Higher End Living... it up! The Knock-Off.

The Art of the Knock-off


Don't put off your sense of style and fashion just because you're liberated. Find those items that you gravitate towards or would buy w/ a little more substantial income and make it happen - at half the cost!

This applies to interior design projects as well as fashion. You can knock off the look and feel of a room for half? 1/3? the cost. Again, what you don't have in cash, you make up for by spending your time.

When u have money you can easily purchase exactly what you want. But w/out the cash upfront, you're investment now comes in time - which you have - MAKE, don't buy, search, don't settle. Upgrades on nearly anything can happen w/ some elbow grease, the internet, your willingness to spend your time and your own innate creativity.

So, get your tear sheets together, interiors, clothes, shoes, art. Then set about how you're gonna knock off what you really want - because you totally can.
:-)

It's entirely possible to have those $175.00 Steve Maddens!

You don't have the $ right now but you have the time.... So you get to get your creative juices going, have a project to do during your day and score those Maddens for a steal!

This is kinda like the High/Low Project - but w/ fashion. I bought look-a-like sparkly shoes at Payless for $17. Mine sparkle a bit red gold as opposed to yellow gold like the ones on the left. But a bottle of sparkles in my closet can remedy that if need be.

Looking for the studs to go w/ my yet-to-be-used BeDazzler. Haven't found them yet, but its looking like the cost of the other metals is running around $5 per 100 count. Each show will require about 200 studs each.

So, theoretically, you can get these $125 slippers for about $40. Granted I have some of these items already - like the BeDazzler but think about investing in tools that might pay you back in the long-term.

HA!

The How-To of FREE FREE FREE!

This takes a week (or 2), frankly as many weeks as you want!


Google "truly free stuff", Free Samples, "How to get stuff for free" and you'll wind up w/ a plethora of sites that will direct you to tons of free items-- and look for this specifically - blogs or Answers.com  answers that tell you which ones are scams. 


A lot of them want more than you're willing to give - sign up for OTHER free offers in order to get your free item - ah, no. A lot of the links just keep you pressing another link and another link ad nauseum. You'll come to recognize these in short order and bail after a click or 2.


And then there's just the time involved in filling out the form one or two (or 3 or 4) times. Filling out multiple forms obviously will get you multiple samples of the items you are really interested in.




Getting Started
First & foremost:
Set up a dummy email account(s)
Set up a dummy Facebook account(s)



1. FREE Samples:
Google sites! Many, many ppl have done the work for you. Bookmark these sites for easy access. Many hv the option of sending you their alerts straight to your mailbox.

A lot of these involve "liking" a manufacturer on FaceBook - so set up your dummy Facebook account & double your savings! Triple your savings by enlisting your parents to provide their address! Quadruple your money by sending stuff to your sister's house!! And just like the Breck commercial of old... it goes on.

For most of these samples you need an email address so  in order to get multiple samples - even if sent to different addresses - you'll need to provide different email addresses. So set up your dummy email accounts. This also helps divert the flow of junk mail from your "real" email account.

Once the thrill of getting ANYTHING for free wears off, you may just end up doing what I do and just Googling what you want when you need it. Most of the free samples you'll get will come with additional coupons for that product.

Low on cream? Google a specific cream and check in w/ your bookmarked 'helpers'.
Need a T-shirt for the gym? Google free T-Shirts.

I also now do this with couponing (after giving up my vow to become an extreme couponer). Most of the time the trade-off for saving money is time. You have to prep your grocery list in advance to know what coupons you need. No more fly by the seat of your pants shopping! 

Even average couponing is time-consuming. Save yourself money by carving out that necessary time to do your coupon searches online for the ones you need BEFORE you're ready to hit the store. You'll do a bit of surfing to find out what coupons are out there and which ones actually print! A lot of supermarkets have apps that will put these coupons right on your phone. ASK!

Some of the free stuff & samples I've ordered (most say they take 4 - 8 weeks to arrive):

ENTERTAINMENT:
Magazines: Rachel Ray Magazine
W
Seventeen
Teen Seventeen
Town & Country
Elle Decor
Elle
House Beautiful


BEAUTY:
Armani cologne
Hugo Boss cologne & perfume
YSL cologne
Calvin Klein BEAUTY perfume
small note here is that unlike my initial thought, these samples are paper thin like the ones in the magazine, not the tiny little vials you used to get in department stores.

Garnier wrinkle cream
Argan oil for your hair
Several Body creams like Eucerin

Biore Skin cleanser

Defy wrinkle cream

CLOTHES:

Cubix t-shirt

PREPSTER t-shirt

BEVERAGES:

Iced tea mixes
carnation breakfast shakes

2. FREE Movies
Sign up for free screenings. This works best if you live near or in a major city. Google free screenings and sign up for some of the sites. They'll send you notices or you can bookmark the pages and check back. Some list the screenings well in advance, other email you just one day in advance.

You can also get tickets to the free screenings walking by the larger movie theatres. You'll see guys w/ clipboards throwing them at you! NICE.

And since you're free all day most likely, you'll have the best chance of actually making the show. You'll need a printer to print the tickets for teh screenings. They don't have you on any list. Arrive 1/2 hr early as these are usually 1st come 1st served. A lot of these screenings don't allow cell phones so if you end up parking way out from the theatre, do yourself a favour and stow your cell in your car. I can't tell you how many times I've had to walk alllll the way back to my car (losing my good seating in the process!).

Day One: Ground Zero

So there you are, box in trunk, headed home at 9am. Barely an hour or so after you arrived at the office.

It happened. You've been laid off.
Now what?

Well, first you will go through many emotions. Expect it, roll with them, laugh, get angry, cry if you must, laugh. Laugh hard. And then laugh even harder when you realize.... sea, surf, sun and sand are at your disposal. Elastic waistbands are at your disposal. The People's Court - live, not on Tivo - is at your disposal.  The ppl you felt jealous of because they have incoming paychecks yesterday, are now the ppl you secretly pity. Its true.

So my friends, YOU are now the ones all your former co-workers secretly envy. YOU are now in that position you all secretly group-lusted after. The few (or many if you live in CA), the proud, the Unemployed!!

But before you plan your next surfing lesson or mountain hike, reason has to take hold. You need to cut your costs. First, MOBILIZE. Like, right now.

1. Immediately get online and file your unemployment claim. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
Link (if you live in CA) below- scroll to the very bottom of the page, tick the box and hit "continue".
It takes 8 minutes. You'll need to know how much your vacation paycheck/cash out is, your regular paycheck amount, amount of any severance pay and the last day you ...worked. hee hee.
>  https://eapply4ui.edd.ca.gov/htm/cpgInstructions.htm

If you're in CA, as an EDD (ca unemployment)  requirement, you must register for jobs here: http://www.caljobs.ca.gov

I filed on a Friday and received my weekly benefits form that next Saturday. Do this BEFORE you make your 100 phone calls to family and friends and tell them how happy, I mean upset you are that you've been let go.

1. CANCEL YOUR INTERNET & turn your phone into your own portable hotspot. The droid has a free app that will do this in a coupe clicks and the iphone does as well. Google it my friends. Googling is imp because fabulous hackers will tell you how to do this under your carriers radar as now if they "catch" you - some carrier will just charge you without notice. (check your bill every month to know when/if you have to dodge and weave - look for another method)

The other option, the one I am lucky enough to take advantage of, is - piggy-back on one of your unsuspecting neighbors' wifi. Its not the Lamborghini speed I had previously but public transportation ain't all that bad when its FREE. Note: if this is your case, you WILL be reminding urself often its free its free its free because slowing down on the internet is so NOT intuitive!!!
SAVINGS = $40


2.  DOWNGRADE YOUR CELL and opt for a Go Phone, Cricket or pre-paid phone service. Check w/ your carrier of choice. Might you have to carry around a less-than-cool cell phone? YES*.  Deal with it kids because you'll seriously get more and pay less. These phone have unlimited talk and text for about $30-40.

SAVINGS = $80

note: I have steadfastly refused to "upgrade" from the ergonomic iphone 3 to the rough and brick-like design of the iphone 4- HOWEVER, AT&T traded my 3 for the new 4 w/ Siri for a mere $40.  DO NOT try out Siri. She will literally mesmerize you into spending this extra $40 that you have NO business spending. (she is a vampire and no one can convince me otherwise). Listen to her and then you must have her. It's evil.

another note: Do the math on 1 & 2  if your going to hotspot your new cell you'll need to get a data plan. Still, on the Go Phone at least, this will still run you as low as $40 a month.


**** You CAN actually carry your cool  iPhone with you if you move to StaightTalk (and probably other services as well). Here's how.


3. JAILBREAK YOUR IPHONE.
Free apps. Cool hacks. Nuff said.
SAVINGS = $0   I just do this on principle.


This is not bad for a day's work. You've now cut your monthly costs by $120.
Sittin pretty....sittin pretty.
:-)


OK, tomorrow chirren a bank lesson I learned today totally by accident.



YOUR HOMEWORK
1. Find out when your cable TV contract ends and how much the fee is to break the contract.

Research your TV options:
A. Amazon Firestick
B. AppleTV
C. http://www.boxee.tv/live
D. http://www.roku.com
E. WD (Western Digital) Live TV Hub and like products (google is your friend). BOO! They no longer make this to my knowledge!