No, you don't need to go into serious credit-card debt to have frequent tastes of caviar, champagne, decadent desserts, and other luxe stuff. All you have to do is be creative. Just listen to these Redbook readers' savvy, scrimp-free strategies for achieving a posh lifestyle—on a shoestring!
"I can't stand spending full price for clothes, so I log on to a few Websites that offer brand-name bargains. My top shopping stops include www.vintik.net, which posts deals from Eddie Bauer and Esprit, and www.bluefly.com, where prices are slashed on Prada, Donna Karan, Moschino, and Calvin Klein merchandise."
"My secret to dining like a queen? I buy a $6 jar of salmon roe and make caviar omelettes for breakfast."
"My sister and I have a beauty ritual that saves us big money: We wash, deep-condition, then blow-dry each other's hair straight before a night out. That way we sport salon-style coifs for free and get to spend girl time together."
"I enjoy entertaining friends at home, but the costs can really add up. My solution: I often host a brunch instead of a fancy dinner party. I serve sparkling wine along with a buffet of simple yet sophisticated foods, such as sliced fruit, bagels with smoked salmon, and poached eggs. Using my own ceramic plates and linen napkins in place of paper ones also helps me spend less without scrimping on style."
"If you love to wear fur, buy it from a consignor. I got my mink coat for $900, and it was appraised for $4,500!"
"Here's how my girlfriends and I pump up our wardrobes for next to nothing. Every few months we go through our closets, take out the things we've stopped wearing or can't fit into anymore, and head to someone's house for a clothes-swapping party. We drink wine and nosh on cheese while exchanging shirts, skirts, shoes, even designer handbags. Then we give all untraded items to charity, which is a tax deduction to boot."
"Every day, I empty the change from my purse and pockets into a 'me' fund. Then once a month I treat myself to a massage or a facial with the extra cash. I can't believe how much change I accumulate, and by using it, I feel like my day of pampering is free!"
"By the time I went to buy this leather jacket I'd been eyeing for months, it was sold out. But I found the same jacket in a kid's extra-large for almost half the cost. Now I always check out the girls' department for steals on T-shirts, accessories, and coats before I head to the women's section."
"I have a rule: No matter how much I want something, I wait until the end of the season to buy it. You wouldn't believe how many great cashmere sweaters I've found on the mega-sale rack in April and May!"
"I read every fashion magazine each month, and here's how: Each of my coworkers and I subscribe to a different glossy, and then we pass them around after we're done reading them."
"I'm all about bartering! For example, I got a chichi hairdresser to cut and color my hair for free, and all I had to do was baby-sit her daughter one Saturday."
"I constantly search discount-travel Websites, such as www.cheaptickets.com, www.11thhourvacations.com, and www.lastminutetravel.com, for unsold plane tickets and hotel rooms at way-reduced rates. I've scored four-day trips to exotic locations, such as Fiji and Australia, for less than a weekend stay at a nearby inn. You just have to be willing to leave at a moment's notice."
"Every weekend, my husband and I check out student art fairs in our community. Filling our home with one-of-a-kind paintings by college art students is a cheap way to decorate—and we're always getting compliments about our rooms' canvases."
"I cannot function without an extra-large mochachino every morning, but my coffee-shop caffeine fixes were starting to burn a hole in my budget. Now I brew gourmet joe at home. I add two tablespoons half-and-half with one tablespoon chocolate syrup that's been warmed in the microwave and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top. Then I pour it into my to-go cup and savor every money-saving sip."
"I love treating myself to a hot-paraffin manicure in a salon, only I can't afford it more than twice a year. But why should I deny myself my favorite pampering ritual? So I created a homemade version: I coat my hands with a thick moisturizing cream, then put on a pair of cotton gloves and wrap a heating pad around them for 15 minutes. Works every time!"
Taken from Yahoo 7/10
