SavvySugar

Adding Modern Chicness to a Traditional Edwardian - on a Budget

Elka Karl — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:00:28 PST

Figuring out how to inject modern style into a home from the Victorian, Edwardian, or Arts and Crafts era sometimes poses a challenge for motivated, modern-style-loving homeowners. When interior designer Jennifer Hannotte purchased her Edwardian home in Toronto, she knew she wanted to renovate the home to reflect her style.

Jennifer opened up the home and used both high and low materials and items to create a modern feel inside the home, all while sticking to a strict budget. Want to hear how she did it? Get all of the details on Houzz.

5 Fast and Easy Meals That Won't Break the Bank

Camilla Salem — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:43:33 PST

Fast and easy dinners are really helpful when it comes to enjoying home-cooked meals after full workdays, but for some of us, having inexpensive meal ideas (or one that uses up pantry ingredients or leftovers) is even better. Here are five meals that will give you the best of both worlds: they come together quickly and easily, and the ingredients are either very affordable or pantry staples.

How to Cook on a Budget

Susannah Chen — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:04:24 PST

After a month's worth of entertaining and gift giving, I'm feeling more cash-strapped than I should. That's why I've vowed to start the New Year right by cooking meals for a fraction of the price that I pay when I dine out - and shopping smarter, too. I know I'm not the only one trying to eat in more often, so here, I'm sharing 10 mantras to live by that will have your bank account thanking you down the road.

4 Ways to Budget Your Bucks

SavvySugar — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:57:30 PST

When your income and expenses are nearly the same, it's time to create a budget. Want to purchase something that you couldn't afford unless you charged it on a credit card? Budgeting would be the answer. Money is a personal thing, so there's not a one-budget-fits-all solution for those looking to make a plan. Discover four options for budgeting your bucks and be on your way to taking better control of your money.

Update Your Winter Wardrobe With Cool Corduroys - All Under $100

Chi Diem Chau — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:30:27 PST

Fun fact: corduroy is a ridged form of velvet, which is why they're so warm and cozy. And like spiced cider and eggnog, we pull them out every Fall. This season, we're leaning towards colorful hues - think crimson red, purple, and mustard yellow - to add a fun twist to our wardrobe, along with neutral colors to temper our wardrobe. Looking for that perfect pair? Just shop our slideshow and update your look now with our top ten picks from Free People, Blank Denim, and J.Crew.

Buyer's Remorse: What Did You Splurge on This Weekend?

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:47:40 PDT

Oops, we've all been there. You were going to be really, really good this weekend, but then you ended up blowing your paycheck on new shoes, a fancy dinner, and a spontaneous night on the town. Dare you admit what you splurged on this weekend? Don't worry! You can easily get back on track with these budget and saving tips. Be sure to implement these practical and easy ways to stay on budget next weekend.

Savvy Travel Tip: Hold Your Airplane Seats

Emily Co — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:15:28 PDT

The holidays are coming up, and traveling is definitely in the plans for a lot of people. A handy travel tip is to "hold" the airplane seat once you find a good buy. Many airlines provide you the option of reserving the seat for a full 24 hours before canceling it with no fees incurred. For example, if you buy Continental tickets from continental.com or by calling reservations, you will qualify for their 24-hour booking policy, which will let you make changes to your purchased flight without any penalties. Remember to check the policies of different airlines before you decide to go ahead and hold a seat.

This service is great for comparison shopping. As a consumer, you can reserve your seat and hold it for a day while checking to see if other airlines have better deals.

Got a cost-saving travel tip? Join our Savvy Travel Tips group and share your expertise!

Reader Asks: Is There an App For Sticking to Budgets?

Savvy Community — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:00:39 PDT

Sometimes money and career questions can feel so sensitive and personal that it makes sense to stay anonymous when asking them. This is why the Savvy Confessions community group is the perfect place to vent because all postings are kept anonymous.

In the latest Savvy Confessions, a reader asks for if anyone has suggestions for apps that help you stick to budgets.

Let me start out by saying - I'm a really, really bad organizer when it comes to my finances. I have no structure right now, and as a result, I am having major issues with my budget! However, I know making a spreadsheet on Excel or Google Doc isn't for me. Is there any other way, a more . . . interesting way to remember or keep track of my finances? There has to be an app for this or something?! Help!

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and be advised by fellow Savvy readers.

Savvy Confessions: Should I Tell My Friend to Live Within His Means?

Savvy Community — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 03:05:16 PDT

This anonymous poster in our Savvy Confessions group needs tips on how to deal with a friend who is living beyond his means.

My friend is spending beyond his means, and I've tried to tell him nicely that he shouldn't be spending money on a weekend away to Hawaii, but he says he just graduated and wants to celebrate. He doesn't have a job lined up. I've said things like, "Maybe you should save that money in your emergency fund in case you're unemployed for a while?" He's still going ahead with it, so I'm thinking that I could've been more direct. Do you think it's my place to say anything or is he just not going to listen to me?

Share your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and advised by fellow Savvy readers.

Is Child-Free the Way to Be?

LearnVest — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:15:15 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes . . . a jet-setting lifestyle, a novel and posh townhouse in London.

For Sonja Lewis, an expat in her 40s, there was never a carriage, stroller or burp cloth. Or childcare. Or school tuition. Instead, Sonja opted out of the idea that all women need children in order to be fulfilled and complete - and now wants to tell the tale.

In her new novel The Barreness, Lewis explores the fraught and emotional territory of going child-free. We called up this Georgia-born journalist and writer in her current home in London - where she happily lives with her husband-and asked her all the questions you’d be too polite to ask.

Why did you write this novel?

I guess you could say I got married late (about 37 or 38) and became obsessed with whether I would have children. And I eventually concluded that being a mother wasn’t the right thing for me.

The previous generation seemed to stereotype non-mothers as selfish, hardcore people, and I wanted to make it clear that women can be fulfilled without becoming mothers. Exploring the subject in the form of a novel gives me free range in how I approach it.

Why did you decide not to have children?

You have to consider the commitment; it’s a lifetime role. As much as I love children, when it really became a viable option for me, the financial commitment, the personal commitment, everything I had to take into consideration . . . It just didn’t make sense.

For more on a child-free lifestyle, read on.