Saving $900 sure does feel good!

3xF right off the jump!

Fresh & Fabulous - My best friend has fresh new pieces of furniture making her home looking even more fabulous.

Frugal - She saved almost $900 in the process by just being patient and persistent.

Last February, my friend Erika was on the hunt for new furniture to update her space.

$1000 Coffee Table

We went from store to store to find the perfect coffee table. She wanted something industrial yet light n bright. Erika fell in love with a coffee table for the price of $1000 (pictured to the left). She decided she loved the table so much that she was going to save up to buy it.

That night I searched the Internet to find a similar table, but for less money. Of course one of my favorite stores EVER had a similar table for $279.99…Cost Plus World Market!

The Aiden Collection

Cost Plus World Market

So I immediately moved onto the next project….Can we get it even cheaper. On the hunt again, I signed up for World Market’s Explorer Rewards Program and within a month I received a coupon for 25% off the entire purchase. HELLO!

So now instead of paying $1000 for a coffee table, Erika paid $279.99 minus 25% = $210. She saved $790!!! With the money Erika saved, she purchased four Jackson Metal Tub Chairs from CostPlus for $99 each. After using the coupon she basically received one chair for free. HELLO two times! Who doesn't like FREE?

The Jackson Collection

Cost Plus World Market

In total, Erika saved $790 on the table purchase and $99 on the 4 chairs ......
$889 in total savings. Whoo Hoo!

Cut Flowers vs. A Potted Plant

If you want to brighten up any room… add flowers.

I love bringing flowers inside the house … flowers bring peace, happiness, tranquility and are just plain enjoyable to look at. I especially love orchids, peonies, and lisianthus.... all of which are cut flowers that outlast most others.

Two months ago a sweet friend of mine gave me an orchid plant. The flowers are still alive and even more beautiful today. Best of all, the plant doesn't look like its planning on letting any of those beautiful magenta flowers go any time soon.

See for yourself!

If you are like me, when you receive cut flowers, you’ll do anything it takes to extend the life of them. I’ve tried everything from adding sugar to adding aspirin to the water. Yet it never fails, those beautiful babies start to wither in about 3 days. My favorites: orchids, peonies, and lisianthus last up to two weeks as cut flowers….but do eventually wilt and die. Because of this, personally I prefer a plant to cut flowers.

To order a bouquet of cut orchids like the sample shown below you will pay about $70 for a dozen stems and a vase….On the other hand, you can go to a place like Henry’s Farmers Market, Home Depot, or Lowes and pickup an orchid plant for under $20….sometimes under $10 if your not purchasing a fancy pot with the plant.

Triple F Conclusion - Why go for a plant with flowers over cut flowers:

Fresh – A live plant will oxygenate your home bringing in clean, fresh air…ie. Your house won’t be stink’n all over the place from cut flowers that have died and are now rotting.

Fabulous – Live fresh plants with flowers are simply FABULOUS!

Frugal – You read the article. You saw the numbers! You’ll have an item that won’t die (as long as you nurture it) for a fraction of the cost.

3xF first post!

This isn't really a post about inexpensive fabulous retail or interior/exterior design, but more a personal post of something that worked for me!

I lost ten pounds in less than two months by simply watching my calories.

Fresh - I got a fresh new look from it especially in my GUT area!
Fabulous - I can fit into a fabulous old pair of jeans, making them feel new again ... even more fabulous!
Frugal - If you know as well as I, being healthy can be a bit expensive especially if you don't have extra time to grocery shop and cook for yourself. Simply watching my calories made it easier for me to jump-start the weight loss and keep it off.

After having my son, I gained a few pounds that I honestly just didn't really invest time in taking off...especially because I love food! You got to eat to live, right? Anyway, that last ten pounds stuck to me like glue and as my son got closer to his fourth birthday, I couldn't use the "baby weight" excuse any more. So I looked for something simple and found my fitness pal.

An awesome FREE tool that worked for me that I STILL USE to this day....
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

It's simple, easy, and best of all FREE! Are you thinking, "Is there an app for that?" YES!!!!!

The key is to actually use it and stick to your goal. You're going to have days when you have to let lose, just don't let those days outweigh your goal days.