Importance of Independence

The word independence has a violent conotation to it. If you look back at history, revolutionaries have FOUGHT for independence. It was never a peaceful process. Prominent leaders such as Simon Bolivar, Toussaint Loverture, George Washington, and many more had to face violent opposition to deliver freedom to the peoples of their country.



Those epic battles and wins were centuries ago, and the word indepdence has come to a less-violent meaning. Today (in developed parts of the world) it means freedom to make a choice. It means a woman can choose to have a career instead of a family. It means a teeanger can have their own room aka their own little dominion to rule over.



Or has it really changed?



The privilige to have one's room comes with fights with parents and siblings. A woman might battle inwardly while deciding to choose between a career and a mate.



So then after thinking, I have concluded that independence still has not lost its violent background. Whether its physical or mental, we're all battling something or the other to free ourselves from whatever it is we want to be rid of.



I guess I'll know eventually which side won in the battle raging inside me right now. I hope the end result is worth it in the end.

Think Cheap

Welcome large groups of readers to my series of THINK posts. I am starting with Think Cheap because there has never been a better time to do so! (in recent history anyway) On a sidenote: I must be weird because I feel special being part of history-in-the-making! I'm sure 20 years from now, my kids will learn about 'The next-Great Depression of 2008" in their history books. I'LL BE PART OF THAT! YES!

Moving onto the goal of this post: THINK CHEAP PEOPLE! THINK EFFECTIVE! THINK SMART!

Apparel

Time to ditch style recommendations as written in Vogue and check out the CLEARANCE section! Not just ANY clearance section. Saks' clearance is NOT the same as Macy's or Target's. Designer duds are now slashed 80% off. 80% off of a $700 Marc Jacob's bag is STILL too much even during normal economic times for most of us. SO CHECK OUT the good stores.

Target - they have always had great prices for decent clothes. Check out their new target 'design collections' of clothing for women. They have great stuff for men too! Brands like Cherokee, Mossimo (sp?) have a great variety (ranging from casual t-shirts, to dress shirts, slacks, jeans, and much more) Definitely worth a look

Hudson Belk - TWO giant positives. Quantity and Quantity. I prefer Hudson Belk to Macy's thanks to the variety of designer brands it carries. The amount of different brands / clothes that are there, means there's something there for everyone. It might be a little tiresome to sift through it all, but you will find something!

Forever 21 - always cheap. not necessarily my favorite since the quality is pretty crappy. But they do have designer knockoffs at ridiculous prices.

Thrift Stores / Consignment Stores - always a good a idea! I had a good experience shopping at beacon's closet (based in ny, but you can buy stuff online) Google local thrift stores in your area and I guarantee you'll find some nice stuff there! http://www.beaconscloset.com

MARSHALLs! Never underestimate the deals you'll get here. Today, I bought a $29 tommy hilfiger tote that was originally worth 90. TWO pairs of Betsey Johnson tights for $7.00. Deals are everywhere here, but it takes some looking.

remember: PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE!

Lastly: Check out online shopping for great deals with free shipping! Some stores that offer free shipping: Jcrew, Overstock.com, Victoria's secret.com, bananarepublic and more!

Technology:

Slick Deals - Google slickdeals.net. Great place to find what it says...slick deals. The site also has tons of user reviews. http://www.slickdeals.net/

Iphones going to be sold at Wal-mart. No need to fret! Iphones will be sold at Walmart for $99! Of course, Apple is sly and will make money off you thanks to their expensive data plan. But it's exciting nonetheless.

and my favorite...

MAKEUP!

Like any fanatic, I do love my MAC, and Urban Decay eye shadows, eyeliners, etc. But at $13-15 bucks a pop, it gets very expensive very quickly. Granted, some (keyword: SOME) higher-end cosmetic brands are better, but these are rough times people! A lot of otherbrands imitate the more expensive brands to a good degree.

NYX - Eyeshadows start at 3.99. They have a great variety of other make up products that are cheap AND good. Available in local drugstores and other makeup stores such as Ulta.

L'OREAL HIP PIGMENTS - I am liking it. I recently bought a gold eye shadow duo and it's very pretty. Lasts long and costs around 6 bucks. good deal!

Rimmel mascara - Not bad for the price. I was looking at the DIOR show mascara that's worth a whopping $25. WHAT?! for mascara?! So no, I'm happy with my $7 Rimmel mascara. Almay is also pretty good for its price.




Make up brushes - DON'T buy those ridiculously expensive 'professional' make up brushes at MAC counters. it's like $28 for a skinny / small brush. There are good dupes out there at much more affordable prices. Try your local make up store (or Target /walgreens, etc) such as Ulta and buy brushes that are in the $8-10 range. They will do the trick. Most of us don't need super-duper special brushes.

I've probably repeated things everyone already knows but I'M CONTRIBUTING to someone out there. I hope.