were absolute staples (neutral clothing/accessories).  Now, try not to replace more than HALF of what you got rid of.  So, that means you would replace 18 items at most, including the 6 staple items.  That allows you to purchase a maximum of 12 new items that you feel enhance your current wardrobe, and add value to your life!  

If you follow this rule, and avoid replacing more than half of the items you get rid of, your journey to minimalism will be much easier.

I hope this tip helped!  Cheers to getting rid of more, and keeping less!

xoxo, Jayy

Adult hot Meal Prep! [#MoneySavingMondays] - lookmybody - lookmybody

Next to buying clothes, buying food has to be my favourite thing to do. So, to avoid that daily hunt for lunch, I started meal prepping!  Nothing fancy, mostly snack and breakfast items, but it really has cut down my weekly food spending!  For me , the concept is simple.  I prepare a work week's worth of cut up fruits, veggies, yogurt, and granola, all neatly packed into easy-to-grab tupperware containers.  When I'm ready for breakfast or a quick snack, instead of driving by the Tim Horton's drive thru or reaching for that bag of chips, I simply reach into the fridge and grab something to eat!

Not only does this save you money in the long run (a bagel for $2.30? Seriously Tims?), but it also helps you eat healthier!

Cheers to being healthy while saving money!

xoxo, Jayy

Adult hot Slow It Down [#MoneySavingMondays] - lookmybody - lookmybody

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Clothing stores like Forever21, H&M, Romwe, Shein, Topshop, Sirens, Urban Planet etc. all have one thing in common - if you want the latest trends, shop here.  These places offer fashionable items of clothing at low, "affordable" prices.  They're the perfect place for the fashionista to shop, and are often referred to "fast fashion" stores for their ability to mass produce fashionable clothing quickly, and at low costs.

However there are a few things wrong with this picture.

 1. Fast fashion stores often sell clothing made of low quality.  Clothing from these stores are rarely meant to last more than a few washes without falling apart.  Needless to say, this is bad for your wallet.  

If that blouse you bought for $25.00 only lasts you 5 washes, you've paid $5.00 per wear for that item.  Now that doesn't sound too bad, but when you consider how many items of clothing you purchase from fast fashion stores, and how little you get to wear them, it begins to add up.  In comparison, a shirt you bought at a higher end store for $50.00 is well made, and can stand up to 100 washes.  You've paid $0.50 per wear of that item, making it a much more budget friendly purchase over time.  That $50.00 blouse will probably last you a few years, whereas that $25.00 fashionable blouse will last you a few months.  And even if that fast fashion blouse lasts you a little longer, it won't be something you want to continue wearing once the item goes out of style.

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2. Fast fashion is harmful for the environment.  Since many fast fashion items are too flimsy to stand up to multiple wears, often the clothing doesn't make it to thrift stores once the wearer is ready to let it go.  This means that more and more clothing items are ending up in landfills, and polluting the earth.

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To avoid this issue, try repurposing fast fashion items into rags, stuffing for pillows, kindling for fires, etc.  This will allow you to enjoy that item in another way, and cause less damage to the environment.

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3. Fast fashion contributes to unfair and unsafe working conditions.  Did you ever stop to think about how your brand new pair of $10.00 jeans were made?  You can be sure that no company could function if they were not making a profit off of their merchandise.  Fast fashion companies save money at the source, by underpaying the workers who make your clothing.  By paying workers pennies to make your clothes, and forcing them to work in unsafe factories and sweatshops, retailers are able to make profits while selling you items that are priced within your budget.

The only way to avoid this issue is to avoid fast fashion retailers.  Shop at stores that are committed to human rights and safe and equitably working conditions.  I know those stores can be pricey, so SAVE in order to buy high quality items that are worth the money.  Or, shop at thrift stores to put your money to good use.

This post was a little longer than usual, but I hope it was informative!

Cheers to slowing down our fashion choices, and making ethical choices.

I

xoxo, Jayy