There are good ideas and there are BAD ideas

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Doubt that Suri actually does chores

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How to identify a  bargain

This is just so ridiculous!

The Money Tree is AMAZING

There’s nothing that puts a smile on my face like finding a fantastic bargain, and since we all wanna look good in a crappy economy, finding those deals is even more important these days.  Each week I’ll feature one store/website where you can find eight A-dorable items for under $20 (not too shabby, right?).

This week I’m featuring Mandee.  While some of their stuff admittedly looks like it costs under $20, it’s a great place to find cute basics, cheap denim, and certain trendy pieces that probably won’t last more than one season (so paying under $20 is perfect).  Another bonus: they often have good sales that make their stuff even more of a bargain.

Summer’s more than halfway over and school will be back in session before we know it, but there’s still plenty of warm weather to be had (and hey, you can usually utilize some of your cute summer clothes for those early days of fall semester) which means it’s not too late to buy halters, flip flops, shorts or skirts, especially when you can find ‘em this cheap. Read More »

[Every week our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to.

All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know; there is a spot for her in heaven.]

Lately, Katie holmes style has been reminding me of a mixture between my brothers and my mom…circa 1992. Baggie Jeans, a mom haircut – I’m sort of on the fence about it all. And by on the fence, I obviously mean never buying into the trend. Ever.

But, every now and again, I find myself loving a piece of hers, writing it off as “in my dreams,” or “when I win the lottery.” Between her paychecks from Dawson’s Creek syndication and her husband being – um – Tom Cruise, the girl has a budget of Loubitons and lavish meals, whereas I am stuck with Target finds and Ramen Noodles.

That is, until People.com revealed this jacket is only $75.00. Yes, you read that right. SEVENTY FIVE! This little slice of info made my weekly Celebrity Chic on the Cheap more like Celebrity’s Cheap and Chic finds, giving yours truly some extra time to sleep in this Thanksgiving Weekend.

So I bring you this weeks’ Celebrity Chic on the Cheap: Katie Holmes’ Mom Haircut leads her to Mom Website, Leads her to Fabulous Find. Read More »

[College kids are notorious for being poor. And why shouldn’t we be? We take out student loans to pay for private universities, can barely balance a part-time job with our full-time courseload, and the only “balance” we’re familiar with refers to the number of points left on our dining hall cards. Oh, did I mention many of us tend to splurge every extra penny on PBR’s at the campus bar?

If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

I’ve been writing a lot about how to manage your money in bank accounts and with credit and debit cards. That’s the tricky stuff. As poor students, we are good at finding bargains and at least trying to make our money go a long way. That said, it’s easy to fall into certain traps when what we think is a good “deal” comes our way…and we end up paying dearly. Here are some scams to avoid in order to really save some dough.

1. Gym Memberships.

Beware of whatever type of deal a gym is trying to pitch to finagle you into joining. Why? Because they are probably lying. Okay, I’m bitter about this one. I needed to join a new gym at home for a couple of months, so I signed up for free guest passes at all the gyms in my area so I could work out for free and not buy anything. Next thing I knew, a Bally’s rep was selling me a special offer: $25 a month for a membership that I could transfer anywhere. He told me that if I got back to school and didn’t want to make the trek to the nearest Bally’s, I could freeze my membership for $4 a month, and when i started using their clubs again, I could continue to pay the dirt cheap fee.

The reality? Only the first transfer would be free, so I’d be paying in the future for every new Bally’s I tried to switch to; the “freeze” thing didn’t exist, and I was forced to pay the monthly fee even though I wasn’t working out; I’m stuck in a year contract, and now I have an express hatred for Bally Total Fitness Clubs. Needless to say: gyms are definitely places to read the fine print. Read More »

Some call shopping a sport. And I agree. I mean, think about it. In order to get the job done right, one needs skill, technique, timing, and so much more. The only equipment you really need is a good, comfortable pair of shoes and a nice big purse (preferably with a fully-stuffed wallet and possibly a granola bar for some nourishment), and now there’s a new piece of equipment that’s going to make shopping a whole lot easier.

To get this new piece of shopping equipment, all you have to do is pull out your cell phone! No, not so you can chat it up with your friends as you bargain hunt, but so you can find the best deals on everything you’re shopping for. A new service called Pongr automatically tells you where you can get the best price on almost any item. Um, amazing?

According to the Pongr website, all you have to do is take a camera phone picture of the item you want (if it’s a book, CD, DVD, or video game) or type the UPC code or product description into a text message (if it’s clothing, shoes, electronics, or purses) and either e-mail your query to ping@pongr.com or text it to SHOPP. You’ll automatically get a text message back telling you where you can get the item for cheapest. If it’s online, you can purchase the item right from your phone and if it’s a brick and mortar store, Pongr will give you directions to the store. Read More »

Nothing says summertime like copious sunburns, drinking outside and picnics. You could be “that girl” and bring coleslaw, hot dog buns or worse…the dreaded bag of chips, to your next backyard bash, or you could wow the hell out of your friends and bring the best damn fruit salad they’ve ever had.

Now don’t get ahead of yourself. Fruit salad is not for the faint of heart. It can be time-consuming and expensive if you don’t plan it out just right. Here are a few tips for making this healthy, fun summer treat.

1. Use fresh fruit. This should go without saying but I’m saying it anyway. Frozen fruit is for smoothies, margaritas and ice packs..not salad.

2. Search for bargains. To make a good salad you could be buying 8-10 types of fresh fruit. The price tag can get pretty high if you don’t shop around. Try to buy at least half of your fruit on sale. This isn’t tough to do in the summer with so much fresh stuff in season. Because you’ll be cutting and chopping you can also take “scratch and dent” fruit (the stuff with small bruises). Read More »

My favourite t-shirt cost a mere £3. I bought it from Primark, a value UK clothing chain who sell every garment imaginable, from fuzzy pajama bottoms to cut price evening dresses. Unsurprisingly, they have been touted as one of the most popular and cheapest fashion stores..

And guess what, they have also been voted as most unethical.

Flicking through the TV guide, I spotted a documentary titled ‘The Devil Wears Primark” showing that very night. I felt it was time to face up to the not-so-pretty side of my bargains. As I fine tuned the aerial and settled down, I was puzzled to discover that in the place of a nitty-gritty documentary was a “in a change to the schedule” apology, followed by a generic film.

It didn’t take much detective work to figure out that a company with such high turnover would have been less than happy too let such a documentary go ahead. However it made me angry to think that the truth was, effectively, being hidden from my eyes. Whatever content was in the showing, Primark obviously did not want us to see. Of course, what chance does a television station have against a multi-million pound company with more lawyers than sense? None at all, so it seems. Read More »

I’m not always a huge fan of Ashley Olsen’s fashion sense, but I can’t help but love the look she rocked at a recent N.Y.C. screening of Everything at Once.

Ditching the vaguely homeless look, she went for a loose knit top over a mini skirt. Not sure you can pull it off? Making a tight leather mini look classy is not easy, so take a tip from Ashley and pair it with a looser top and sandals–not pumps. And if you’re busty, choose a top that doesn’t put your cleavage on display. A small skirt paired with a tight shirt will you have you looking more like Ashley Dupre than Ashley Olsen.

Here’s how to get the look for less: Read More »

The Kid’s Choice Awards don’t really conjure up images of high fashion, and usually the celebrities use this time to dress like complete nuts (Rihanna and Jennifer Love Hewitt, I’m talking to you). But for a look that is summery and fun, Cameron Diaz nailed it on the head.

The dress’s print is interesting and unique without being too avant garde. I really love the cardigan, because it keeps the mini-ness of the dress from looking too trampy. The shoes and the purse just set the dress off perfectly.

Now, let’s look at the original cost of this look. The dress is Missoni, and similar dresses retail for about $2,000. The cardigan looks very similar to this Autumn Cashmere cardigan, which originally retailed for $144. The shoes are Christian Louboutin Patent d’Orsay wedges and they clock in at $645. Finally, that adorable little clutch looks pretty similar to this Hobo International Patent Clutch, which would set you back about $138. This brings our grand total to $2,927! A bit pricey for a little summer outfit.

So let’s break it all down and find these pieces in a price range you can afford. Read More »

I definitely would not consider myself a beauty junkie. I enjoy new products and like experimenting with makeup, I mean, what girl doesn’t? But the overwhelming amount of new stuff coming out each season seems almost impossible to really stay on top of.

Besides the fact that in college, most girls don’t have unlimited funds to spend on super expensive beauty products. We’re lucky to have a few free minutes in between classes and events to run down to the drugstore for a new tube of mascara. So, when a good deal and new brand comes along that catches my eye, I feel the need to share it with the masses who would appreciate it, aka CC readers.

ELF (Eyes, Lips, Face) makeup is my new obsession and recent splurge that I actually don’t feel too guilty about. Why? Because EVERYTHING on the website is only $1! Yes, that is right girls, just one freakin dollar for lip glosses, eye shadow pallets, all over color sticks and so much more…I bought ten items for a total of ten dollars plus some shipping, and voila, I’ve already got 10 things for the price of one product normally. Can’t beat that excitement for a boring summer day.