How to dress your new age!

So now you are out of college, with a closet full of clothes from Hollister and Abercrombie that push your boobs up and out. You are suddenly at a new stage in life and need clothes to match this stage. This is a blog that may help with your decisions when you get up in the morning. As you go shopping, try to pick out clothes that you can wear day to day and at work. This would mean less laundry and less clothes- less money! Also, I do not have the best fashion sense, so do not base your wardrobe 100% on your blog. This is just what I am going for. Here are two fashion on a budget blogs I follow: The Budget Fashionista and The Budget Babe. Also, Shop Style is a great website for style. It has a lot of clothes that are several hundred dollars, but if you adjust your search results you will find some great bargains! 

• Tops: Button up shirts are definitely more grown up. A satin button-up blouse paired with dark wash jeans and black pumps, or a white button-up blouse paired with dark wash skinny jeans and brown boots look great. Also, slight hints of lace are nice. Such as lace on the shoulders. Guys have it a little easier. Day to day guys look fine in a nice t-shirt. But going out at night, once again a button up shirt. The photos below were taken from forever21 (female) and hudson belks (male).

• Bottoms: Dark wash jeans are always great (at least in the past few years). You ladies should have some skinny (for boots) and some flair (for heels). Also, destroyed jeans have been fashionable for awhile now. On men, tighter (not like cowboy tight, but not sagging) slightly destroyed jeans look good. Now, the jeans that I am describing are the jeans that are $100 plus. I bought a pair of big star jeans that start at $90 and only go up for $45 from plato's closet! Go check out here, especially for jeans! The female stirrup jeans (great for boots) are from wet seal. The other two are from buckle. 
  

• Shoes: To me, the most adult shoes for women are heels. There are great heels that aren't very high. I would say at least get black pumps. It takes awhile to get your feet, back and knees used to wearing heels all the time, so don't wear them to the mall your first day. I would actually suggest breaking in new shoes while drunk. I would also suggest brown boots. Beyond this, be careful! Color shoes take practice. Luckily, flats are very in style right now, so wear these as much as possible! But I still like my heels (there is a reason guys like them: they make your butt and boobs stick out the way they make you stand). As far as guys, no more tennis shoes! Never! Always dress shoes. The women's shoes should be simple enough, but I have included a pair of nice mens day to day shoes below from Belks (although I believe this may be a North Carolina based store). 
  

• Make-up: This is only for girls (sorry, you emo boys may be attractive to some girls, but in my opinion, not the sign of a mature 20 something- to each his own though)! Natural. I cannot say this enough, go natural! By this I mean don't wear bright blue and green faded eye shadows unless you want dollars in your g-strings. Use browns and blacks, earthy tones. Use light to medium browns during the day, and light, medium, and dark browns and a little black at night. The smokey look is very in right now. Here is an example of great smokey eyes. Tone it down during the day, but this is great for night. And don't expect for it to look perfect the first time! Try it out on your own, and tweak it until you create a look perfect for you! 
• Nails: This is for girls and guys! Keep your nails trimmed, or at least smooth. Do not bite your nails! Let's get specific: Guys: your nails should be trimmed, below or at the end of your finger. You don't need a manicure, but it is nice to keep a manicure kit hidden away. This goes for your toes, too! Clean your feet! Trim your toenails! Girls: Don't have those crazy long nails! It's not hygienic or professional. Or crazy nail colors! Natural nails or fake keep them just past the tips of your fingers, and keep your colors nice. Reds and pinks, or french tips. Either way, you wear nice clothes, clothes that could get pulls and runs if hang nails get snagged. Always carry a nail file, because you never know what happens! 
• Don't forget! Accessorize! Putting thought into your outfits will show maturity and professionalism. Not only necklaces and earrings, but the appropriate shoes and belts. And even jackets. Just because it's 50 degrees outside doesn't mean you can't wear a nice jacket over it. If one item in your outfit is nice, all the items should be. As you buy outfits plan them out, don't just hope you will find something that goes with it, because you may not! It's better to regret buying something for a season than to buy something and run out of money, and then never even wear it!

Dressing your age is very important. At 23, trying to be an adult also means looking like an adult. If you are anything like me and do not look your age (I am constantly mistaken for a high school student, college at best) it is even more important to dress my age. Not everyone feels like dressing up everyday, I constantly have days where I run out in sperry's and a t-shirt, but the way I see it, you never know who you will see that you want to impress (your boss, an attractive member of the appropriate sex...) so it is important to dress the way you want to be perceived. These are just suggestions based on the fashion I see and I like, but fashion is different everywhere and with everyone. I would suggest not dressing totally for someone else, you should always be comfortable and confident in your clothes! 

A fresh month

It's getting to be the end of January, we are all about to begin February. Think of this as a fresh start. Think of each new month in this! I know it is only the second month of the year, but I have read studies that say that the majority of New Year's Resolutions have already been given up by now. Don't wait for next year to make new ones. You could do so much damage by waiting around for the next time for resolutions. Make new ones at the beginning of each month! Here's some of what I'm talking about

Budgeting!!!! 

• Credit Cards! I know I have said they are great in the past. Let me clarify how to use them in a good way. Get a credit card with a low limit!!!!! like $500 low. Pay this off every few days and write these amounts in your registrar!!!!!! Don't get a huge credit card unless and carry it around for emergencies, then on a shopping spree! 
  
• Pay off Credit Cards! Let's say you have already maxed out several credit cards, as I'm sure some people have, and are thousands of dollars in debts. Or let's say you are in debt because of school. The simplest piece of advice would be to take it one day at a time, and set aside as much as you can. Get professional help if you are far in debt. The more professional, the more expensive, but the more they can help. But even if you are making enough to live a fairly cushy lifestyle, cut your expenses significantly, budget wisely, and pay off your payments fast to get a better credit score! And don't forget! Those minimum payments may only cover your interest, you may not actually be making a dent in what you owe! 
• Budget week by week! Set aside the right amount of money for your set expenses in the beginning of the month: rent, utilities, insurance, payments... The rest is for your changing expenses: food, clothes, entertainment... Divide the money into 4 (for four weeks in a month) and spend this amount each week, but no more. If you have problems (like I do) try withdrawing this money and spending cash each week. Then once you run out, you run out and don't spend anymore. 
• Keep looking! Keep the cost of all your bills out, and their due dates! Make sure they are all paid in full on time. Some you can even pay in advance! Make sure you have enough for all of your bills, because this is the most important thing. You may be living paycheck to paycheck for a few years (hopefully you then get that huge promotion, or that huge wedding ring...) and you can finally move up in life. But you can't if you have bad credit. 
• Save! The economy :-(. It's not doing well, as everyone hears about daily, but it's the truth. I have heard that it should be doing better by the summer, but you never know. Keep your portfolio and resume ready just in case. And keep some money set aside to get you through if something does happen. It is wise to keep at least 2 months saved up, of daily living expenses. I've heard as much as 9 months should be saved up. But do what you can. Because once your income goes, you can't really do anything. 
• List! Make a list of everything you WANT! This is help you save for these things instead of blowing it on spur of the moment small purchases! Put on there your barstools, and those hot $150 jeans your dreaming of! (Or maybe this is just my list) But make a list, and maybe put pictures up in a few strategic places to entice you to save up! 

Health!

• Exercise! It's never too late to start exercising! Don't be ashamed to exercise. What's the worse that could happen? People make fun of you? No one will! Esp not in a crowded gym! They would get their butts kicked by all the in shape people! You fall off the treadmill? I've done it! Maybe that hot nice guy will see you and realize you're human and check to make sure your ok! Its better to do it now, than 20 years and 40 pounds later! 
• Eat healthy! It's cheaper first of all! Think about how much you spend at McDonald's or Moe's everytime you go. Then think about how much you would spend on a casserole, and how many servings you would get out of it. Also think about how much healthier this is. Everything for lasagna is about $30 (this one is a bit expensive). I usually get about 8 servings out of it, this is less than $4 a serving. And most of the things that go into it you already have! 
• Vitamins! Take a multivitamin everyday made for women (or men if you are a man). This will give you an extra boost that will help you out. It only takes a minute to take and you will feel much better! 

Personal

• Job! Now I'm not going to tell you to quit your job, esp in this economy. But I will tell you to do something to improve it! If you don't like your position, think about what you could do to get a promotion. If you actually dread coming into work, begin putting your portfolio together so that you can be ready if another position comes up. But stay realistic. Don't expect to become the CEO anytime soon if you just graduated from college. 
• Relationships! This goes for both romantic and friendship. Relationships are a two way deal, each side has to give and take. Make sure you listen to all of your friends! And make sure they are listening to you. If you think you aren't getting what you deserve, talk to your friend. It's better than blowing up at them down the road. Getting your feelings out may create a tense situation, but think about how tense a situation would be if you blew up at her during brunch because she's going on and on about her stupid dog (not a real life event hopefully) 

Think of each new month as a new beginning, and do what you can to improve yourself. Most peoples New Years Resolutions don't last but a few weeks, an average of 3. Think about if you did this for 3 weeks each month. If you ate well, budgetted well, and exercised for 3 months out of the month? That's 3/4's of the year you would be doing good, instead of 3/52's. Who knows, it may even become a constant habit! 

Organize your life

I have spoken with some friends and have come to discover that one of the most frightening things about being independent involves organization. Many people are afraid that there will be issues paying bills, and also organizing doctors appointments. The key to each of these is organization!

Bills

• A desk! Have a set place to pay your bills. A desk would be best, but a plastic drawer set beside your dining room table would work as well. Just make sure you keep everything together. You need several things around here:
  
• Bills: You need a special place to put your bills. I have a divider at the corner of my desk that holds my bills, and as soon as I walk in (and open to look at the damage and due date) I put them here. As soon as you get a bill go ahead and pay it so you don't forget. Make sure you also have stamps here, because bills do not provide them.
  
• Due dates: If you think you'll forget to pay your bills, post a list of due dates and the cost of your bills. I have mine on a dry erase board on the wall beside my desk. I have the bill, the cost (or the last cost for thing such as electric) and the due date. Then I write the date they were paid to make sure I got this months and it has been paid. 
  
• Save them! Once you have paid your bills put the invoice and anything else that came in the envelope back in the envelope. My checks come with a carbon copy and so I save this in here which has the date and amount. I have an accordion folder and I keep all of my bills in here. 
  
• Savings: As you do your bills, think about a savings account as another bill. When you pay your bills, transfer a set amount of money (maybe just $50 or $100 a month) and put it away for unplanned things, such as a car accident or medical bills. If you can't do this, get a credit card just for these. You will have to pay interest, but you won't have to worry about being indebted to someone else, just a credit card company! But don't keep this card in your wallet. Hide it, and only take it out if you have an EMERGENCY! (And a $500 dress on sale for $300 is not an emergency)

Appointments

Most people who live with their parents, have the luxury of simply being told when a doctors appointment is, not having to actually call the doctor, and remember a doctors appointment is coming up.

• Appointment book! Make sure you buy an appointment book, or use your phone to consolidate. Write down all of your appointments! Your work appointments, your friends appointments, your doctors appointments. Anything you say you will do needs to be official. It will help you remember appointments, and also look forward to fun appointments.
• Here is a list of when you should visit your doctors:
• Dentist: every 6 months
• General practitioner:  once a year
• Gyno: once a year
• These do not count if you have a special condition. Ask your doctor (or your parents who have been scheduling these appoints) and write these down as well.
• Also, if you get sick and don't get better, go to a doctor. If it is just a sore throat that won't go away after a week or more, go to urgent care. If it doesn't go away after you see urgent care, or if you have more serious symptoms, go to your general practitioner. Don't run to the doctor everytime you get sick. Most things can be fought if you give it a few days, just manage the symptoms with meds when you need them. Also, health insurance goes up the more you go to the doctor. 
• I would suggest writing down the date of each of your last visits, and the approximate date of your next visit, or else schedule it in advance. Write this down in your planner, or post it on a bulletin board at your desk.

Don't only write down your work and doctors appointments, write down everything! Write down your fun appointments with friends and significant others, it will give you something to look forward to. 

• Friends: Make sure you see at least one friend a week. In the beginning of the week schedule this day so that you will have something to look forward to. But as the new person at your job, you are often very busy. But make sure you make time each week to see a friend. If you are tired, simply sit around and watch tv with them. Or go to a bar. But make sure you write this down in your planner to make it just as official as work. And don't let anything else come in the way (although things do happen).
• Love life: Just like your friends, make at least one day a week for your significant other, or a potential significant other. Even if you have been dating someone and are past the honeymoon stage, make at least one day a week to spend alone in or out doing something special. Make this day just as official by writing it in your schedule. 
• Home life: Spend everyday cleaning a little bit. I have written a previous blog about keeping your apartment clean called How to Clean. Basically, you need to clean as you go. And spend a little time each day doing detailed cleaning. For instance, clean your counter each time you cook, but also run in and spend five minutes on the toilet on Mondays, then five minutes on the shower on Tuesdays... 
• Pets: I don't have a pet, because I can barely take care of myself, but I grew up with a dog, so I may be able to give a little advice. Make time for your pet each day. Write down everything that needs to be done (feedings, walks, potty breaks) and write down a time for each (with breakfast, after work...) Then, when you are winding down in the evening, or getting ready in the morning, sit down with your pet and pet it as you pick out your clothes. Talk to it as you brush your teeth or shower. Give it treats as you cook. 

Organization is the key to getting everything done. In order to pay your bills you have to have a set way of doing it. You have to know where your bills go, when they are due, and a guesstimate of how much they will be. You also need to write down every appointment you have, not only work but also friends. 

Having Fun on a budget

Almost everyone just out of college are living paycheck to paycheck, without much room for error. Especially in the days before the next paycheck, many early 20somethings are hoping to have enough for food, not really thinking about entertainment. You need to spend as much time as you can through the month on free activities, in order to have more at the end of the month. Here are some ideas that may allow for some fun to be had throughout the month. 

• Free concerts. Many cities have concerts by lesser known bands throughout the summer months, that cost no money. They are often sponsored by beer companies, and so overpriced beer will be sold.
  
• Drink beer! Beer is much less expensive than mixed drinks. My bartab is usually around 20 with tip (but I am about 110 lb and I only go out 1 every week or every 2 weeks). I would suggest pregaming at home, and then going out and drinking beer to maintain your buzz. Maybe a shot. Also, think about if you want to use cash or a tab. With cash you can keep an eye on your money easier. With a tab, you usually only tip once. Also, go to bars without a cover charge. 
  
• Book club! Do any of you or any of your friends like to read? A book club doesn't have to be about insightful books. You can read the latest Nicholas Sparks and similar books. Then get together once a month to talk about the books and anything else on your mind. These events will keep you busy reading, and will give you something to do one night a month. Mine is potluck. The person holding it makes the main dish, and everyone else brings the sides. 
• Pamper yourself, yourself! Target, and many other similar stores, have items that allow you to give yourself an at home spa day. You can give yourself a facial, or a foot scrub and pedicure. If you are addicted to having great looking nails, think about how much you spend. If you get an $8 manicure every week, think about what you can do to do it yourself. If you get acrylics or silk wraps, think about how many times a week you get a fill, and how much it costs. I can tell you that I used to get acrylics. I had to get a fill at $25 each every other week. Now I have gels, that are $35 a fill, and I get them about once a month. Also, keep them short, this will reduce the chances of them breaking. Also, if you get your eyebrows down at every sign of a new hair, don't do this! Only get them done professionally once a month. Touch up the main areas (don't get too close to what you want to keep to avoid over plucking) and then after about a month, your eyebrows will start looking nasty, so get them done professionally
• Rent a tv series! Use netflix or the blockbuster mailing service. With these you can pay a small amount and have a number of movies out at a time, but rent as many as you can through the month. With this you can watch an entire series of a show, which could take up several evenings a week. You may feel like a hobbit doing this, so try doing this with a group of friends. 
• Potluck dinners! If you meet up with a group of girlfriends for a meal every week or month, consider doing it potluck. This can be any meal, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. Choose someone's house to host and this person can make the main dish, and everyone else can bring a side. Choose a theme each week, Mexican, Italian... And don't forget the drinks!