{Living}

Crochet Coffee Cozy

Crochet Coffee Cozy | TheBudgetSocialite.comWhenever the weather gets cold, I inevitably begin to hibernate by curling up on my couch with my crocheting needle, loads of yarn as far as the eye can see and a glass of bourbon. I begin to imagine all of the amazing blankets and hats that I will create with my bare hands and then reality sets in that I can only make square & circle shapes and have perfected 3 different stitches.

Crochet Coffee Cozy | TheBudgetSocialite.comSince the holidays have snuck (sneaked?) up on us yet again, I decided to make these easy and fast crochet coffee cozies for my friends and to help keep disposable coffee cups from landfills, I paired them with the Starbucks reusable tumblers that are only $.99 in the stores. Once you get the hang of a certain stitch, you can crank these babies out in less than 20 minutes. It takes me 30 because I’m usually watching TV or doing other things while I crochet.

Crochet Coffee Cozy | TheBudgetSocialite.comNever heard of crochet let alone a coffee cozy? Check out this detailed DIY video on YouTube on how you can make your own crochet coffee cozy.

And if you want to get fancy, you can make a Cat Crochet Coffee Cozy

Don’t feel like making it yourself? Buy them from Etsy!

What do you think? Will you be making one of these yourself?

 

tp_contributer_pic

Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt
Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.

{Living}

2013 Gift Guide – Under $50

2013 Gift Guide

The holidays are upon us, and we are getting to crunch time when it comes to gift buying. We asked our contributors for their top picks under $50. The things they cannot absolutely, couldn’t possibly live without. Here’s what they had to say:

2013 Gift Guide – Under $50

Holly: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill mascara. I can’t live without it because it’s the BEST mascara I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried almost all of them. As a makeup artist, it’s my responsibility to try products before I use them on my clients. For years I’ve only found mascaras that I like; until I tried Eyes to Kill. The mascara lengthens and adds volume without clumping. I don’t have long or thick lashes, but the mascara (magically) finds the shortest lashes and lengthens them and the thinnest lashes and adds volume that looks very natural. The end result, is beautiful, long lashes. A great mascara is the stand-alone product that makes my eyes Pop!

Eva Said It: A slam dunk for coffee lovers. What’s better than a pound or two of gourmet beans and a grinder! Hit any store that sells kitchen appliances and gadgets for a grinder. You can go high end and fancy, but my its not uncommon to find a basic model that does the job just right for about $20. Then, hit a gourmet shop (in NYC, I love Porto Rico Importing Company on Bleecker St. www.portorico.com) for some of the tastiest and exotic coffee beans you can find! Toss both in a basket with some shortbread cookies or chocolates, et voila! A gift they wouldn’t dream of returning or regifting, and will use with pleasure!

Charlene: When holiday shopping for someone who already has it all, or you just can’t figure out what to get someone, I opt to send a donation to their favorite cause or charity in their name. You get to do good and it’s tax deductible. You can even make the donation at  justgive.org and let them choose the organization where they want the money to go.

Scarlett: My Roku box is the best thing a girl can have (and it doesn’t hurt that Roku sounds like the French pronunciation of my last name). Roku is this cute little streaming box that lets you turn any TV into a Smart TV and the prices start at $49.99 for the LT model. You can watch channels like NetFlix, Amazon Prime and so much more. All you need is wireless Internet and a TV. Boom.Done! Oh, they have free shipping right now!

Trinidad: You’ll pry my food processor from my cold dead hands, it’s one of my most prized possessions. It’s definitely a thing I can’t live without. This handy gages chops, minces, dices, purees and in a pinch blends. I’ve used it to make soups, pestos, grating cheese and even making dough. The thing is seriously versatile. This is a great gift for anyone who likes to cook and/or entertain.

 

{Living}

Holiday Budget Tips

Holiday Budget

 

Now that the holidays are quickly approaching you might be thinking that you have to buy so many gifts with so little time and money. Here are our holiday budget tips to making shopping easier.

  1. Create a holiday budget. You can do this by visiting www.mychristmasbudget.com. This budget lets you see how much cash you will have available to spend on Christmas gifts.
  2. After creating your budget, make a list of the names of individuals you will be purchasing gifts for and right down the gifts that you want to purchase for the individuals.
  3. Check for the best deals for items that you want to purchase.
  4. Stay within your budget that you’ve created buy not over spending.
  5. Shop at stores that price match.
  6. Use coupons. An excellent site with a wide variety of coupons is www.retailmenot.com. This site has both printable and online use coupons.
  7. If you have to use credit cards for your holiday purchases, use the card with the lowest interest rate and try to pay off the holiday purchases asap.

What are your tips for staying on budget during the holiday season? Let us know in the comments.

cb_contributer_pic

Contributor | Charlene Bey
Charlene Bey is an Accountant and is the owner of Easy Flow Bookkeeping, LLC. Charlene eats, sleep and lives accounting and loves giving her opinion when it comes to being financial savvy.