How to Travel Like a Frugal Shopaholic

Its always a good time to travel the world and create new memories with friends and family. But when you travel do you feel like its stressful and too expensive to do on a tight budget? Fret no more. Christen and I travel throughout the year and most of our trips are less than $500 total, including flight, room, transportation and spending money. I want to give you some of the tips & tricks we use to find cheap flights and travel like a frugal shopaholic!

Tip 1: Visit SecretFlying.com to sign up for their email list. This subscription service will send you emails daily on all flight deals domestic & international. Flights ranging from as low as $85 up to about $600-$800. They send emails to you anytime there are flight glitches or fuel dumps. It's a MUST if you want to book cheap flights around the globe. We traveled to Iceland for $250 because we got an email from Secret Flying about cheap flights! So its proven that they are legit!

Tip 2: Travel with a group of friends who are down to explore and stick with them. Its nothing worse than traveling with people who drag their feet. Once you have a good group that meshes well and is down to have a good time and lose sleep if it means you'll get the most out of your trip then only travel with that group, it'll be in your best interest! We've learned this lesson the hard way! Time is money.

Tip 3: Before traveling to your destination, make an itinerary so you know what you will be doing each day and time it helps keep your trip on track and leaves no room for those travel mates who would rather stay at the hotel or Airbnb. You paid to see the world, MAKE MOVES!

Tip 4: Hotels are cool but Airbnb's can be the best bang for your buck especially if you are traveling with a group of more than 3 people. Most Airbnb can be as cheap as $35 a night and sleep 6+ people. It really just depends. So I would suggest that in addition to looking at hotel at your destination that you check Airbnb as well.

Tip 5: Book excursions & tours in advance if at all possible. It cuts out the expense when you are on your trip. Use Viator.com to search excursions and tours at your destination. They give you tons of options to choose from that vary in price. Its also good to search google as well and always search for a promo code for whatever site you choose to book on. By now you know our motto... NEVER PAY FULL PRICE!

Tip 6: Erykah Badu said it best... Pack light. It proves true when traveling abroad for sure especially when you are flying on airlines like Wow Air and Spirit. They charge you for your baggage each leg of the trip if it more than or bigger than a bag that can fit underneath your seat. At a minimum it will be $40 each way for your bag. But if you pack light or utilize packing cubes and vacuum seal bags purchase a smaller carry-on bag you should be good to go. 

Our next international trip is to Havana, Cuba. Talk about excited. We got our tickets for $215?! Talk about cheap... right now that flight is cheaper than a flight to Miami, FL... crazy right. We are still looking at Airbnb's but I definitely take my own advice and follow the tips above. 

If you have any other tips that will help frugal travelers comment below!

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Frugal Finds: TJ Maxx

Now I know everyone knows about TJ Maxx and has experienced the great prices they offer on just about everything from suitcases to designer jewelry...In-store. But most people don't know that they have a website where you can also take advantage of even more great deals and items. I think the best part of the TJ Maxx website is that there are TONS of designer options for way less than retail price. Items you'll never see in-store. Take my advice and visit the site and sign up for emails. They email you every time they get new arrivals which is important because just like in-store things sell out pretty quickly! Check out some frugal finds from tjmaxx.com!

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Get Amazon Products Discounted or Free

I love Amazon....I love Amazon more than Oprah loves bread. A few weeks ago while reading one of my fav blogs, I came across a deal club for Amazon, Elite Deal Club. It seemed too good to be true, so I ordered a few things and it's legit. Elite Deal Club (EDC) is an exclusive club that provides its members with the best deals possible on Amazon products. Brands looking to promote their products share discounts through this exclusive club and offer highly discounted with prices marked down between 50% off all the way to FREE! The best part is that Elite Deal Club is a completely free service. 

EDC posts new products every day at 10 am (don't judge me, I set an alarm it's that real) and the best items sell out within minutes. You can only claim one discount code in the morning slot until 2 pm, then you can get as many codes as you want. After you secure the promo code, you head over to Amazon to redeem the code and get your discounted products. I've been buying stuff almost every day since I discovered the deal club. I am hooked. My Amazon addiction is even worse than before now. Join the Elite Deal Club today and catch some great deals.

See all the items I purchased below.


Amazon: $11.95
Elite Deal Club: $1.90


Amazon: $14.95
Elite Deal Club: $0.48


Amazon: $11.95
Elite Deal Club: $1.59


Amazon: $16.95
Elite Deal Club: $0.51


Amazon: $16.99
Elite Deal Club: $1.99


Amazon: $14.97
Elite Deal Club: $1.05


Amazon: $10.95
Elite Deal Club: $1.16


Amazon: $19.95
Elite Deal Club: $0.20


Amazon: $19.95
Elite Deal Club: $0.20

My grand total for all these items was $9.08. That is cheaper than the lowest price item at full price. Join the Elite Deal Club today and get crazy discounts on Amazon deals everyday.



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Spring Footwear

Monday is the first day of spring and boy am I ready to pull out the sandals, skirts and dresses. I have been slowly buying new spring items for the last few months just so that I am well prepared. But I wanted to help spring board your spring footwear this year by providing you with the top trending shoe of the season... The Mule! Check out some frugal mule options below. 



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The Look for Less: Fendi

Handbag accessories have become more and more popular. Many high-end designers and fast fashion retailers have bag charms in their collections. Fendi, however, started the furry bag charm trend, that everyone has copied, a few years ago. Now they have added colorful handbag straps to the bag accessories lane each retailing at about $1,000. These straps are a nice way spice up or personalize your favorite bag.  If you want to partake but don't want to spend the money check out this look for less. 
 

Fendi Strap Look for Less

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Spring 2017 Must Haves Under $75

Goodbye winter and hello spring. Although climate change is real and winter barely showed up to the party, I'm still ready for it to go. It's almost the season for happy hour, Sunday brunch, day parties and more. Spring is less than 2 weeks away so it's time to get these wardrobes into formation. Now there are a lot of trends for the upcoming warmer months, but you don't have to indulge in them all. So we've picked out the must haves we think you should add to your spring wardrobe.  Check them out below!

Spring 2017 Must Haves Under $75



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What's The TREND? Berets

A beret is a round flattish cap of felt or cloth. They've been around for more than a decade and have been apart of the cycle of fashion trends forever... so much so that I've had my collection of them for 10 years and I'm pretty sure at one period of time my grandmother and mother have worn them as well.

Back better than ever you can get them in any color, print or texture. Some of my favorite that I have seen so far have been in leather and those that have metal grommets. You should definitely have one in your wardrobe, one that can add pizzaz to any look. Check out some cute options below!

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What Derria Wore

IMG_5714More men's wear in my closet in 2017! I'm not afraid to go to the men's section in any store just to see what hidden gems I can find. The shirt I'm wearing is from the H&M men's department in an XS so it fits just like it would in the women's section. 

Lets talk about my love for the Who What Wear x Target line. I've purchased multiple pieces from the line and they continue to deliver quality, simple yet Chic apparel at a reasonable price. Sometimes it's priced cheaper than Targets staple store brands. I've been eyeing these pants for a few weeks and knew they would be perfect for this look. Only $30, not bad! My favorite part of this look is my fanny pack. Christen and I actually bought these at the same time and didn't know it until we got on Facetime and went to show each other per the usual! You'll notice that fanny packs are making a come back and I had to bust out in this faux leather quilted one from Forever21. Got it on sale for $11, it's sold out now but I've provided a link to one similar below. Check out myoutfit deets below!
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Top: H&M
Pants: Who What Wear x Target
Bag: Forever21 (Similar)
Heels: JustFab
Glasses: Derria's Closet

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