Pinching pennies is a common practice for today’s college grad, so when we found the Tightwad Blog, we simply had to share. The blog is an everyday read for girls out on their own looking to reduce weekly expenses when it comes to groceries, shopping, decorating, and even gift ideas.

Living on less doesn’t mean you have to live any less fabulously. Check out some of our favorite tips via Tightwad, and see if you can’t apply these simple tricks to life after college.

Tricks to Saving Big on Beauty

Tightwad recognizes many women will gladly splurge when it comes to makeup. Luckily, there are ways to make your favorite MAC products last. “Try mixing your foundation with a dab of lotion,” says Tightwad. “Put about half the amount of foundation that you’d normally use on your finger. Before applying it to your face, add a pea-size amount of face lotion to it and mix them together.”

Eyeliner can be another money-suck, so according to Tightwad, try investing in an angle brush and dip eye shadow in a bit of water to create the same look.

Ways to Look Chic on the Cheap

We love a good find when it comes to stylish clothing (Plus, the more clothes you have, the less times per month you have to do laundry—a tip that’s completely rational in our minds!). Tightwad outlines a bunch of great ways to look stylish on a budget, and since some of us are full-time working girls, we're in heaven.

Tightwad suggests to actually pay more per item; even though a high-quality shirt may be more expensive, it will last longer. Thrift stores are a given, and they’re also a great way to test out this season’s trends at lower price points. A personal favorite trend to test via your favorite Goodwill? Midi-skirts!

Tightwad also says to look for multi-purpose clothing that can be mixed and matched, and swap clothes with friends. If you live in or near a city, look for monthly swap exchanges. Boston, for example, hosts events where girls pay $15 to attend, bring a bag of clothing, and leave with another bag of great new finds by the end of the night.

Five Ways to Save: Everyday

“You can save money everyday on little things that you may not realize can make a big change on your bottom line,” says Tightwad, and all you Starbucks addicts out there know exactly what we’re talking about. Little, daily expenses add up, but Tightwad outlines simple ways to cut everyday costs.

To begin, try brewing your own coffee and bring your lunch to work. With news becoming more instant online, do away with subscriptions and check out CNN instead. The same can be said for your favorite magazines.

Have you not been to the library since you were in high school? Take a trip back! “Reintroduce yourself to your library card and skip the video store,” says Tightwad. “Your local library stocks a lot of things to keep you entertained and informed for free.” Another tip from us? If you’re a die-hard movie fan, think about subscribing to Netflix. For $10 a month, you get access to movies that stream instantly along with some of your favorite TV shows.

Michelle McNickle | Image: Source | Sources: Tightwad Blog