Young, Fabulous and on Budget

I am not a rich girl, not that rich anyway; well to be fair, I am thankful, however I am not as rich as I can be. Personally I know that each person have their own budget which restricts them from doing everything in the world. Far away are the days where we have breakfast in Paris and launch in Italy, we're young fabulous and on a budget!! For all the broke princesses out there, starting myself ... now these are some tips to live off little.

Before we start,You need to organize yourself, I know how you run to your beloved ATM at the beginning of the month and forget about all of the torture you have been having for the last 7-15 days, organize yourself and prioritize your needs. Don't run spending your money on that and this and wonder why you're broke by the 15th of the month, get a list and prioritize what to do. You're your own accountant be smart with your money. Don't force yourself to live on little when you get paid 3000 EGP a month and waist 1000 on a nine west booties.

Start saving yourself and be a savvy,

The Egyptian Chains, 
Discover new places to shop for cheaper stuff, I know we are already compromising, since this country doesn't have top shop and forever 21, but discover the shops where you can buy a cardigan at 80 EGP, I did. Places where you can find good basics, some nice lounging and sleeping wear like Fabulous and chance; just stroll down Hasaneen Haikal street in Nasr City. You can go also for some basics for shoes like Club aldo and you can get your hands on some great finds like Source, Shoe room and Deja-vu. I swear I just got a satin ballerina with establishments from Shoe room and I paid 50 EGP.

You will find some great staples and basics, you will find some good designs here or there, just dig in and don't be scared to try everything in the store. there are also the places that don't have chains, stores in Maadi or Downtown like Suede for shoes, they have some pretty good stuff, a friend of mine got a thigh high boots for 280 EGP, I   can almost hear the jaw drops. Also some of these cheap accessories place, they are treasure mines. Like 2.5 EGP shops. I get fake lashes, socks, hair bands, bobby pins, mirrors, nail polish remover, storage units from there

Going Local, 

Go local with your shopping, The best place for accessories and fake jewelry is Khan ElKhalili, I got a black Indian hand made necklace for 25 EGP, I found some great Bedwien patch work bags and goodies. In Mo3ez street you can find some really cool shirts like Stella beer or i <3 Egypt and they're like 30 EGP. Also a hint for smokers, you can get shisha body from there as cheap as 30 EGP and you can get flavored tobacco cheaper than any place on earth. One of the things that we ALL do and pay money for, but it's seriously worthless, is gift wrapping. There is a place near Khan ElKhalili named Darb ElBarabra they sell baby shower accessories and wrapping accessories, everything is there, the glitter bottles, all kind of wrapping papers, gift boxes, wrapping tulle and ribbons; you can even get the fiber filling. They sell wrapping paper with meters and it's super cheap, you an get a meter for like 2 pounds, the huge glitter bottle costs 5 EGP and the fiber kilo is 15 EGP. I usually keep 5 meters of different wrapping paper and ribbons, but now I am into boxes so you can buy a box from there as cheap as 5 EGP, it's that cheap, keep a stock at your place and never worry about wrapping ever again.

DIY,

Your hands can be put into good use other than spending your money. If you like something, try to do it yourself, it's easy. If you need a studded cardigan for example,well first of all nobody "needs" a studded cardigan, you just want it; buy some studs at Nomrosy in Zamalek and screw them in on your old favorite cardigan. Cost; maximum 20 EGP for the studs. Want a ballerina with a toe cap, get your old pointy ballerina or heels, put a strap on the middle of the shoes front and color the front in a gold or silver shade or any shade you like really and VIOLA!
Do anything you can add pins, pearls, beads to any old piece you have and it's like you just got a whole new piece.
I myself can take it to the limits, I can get a favorite picture printed on a t-shirt or add some lace to my favorite shoes. That way you save up some money and you're getting unique pieces. That's not only for clothing, it can also go for face and hair home made masks and even cakes, cookies and desserts for dish parties, special occasions or birthdays.

Group buying offers, 
For me, I usually want to have a whole package in a spa and that costs around 700-900 EGP. I always head to the group buying websites, they usually have good offers for beauty salons, spas and even some beauty experts like teeth whiting clinics and laser treatment sessions. Make sure to ask about the place before you buy the voucher and do your research, it's cheap but it's still money that you can lose.
You can get a package of Moroccan bath, massage session, face mask and sauna for 200-300 EGP. You won't be able to get the same place and deal with the same staff every time which is a blessing and a curse, if they are a good staff and good service, you might not be able to meet them again with the same spending limit, however if they are bad and you couldn't redeem your money, you know that these people are not be visited again and thank god you only wasted 200 EGP and not more. You can even get deals on hotels, if you're traveling; make sure to pay on delivery and go on trusted websites.

Claim your inheritances,

My grandma, may she rest in peace was one of the most chic icons I have ever seen, after all she lived in the 50's and 60' as a young lady. My mom who survived the 80's and glamoured the 90's was also a hip chic girl. These people have wardrobe treasures; dig in there and find Vintage original heavenly pieces for freeeeeeeeeee. My mom had skinny jeans from the 90's one was black the other was olive, and guess what they were Saint Micheal, She also gave me a C&A dress that fits perfectly. In my grand ma's old stuff, I found a beaded clutch and a lace soiree jacket, I swear these things don't even exist anymore that beautiful. I also found a Christian Dior mirror, that's what I call a freaking find. Just make sure they were properly stored, send them to the dry cleaning, not because you doubt your mom and grandma's cleanness, however we can't trust the time and the smells. Make sure to pair them with new stuff from this century, so won't look like you just got out of an old movie. Your mom will welcome it I promise.

The internet is your friend, 

I can't afford paying 50 EGP for a weekly Yoga class, but I can afford looking up a yoga Vlogger and following her steps, I did that with Yoga and aerobics. I go the gym for the machines, as we only have Zumba classes, however when we can't afford the gym why not stretch with YouTube videos and just go for a run. Buy stuff online, they are usually cheaper than regular retail, If you're buying off Facebook some groups and pages on Facebook are thieves, so ask for reviews, are they selling the real stuff or not, and always do money on delivery, see the stuff and make sure they are the same as you saw online then pay the money, don't just go with your credit card as easy as taking a candy from a baby.

That's everything I am doing right now, enjoy your budget this month and start practicing. You can look like a butterfly when you save like an ant.

Posted in: Shopping