Don't Short Club Monaco.

I wandered into the Club Monaco in Midtown last weekend and found an armful of pieces I love. I escaped without buying anything because they were all full-price and I couldn't justify the $70 striped turtleneck as a wise investment. However, I will go back again soon and revisit that decision. I especially recommend their gorgeous high-waisted dress pants ($149) and the high waisted tie-skirt ($129) seen here. It fits really well and its classic style will last. It's the perfect skirt for the office & fun enough for fancy holiday parties.

Find a Club Monaco near you.

Good Style + Trashy Stores + an Honest Wingman =

Cool clothes that you can buy and take home with you! They probably don't feel as luxe as they look, but hey, at least you look good. Don't expect a 20 dollar dress to last more than 10 wears, but it least polyester doesn't wrinkle or need to be dry-cleaned. When you make enough money to start using your savings account as something more than a psychological spending deterent, you can get investment pieces at Bloomies and JCrew.

Cheap & Trashy Shops that rock:

Joyce Leslie "Hot & Trendy Fashions" University at 8th street
Necessary Objects on Broadway btw Broome & Houston also avalible at nordstrom.com

Strawberry on 14th near University

Foxy Lady on 14th near University (across from diesel)
Classier Alternatives: Forever 21 & H&M

Honeysuckle Smells Better than Stale Beer

Ok, so iSpend really liked the Joe Malone candle for $65. While you do have to spend some money for quality candles, you don't have to spend that much. Check out Votivo (I prefer No. 68 Honeysuckle) candles for $25 each. You may think this is still a lot, but one of these lasted me through my entire senior year of college when I lived with 6 people and had parties every night. If it can make a beer-soaked room smell pretty (for an entire year), it can do wonders for your "adult" apartment. Why buy 5 $5 candles, when you can have just one. Think of it as an investment.

Go to the site if for no other reason then to read the poetic descriptions of the candles. http://www.votivo.com/

Farecast and you can fly more.

Farecast.com will tell you if you need to buy your ticket today or wait a few weeks. Airline companies have fare adjustment strategies that are designed to punish the early bird and fill still empty seats with last minute breaks. Outsmart the system with Farecast.

I Will Never (Ok Rarely) Spend Money On in New York:
Taxi Cabs: Walk or train it and use that extra $20 to buy yourself something that lasts.
Wine over $8 a glass: Really, if you’re going to spend cash on wine, at least go for the $100 bottle. It's all or nothing.
Brand-Name Toilet Paper: Yes, I've seen this. And you can shove this up your you-know-what (literally).
The Movies: Just go to Wok-and-Roll on Flastbush in Brooklyn – you’ll get what you need there.
Pizza over $3 a Slice: Although I learned last night that in the Village this is not possible...
Lunch: Ok, I’m cheap, but honestly how hard is it to pack a lunch?
Designer Clothes at Full Price: Sample sales, baby.
Water over $4 a Bottle: Anyway, we should all start drinking more tap water. It has fluoride.
Concerts Over $100: No one is worth that! (Ok, a few bands are but not many…)
To be Continued...

BeautyInsider Keeps me Pretty

Usually, I say that discount swipe cards, or “memberships” as they say are crap. I have one at Key Foods; however I’m not sure I’ve ever really gotten anything back from it. My Duane Reed Dollar Rewards Club card? No idea how it works. I know it involves my receipt which I promptly throw away after a purchase. Come on, saving should not involve devoting hours to interpreting the ins and outs of every discount card. It’s almost as bad as cutting coupons. But Sephora, bless this store, has gotten it right.

The BeautyInsider card is simple and sweet. Spend $100, get a free gift. And we all know how easy it is to spend $100 at Sephora – even for me (why are Juicy Tubes so amazing and expensive!?). You also get a free gift on your birthday, and are invited to fun store events.

And not to mention the design is appealing and it actually looks pretty cool hanging from your key chain.

Get gorgeous for less: http://www.sephora.com/beautyinsider/