As you may have gathered from my previous articles, I am a shopaholic.  Even if I have no money, I can’t help but scour the internet for deals at the online sample sales (seriously, check out Ideeli, it’s amazing).  And even though I can’t always buy sustainable products, I still try to buy in sustainable ways.

Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.

Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)

Shop in stores.  Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to.  Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products.  When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.

Look for local labels.  Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation.  If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States.  American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S. Read More »

Have you met our new BFFs over at What’s Haute? We love popping over there to do some “window shopping” of all the designer bags and accessories that we would have to work for life and beyond to afford. Still, we can’t stop. Well, our friends know how we feel and now they are bringing us some cheaper (yet still beautiful) alternatives, right here on CollegeCandy. To see more couture goodness, visit What’s Haute.

Leona Lewis may be a rising star but that doesn’t mean she’s let her fame go to her head. Or to her wallet. The British pop singer was spotted on multiple occassions with a girly, ruffled handbag in pink and black. Was it a Valentino? Nope. A Be & D? Guess again. Leona actually prefers Deux Lux, in particular, the Deux Lux Ruffle Bucket Bag.

This polyurethane purse features a cascading row of ditsy floral-backed ruffle trim and matching floral lining, a zippered main compartment, and is finished with padded handles. And what does a bag like this cost?

A mere $68.

Looks like Leona is talented, stylish and financially savvy.

Like every Thursday night (or Monday…or Tuesday…or any day, really), you finish your reading for the night, eat a little dinner and start the pre-party for another night at the bar.

You mix a few drinks before you head out in attempts to get a good buzz going. There is nothing worse than battling a bar crowd completely sober and, hey, 3 drinks at home saves you some serious dough on drinks at the bar.

When you finally make it past the line and the bouncer poring over your (fake) ID at the door, you breathe a sigh of relief, grab your friends and beeline to the bartender. Your friends mosey over to an opening directly in front of you, but you do not take it. Instead you walk to the other side of the bar where there are a few guys waiting for drinks and wedge yourself between them.

You turn on the charm, yank your shirt down to show a little cleavage, bat your eyelashes and strike up a conversation. These guys aren’t cute – far from it – but you aren’t lookin’ for booty. You’re lookin’ for loot. In the form of a Vodka Red Bull. Read More »