Weddings are big business.  According to Theknot.com, the cost of the average wedding last year was $32,641.  And that's an average. That means that while, yes, some people are spending significantly less, another [crazy] portion are spending significantly more.

Why so high?

Thanks to movies, magazines, tv and the internet, we've all grown up with this idea of a huge, sparkling, fairy-tale day complete with dancing, candlelight, an abundance of flowers and a dress that makes us feel like a glittery cupcake.  And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.  But the truth of the matter is that it's a cornered market.  It's a once in a lifetime event that companies know you're not going to want to skimp on, so the rates for all of the pieces go sky high. (Sadly, this is also true of funerals, but that's another rant for a different day.  Also, there tends to be less dancing there.)

For those who are budget conscious (read: strapped for cash), those wedding costs are no where near acceptable.

I'm currently in the process of planning another budget wedding, and as I sift through notes and ideas, I thought I'd pass some tips on to the rest of the Do-Not-Pass-Go crowd.  Over the next couple of weeks I'll outline some of my best ideas for ways to save while still turning out a spectacular event.

So, without further ado...



Money Talks...

Create a Savings Plan
This kind of goes hand in hand with setting a budget.  These both may seem obvious, but in the excitement of All Things Wedding, they both often get overlooked til later in the process.  If you do that, you may find yourself having to make some major changes to plans you already had in the works.  So to start...

How much do you already have in your savings that you're willing to put toward your big day?  What changes can you make to your current lifestyle to increase that number?  Are you planning to add to that savings with odd jobs or yard sales (etc)?

A year before our wedding, we made some major decisions on how much we would spend for bills, how much we would spend on going out (trust me, that's still important), and how much we would be putting away for our wedding.  I also took on a few small jobs in addition to my full time one to increase our savings.  And that leads into...

Set a budget
Much like losing weight, having a very specific number in mind when you start planning makes meeting your goal much more attainable.  You know how much you have and/or will have in your account - so how much can you realistically afford?  What is the max you can pull out of your savings and still feel comfortable?  What is the max you can put on a credit card without putting yourself in a tough position later on?

Once you have this number, stick to it.  Revisit it on a regular basis and match it against all of the decisions you're making and going to make.  Make sure all of the key players (financiers) are on the same page.


Making a List; Prioritizin' It Twice
Okay, it's not as fun as trying on dresses or crafting something but the single best thing you can do for yourself (after setting a budget), starts by creating an itemized list of all of the expenses associated with a wedding.  Include everything - from the invites to the DJ to the place cards to the cake - and then, spend some real time prioritizing.  What are you willing to scale back on?  What can you nix completely?  Be brutal.  The costs add up quickly.

For our wedding, the limo, live music and other assorted things like aisle makers, a runner and tschotchke favors were among the items axed.  On the other hand, the location and food were very important to us, so we allotted more money to those categories. 

Plan to DIY... In Moderation 
Pinterest is a B****.  Don't get me wrong - I love it.  But when it comes to planning anything, it has the magical ability to make you feel like you A) Must create a Martha Stewart worthy affair and B) Should be capable of doing it all yourself.  Do Not Get Sucked Into This Trap.

Your wedding does not need to have every little detail ever thought of incorporated into it.  The wedding is about you and your honey and celebrating a beautiful promise of a life together.  Do not overbook your time, resources or sanity.

That said, doing some things yourself can be a great way to save money.  I saved a ton of money by doing my flowers, programs, invitations and favors myself.  But more on that later...

We were able to save over 75% on our site fee by having our wedding on a Thursday night before a holiday weekend.  That means we got THIS gorgeous venue for far cheaper than smaller, more run of the mill venues!

Out of the Box 

Saturday's are Over-Rated Priced
Have your wedding on a weekday or a Sunday night.  Generally, the price structure from most expensive to least goes: Saturday night, Saturday afternoon, Friday night, Sunday Afternoon, Weekday.  If you can have your wedding mid-week it will drop your price significantly (it also may cut down on the available guests, which will cut down on your costs as well...) 

Gift It
Consider registering for some parts of your wedding.  There are sites that allow you to register for anything you find on the web.  Add items that you could use for the wedding (tablecloths, gift cards to a bakery or wine store etc.).   Be prepared, however: some people (particularly older generations) may find this tacky - like you're asking for money.  

I personally feel that in an era where many people have established an arsenal of household goods pre-nuptials, registering for something a little less mainstream can simply be more practical.  That said, if you choose to go this route, make sure that you still have a more traditional registry for those who are uncomfortable with this avant-garde direction.  (FYI you can also register for honeymoons and house funds.)

Barter
If you're a photographer, a writer, a tax specialist, a graphic designer, whatever, consider offering small businesses a trade.  I WISH I had done this.  Sure, some people might say no.  But if a new business sees it as an opportunity to get their name out there or acquire a service they need, they might be very willing to create your bouquet or give you a tux rental (or whatever) for free! 

Charge People Admittance
Totally kidding.  But wouldn't it be nice...? 
 

Some Related Sites

The Knot has tons of great information and resources, including a free website builder and a free Wedding Cost Calculator
Simple Registry lets you register for anything on the web
Honey Fund is a honeymoon registry first and foremost but has several other unconventional registries

Check here for more money saving tips in the Budget Savvy Bride Part 2: Venues, Food & Alcohol 

As today is Amazon Prime Day (seriously, go sign up and check out their deals!!), it seems fitting to highlight the online megastar and one of their newest brainchildren: AmazonFresh. 

A Little Bit of Backstory... 
Amazon has already seriously raised the bar for retailers.  We now expect faster shipping, better customer service, and easy returns to come standard with our orders.  More and more people are signing up for Amazon Prime which promises shipping in two days, as well as perks like free music and movies, photo storage and special, can't-find-them-anywhere-else deals.  The variety of products available, convenience and ease of purchasing has dealt a serious blow to the brick-and-mortar retailers, as well.

But, up until recently, the grocery industry seemed pretty immune to all of the changes.  Despite Amazon's virtual (get it?) domination of the online market, they simply couldn't box up and ship fresh food (You can keep your 2-Day Shipping skim milk, thank you very much).

The profit margins for food delivery have always been essentially nonexistent.  Because frozen and fresh food needs to be picked and delivered same day, the ability to pull and ship in bulk is lost.  All orders must be handled, selected and delivered on an individual basis.  When you're talking about the employees, vehicles, fuel and time that each order would then require, the logistics seem cost-prohibitive (hence, why, when you order from a local grocery store, you're going to pay at least an $8 - $10 delivery fee). 

But, once again, Amazon is looking to change the game.  Their secret? Their size.  (Big is Beautiful, baby!)  Amazon's theory is that if they can create the same volume with groceries that they have with their less edible merchandise, the number of orders will offset the cost of delivery and greatly increase the profit margin.  And so, friends, AmazonFresh was born.  Kinda makes you all teary, doesn't it?

Our Involvement
Though AmazonFresh's pilot program was originally just in Seattle, this year it was expanded to include New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.  As our lives just got a little more complicated with a newborn, it seemed like the perfect time to check it out.

The Pros: 

Speed: If you place an order before 10AM, you can have it delivered the same day.  Place it by 10PM and you can have it first thing the next morning.

Convenience:  When placing your order, you can choose whether or not to have it be an Attended delivery or Unattended (Doorstep) Delivery. 

Attended Deliveries (meaning you're there to receive them) allow you to choose a one hour delivery window.  I also found that the delivery drivers often offer to bring them in for you. 
Unattended/Doorstep Deliveries don't require you to be at home, but the delivery window stretches to 3 hours. 

Fresh: The food is delivered in "temperature controlled bags" (totes with styrofoam coolers and ice packs on the inside).

  
Ease of Use:  Because it's Big Brother Amazon, all of your lists are stored and saved.  This makes reordering so easy.  Check off the things you need, select the quantity, and add them to your cart.  Need something else? Do a search.  No trawling through aisles trying to remember what the heck you needed in each section.  Shopping by stream of consciousness?  No problem here.  Which also brings me to my favorite aspect...

Amazon Dash Wand: This little bugger is the best thing ever.  A little larger than a stick of butter, the wand is equipped with two buttons: one for scanning and one for a microphone.  As you run out of a product, simply press the appropriate button and scan the barcode and the item will be added to your online grocery list.  Don't have a barcode? Just press the microphone button, tell the magic box what item you want to add and Bibbity Bobbity Boo - it's added too. 

source

Quality & Specialty:  I was a little concerned that the produce that I ordered wouldn't be the freshest or best quality.  Amazon allowed me to select how ripe I wanted things (for example, I like my bananas a little green) and the produce that was delivered looked and tasted great!  Amazon offers products that are free-range, cage free, gluten free, etc.  Whatever your cause or diet, Amazon probably has it covered. 



Eco Friendly: While this isn't a selling point that Amazon features, I think it's worth noting.  The totes and coolers that food is delivered in are reused (Empty ones are picked up when your next order is delivered).  The plastic bags that come in the coolers are recyclable.  And any of the ice packs can either be reused OR recycled. 



The Cons: 

Price: The pilot program cost us nothing to join, as we were already Prime Members (which costs $99 a year and is oh-so-worth-it.)  However, as the trial period comes to a close, the new cost will be $299 a year for Prime + Fresh.  So, yeah... 

Focus on Name Brands: While there are certainly a lot of items available, often a variety of brands is not.  This means that you're less able to price things out.  While it's great to have name brands for quality, I tend to be a giant cheapskate selective shopper and prefer to have several brands to choose from to keep the cost down. 

Limited Selection: I was surprised at the number of items that ARE available, but also disappointed at some of the things I couldn't find or that were marked as being "currently unavailable."  This meant that I still had to run to the store to pick up the remaining items, at which point the transaction ceased to be as much of a time saver. 


 All in All...
If I'm completely honest, the jury's still out as to whether or not we'll subscribe once the trial period is over and the cost increases to $299.  That's a lot of money to spend on something we don't really need.  That said, $99 of that is what we already pay for Prime (which is included in this subscription), so really that brings the cost of Fresh down to $200.  If I break it down further, assuming I use it at least twice a month (which I definitely would), I'm essentially paying $8 per delivery.  That's pretty standard compared to other grocery store delivery services.  

The biggest swing factor for me might be the baby.  After having attempted on several occasions to go grocery shopping with her - navigating the aisles, playing tetris with her carrier and food items, racing to get finished before she turned into a baby velociraptor, then struggling to bring her and my bags in from the parking lot - I can say that it very well might be worth $8 dollars to have them dropped at my door.  Some days, that might be a steal.
 
We'll ride out the rest of the trial (I think we still have til this fall) and see how I feel about it then.  Amazon is still tweaking the program itself, as they're always looking to be the biggest and best, so we'll have to see what the finished product will look like.  I'll keep you updated and meanwhile, give it a shot and post your feedback!  I'd love to hear how your experience was and whether or not you felt it was worth it!  Have a fabulous week!

PS Rereading this I realized that I always refer to Amazon as one sentient collective.  I think that's because I see them as the retail version of the Borg... Resistance is Futile.  :-)
 

Okay, I admit it.  I'm a big fat liar.  I promised to post an extra nursery article last week, and I never got around to it.  (Sorry!)  The week just kinda got away from me, as weeks are wont to do.  

So this week, I'm actually writing about two smaller nursery projects/hacks that saved me a good bit of money.  Were either of them necessities for the room?  Heck no! But who cares about necessary when you're making something pretty for your soon-to-arrive munchkin!


The Story: 

* Joss and Main Inspiration

I love Joss & Main.  Like, restraining-orders-might-be-necessary-at-some-point kind of love.  They have some of the most beautifully curated collections to drool over, buy out of and gather inspiration from.  Recently, as I was perusing their wares, I came across a beautiful arrangement of faux peonies. In particular, I was taken with the navy and white striped pot, as it managed to look both sophisticated and fun.  Because the colors I decided on for our nursery (pink, white and navy) are incredibly hard to find, this. was. perfect.  Except that it was $45, discounted from $70.

Now don't get me wrong, $45 for a quality arrangement isn't bad.  But when you're already spending a lot of money on all of the truly necessary baby-related paraphernalia, $45 or $70 for a small decoration seems a bit... well, unnecessary.  (Especially when I was fairly certain I could make a great knock off from pieces I already owned!)

So! On to the making:
 
The Supplies: 

1 Large Can, cleaned, dried and de-labeled (mine was 35 oz)
1 12x12 Sheet of Patterned Cardstock (I choose polka dots over stripes as they seemed a little more baby friendly!)
4-5 Faux Peonies (or other face flower), large bloom
5-6 Pieces Faux Greenery
Dry Florist Foam
White Spray Paint
Spray Adhesive
Craft Glue
2 Rubber Bands
Ribbon
Ruler/Pencil/Scissors



The Process: 

I started by giving my clean, dry, label-free tomato can 2 coats of white spray paint, focusing primarily on the upper and lower rim, and allowing it to dry completely between coats. 

 After it was dry, I measured the distance between the edges of each rim, marked out the strip on the inside of the cardstock and cut it to size.  The cardstock was just shy of being long enough to surround, so I wound up cutting two strips and planned to overlap them. (Oops! Ah well.)  As I intended for the finished product to be on a shelf, I knew the seamed side would sit to the back anyway. (And actually, after it was finished, you really couldn't tell.  Lucky break!)

Working on a covered surface, I gave the back of the cardstock strips a thorough coating of spray adhesive and then quickly affixed them to the can between the upper and lower rims.  Once I had them in place, I secured the top and bottom with a rubber bands to hold them in place while drying.


Once the glue was completely dry, I removed the rubber bands and moved on to the ribbon.  I initially chose a gold sparkly ribbon for the bottom (which you'll see in a few pics) but after a day or two, I decided I wanted something a little wider and a little less GOLD, so I swapped it out with some shimmery white ribbon (which you'll see in a few OTHER pics).

I cut the strip just long enough to overlap in the back.  I gave the very bottom of the can a thin line of craft glue (just above the rim), and attached the ribbon to the tacky surface.  I didn't find the need to use a rubber band or anything to secure it while drying, however, if you're using a thicker kind of ribbon, you may need to.  (You could also add a tiny bit of double sided tape to the ends to give them an extra grip.)  Let that baby dry.


The last step was to cut a section of florist foam to fit in the bottom of the can and begin adding your flowers.  Because the blooms I used were so fabulously large, I only needed four to make it look full and yet not over-packed.  Green leaves were used to break up the mass of pink and blue.  
And the result? Fresh, fun and perfect for the shelves in the nursery.  Plus I got to make it all out of pieces I already owned (which always makes me happy). 

So, what do you think?  Not bad for free!  Stay tuned for my second money saving nursery project!!

I love Christmas cards.  I do.  I love getting them, I love reading them, I love displaying them.  It's storing them that I don't love so much.  And really - how many of them do you need to keep?

I realize that, for some people, the idea of throwing out a card is akin to throwing out a gift.  I personally feel - with regards to the cards I send - that the sentiment that I express with them is good, whether or not the recipient takes the card to their grave, or chucks it in the recycling December 26th.  Furthermore, if I kept every card I ever received, I would be able to wallpaper the Taj Mahal by now.

All that said, I don't like simply throwing something out if it can be re-purposed.  So this year, I whipped up a quick DIY project that was fun, simple, and USEFUL for Christmases to come: Christmas card gift tags!

The first thing that I did was to sort out any cards that I definitely wanted to keep.  For me, these included cards that have a specific message written to me (more than just the basics), cards from certain family members and/or cards with photos.  Setting those aside, I focused on the remaining cards - beautiful Christmas cards from friends and relatives with more general notes and wishes inside (still very much appreciated!).


I then gathered up a few craft supplies: scissors, pencil, hole punch, glitter, metallic pens, double-sided tape, and ribbon and string remnants from presents (waste not, want not).  In order to get the patterns, I used a tag stencil form, but simply outlining preexisting tags, or printing off and cutting out the shapes you like would work as well.

Then I started crafting.  Focusing on some of the pretty details of the cards, I worked to get as many tags out of each pattern as possible (It's actually kind of amazing how many pretty little focal points there are in each card). 

I LOVED this card. I'm thrilled I was able to get four tags out of it!

 After cutting the tags out, I matted any that I felt needed the extra heft, often using the backs of cards to do so.  I then punched a hole in the top and tied a ribbon or string to it for gift attachment.  For the To/From portion, I used a stamp (A freebie from Vistaprint that I got once upon a time), but simply writing "To" and "From" with a pretty pen works too.  Or just leave it blank for next year!


If you're feeling a little crafty, you might want to spend some time adding extra embellishments to each.  For some of mine (I was only feeling moderately crafty) I lined the bottom with double-sided tape and dipped them in glitter.  A few others will get some embellishments added later on when I get the time and energy (think buttons, ribbons, stamps - anything scrapbook worthy).  For now, though, I'm thrilled with the quick little project that helped me to streamline AND prep for next year.

(BONUS: It's a great activity to do with little ones too!)

DIY: A little bit of fabric makes a big difference!

My home is a work in progress.  There are plenty of things in it that are not exactly what I want, but they are functional and, for the moment, get the job done.   My dining chairs are a good example of this.  I like my dining chairs just fine, but they're not the highest quality and maybe not the exact style I'd choose if I had my druthers. 

What has been bothering me lately about them is the fact that the upholstered seats are brown with red accents and my current dining room is black and cream with blue accents. Not a match made in heaven.

As I was strolling around a store the other day, I happened upon some fabric remnants for sale.  One was a beautiful cream on cream fabric with a slight swirl in the pattern.  And more importantly, it was two yards for $4.99.  Sold.

Eventually, if I do keep these chairs, I'd like to redo them completely (as in, sand them down, and stain or paint them).  However for now, swapping out the upholstery will do just fine.  It's easy and only takes an hour or two, but for those who haven't done it before, the instructions are below! 

Tools: 
Fabric
Fabric Scissors
Screwdrivers (Flat-head and Phillips)
Needle-nose Pliers
Hammer
Staple Gun
Pencil

Okay, Let's Do This: 

1. Carefully flip your chair upside down.  (You may want to do this on a carpet or towel so you don't scratch the wood of your chairs or floor).


2. Locate the screws on the bottom that attach the seat to the chair frame. Unscrew, doing opposite corners first (like when you're putting a spare tire on - it's best if you balance the weight).  Make sure to keep your screws somewhere safe. 


3.  When the seat is detached, flip the seat so that the bottom is face-up.  Slide your flat-head screwdriver under the staples holding the current fabric in place and gently maneuver out.  Pliers can be used for any that break or get partially stuck. 

Having a dish on hand to collect used staples is a good idea (Tetanus shots do not a fun afternoon make!)

4.  When your old fabric is off, remove seat.  (I recommend checking it for Rogue Staples.  Also, if you want to replace the batting or foam, this is the time!).  When I pulled the fabric off of mine, I discovered that there was even OLDER fabric underneath. As this would have shown through the new fabric, this simply got cut away (It was essentially disintegrating anyway. A few more years and I could have blown it away like dandelion fluff.  Toxic dandelion fluff.)


5. Stretch out your new fabric face-down, and place your just-removed fabric on top of it.  Use a pencil (or tailors chalk if you have it) to outline the old fabric on the new and create a template for your next seat cover.  BEFORE CUTTING, double check to make sure you left enough space for ALL of the seats that need cut out (Not that I've ever done that, of course.  I just heard about this guy who did it once. You know, a friend of a friend...). 
Once all of your seat covers are outlined, carefully cut them out. 

7.  Place your first seat cover (still face down) on your work surface and position your seat in the middle.  Double check to make sure that all edges will be covered by the fabric before you start stapling.  (You know how when you have a present that the wrap doesn't quite cover you can just stick a bow on that end? Yeah, that doesn't work so well with a chair...). 

8.  Start Stapling!  Everyone will find their own way to make it work for them, But I like to start with the flat edges of the fabric(the front of the chair) and then make tiny pleated, overlapping folds as I work my way around the corners.  

9.  Once you're done, align the seat as best you can, and replace the screws (again, working caddy-corner will ensure that you have the seat balanced. 

 10. (Optional) Lastly, working on a covered area, I gave each seat two layers of Scotchgard (allowing them to dry between layers). 

Scotchgard is a good investment for furniture that will be around food!

The Fourth of July is just around the corner and what am I thinking about?  Christmas.  Yup.  Christmas. 
"But Emily-Grace, Christmas is a half a year away. Don't you think that's a little, well, crazy?"
Crazy is how an Emily-Grace do. 

Actually, while I do adore the Christmas season and look forward to it from the moment I take down the tree from the year before, I have a much more practical reason for focusing on the Christmas season now: saving money. 

You'll hear me beat this drum repeatedly throughout my posts, but because I so strongly believe in the truth of it, it bears repeating: The two commodities in life are money and time.  You generally have to spend one or the other.

As I tend to be a little short on the former, I prefer to utilize the latter. (Meaning, I'd rather put in the time now, than have to put in the money later.  Particularly because the October, November and December tend to have so many other expenses like travel and parties).

Luckily for me (and other people who want to save some pesos) late June and early July are great times to scoop up some deals.  (For reasons why, check out the text insert!)

Below are some specific deals that you can scoop up now, as well as some stores to keep your eye on in the next couple of weeks.  Just think: of all the things that will need to get done come fall, wouldn't it be nice to say "Oh, me? No, my Christmas shopping's already done."

Current Deals I'm Loving

1.  Caspian Cerulean Cluster Stud Earrings from White House Black Market
Orig. $28.99, Now $9.99
2. Michael, Michael Kors Black Solid Suit from Macy's
Orig. $595, Now $209.99 (And Macy's stacks coupons, so check your local paper!)
3. Step2 Outdoor All Sports Climber or Big Folding Slide from Walmart
Orig. $99.97, Now $69.00
4. Bayla Fragrance, Small  from Aeropostale
Orig. $12.50, Now $5.25 (USE coupon code EXTRA30)
5. Sofia The First Princess Dress  from The Disney Store
Orig. $44.95, Now $29.99
6.  Men's Athletic Watch from Aeropostale
Orig. $39.50, Now $11.90 (USE coupon code EXTRA30)
7.  Syma S107G 3.5 Channel RC Heli with Gyro from Amazon
Orig. $129.99, Now $17.10
8. Craftsman 3 1/2 Trak-Cut Circular Saw with Miter Guide Base from Sears
Orig. $129.99, Now $45.88
9.  Pave Bar Bracelet from Banana Republic
Orig. $39.50, Now $17.40 (USE Coupon Code BRYAY40)

Upcoming 4th of July Sales to Check Out
(Stores that have historically had fabulous Independence Day Deals)

• Macy's (Clothing, Swimwear, Jewelry)
• Sears (Patio Furniture, Grills, Clothing)
• KMart (Patio Furniture, Grills)
• Home Depot (Appliances, Paint, Patio Furniture, Grills, Gardening) 
• Amazon.com (Shoes, Jewelry, Electronics)
• Travel Zoo and Hotels.com (Travel) 

One of the great things about monitoring Craigslist like a crazed cat-lady (don't judge me. I could be cataloging dryer lint or something) is that the payoffs are occasionally quite big.  The other day I scored a pair of fabulous wingbacks gratis (read about that here), but, as if that wasn't enough, the girl was also getting rid of several other random pieces of furniture.  For free.  (When people move they don't always have the time or energy to sell!).

I asked her if I could take them and she was thrilled to get them off of her hands.  At the time I wasn't sure what I'd do with them, but I'm always up for a project!


Among the random items, was a small table with a shelf. Randomly, it also has a lazy-susan top (as in, the entire tabletop spins. Not entirely sure what that's needed for with a table this small, but...whatever).  It was a little too large to be used as an end table but the PERFECT size to be a printer stand! (Apparently, Microsoft does not actually recommend keeping your printer on the floor under a pile of paperwork that you have yet to file. Who knew...?)

The stand was in rough shape though.  Years of crappy black paint covered unidentifiable lumps of schmutz and the legs were a bit wobbly.  Not for long though...

Sanding in Progress

A quick go with a phillips-head tightened the legs right up.  Then on to making it pretty.

I started sanding with my trusty DeWalt orbital sander and some course grade sandpaper disks.  After getting off the majority of the paint (and whatever that random painted over crust was), I switched to a medium grade sandpaper and followed that with a fine grade.

 Once it was sanded, I wiped it down with tack cloth to remove all of the dust and grit.  Then it was time to paint.

I settled on a matte chalkboard black for the legs and shelf, and Valspar's Redstone Blue Spruce (a gorgeous soft green) for the top.  I purchased one of the 8 oz trial pots at Lowe's for $3, and I still have some left over!

After two coats of each, I finished with a clear sealant spray from Krylon. 

And the result?
A perfectly sized printer table with a little bit of storage and a whole lot of style.  All for the cost of paint!

Killin' it.  ;-) 



(And the new printer-table has, of course, inspired me to re-do my entire office... Coming Soon...)

Stephen R. asks: How does one get started if they don't have a great eye for these things and also tends to think basically in the box? Can one "develop" a knack? I tend to overspend or just do without completely. Also, I don't have a great deal of time to shop with my extracurricular activities, Definitely not a strong suit for me, but I envy people who can do this and spend very little money considering.

EG Answers: That's a great question! I've been doing it for a long time and it's mostly second nature to me, but I do think I might be able to throw some suggestions out that could help. 

To begin with, spend a little time determining what your taste IS (I know you don't have a lot of extra time, but think of it as an investment!).  Try thinking about items that you already own and LOVE: a photo that a friend took, the color of your sheets, a lamp that you picked up in college...  What is it about those items that you like?  In addition, try to narrow down to three or four ideas that you want your space to convey.  For my recent living room re-do, it was Clean, Classic and Calming, but for you it could be Modern, Sleek, Cool, Edgy, Artsy, Bright... anything.

Use those ideas as a jumping off point.  Look at images that fall into those categories.  For example, do a Google image search for "navy blue bedroom" or "sleek living room" or even just "beautiful decor."  Use those images to narrow down your tastes even more.  "Okay, I now know that I like industrial chic.  Now let me look up 'navy blue industrial living room.'"  Essentially what you're doing is creating an arsenal of knowledge and keywords about your style.  This will allow you to feel more confident about decisions when the opportunity arises.

Once you have some idea of the style you want, the next step is to figure out what key pieces will transform your room and then work around them.  For my living room makeover, it was a rug.  Just one item hit all three keywords that I was looking for (Clean, Calming, Classic) as well as the color scheme that I liked.  It completely changed the mood and atmosphere of the room.  After I had that key piece, every item that was added simply had to be at least two of those keywords and/or colors (for example, the pair of Cane-back chairs I have are definitely Classic and they have the right shade of Blue in them, but I would not necessarily define their style as Clean or Calming. That's okay though, because the similarities are enough to anchor them).


Now on to the tougher part...

Regarding designing on a budget - you may not like my answer.  
I believe that there are two main commodities in this world: Money and Time. Generally speaking, you have to spend one or the other.  But if you've done your homework and already have an idea of the style you like, that can save you a little of both.

Anytime I decide to redesign, I start by looking at what I already have and whether or not I can do anything to re-purpose it.  A coat of paint is an inexpensive way to completely change anything from a wall, to a dresser, to a picture frame, to a cat.  Dining room chairs can be recovered in twenty minutes or less with a staple gun and some cheap fabric or an old curtain.  Even just shifting furniture to different rooms can give you that "aha!" moment.  (And please don't paint your cat, or call PETA on me - I'm only kidding). 

Once you've established the pieces you have, take a second to decide which pieces you want to add. 

Try trolling Craigslist, Ebay or Amazon on your phone whenever you happen have a spare second.  On Craigslist, use your style keywords to help pare down the listings (otherwise it's WAY too overwhelming), and view in gallery mode for easy skimming.  

To determine an item's value, think about Cost Per Use.  This means also taking into account the Quality.   The rug that I just bought is NOT the highest quality - I knew that going in.  But even if it only lasts me two years (which it most certainly will), that's still only about 12 cents a day ($89/730 days).  That's a great deal to me.  (And, if you buy something and immediately regret it - return it, or sell it yourself on Craigslist. I can't tell you how often I've done that.)

Developing an eye for design, quality, or bargains is really like any other skill... it takes a bit of time and effort and there's a definitely learning curve. But once that initial investment is made, the knowledge will actually make the buying/evaluating process much faster for the long run.  (Like speaking a language.  Eventually you don't even think about it.)

Hopefully, this will give you a bit of a launching point in terms of developing your own style and space.  If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help!  

Best of luck!

Functional, but boring.  It was in dire need of an update!

I love my new rug and ottoman!

DIY Lamp Re-Do

Ummmm... A pair of wingbacks for the cost of renting a van? Yes, Please!

Living Room Before and After