If you’re looking for affordable nail or nail care products look no farther than Amazon.  I’ve rounded up a list of nail tools, polishes, and nail art accessories all for under $3 each, including shipping!  As always with Amazon, prices fluctuate regularly so double check the prices before checking out.

• – Sally Hansen Mod About You Polish Strips $2.99 shipped!!!!!!
• – Nail Tip Guide Stickers $1.49 shipped
• – Nail Tape Hologram Strips $1.28 shipped
• – Rhinestones $1.59 shipped
• – Rhinestone Picker Pencil $1.35 shipped
• – Nail Art Gold Stickers $1.65 shipped
• – All Season Glass Dappen Dish $1.69 shipped
• – Artificial Nail Clipper $2.11 shipped
• – 10 Buffering Blocks $2.06 shipped
• – 5 Professional Bottles of Nail Glue $2.34 shipped
• – 15 Piece Nail Art Brush Set $2.41 shipped
• – 5 Practice/Display Fingers $2.49 shipped
• – 10 Piece Nail File $2.55 shipped
• – Nail Art Tweezers $2.99 shipped
• – Stainless Steel Cuticle Pusher/Trimmer $1.53 shipped
• – Wearable Nail Soakers $2.49 shipped
• – 2 Piece Nail Brush Set $1.36 shipped
• – 2 Piece Nail Polish Holders $2.33 shipped
• – Covergirl Nail Polish in Mint Mojito $2.99 shipped

These are a few that are juuuuust over $3.

• – Covergirl Nail Polish in NonStop Stone $3.14 shipped
• – Covergirl Nail Polish in Mango $3.12 shipped
• – Sally Hansen Hear Me Roar Polish Strips $3.30 shipped
• – Sally Hansen Commander in Chic Polish Strips (One of my favorite polish colors ever!) $3.39 shipped
• – Sally Hansen Perfect Poison Polish Strips $3.49 shipped
• – Sally Hansen Punch Drunk Polish Strips $3.16 shipped

If you want to learn more about the manicure in the picture above you can check that out here.  It’s an adorable Valentine nail art!

I love to shop, don’t you?  It’s okay if you do, most people do.  Whether you enjoy shopping online, searching through clearance racks, hurdling small children on black friday {kidding!}, or just browsing a flea market most people like to shop.

I think shopping is a great activity by itself but finding a good deal makes the experience even better.  Would you like to shop where the prices are 80-90% off of retail prices….all the time?  I used to love shopping the clearance racks on the sale days with a coupon in hand.  Now that I have kids in tow I just want to find something that fits and get out of there.  Even though I’m not near as skillful at finding clothing bargains now as I once was I still don’t want to pay a fortune!

FashionProject.com is a unique shopping experience.  Their mission is to raise as much money as possible for a charity while creating a community for shoppers so that they can shop for causes that they care about.  People can donate designer clothes, shoes, and accessories and get a tax deduction.  Fashion Project then cleans and features them for sale on their website.  55% of the net proceeds from every sale is donated to a charity.

J.Crew Flats
$39.00 ($200.00 81% off)
Your purchase of this item will donate $17.05 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater LA.

 
Banana Republic Scarf
$19.00 ($78.00 76% off)
Your purchase of this item will donate $1.00 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation.

If you love shopping half as much as I do you’ll want to check out FashionProject.com.  Great deals, great cause.

I’ve never been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.  I don’t own tennis shoes. Or yoga pants.  I like to dress up but I still want to be comfortable.  As my shape has changed after having my sweet darling girl, my go-to comfort clothes isn’t a form fitting cashmere sweater anymore but a looser fitting sweater.  I want comfortable pieces that even thought they may not be form flattering are still cute and stylish.

Are you like me and have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear?  J.Jill‘s mission is to help you uncomplicate your wardrobe.  Doesn’t the sound of that just sound soothing?  Picture a closet without crazy trends but a closet full of classic and versatile styles that will still be attractive for years to come.  That’s a closet that I desire!

J.Jill’s new Pure Jill collection is absolutely gorgeous.  It has muted, earthy shades in comforting fabrics.  Recently, I was able to be part of a conference call with J.Jill’s senior designer and a few other bloggers.  J.Jill’s senior designer, Barbara Pattin, said of her new line, “We were really trying to create something beautiful, universal, simple and luxurious.”   I think that sums it up perfectly.  Beautiful, universal, simple, and luxurious.

Here is a little set inspired by the J.Jill shirt I bought.  I call it Casual Christmas Collection.  It’s casual, classy, and comfy.  What more could you ask for?

I’ll be honest, as soon as most of you go to J.Jill’s site you’re going experience a little sticker shock so I’ll give you a heads up.  They ain’t cheap.  This is a store where I would like to own five or six quality, lasting, wardrobe building pieces that I would supplement with my regular clearance rack bargains.

However, I have to say that J.Jill does have some fabulous bargains of their own!  I did just buy a $99 shirt there but also a $9.99 shirt!  Plus, I have a J.Jill coupon code for you to save 30% off a single full-priced item.  Just use the coupon code JJSTYLE at checkout before 11/24/14 to receive your discount.  If you have your eye on a few goodies be sure and check back on Black Friday because a little birdie told me that everything will be 25% off that day.  No coupon codes, no one item on sale, no secret handshake.  Simply uncomplicated service.

I’m very pleased to have been introduced to J.Jill recently and I hope that you’ll enjoy their site {or brick and mortar store} too!

How would you describe your style?

Pouring water in the waterfall.

I was thrilled to review two adorable Polly Pocket sets!  They are so much fun to set up and play with.  I think I enjoyed them just as much, if not more than the kiddos.  They have adorable colors, lots of movable parts, and inspire imaginative play!  The girls especially loved the zip-line and the fun movable suctioned cup pieces.

It can use real water!  I would have LOVED this as a kid!

Check out the cute waterfall!

My favorite set, the Zip ‘n Splash Playset, is LESS than $10! It’s now only $9.59 and was regularly $16.99. This set includes a Polly doll with color changing hair {I know! How fun!}, a monkey, and a puppy. Super cute!

Both of these sets were put together by a ten year old so they’re not too complicated.

These cute flowers in the window are suction cupped on and can be moved anywhere.  So cute!

The Treehouse Playset was the other one that we reviewed and it was equally cute. It’s now on sale for $11.99 {originally $19.99} OR you could get ALL of the fun wall party playsets on sale for only $47.99 instead of the original $74.99. I really loved the built in slide on this one and the kids loved the translucent suction cup pieces {bird, cups, flowers, and so on}. We only have the one piece but I think it would be a lot of fun to have all of them attached to our wall and play with the zip-lines in between pieces.

Polly Pocket sets are not only a great gift to buy for your own kids but they make tremendous birthday gifts too!  Are you thinking about  who all you could buy a set for?  Good, because I have a great discount through July 7th where you can shop right here on my site, on this post, but you’ll be shopping through Amazon.  This is a pretty awesome discount too!  I’m very excited to share it with you.  Update: It’s now after the 7th and the prices have gone up a little but are still cheaper than regular retail.

To see all the details of this sale visit SleepNumber.com or follow Sleep Number on Facebook.

Americans have IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts), and the British equivalent of that is a PPP, (Personal Pension Plan). British also have an Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax-efficient way to save or invest.  I’m sure a cash isa in the UK comes in handy.  I think those are all great ways to save for the future!

All British pay into the National Insurance Fund which is a weekly paid as a pension at age 60 so those, too, are very similar and are a way to save for the future.  Americans pay into and eventually collect {or hope to collect in some cases} Social Security.

Many Americans have both checking and savings accounts and utilize both for saving money and a British Current Account is what many use to do this in the UK.

I know that many Americans take advantage of 401-K plans offered by our employers and some times employers will even offer a matching donation.  For instance, if the employee gives up to 5% to their 401-K plan, then their employee will match whatever percent they contributed.  This is definitely something to take advantage of!

A few other money trends that I’ve observed here in America include Extreme Couponing, parents have started saving earlier and earlier to pay for their children’s college, and elderly couples are investing in long term care so that the spouse who lives the longest will be taken care of.  American readers feel free to chime in as well and let me know if I missed anything.

Even though our currency looks different it seems that people on both sides of the pond use many of the same methods to save and spend money. You have to choose the best IRA to suit your needs (or the best isas for my UK readers).  I don’t think it matters where you live, saving money is a smart idea to protect you in the futures.  As an old idiom says, “Save for a rainy day!”  I think that with a bit of discipline and common sense everyone can save money.  What do you think?

Let’s be honest. Nobody likes to throw their money out the window during the best of times.  With the uncertain economy that we have now it’s even more important to pinch every penny and stretch every dollar.  I’m going to share with you three clothing items that I think waste  your hard earned money.

I’m not a fashion expert, however, I am someone that likes to look nice when I’m out of the house interacting with others.  Sweatpants and hoodies won’t always do! {Check out our How to Wear a Hoodie article}

Here are three of my biggest historical money wasters:

Cheap shoes.

Any of these I’ve ever purchased have lost their comfort way faster than I found acceptable.  I use to think that rotating through them to transfer my discomfort was a smart idea.  Yes, I never got blisters that way but my feet were constantly uncomfortable.  It might have been a sore heel one day and then a cramped toe the next.  It wasn’t worth it!  When I met my husband I found someone who spends as much money as me on his wardrobe but he has a significantly smaller selection.  While I’m not ready to minimize as much as he has, I have learned from him.  I’ve found that investing in two good pair of comfortable shoes a year, shoes that will last, is worth more to me than 30 pair that I can’t wear two consecutive days.

White bras.

Ugggh, how I hate these!  They easily stain under shirts of a different color, they aren’t discreet under a white shirt, and well, I just don’t think they are very exciting.  I like fun colors but if I’m wearing something light in color or a white shirt, I’ll go with a flesh tone bra that can’t be detected.  Avoiding white bras saves me from being immodest, spending my Saturdays trying to get unwanted dye out of them, and I get to add a little bit of color to my day.

Way too cheap T-shirts.

I’ve fallen into this trap multiple times!  Never, ever, ever, ever buy a shirt that is under $5 at a non-sale price.  I’ve bought shirts for $1 that have lasted me 10 years (and counting!) but they were originally $30.  Every shirt I’ve bought for $5 and under has made it’s way to the trash can within a few weeks.  They don’t even hold up well enough to donate!  Don’t get me wrong, thirty dollar T-shirts aren’t in my budget either but that’s why I know where the clearance racks are at my favorite stores and what day of the week they mark new items down.  The fading, stretching, pilling, and loosening of seams isn’t worth it to me to buy the cheap shirts.

There you have it.  Those are my top three money wasting wardrobe purchases that I refuse to buy any longer.  Do you have any other items you would like to add to the list?  I would love for you to share!  We’re all trying to save money during these tough economic times and I would love to hear what ideas you have for shopping and saving!

Boxed Cards:

All Boxed Cards are Buy 2 Get 1 Free. The lowest priced item is given free.  I bought quite a few of these myself!

Holley Gerth Collection:

All items from the Heart to Heart with Holley Collection are 25% off this month with code Holley25. Holley’s newest book, You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream, released just today. Check out our corresponding products that complement the book.  It’s all good stuff!

March Monthly Specials: 

Redeemed Treasured Fashion Bracelet – Reg Price: $16.99 Sale Price: $4.99

Redeemed Metal Door Knocker – Reg Price: $14.99 Sale Price: $4.99 

Redeemed Wooden Wall Cross – Reg Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $4.99

New special item for Easter- I Believe Booklet & E-Book– $1 off through Easter ($3.99 & $2.99)

Shop the entire DaySpring Easter Collection here.

This is a hot, HOT DEAL!  If you’re a fan of Boogie Wipes {as all moms should be!} you’ll want to take advantage of this great deal on Amazon before it leaves.  I know it won’t last long!

Right now you can stock up on Boogie Wipes, 6 containers (90 ct each) for only $9.68!  These containers normally sell for around $9 EACH!  This is a huge savings at 82% off.  That’s unreal.  If you’re thinking that you’ll never use 6 of these then get the deal yourself and split the cost with a friend or two.  Go here to Amazon.com to order yours.

Here are the best Rite Aid deals for the week of February 17-23, 2013.

Halls Cough Drops – $0.99
$1/2 Halls Single Bags, exp. 3/16/13 (SS 02/03/13 R)
$0.49 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!

Chloraseptic Lozenges-$3.99
Buy 1, Get $2 +Up Reward (Limit 2)
$1/1 Chloraseptic Product, exp. 2/28/13 (SS 11/11/12)
$1/1 Chloraseptic Product, exp. 3/10/13 (SS 01/06/13 #3)
$0.99 after coupon and +Up Reward!

Colgate Optic White Mouthwash-$2.99
Buy 1, Get $1 +Up Reward (Limit 4)
$1/1 Colgate Optic White Mouthwash, exp. 2/23/13 (SS 02/03/13 R)
$0.75/1 Colgate Optic White Mouthwash, exp. 2/23/13 (SS 02/03/13)
As low as $0.99 after coupon and +Up Reward!

SoftSoap Body Wash-$3.49
$2 off In Ad Coupon
$0.50/1 SoftSoap Body Wash, exp. 3/31/13 (ALL YOU Nov ’12)
$0.99 after coupons!

M&Ms 8 to 8.5 oz. Bags-$2.99
Buy 1, Get $1 +Up Reward (Limit 4)
$1/2 Mars Easter Bags (RA Video Values, Feb)
$1/2 Mars Easter Product, exp. 3/31/13 (RP 02/17/13)
$0.99 ea. wyb 2 after coupons and +Up Reward!

Ragu Pasta Sauce-2/$3
Buy 2, Get $1 +Up Reward
$0.40/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce, exp. 2/24/13 (RP 01/27/13 R)
$0.20/1 Ragu Pasta Sauce, exp. 2/24/13 (RP 01/27/13)
$0.60/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce, exp. 2/24/13 (RP 01/27/13 R)
$1/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce, exp. 2/24/13 (RP 01/27/13 R)
As low as $0.50 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!

Vaseline Lotion 10 oz.-$2.99
Buy 1, Get $2 +Up Reward (Limit 2)
$0.99 after +Up Reward!

Thanks, Passion for Savings for helping with these match-ups!