And Then We Saved | Page 3 of 100 | Saving Where We Can, So We Can Spend Where We Want.

PARTY DOWN! Romantic Date Under $100

My favorite Valentine’s day was a low-key bedroom picnic, with champagne and a great film to watch. We end up staying home a lot more when we’re trying to save, but that doesn’t mean luxury is totally out of the question. Here are a few cheap date ideas for a night in that goes beyond the standard vegging out we do all the time. With a whimsical approach and a little creativity, an intimate and cozy evening could easily beat any fancy-schmancy wining and dining out on the town.

one comment
posted on: April 26, 2013
in Family & Relationships, Social

tagged // cheap date ideas, party down, romantic date night, saving money, saving money top tips, stay at home date ideas, under 100

The Official ‘Who-Pays-for-What’ Guide to Financing Your Wedding

Once upon a time, knowing who paid for what when it came to wedding planning was pretty simple: the bride’s family paid for everything. Well, most everything, especially when it came to the most expensive parts of the day. These days, with more egalitarian and older couples on the rise and parents who may just not have all that much left to give in this tight economy, those rules aren’t nearly so steadfast. This is particularly true if the groom’s family is significantly wealthier than the bride, or if the couple has the funds to contribute to the big day.

Having a frank discussion with all involved parties about the assignment of financial responsibilities will help prevent resentment and anger from brewing in the lead up to the big day. But changing the traditions means actually knowing what they are in the first place, especially if you want to show respect to a more traditional set of parents. To do that, let’s take a look at the way costs have historically been broken down, as well as a few ways modern couples are changing things up.

The Official ‘Who-Pays-for-What’ Guide to Financing Your Wedding…

6 comments
posted on: April 24, 2013
in Family & Relationships, Practical Solutions, Societal Pressures

tagged // how to do weddings inexpensively, how to have a budget wedding, how to save money on weddings, wedding money tips, where should i save costs on my wedding?, who pays for what at weddings, who should pay for wedding

Surviving Unexpected Life Events During Your Spending Fast

This is a post by Chelsea who is currently doing a Spending Fast®.

Imagine with me for a second that you are cruising along in life, adhering to your Spending Fast contract, when you suddenly lose your job. What would you do? Let’s take it a step further and say that the same day you lost your job, you also lost your house. A bit far-fetched, but just hang in there. What if in that same day you not only lost your job and your house but you also lost your romantic partner AND you had to immediately move out of the state. Your life was great and within one day, everything changed dramatically and you had absolutely no power to stop it from happening.

Welcome to the last 14 days of my life. When this article gets published, it will be exactly two weeks from the day that all of these things happened to me. My partner told me that he wished to terminate the relationship and I moved from Ohio to North Carolina. My column is about transparency and how to survive/succeed on a Spending Fast. While today should have been the day when I announce my grand totals for Month Three, life has thrown me a curve ball and the Spending Fast had to face some challenges.

How I’ve Been Surviving Unexpected Life Events During My Spending Fast…

32 comments
posted on: April 23, 2013
in Spending Fast, Struggle

tagged // budget living, change your life, chelsea overton, getting out of debt, how to change your life, how to do a spending fast, personal finance, surviving life changes during spending fast

11 Reasons to Spring Clean

We’re steadily cruising through the April showers and are on our way to May flowers. Tulips are popping up and our windows are sliding open. What does this mean for us? It’s quite simple really: Spring Cleaning. This list will motivate you to tidy things up. Save a buck, make a buck, and appreciate the Spring-Clean shine.

11 Reasons to Spring Clean. . .

4 comments
posted on: April 22, 2013
in De-Clutter, Grateful

tagged // Anna Johnson, budget living, cleaning tips, Family & Relationships, Houzz, how to have style without spending money, Lauren Mikus, Nicole Lanteri, Savvy Chic, The Art of More for Less

DIY Painted Pillow!

My couch has been feeling a little naked lately. It was looking a little drab and bare and there was really nothing to celebrate about it. You see, it was in desperate need of a pillow party, but here was my dilemma: pillows can mucho expensive! In fact, the most affordable pillow’s I could find that were bright and fun and fresh were $25.oo a piece. That would just not do. So I did what any proud DIY-er would do. I rolled up my DIY sleeves and threw myself a DIY Pillow Party! Wanna party too?

Check out this easy-peasy DIY painted pillow tutorial!…

7 comments
posted on: April 20, 2013
in DIY, Just For Fun

tagged // DIY, DIY Pillow, DIY projects, easy ways to change the way your home looks, handmade pillow, how to make your space fresh with little money, painted pillow, Pillow, room makeover, Sewing

PARTY DOWN! Spring/Summer Wardrobe Updates For Under $100

Whenever the seasons change, I always feel like I have nothing to wear. This is a dangerous feeling, because it makes me buy impulsively. But when I look at what I actually need, would get great use out of, and what I would love for a long time, I make wiser choices–and save a ton of money. These round-ups are entirely comprised of super-cheap stuff, but try to balance some items that will last a while with the more inexpensive.

How to make some cheap wardrobe updates, with easy-to-incorporate items that will lighten up your closet and stay in rotation for future seasons…
Read More »