With the holiday's coming to an end and the New Year about to begin, I feel like everyone is trying to get their life together; especially their finances. A few months I wanted to cut back on a few unnecessary habits that were burning a hole in my pocketbook. I also knew I wasn't being resourceful when it came to coupons. Below are a few helpful tips that have been successful for me when trying to save money!

1. Manicures

This one is hard for me to type let alone carry out but in the beginning of the school semester I stopped getting my nails done every two weeks. Getting a pedicure and a gel manicure was costing me almost $90 dollars every 14 days. That's a $180 "bill" every month. I went back to school full-time and now only teach THREE Pure Barre classes a week. I luckily don't have any finical obligations (ex. car note, phone bill, etc.) but I knew I couldn't continue with my lifestyle especially if I only wanted to work THREE hours a week. As of now I'm only getting a pedicure once a month and a polish change every other visit. I can handle not having polish on my nails but couldn't cave when it came to my feet. My fingers nails are just kept unpolished unless I get a gift card which comes more often than you think! It's been surprisingly easy to stick to.

2. Convenience Food

Specifically coffee. I was spending anywhere from $30-$70 a week at Starbucks. This habit could not continue if I wanted to go back to school full-time. I found a grocery store cold brew that I liked, figured out what I wanted to add to it, and started seeing a whole lot more money in my checking account at the end of each month. This was by far the most helpful when trying to save money! Also know your habits. Drinking out of a straw is a MUST for me so I had to purchase reusable straws so that this learned habit would stick!

3. Bottled Water

I started buying water by the gallon instead of in small bottles or through retail. I will admit that I do not drink tap water because I live in New Orleans but luckily a gallon of water is only $0.97 cents at Walmart. Before hand I was buying a bottle of water for an entire dollar anytime I walked into work (and I use to work a lot more than just three hours a week).

4. Coupons

Clip your coupons! I JUST bought a 13 lb bag of dog food for only $0.49 cents at Petco. I got to apply two separate coupons and had $10 dollars worth of rewards. If you tend to forget about which coupons you have and when they expire, save them in your notes. Keep them neatly tucked away in your wallet and remember to toss them out if they've expired.

5. Only buy what you LOVE and what's on SALE.

I no longer buy anything that's not on SALE. It's totally possible to find what you need on SALE or with a promo code. Makeup, hair tools (curling iron), clothes, shoes, and household accessories, etc. etc. Where there's a will, there's a way! When buying clothes you should absolutely LOVE your purchase so much that you want to wear it again. Crazy, right?! If you truly love your style and the clothes your buying, then you should want to keep them close by. If not, toss all the extra out (aka sell)!

I can't believe Christmas is less than two weeks away! I swear I remember 4th of July like it was yesterday. It's funny how quickly time passes the older you get. You really have to make a conscious effort to LIVE out each day and do things you truly enjoy. Wrapping Christmas presents is probably one of my favorite past times. It's unfortunate for me that it only comes once a year but it's something I truly enjoy and don't mind doing. If you think customizing your wrapping is costly or tedious you're luckily mistaken.

For starters I try to stick to a neutral roll of paper and always have Walmart's craft paper on hand for under $5 dollars. They carry several different brands but they all serve the same purpose. T.J.maxx carries a wide variety of ribbons, lace, and unique 'toppings' I usually add to the top of my Christmas gifts. This year I got both the mini Christmas trees and pinecones from Walmart. The mini Christmas trees were only $74 cents a piece and the pinecones were nine for a dollar. My red ribbon came from T.J.maxx and each roll was $6.99. Since my gift boxes are solid white I try to make sure my tissue paper is a fun print. If craft paper isn't your jam you can still add pinecones, velvet ribbon, and dried berries to the top of your gifts.

This year I wrapped all of my boxes in craft paper, tied red ribbon around each gift 3 times, and either tied pinecones to the ribbon OR wrapped the ribbon right over each mini Christmas tree. If you want to take it a step further you can always use a glue stick to hold down the folded edges or use double stick tape on the inside of your corners. Fancy, right?! I didn't do that this year because I have a puppy who seems to get into everything but knowing myself I'll probably go back and fix it before Christmas (which is annoying)! You can always add mini wreaths, small trumpets, music notes, jingle bells, or mini ornaments to any of your holiday gifts.

If you have questions or still feel stuck trying to spruce up your Christmas wrapping, leave a comment below. Happy Holiday's and Merry Christmas!

Now that Christmas is less than a month away everyone seems to be pin pointing their New Years resolutions. My advice is to start NOW rather than later, especially if yours is fitness related. Getting a jump start will definitely make the holiday's more enjoyable. Working out doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. All you really need is yourself but if you can pick up an inexpensive kettlebell, this workout can be done anytime, anywhere! Leave a comment if you have a question or if you would like to see more at-home workouts.

 1. Sumo Squats: Holding the kettlebell close to your chest, squat down with your toes turned out. 30 reps.

4. Incline Pushups: Keeping one hand on the kettlebell begin to pushup. 15 reps each side.

5. Figure 8's: Swinging the kettlebell through and around your legs creating an imaginery figure 8. 15 reps each side.

6. Upright Row: Holding the kettlebell with both hands start to bring the weight up to shoulder height. 30 reps.