This seems like a match made in heaven.

Animals with stuff stuck to their heads are really cute.

7 clothing items men should avoid at all costs. AMEN.

Lipstick is back. Ease back in with this fun little kit.

The best of the best upscale consignment shops.

Kim Kardashian is single…. and so is REGGIE BUSH!!

If you’re anything like me, you’re a sucker for a name brand. Despite wanting to be above it, I die when I see the new Marc Jacobs handbags or Prada runway show at Fashion Week. Also, if you’re anything like me, your bag costs more than what’s in your bank account and realistically you shouldn’t be buying that Chanel watch that costs more than your rent.

And that’s where consignment shops come in. Once you get past the fact that you’re not going to have a Saks-esque experience, these stores are a goldmine of high-end fashion for a college budget. However, rooting through said stores can be a lot of work and not exactly the most pleasant experience. So you turn to Ebay; it’s great for designer labels, but you soon learn (often the hard way) that you never know what you’re exactly getting.

Enter, online consignment! The way of the shopping future is here, and it’s named WWW and wearing Gucci loafers.

Consignment is just like picking through a closet that isn’t yours. The closet of that girl on campus who always looks super pulled together and fabulous. The one you want to hate because she always looks so damn perfect, but you can’t hate because she’s just so darn nice. She’s got a smile that matches her flawless wardrobe and handbags, and you would just kill to raid her closet for just one night.

Well, now you can! Christabelle is that girl and she’s opened her closet to you! OK, so maybe she’s not actually letting you rifle through her personal closet, but Christabelle’s Closet, an online consignment shop, is every college girl’s dream. This online shop has new or nearly new designer clothes that would make any savvy college girl gasp. From Gucci Flats to Rebecca Minkoff bags, Christabelle’s got it all, including a fully stocked designer label $10 section chock full of Michael Star tees and Intermix dresses. Yeah, ten freaking dollars.

And Christabelle is as sweet as she is fashion savvy, offering a very haute deal for CollegeCandy readers:

She’s giving you (and me!) 15% OFF ANYTHING in her closet for the entire month of March just by entering the code COLLEGECANDY when you check out.

I know I’ll be using it when I finally snag those Dolce & Gabbana heels that I’ve had my eye on for-ev-er. And probably a few other gorgeous things she’s got hanging in that virtual closet of hers.

With a deal like this, soon you’ll be that girl on campus that everyone wants to hate because you’re always looking so good. And they’ll want to hate you even more when they know how little it cost you to do it.

I’m betting it’s more than you think. When you’re done reading this article, go take a peek in the back of your closet or the depths of your dresser drawers. It’s no secret: they’re filled with crap.

Everyone has junk they don’t need. One person’s trash might be another person’s treasure, but really, it’s probably just a piece of junk. So in honor of spring-cleaning time, here are some ideas for moving your junk out of your home and into someplace other than a landfill.

Thrift Stores:
Duh, we all know how awesome thrift stores are. If you have a few pieces in your closet that you don’t wear but can’t bear to part with, maybe you can give them the thrift-store treatment by finding accessories that go with them or using them to enhance other thrift-store finds (using a great fabric to sew patches onto jeans, for example). Or just donate your crap. It’s probably stylish to somebody.

Consignment Shops:
These stores are popping up all over the country right now thanks to the economy, and they are the perfect way to get rid of last season’s clothes (or the last five seasons if you haven’t cleaned that closet in awhile). Simply pull everything you no longer wear out of the closet, make sure it’s all clean and in good shape, then take it to the local consignment store and sell it! You can get anywhere from 35-50% of what they sell your stuff for, which is a great way to make room in your wardrobe for new duds….and the money to buy ‘em.

Stuff Swap:
I love this idea. Since you’re never the only one with a bunch of junk, call up all your friends and get them to gather their junk, too. Then have a free-for-all swap or barter arrangement where you can score sweet finds from people you already know. The more people you can get involved the better—you might even think about organizing this as an official event at your school. You and your friends could even hold a yard sale and collect cashola for the stuff you don’t use anymore. Which brings me to . . .

Sell It:
Why not make some cash from the stuff you don’t use anymore? Undercut the bookstore by selling your old textbooks to underclassmen, or put them on half.com. Write killer product descriptions for your gently used Steve Maddens with the killer heels (ouch) and set them up on eBay or Craigslist. In fact, get rid of tons of stuff -  from extra furniture to clothes you don’t wear – on Craigslist. You’d be surprised at the things people will buy if your prices are reasonable.

Re-purpose It:
This is one of my personal favorite options. If you’re crafty, save up bits of fabric and yarn and use them for gorgeous projects like the ones showcased every day on Etsy. If you can’t tell a spool of thread from a turkey leg, give your bits and pieces to your more talented friends who have been known to carry around duct-tape messenger bags and sew their own clothing. They’ll love you!

What other ideas do you guys have for pitching your stuff? Let’s hear ‘em!

What’s a striving- to- have- more- money- 20- something to do? I brainstormed – in my desperate need to scrounge up some extra cash – ways in which you can get creative, have some fun and throw somethin’ extra into that piggy bank.

Turn your hobby into some cash. Do you enjoy making scrapbooks, knitting, creating playlists or setting up peoples’ iPods for them with the latest tunes? If so, take your hobby and make it into something profitable. Put out flyers in your neighborhood, an ad in the local paper, send out a mass email or even create a standard template website and let people know you’re open for business!

Sell some old clothes. Those prom dresses have sat in your closet since high school and, let’s face it, you’re not going to be wearing them anytime soon. Go to a consignment shop, take out an ad in the paper or swing by a local beauty pageant (I swear they’re around and the ladies will bite for those gowns). With, say, 50 bucks a dress, you could walk out of there with a couple hundred dollars!

Use those skills. Did you know that you only need 2 years of college to substitute teach? Not only that, but summer schools are desperate for teachers AND you can make around $100 a day (and for summer school, that’s like $20 an hour = not bad!). Or, do some tutoring. You can make up to $60 an hour tutoring, depending on your education level and experience. And most of that money is straight cash, baby!

Change it up. What do you do with your spare change? Get an empty water cooler bottle and leave it by your front door. Every day when you come in, dump the spare change from your pockets, car, purse, etc. At the end of every month, count it up; you’d be surprised at how much you accumulate. My boyfriend and I counted his lose change this weekend and guess how much we got? $270!!!!

Purge your stuff. Have a tag sale. Get rid of some of those old clothes, books, etc., that are sitting in your room collecting dust. One woman’s trash, is another woman’s treasure!

Yard Work. Are you immune to poison ivy and your neighbors are not? Offer to do some weeding and gardening for them for a bargain price! Not only will they appreciate the help, but they’ll be so stoked about not getting the itchiesthat they may even through in some bonus cash (or at least some ice cold lemonade)!

Babysit. Parents have the hardest time finding care for their kids during the summer months. If you’re kid friendly, offer to be a nanny a few days a week – or even one or two nights, so the parentals can get some romantical time.

Move your cash. Whatever money you do have lying around needs to have a home. Is your bank account getting the best interest rate? If not, move banks and, most times, you can get some bonus money (some banks will give you up to $200 for moving to them!) when you sign up. Cha ching!

Ebay-it. If you don’t feel like garage sale-ing it, take some pics of your stuff and throw it on eBay. Who knows how much you could make on such a heavy shopped site.

Have any more tips on how to make some dough? Spill it CC-ers – we oughta know!

(Photo courtesy of CCWS Medical)

The thrifty girl’s best friend is, well, the thrift store. While I can’t afford to drop hundreds of dollars on clothes each month, plenty of people can and do. And when these people get tired of their outfits, they sell them or give them away. That’s where we come in.

The first step to good thrifting is knowing your stores. Scope out your town or city and figure out where the good shops are. Most cities have a Salvation Army or Goodwill, as well as various consignment shops. Bigger cities and most college towns will have thrift or vintage stores (but keep in mind–vintage is often code word for EXPENSIVE!) If you find a shop you like, go there a lot, even if you don’t buy anything when you go. You’ll get a sense for when new clothes come in, so you can get to the good stuff first.

A lot of thrift stores have varied and arbitrary pricing, so if you know your local shopgirl you are more likely to get a discount on that dress with the small tear (which you can repair yourself). If your local shop buys clothes, bring along the stuff you don’t want any more (in good condition), and see if you can get store credit.

Once you’ve established yourself, you’re ready to start shopping. While everyone has their own methods for thrifting, I find there are usually a few important principals to live by:

1. Be patient!

Thrift stores are usually disorganized and packed full of junk. The best part of thrifting is the find–buried in that bin of cheap shoes is an adorable pair of heels, but only if you have the energy to dig all the way down to the bottom. It takes a lot of time to really look through every item on a crowded rack, but trust me, it’s totally worth it.

2. Don’t go looking for something specific

You’ll never find it. That’s what cheap chain stores like H&M and Forever 21 are for. If you walk into a messy shop looking for a blue spaghetti strap dress, chances are you won’t find exactly what you want—you might find a blue long sleeve dress or a green spaghetti strap dress, so make sure you’re flexible and open to anything.

3. When in doubt, try it on

Rarely do thrift store items have size tags, and sometimes older clothes have no size tags at all, or use an older sizing system. If it doesn’t look ridiculously big or ridiculously small, go ahead and try it on. Ignore the size, you may find it fits you anyway! My very favorite thrift dress is labeled almost 2 sizes smaller than what I normally wear.

and finally…

4. Have Fun

This may sound cheesy, but it’s true. That gold lame dress is only $5…why not buy it and figure out how to incorporate it into your wardrobe? Try something different–maybe you don’t usually wear patterns but your local shop is full of old 50′s skirts. Go ahead and buy something unexpected–you may surprise yourself!

For our NYC girls, here are a few of my favs:

Beacon’s Closet

N. 11th Street between Berry and Wythe, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

This is the mecca for stylish New York City girls of all incomes. Located in a massive warehouse, they buy discarded clothes from the hip Williamsburg/Bushwick crowd. Last weekend I scored a $15 dress from Urban Outfitters, an $8 romper from American Apparel, and a pair of Vans slip-ons for $10. They have a great selection of dresses, and a lot of newer stuff–you’ll see H&M t-shirts packed in with Marc Jacobs jackets.

If you want to sell your stuff, be prepared to go up against some really snooty buyers–they’ll take one or two items (if any) and donate the rest. They won’t take anything out of season either.

Village Style

7th Street between 1st Ave and Ave A, East Village, Manhattan

The go-to for cowboy boots, converse, and bags. The hours are weird though, so try going in the afternoon. Not great for clothing.

Flores Antique Clothing

529 Grand Street, near Lorimer Street, Williamsburg

For vintage dresses, there is no better store. Almost everything is under $50, and there’s even a discount if you buy in bulk. It’s a no-nonsense, decidedly un-New York shop.

Do you have a favorite shop in your town or city? Let us know in the comments!

But the times I have painstakingly attempted to sell my clothes for a bit of extra cash, they never take the bait.

It is always incredibly perplexing as to what they do take. One time during a serious dough drought, I decided to sell some of my lesser worn yet well-known articles of clothing. Amidst an entire trash bag of recent goods the numbskulls took one item: a hot pink, crew neck, Lycra-cotton blend shell from the Gap OUTLET that dated back to ’98.

And again this fall, after toting six trash bags across town so I could attempt to make my rent, I got back eight dollars in store credit. Not to mention I had already spent that much on transportation plus the extra $25 from the fun new things I purchased at the store. All-in-all, the consignment industry just leaves my closet and my wallet barer than they began.

Enter the Label Whores; ladies that have taken the preposterous consignment shutdown and turned it into a social experiment garnered towards the fashion industry. With old labels sewn into just-purchased clothes, the Jezebel girls were able to pass off those “old duds” and even make a profit. Granted, before they were to be purchased they had to take them to the dry cleaners.

At least now I know that the few bucks I might have made trying to sell my clothes aren’t worth the hassle of the whole process. Unless, of course, I decide to break out my needle and thread…