Trimming the Fat: The Nail Salon

Now we all know that there's nothing better than a good mani/pedi, but contrary to popular belief, you don't have to spend goo-gobs of $$$ to get the royal treatment. The next time you get the urge for some pampering, try going to a beauty school in your area. They offer the same quality services as overly-priced spas at a fraction of the cost. And to be completely honestly, I have discovered over the years that in many instances you end up getting BETTER service through a beauty school because these techs are trying to master their craft so they are more meticulous & thorough. Additionally, all services provided by student techs are monitored by a seasoned professional. You can't beat the price. Some schools offer spa packages for as little as $35!!!! CLICK HERE & HERE to find beauty schools in your area. If you have a beauty school you recommend in your area, please share the info with us. Send me an email & I'll feature the school in a separate post.

Online Designer Shoe Blow-out Sale!

My fave website for shoes, Piperlime, (you prob remember hearing A-list stylist Rachel Zoe talk about it on her Bravo reality show) is selling hundreds of designer shoes (from Charles David to Giuseppe) for deeply discounted prices up to 60% off! Visit PIPERLIME'S WEBSITE to feed your shoe fetish. BUT shop carefully b/c all sales are FINAL!

Closet Full of $$$

So we can forget about money ever growing on trees, BUT news flash - you can turn all those threads just sitting in your closet into INSTANT cash! All of my impulse buying and impromptu shopping sprees have left me with one asset - lots of pretty things! Who knew I had an emergency cash reserve staring me in the face every time I try to find something to wear. Gone are the days where you have to sell your unwanted items at some dusty consignment store that makes you wait 30 days before you see a penny. Now you can get CASH ON THE SPOT! It's the perfect time to do some spring closet cleaning. Remember if you haven't worn it in the last 6 months then you don't need it! DON'T BE AFRAID TO EDIT!!! After you have a pile of things you are ready to part with then head to the best Recycled fashion stores in your area. Recycled fashion stores are popping up everywhere. These aren't your typical thrift stores. They are trendy shops that specialize in offering quality, designer clothing to their customers. And best of all they buy gently-worn apparel EVERYDAY!!! for on-the-spot cash! It's that simple. Take in your bag(s) of potential resale items anytime & walk out of the door with cash in hand. Now I frequently make my rounds at these stores and here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. They are looking for all the LATEST trends. Anything you purchased within the last 18 months is a hot ticket item.

2. After they determine which of your items they are interested in, they will offer you either a 50% store credit or 35% cash for the retail value of the lot. Hey, it's not a whole lot but it's more than you would get it the crap remained in your closet getting smaller & more outdated.

3. They are looking for things that can be resold so if there are any major imperfections like fuzz, tears or stains you're better off donating these items to a charity for a tax deduction.

4. Make your rounds!!! Don't just try one recycled shop - hit them all up. I gather all my stuff in a suitcase & I go from store to store each season. They each ALL find something.

5. Research the different types of recycled shops. Some specialize in teen wear, others are for the career woman or only feature maternity clothing. All it takes is a little research on Google. But there are 3 recycled stores that have a special place in my heart. They each have several locations across the country & they work best for me. Check them out:

1. BUFFALO EXCHANGE

2. CROSSROADS

3. PLATO'S CLOSET

*Added bonus!!! The cherry on top is that not only are you de-cluttering your own life AND getting paid to do it BUT you've also just committed a very "green" act. The clothing recycling industry is part of a huge initiative that is working to prevent waste & pollution in our world. Talk about warm fuzzies...

This V-Day Woo Your 1st Love...FASHION!

Ok I was sooo excited about the opening of the highly anticipated film "Confessions of a Shopaholic" that I went to a midnight show. To my surprise I wasn't alone. It was quite a unique group of fellow moviegoers including all ages, genders and sexual orientations. You MUST go and see the film. Aside from the impeccable smashion fashion which will leave you salivating at the mouth, there are many LOL moments. It is VERY rare for me to actually experience an occurrence of an involuntary outburst of laughter but I did so a few times. What's even better is after you get home you can purchase looks from the movie through Bluefly.com at discounted prices. CLICK HERE to start stealing from Rebecca's closet aka "The Girl in the Green Scarf."

Sale & the City

In this post-Sex & the City world in which we live where even midwestern SAHMs can't live w/o a good mani/pedi or Brazilian wax...we can waste THOUSANDS of dollars each year in efforts to "pamper" ourselves. I'm ALL for the TLC BUT it doesn't have to wreck your bank account. Below are a few webites that no Diva should live without! Bookmark them today & visit them regularly to keep getting the best deals on all your guilty pleasures:

HALF OFF DEALS- Features over 41,000 half-priced gift certificates from various merchants across the country

8 COUPONS - This site highlights all of the best deals in the Big Apple including deep discounts on spa treatments, fitness classes, Broadway shows & even hookah!

SAMPLE SALE - Features sample sales all over the country!

RETAIL ME NOT - Find coupons for over 20,000 retail stores ranging from Victoria's Secret to Nike to ProFlowers.

Trimming the Fat February Challenge - Just Say NO! To Take-out!

It’s really not as hard as you may think. Here are some alternatives that will help you meet this challenge:

1. Invite friends over for a home-cooked meal or better yet a potluck.

2. Make frequent trips to the grocery store BUT stick to your grocery list. I call this the squirrel or gathering method. If you pick-up 1-3 items a day then your cupboards will never be bare which means you won’t resort to excuse #1 for ordering takeout – “there’s nothing here to eat”. Try buying things when you have a coupon for them. You can print coupons for your store of choice off their website or check out THIS SITE.

3. Order groceries online. This way you don’t overspend OR buy those naughty foods. Research shows that people who buy groceries online spend 70% per year b/c they avoid impulse buying. The best part is that the food is delivered right to your home! No excuses there. Try PEAPOD.

4. Cook a lil extra in the evenings & take the leftovers as lunch - which leads to the next tip…

5. Take your lunch EVERYDAY & don’t leave home w/o some healthy snacks & a bottle of H2O. We keep everything in our purses from sewing kits to flip flops so why not keep a granola bar or dried fruit with you. And you won’t forget after one incident of hunger pains.

6. Research free food events in your area. Visit THIS WEBSITE to find about free food events in your area.

Sure these are all things you’ve probably heard b4 but here’s the million-dollar question…are you doing it???? What has kept you from making this a habit? One word – WILL. You must make up your mind to do it. You know this is the best thing to do, but until you make a decision and stick firmly by it then it won’t work. If I can do it then I KNOW you can!

Carol's Daughter Blows Through the Windy City

Attention all Chicago Urban Heiresses!!! Carol's Daughter mastermind, Lisa Price will be sharing all of her secrets for success. Stop by & let Ms. Lisa know how much you just loved "Modelville" on the Tyra Banks Show. And make sure to grab some free samples in the process!

T.G.I.Funk n Crunk

If you're in New Orleans then check out the Free Food Funk n Crunk at Handsome Willy's located at:

218 S. Robertson St.
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 525-0377

They fire up the grill at 5pm each & every Friday & all of the BBQ is FREE!!! Now that's what I'm talking about. See there...trimming the fat is waaaay easier than you thought. You've just got to use your resources & luckily I'm here to do all the dirty work for you. For more info click here!

Four Star Dining on an Applebees' Budget

Ok for those of you weaklings who can't survive the rest of the month w/o eating out here's an alternative for you (if you live in Chicago)...

The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau is sponsoring Chicago Restaurant Week February 20th - 27th. For this entire week you can dine on three-course, prix-fixe lunch ($22) and dinner ($32) menus at more than 130 participating restaurants including:

Alhambra Palace Restaurant
Aria
Atwood Café
Bistro 110
Brazzaz
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reba
Café des Architectes
Carnivale
China Grill
David Burke’s Primehouse
Devon Seafood Grill
Dine
The Drawing Room
Farmerie 58
Fulton’s on the River
and many more.

Click here for more info

Step #2: Trimming the Fat

No this isn’t yet another reminder that we all aren’t a size 0 with a perfectly toned, year-round beach body. Instead consider this to be what I call a “Come to Jesus” moment. When I decided to tackle my own urban addiction I had to first repent & purge all of my sinful splurging, but I admit that I still backslide every once and a while. Just like our physique in most cases, our spending could stand to slim down a few pounds. The more excess spending you trim then the more financial independence you have, which leads to the ability to live a happier & more fulfilling life i.e. like a “queen.” This is even harder to do in a post-Sex and the City world where we are obsessed with all things designer and ALL aspects of the “Good Life.” But it IS possible to trim the fat with some discipline & stepping outside of your comfort box.

So what’s the fat you ask? Take a look at the following list I’ve identified as my own fattening indulgences and see just how many extra pounds you’re packing onto your financial diet:

1. Eating out
2. Nail salon
3. Traveling
4. Shopping sprees
5. Spa days
6. GNO – Girls Night Out
7. The salon
8. Beauty products and make-up
9. XXL Entertainment
10. Mags & Unnecessary Swag

I’ll elaborate on each of these splurges in future posts. In January I saw the brilliant Suze Orman on Oprah for the bizillioneth time, but for some reason this time she really caught my attention. Usually I’m always the skeptic, but in my quest for overcoming my addiction I’ve learned to not only listen but to try my best to implement what I hear. It never hurts to try something new right? Well in most cases. Anywho, Suze challenged everyone in the audience to give up eating out for an entire month. Sadly, the majority of the audience winced as if she had asked them to gnaw off their own hand. But in that moment I decided to rise to the occasion. For the entire month of January I made a conscious effort NOT to eat out. I’ll be the 1st to admit that it wasn’t easy. Being a single gal working ridiculous hours, it is very easy to grab a quick bite that’s prepared by someone else. There was A LOT of temptation thanks to co-workers ordering yummy overpriced lunches from the best restaurants daily. Then there was my own laziness, which tried to deter me from going to the grocery store. With the exception of one weak moment in which I ordered a $4 side order of broccoli smothered in cheese I made it the entire month. I went days at a time without spending a dime! Try it for just one week and you’ll instantly see a difference. Don’t make excuses just do it! Now this includes those ridiculous priced coffee/tea drinks, vending machine snacks & any other edible thing that requires a purchase.

I challenge you to join me for the rest of 2009 by picking one of the splurges from the list above to sacrifice each month. Of course you’ll get more effective results if you give up more than one at a time OR for longer than a month. If you require baby steps then start with one week and work your way up to a month.

Try not eating out for the rest of February. Hey, on the bright side it’s the shortest month of the year. Now in order to make this work you can’t increase your spending in another area while forfeiting one. For example, if you give up eating out you can’t then spend more on shopping sprees. Maintain your position.

Denim Deals for February

If your weakness is designer denim then you HAVE to check out The Warehouse Sale the next time it blows through your city...that is as long as it's not your month to "Trim the Fat" via shopping sprees. More details regarding what I mean by that in a future post. Anywho, The Warehouse Sale offers up to 80% off designer denim for men & women at one of the largest sample sales in the country. This month TWS is hitting up the OC, Santa Barbara & Seattle. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS REGARDING UPCOMING EVENTS.

Curing Urban Addiction

Step #1: The Diagnosis

Join me on the journey to living the royal life in the big city without destroying your financial, mental and physical health in the process. There’s good news & bad news. Bad news first – it’s not going to be easy. The good news is that all three are interrelated so if you improve one then you improve them all! This blog serves as a resource of how to get your cake and eat it too!

As the old cliché says, Step 1 is always the hardest, admitting there’s a Problem. I can’t tell you how many times I made excuses for my own financial hardships. You know them all…I don’t make enough money…I’m accustomed to a certain lifestyle…I can’t cut anything else from my budget… I deserve that (fill in the blank with your own obsession) because I work hard… Well it is on sale (my personal fave)… Welcome to your intervention.

Despite the horrific economic problems we’re facing today, there are still some red flags which will let you know if you need “lifestyle rehab.” Take a look at the following red flags to see if you suffer from urban addiction:

1. Really if you don’t pass this flag then there’s no need to read any further. You are officially an Urban Addict. Not to be alarmed. I’m still in the 12-step recovery program myself. Last summer while in NYC I attended a FREE seminar sponsored by a wonderful organization called Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network Check out their website here. Anywho, the seminar focused on women’s health in all areas – spiritual, physical & financial. When it came to the finance portion I had already made up my mind that there was nothing the moderator could say that I hadn’t heard before. Then, as usual, the universe proved me wrong. The first thing the moderator asked was how many of you are living Friday to Monday? Huh? I’d heard check to check or Friday to Friday but never Friday to Monday. Then as she explained I discovered that not only was I guilty of living Friday to Monday but heck I could be the posterchild. Living Friday to Monday is when you get paid on Friday & by Monday you’re broke again. There are countless times when I couldn’t wait til my direct deposit posted because I had already figured out exactly how to spend it. And within a matter of hours sometimes less and a few mouse clicks I was flat broke (AGAIN!). Hell I didn’t even make it to Monday. Maybe I’m the only one, but I’m all about keeping it real. If this isn’t you then keep on reading.

2. What is your cash vs. debt ratio? This seems simple enough but could you tell me right this moment what yours is? I know, I know you don’t have time to figure it out but no fear Mint.com is here! I discovered this site about a year ago while reading Essence mag. It’s ridiculously easy & fast to sign up. Just go to Mint.com and register for FREE! Once you’ve registered then you connect all of your different financial accounts to this site (bank accounts, brokerage accounts, 401ks/IRAs, student loans, credit cards, etc.) This FREE online money management site instantly calculates all sorts of nifty tools from your cash to debt ratio, charts of your spending habits and much more. You can even set-up emails of weekly financial summaries and low balance alerts. So back to the point, if your cash to debt ratio is negative then you need rehab.

3. How long can you survive if you don’t work another day? You may have heard it several times before but with the current economic crisis it’s time to take heed if you haven’t been doing so already. Financial advisers suggest that you keep 3-6 months pay safely tucked away in an interest bearing savings account your retirement savings doesn’t count! Anywho, this is tough for most 20-somethings including myself so at the very least you should have 4-6 weeks of pay at any given time at your disposal in case that unexpected pops up and we all know that it always does. Now, it’s time to answer the question…how many weeks could you survive…3…2...1…less??? Eeek!!!

4. Is FICO your friend or foe? Do you cringe whenever someone tells you “We’ll just need to do a credit check”? Have you missed out on that dream apartment or condo or car because of Mr. FICO? The average FICO score in the U.S. is 723. And now with the current economic climate it is more important than ever to be "above average." Visit My Fico to learn more about how just a few points can dramatically change your credit outlook.

There are many other red flags, but for now we will deal with four of the most fundamental areas, which in some way affect every other aspect of your financial horizon. If you have found that you indeed suffer from Urban Addiction, no worries because you’re not alone. I am on the journey of recovery with you. Use this blog as a resource to help you transform your life into a more abundant life of fabulosity. I will be sharing my strategies with you as I implement them in my own life. I invite you on to join me in this adventure.

On the other hand, if you passed all of these flags with flying colors then more power to you. Maybe you can find some comic relief here as I share my tales of brokedom.

And by all means, PLEASE share your tips & personal stories with us by sending me an email to: shelbyrenee@blackheiress.com. I’ll post your tips for the entire blog community to learn from.

For the rest of us who need to cure our Urban Addiction, over the next few weeks I will focus on explaining the Urban Addiction 12-Step Recovery Program, which has saved my sanity. It includes the following additional steps:

Step #2: Trimming the Fat

Step #3: Hobby Hustlin’

Step #4: Night at the Museum

Step #5: Tea Baggin’

Step #6: Cash Only

Step #7: Swingin’

Step #8: Friends with Benefits

Step # 9: Golddiggin’

Step #10: DIYD

Step #11: These Choos Were Made for Walkin’

Step #12: The Morning After