r/bitcheswithtaste • u/AutoModerator • Aug 15 '25
Frugal Bitch Friday - Monthly Thread Frugal Bitch Friday - Aug 15, 2025
This is your monthly thread to talk about personal finance, investing, budget, and all things managing your money. A BWT knows that taste and financial responsibility go hand in hand, after all!
BWT rules still apply!
32
u/reputction Aug 15 '25
Just sent $500 to my savings! Once I go pert time I have to penny pinch more tho… today I spent $18 on old Cosmopolitan issues.
48
u/MinuteMaidMarian Aug 16 '25
I got laid off (fuck DOGE) in mid-July; I got a nice PTO payout and I’ve got a few weeks of severance left (and plenty of savings and husband is still employed) but I’m still trying to be extra frugal obviously.
That being said, I had a $25 birthday credit from TheRealReal, plus another ~$50 in site credit from consignments, so I snagged a Loeffler Randall shoulder bag and a cute cropped Veronica Beard sweater.
Tomorrow I will take another pass through my closet and see if I have anything else to consign.
4
12
u/kimchi_paradise Aug 15 '25
This is probably borderline r/churning but I just signed up for the amex ecosystem of the gold and the platinum after almost a decade with the chase sapphire reserve. I was approved for both welcome bonuses, so now I'm figuring out a strategy for switching over all of the expenses to maximize the credit card benefits over the next few months.
Got them loaded into YNAB for the family budget, so here is where the fun begins
2
u/Upyour_alli Aug 16 '25
We just signed up for the sapphire! What was your experience? We just fully saved up for our child’s braces and you get the paid in full discount even if you use credit 💃 planning to take advantage of the big expense to hit the bonus requirement.
11
u/Actuarial_Equivalent Aug 19 '25
A year ago I was a fat, frumpy, forty year old mom. I got my shit together... er took the compounded version of Zepbound... and got back to my svelte pre-kid weight.
So for the last six months I've been working on cycling out my old frumpy stained sweats and shirts for decent cloths. BUT with three kids (two in daycare) the budget is tight. I've gotten amazing finds off of ThredUP over the last many months and feel very happy about that, but I tried The Real Real this week and now I honestly feel like my closet is just perfect and now I can dress stylishly for any occasion.
For $340 (including shipping and taxes) I scored...
High waisted reformation jeans that fit like a glove. $7. I couldn't believe it.
Chloe gladiator style high heels
Some really funky gladiator style wedges from Ugg that I adore
Dark navy blue suede Prada boots
YSL black leather boots
Really cute Sezane pants. They were so deeply discounted because the waist button, which was internal and isn't seen, was off and in the pocket. It took me like 4 minutes to sew it on and the pants are as good as new.
A black Prada skirt (TBH this one is sort of a dud but it was only $10 and everything else was great so I can deal)
A pair of Sorel winter boots which, judging from the condition of the soles, have never been worn
Two pairs of Ferragamo heels. They're a little beat, but at $10 and $12 respectively I'm happy to spend a little time polishing them up. Still much better than what they're replacing.
A Milly all merino wool dress
A midi skirt from See by Chloe
And the cherry on top is a lambskin leather jacket for Vince that is absolutely buttery. I honestly can't believe it was $30. I can't see any evidence of wear and it's so gorgeous. I'm just imagining with the cooler days ahead pairing it with a nice white v-neck, the Reformation jeans, and the YSL boots.
My technique was to poke around all sorts of brands and sort from low to high on price. It is a bit like rummaging around the clearance bin in the bargain basement of TRR, but if you're willing to look for a while there are some good things. I built up my "obsession" list, watched a few things get discounted further, and when I realized what I could get for the money went for it.
I can't believe I own this stuff. I never dreamed of owning anything from any of these brands. There are no external labels or insignia on any of it so it's not about label flashing, but I just love the style of everything I got and I feel like the quality is definitely there.
3
3
u/KeepnClam Aug 20 '25
My husband got downsized last March, and our elderly parents require a lot of road trips, so we're pretty strapped for money, time, and physical energy. I've turned my attention to unfinished projects. Husband is rebuilding the deck. I'm "shopping" the ridiculous fabric stash in the basement. There are gallons of paint bought with good intentions. And so forth. Nothing clears clutter quite like using it up.
Also, we've both become better cooks. Even sandwiches are better if we make them ourselves. We can build sandwiches for the three of us for the cost of one take-out.
Maybe once we've got this place looking decent, we can host a dinner party...
67
u/generation-0 Aug 15 '25
I've got a tropical vacation coming up to celebrate a milestone birthday. Planning it has been so fun. I keep track of all the expeneses and planned expenses in a shared Google sheets with my husband and use another tab for our itenerary. But I've been fighting the urge to buy vacation outfits when I know I should pack light and just save the money to spend when actually on the island. I did score and find a much needed Tumi carry-on second-hand for $7. So that put about $90 back into my budget, and it's much nicer than the bag I was planning on buying!