Breaking Even, Inc.

Jump, Jive, and Wail

How Dressing For A 1920s Theme Party Won't Break The Bank

My birthday is coming up next weekend. When Sean asked me what I wanted, I initially thought "groovy piece of jewelry". When I thought about it more though, I realized that an experience would be more fun.

I love to dress up, eat good food, listen to live music, and dance. The Annual Chef's Gala happens to fall on my birthday (next Saturday) and incorporates all of these things. In addition, most of the money goes toward a digital mammography unit at the local hospital. I emailed Sean the web address and all he had to do is fill out a form online with his credit card number. I think giving him a very specific gift idea was a relief to him and now, I get to do something fun on my birthday.

One of the most exciting parts about the Chef's Gala is the fact that it's themed. I appreciate a good theme and this year, it's the 1920s, the decade that I always say I would have loved to live in.

The problem is at $85/ticket and the fact that it's a cash bar, I feel like I don't want to spend a lot of money on an outfit. I've heard that other ladies are buying vintage designer stuff but I don't want to spend a lot of money on a dress. Granted, there is eBay but after scrolling through pages of dresses and wondering if M/L would fit me, I decided that eBay was not what I wanted to do.

I've been passively looking through local thrift stores but that's probably what everyone else has been doing too because there was nothing to be found.

I've since decided to make a dress I have work and use accessories, hair, and make-up to make me look more like a 20s fashonista.

The dress is a black slip dress (well sort of) with lots of lace. It's definitely cut straight up and down and falls below the knee, which is very period. I had another dress that I was going to just add fringe to flapper-style but I wasn't so ambitious and decided to make the slip dress work, especially since I've only got to wear it a couple of times.

After reading this article about dressing for the 20s, I decided a strong of fake pearls and some comfy dancing flats would update my dress. Sean decided he wanted a fedora with his double breasted suit so I went on a mission yesterday.

My mom and my sister are visiting for a long weekend and I found my needed items at Kohls with their help(for $20 total). What was harder to find was Sean's fedora, which I looked for in the stores we went in. After Sean joined us for supper, Sean and I went off in search of his hat. We had no luck at department stores or Burlington Coat Factory. We found some fedoras very surprisingly at the mall in Spencer Gifts, which is a kind of "joke store" to those of you who haven't been there. None of the available hats matched the suit or fit Sean. We ended up finding one at TJ Maxx ($7) only by chance but I couldn't believe it. Don't men wear hats anymore?

I think I'm set for my night on the town now. I will post pictures next week when we're all dressed up. Meanwhile, have you been to any great theme parties lately? If so, how did you make your wardrobe work?   

How To Not Spend A Gajillion Dollars At The Drugstore

I have friends who are real drugstore junkies. A new lipstick here, a crazy nail color there...it really allows even the budget conscious to take the phrase "Buy a little something nice for yourself" seriously. But there is a reason that the phrase "lipstick indicator" exists. It is often a symptom of us trying to cover up a problem, something to the effect of "If I look good enough, bad things won't happen to me", which makes no sense if you've never been in a really difficult situation and perfect sense if you have.

I was at the local drugstore buying cold medicine yesterday. I specifically went for a kind my mom used to get us when we were kids but apparently it had codeine in is so they don't sell it over the counter anymore. (We were high! That's why we felt good after taking it!) I was looking at a row of sub-par medication when it occured to me it had been months since I had been in a drugstore. Sure, I've read they are good for food deals but I looked around and felt so tempted by the bottles of potions, the pots of cream, the glossy colors. I bought just my cold medicine and left.

I have $75 a month budgeted for personal care, including haircuts and drug store items. I often come in under budget in this area though because I don't buy drug store stuff that often. Here's how I do it though I'd love to hear some other tips on this one:

1) DIY Tinted moisturizer- I wear Clinique. It's the right shade and as a friend once said when I asked her "It looks like you aren't wearing anything". Just as a foundation should be. It seems ridiculous that it's only SPF 15 and that the thicker foundation and thinner tinted moisturizer cost almost the same. So I take my favorite SPF 30 facial sunblock (under $5) and mix in a little Clinique foundation and poof, my own tinted moisturizer with better protection then the foundation.

2) Two lipsticks- I have one for day and one for night. I bought a four pack of lipsticks at Marshalls a couple months ago for $1.50. Two of the four were flattering colors. All set for six months, though I do plan on going paraben free once they run out.

3) Mineral Makeup- Sometimes alone or in combination with the foundation, I wear bareMinerals makeup. One kit has lasted me over six months. I canceled my "membership" upon recieving my first shipment.

4) Pick a bodywash or other item that the person you live with will be uninterested in "borrowing" when they run out of their own. In my case, Skin So Soft (from Avon) and Pomegranite Pizazz (from Method) bodywashes are just girly enough that Sean will never use them and therefor be forced to get his own. 

5) Shower less or don't wash your hair every time you do. Not showering daily is actually better for your skin and hair anyway. It also means though that you use less product over time. (Additional bonus is I get to sleep in for an extra 20 minutes.) I swear no one even knows the difference.

6) Only go in drugstores when you are so stuffed up that you can't think. :^)

Any more I'm forgetting? How do you stay beautiful, anyway? 

Eight Pounds Later

How Weight Loss Has Saved Me Money

I have previously asked the question “Will losing weight also save me money in addition to making me hotter and healthier?” I think my now eight pounds slimmer self has found the answer.

It seems like a coincidence that my grocery bill is lower this month than it has been in about five months (or since I moved here). What I have noticed though are fewer trips to the convenience store during work hours. My trip to my local country store in walking distance of work gave me crappy coffee and close-to-expiring snacks, though somehow it seemed like I almost needed it. To cut down on these trips, my coffee/snack budget was set at $10 a month in November but crept up to $20 in December.

This past month, I didn’t even spend $10 at my local store. I go there maybe once a week for a diet soda. I didn’t even miss it, let alone need it.

In addition to saving money on convenience foods, I also seem to have more energy. I’ve been able to blog more, be productive at work, and get to the gym three times a week. During a 12 hour workday last week (I’m back to teaching adult ed for a once a week, three hour long class), I was spunky without coffee, able to make it the whole day without getting grumpy.

Besides the savings, there have been no additional costs incurred for the weight loss. I’m not on any particular plan or group support. My only cost (which I was already for anyway) is a gym membership. My monthly fee is $35 and since the gym charges $7 an individual visit, I am more than getting my money’s worth by going three times a week.

My goal is 25 pounds but I know that is because I want to see a certain number on the scale again. It doesn’t matter so much to me now. This will be an ongoing project which I will keep you posted on. Just know that preliminary findings so far: a healthier weight will save you money.

Photos: Left Before, Right: After (well, 8 pounds toward After)

Losing Weight: Pure Vanity or Money Saver?

It all started this summer when I realized that I only fit into a fraction of the clothes I owned. I hadn't worn them since moving to Vinalhaven two years earlier (and it's really not a trouser kind of place) and I clearly was unable to wear them. I had apparently had some weight sneak up on me.

Beer, desserts, lack of exercise and age can catch up to us all. It seems like it happens all of a sudden but really it's creeping on your for months or years on end. Like many Americans, it is time for me to lose weight.

Now I'm not (at least I don't think) what anyone would call fat but my BMI was 25 and I was winded going for a hike.

In my new year and a little before, I've been making a concerted effort to lose some weight. I'm down about three pounds but the past week or so, I've seemed to have reached a bit of a plateau.

It's clear that eating less will cause me to spend less on groceries (or perhaps I will buy less food but better food, evening out costs) but can losing weight really save money?

This article says we have the potential of saving $2,500 a year from being a healthy weight, though some of the figures like life insurance savings and employer incentives don't really apply to me. It does appear that eating bad for your convenience foods and doctors visits for weight-related health problems would apply to everyone.

Another article takes a hard to quantify but equally valid position that time spent and results achieved from exercising keeps you from spending money out of boredom or to achieve happiness.

In the meantime, it may be necessary to spend a little money to get that big return on your investment:

1) A gym membership may help motivate you to work out a few times a week. I've been going to the local Y twice a week mostly for strength training. Many women are afraid to look bulky doing this but muscle actually burns more calories than fat and strength training, unlike doing just cardio, contiues to burn calories after you finish your workout. The key is to do both. I also walk with some ladies at work during our lunch break for cardio.

2) Motivation may come from external rewards you give yourself. Apparently motivation in the way of money has proved to help people in this study. Buying myself a new workout outfit or some other nonfood reward for reaching a goal has helped me in the past.

3) You need some clothes that fit while you are working on reaching your goal. Have a clothes swap with some friends (I've hosted a couple of these and they are fun!) or go to SwapThing to swap online. You can also buy yourself a few pieces you can mix and match to get you through. Don't shove yourself in clothes that don't fit for punishment; if you're anything like me, it'll only discourage you. It took awhile to put on the weight and it'll take awhile for it to come off, and do you really think you deserve to be uncomfortable for several months?

Anyway best of luck to those of you trying to reach a healthy weight. Apparently we are not alone in our resolution. If you have any tips or ideas, feel free to share. I'm pretty excited for both vanity and budget reasons about my new goal.

New Year, New You

I don’t know if it’s the New Year approaching or the fact that new cameras and old friends seem to be out and about a lot more this month but something about December makes me long for some kind of change. It’s easy to get in a rut. So what’s a girl (or guy) on a budget to do?

I find there are a few things that have help me get excited about a new me in the upcoming year. Maybe a few of these can work for you. They are all instantaneous, meaning you can do them right away, as opposed to say, working out, which takes a few weeks to feel good about. Today, it’s all about instant gratification.

1. Get a haircut. Today, I got bangs and am toying with the idea of a boxed hair color (or possibly some of that glaze stuff) to tone up my natural color. A twenty dollar haircut and a ten dollar box of color may be all you need, too. Don’t like it? It’ll grow back! It’s not like you’re getting a tattoo or anything! Here’s a good link about choosing a box hair color. I also recommend bringing a friend to help select as they can see your hair better than you can and give you a much needed reality check (“No, Nicole, your hair will never look like hers.” is sometimes exactly what you need to hear).

2. Get a new accessory... or outfit for cheap. A thrift store or discount store can have something great that won’t break the bank, whether it’s a new scarf or a whole new outfit. A great place to find a fun New Year’s ensemble that no one else will be wearing! Find a store near you (and read what other people think about the store) here. Or, you know, check your Yellow pages.

3. Get a new lipstick… or have your way-too-eager friend do your makeup. Sometimes buying one trendy item to go with what you already have can inspire you do try new things. My hot pink lipstick last year really gave me a lift when I needed it. I’ve always wanted to learn how to look better with makeup and if you or your friends aren’t so gifted in this department and you’re interested in learning, check out Bobbi Brown’s site which includes videos of how to create make-up looks, like for me the elusive smoky eye.

4. Clean out your closet and get the clothes you keep tailored. Get rid of those old clothes holding you back (plus get a receipt when you donate them for your very own tax write-off!). If you don’t want to get rid of things right away, put them in a box for six months. If you can’t name what’s in there six months from now, you officially don’t miss them. Have a few nice pieces of clothing that could fit better? For a few dollars at the tailor, your clothes can fit you like a glove and become clothes you love. Here are some ideas about how to find a tailor.

5. Do something for someone else. Join a board of a local non-profit. Volunteer at a shelter. Do something for someone else. Nothing gets you out of a rut like getting out of yourself for a few minutes. It puts those couple extra pounds and a lack of smoky eye into perspective like nothing else. Volunteer Match will match you to a volunteer opportunity near you, or you can just ask around.

So make a change if you want, or even if you don’t want. Because we all need change. It’s a good thing and really the only way we can attempt to improve ourselves. Until next time, I rock my new bangs and all other chances I have to try something new.