Tag: smart

Heading to Freeport ME, home of LLBean!

On By careofmonIn LifestyleLeave a comment

For the second year in a row, we are camping in Winslow Park in Freeport, ME, right on Casco Bay for Labor Day weekend. It’s an amazing spot- waking up to see the ocean is a gift that I got more often 🙂 Freeport is the home of really great shopping, which will be packed for Labor Day sales and back to school shoppers.

Last year we did a stand up paddle boarding discovery course through LLBean. The courses are very affordable, around $25, and they provide everything you need. This year we are doing sport clay shooting!

I am writing this post to remind myself as well as anyone else out there, just because its on sale and has your favorite brand on the tag doesn’t mean you need it. It will be tough, there’s a J Crew, Patagonia, Vineyard Vines, and of course LLBean in Freeport. We usually hit up the shopping on the same day we do the course at LLBean. A trip to the Ben and Jerry’s there is usually part of the deal too! 😉

Only buy things you NEED and will love and will not go out of style next year, try to get it on sale, and hopefully we won’t feel that buyer’s remorse looking at our bank accounts on Tuesday. Many times, I walk up to the register, and then decide to put a couple things back, and its usually for the best! I am also looking forward to biking, sitting around the fire, catching up with friends, maybe doing some swimming….and those things fit very comfortably in my budget, more than that mint VV shep shirt I have been eyeing!

What’s everyone else up to? Happy Labor Day weekend!!

c/o Mon

Smoothing feathers

On By careofmonIn LifestyleLeave a comment

When I showed my fiancé my first post and my about section, he said, “wow, are you sure you aren’t going to ruffle some feathers?”. The reason being that my best friends DO own horses and DO have money from their families. I love them like sisters, they are so down to Earth and generous, I sometimes forget that. My post wasn’t about shaming them though for what they have or what they were born with. Plus, lets be honest, no matter what you have, we are all tempted by what we don’t have.

My post, and really the reason why I am writing this blog is because I need to remind myself, and maybe some of you out there, that NOT having things that you want right now is ok…..maybe even better than ok! Spending money that we should be saving because we alone will be making that downpayment on our first homes in order to look like we inherited Jackie O’s closet does not bring us any closer to having that house in Newport, or boat on the cape. Paying off debts is what makes us free to maybe use some money for something fun like a new Lilly shift or J Crew tweed skirt.

With instagram, tumblr, Facebook, and blogs, it can be easy to think, “I have a job, a good job, I deserve a new Vineyard Vines dress, I work hard”. Admiring #jcreweverything and #buymelilly posts from our friends, can make us feel like we should have those things too. What we actually deserve though is to save our hard earned money to do real things for us, like pay off our cars or pay off student loans. I am writing this blog to constantly remind myself that being smart with my time and money and being with my friends/family is what makes me happy.

Thoughts shared free of charge, sponsored by no one,

c/o Mon