I've been posting a lot on my other blog and started writing about living like the rich on a small budget. This has been such a fun venture with all my research!

This idea all started when I took a trip to Ottawa (our nation's capital) a few weeks ago. I had a free coupon for an AVEDA Stimulus package and I printed out one for my friend who said he'd be happy to join me. So we went to the store and got our free hand massage, neck & shoulder massage, a sensory journey with chakra oils, a cup of herbal tea and a handful of samples. I got my make up touched up as well but my friend sat that one out :) All this for free!! So I walked out of there feeling relaxed and happy. I also ended up winning a pair of jeans from the Gap from their new 1969 collection (through a card I got in a magazine I also got for free!)!! This was the start of a good weekend. I also ended up at Sephora and grabbed one of their "favorites' boxes for $15 with 5 luxurious creams. With a start like this, I knew I had to look into acquiring luxurious things for free because I sure did feel like a million bucks! I was armed with fancy jeans, aveda samples and discounted fancy creams from sephora. I also walked out of there with a sample of yummy shower gel.

After sampling the fancy creams and aveda products I knew I wanted more, but my wallet wasn't exactly content with the pricetags on these full sized items. So what to do? It's all about research...

Ok, so I got HOOKED on this Korres Guava Cream but for $29US for less than 8oz...i dunno. It makes me smell like a goddess and my skin has never been softer but $29? It's vegan too and organic. What more could I want right? So I went on ebay and purchased the same cream for $12. Score.

I had also purchased a Sephora's Favourite kit that included mascaras and a few eyeliners for cheap. I've been testing all the stuff and decided on my favourites. Again, do I wanna pay $24US for a mascara even if it is vegan, organic and has recycled packaging? Well.....No. But I would love to have this. Ebay let me down, the prices weren't great and most people were selling mini sizes. I emailed the company and they don't give out free samples either. hmmmm.....so it was on to my next favourite mascara, still waiting for the company to get back to me on that one. Worst case scenario, I ask my mom for a Sephora gift card for the holidays :)

Clothes and shoes. I'm pretty good when it comes to this. I wait for sales and discounts from retailers by signing up for newsletters and I am subscribed to Loulou Magazine which I got free with points. Loulou is Canada's version of Lucky Magazine in the US. They post LOADS of contests, freebies and shopping deals. I try to get a lot of my clothes at thrift stores and if I go to the one that's 90mins away, I can get alot of H&M and Banana Republic, two of my faves. I also love Jacob and go there when the sales are on. I got a skirt half price because the zipper was broken and that was half the sale price!! So I got a $80 skirt for $20. I also scored a pair of Lucky Brand Jeans for my sweetie for $40 down from $140! They had a sale and then they asked me to pick a card from a deck to get more of a discount. I picked the highest card with 40% off! Like I said, lucky weekend.

People say I am lucky, but I think frugality is also skill that you just acquire or work on over the years. Your brain just automatically trains itself. For example, when I want to book a flight, it takes me at least an hour to figure out alll the combinations to get there, go to the various websites and look for sales. I always come out with the best deal. Being frugal takes time and determination and some patience. I know some of my friends think I'm nuts but find this skill rather amusing. Often times they are shocked at the things I get and they tell me they don't have the patience to do it. I am the LEAST patient person I know so that comment always makes me laugh.

I've even had friends say I'm made of money which I laugh at. Ok, we're not poor but that's because I've been working and my contract has been extended over and over again AND I always get stuff on sale so it appears as though I have more. I've been stocking up on stuff and collecting points for when I am unemployed. Life as a temp is always an uncertain one so I need to be prepared. Yes, I can buy discounted shoes for $150 right now but likely in a few months I won't be able to and the bottom line is, I get almost everything free or discounted, that's the key. If I had gotten everything I have at full price, I'd be bankrupt right now. So yes, I travel, I buy fancy creams and shoes, go to some nice places for dinner and get massages but all of it is done for a lot cheaper. People just don't always know that.

I also discovered something: when I have quality products, I use a lot less. I have this Kiehl's Facial Scrub which I bought for about $25 back in February. I use it weekly and still have enough for at least two-three months. I've bought the cheap stuff and used that up in a few months. So really, what is cheaper? I tend to use a lot less of the good brands and it lasts longer. And yes, when I am unemployed and don't have much disposable income, it's back to the generic creams but I've seen some fancy brands at the dollarstore too...so watch for that! 

There is nothing wrong with wanting the nicer things in life if they make you feel good and if they don't break your budget. It's also about moderation. I might have my fancy cream but tomorrow I am bringing in beans for lunch with homemade bread. I'm not ordering $30 sushi :) Balance is key.

So if you can afford a few extra dollars for tiny luxuries or are able to get nice freebies, appreciate them because you never know how long it'll last. :)

Till the next post, hope everyone finds a little frugal luxury in their lives!

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