The Rachel Cruze Show - How to Shop on a Small Budget with Alison Lumbatis

Episode Date: September 13, 2021

Some areas of life are stressful—but shopping shouldn’t be one of them. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Save big at Target. Up your fashion game on a budget (with Alison Lumbatis). Enjoy your money guilt-free after a season of cutting back. Find me on Instagram bit.ly/3h7wwPi Join my Official Rachel Cruze Community bit.ly/38LbX6D   Connect: Alison @_getyourprettyon bit.ly/3BOuf3b  Resources: EveryDollar: bit.ly/3A45Be4 Here’s another episode with apps that will help you save big! bit.ly/3haWYHv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've got to clean your closet out. And you have to know what you have to know what you need because most of us only wear 20% of what's in our closet at any given time. I hate to sales. I think that's probably true. It is. You go back to the same pieces. You do like this is what I love.

Hey everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Rachel Cruz Show podcast. I'm so glad that you're here. All right, this episode, we're going to talk about all things shopping and giving yourself permission to spend, but at the right time. So many people get far down in the baby steps, and that means you can actually enjoy your money and you can spend it, and that is not a bad thing. So I'll be interviewing Allison Labattis, who is an author and fashion guru on how to dress for less. And I'm also going to take a question from Stephanie, who's on Baby Step 7, and she wants to know how she can enjoy spending again.

But first, let's talk about the store that we all know and love, targets. and here are 20 ways to save at Target. Take a listen. All right, today's episode, we're going to dive into, gosh, people may say heaven on earth. That's how I would describe it. Target. Oh, yeah.

So we're going to break down 20 ways to save money at Target. You're welcome. All right. First up, pick your day. So here's what's interesting. Target marks down certain departments on specific days for clearance. So you need to know the schedule ahead of time to know where to get the best deals. So the target schedule includes, we'll start with Monday. Ready? Electronics, accessories,

kids clothing, absolutely. Books. Thank you. Baby stuff and stationary. So if it's Monday, be thinking about those six things because that's when they mark it down for clearance. Tuesday, domestic goods, women's clothing. I'll take that. Pet stuff. food items. And then you move on to Wednesday, which is men's clothing, health and beauty, diapers, lawn and garden, and furniture. And then Thursday, houseware, lingerie, shoes, toys, sporting goods, decor and luggage. And then we'll top it off with Friday. Are you ready? Are you ready? Auto, cosmetics, hardware, and jewelry. And that fascinating. Each day, you got to know. So, If you're like, man, I really want that sweater, if you just wait, wait till the day it's marked down, and then you know, it's amazing.

Know that schedule. All right, number two, check for price adjustments. So if an item you bought goes on sale within 14 days at the purchase, all you have to do is bring back your receipt, and Target will adjust the price for you. This is a Sharon Ramsey special. Growing up, you guys, she saved every receipt, every receipt. So this was like in the Castner-Nought days, anyone? Castner-Nots? Anyone? It's a Southern Department store. Anyone remember that? Oh, man. She'd have those receipts.

I mean, all the receipts. If we saw it on stage, she was like, she has her receipt. She goes out to the cashier and they gave her cash. It was crazy. So that's what happened, you guys. Uh-huh. No, some exclusions may apply, but make sure you read Target's policy before you request the price adjustment. But you guys, just get cash back. It's crazy. Number three, a price match. So Target will do low-price match with some online and local retailers. including Amazon. That's right. Number four, know the clearance codes. So clearance items are some of the best deals at targets, and they get cheaper and cheaper as time goes on. So items can be marked down all the way to 70% off. And if you're on the hunt for clearance, they should mark them down in a red or yellow sticker. So make sure you look in the top corner of the tag and you'll be able to see that color. And if the price ends in 0.04, like 4 cents, it usually means it will not be.

it any cheaper. Number five, shop for holidays, early or late. So obviously this applies to Target and beyond. But for specifically Target, here's the holiday clearance schedule. So the first day after a holiday, non-food items are marked down 50%, and food and candy are marked down 30%. Four days after the holiday, it goes on even more. So non-food items are marked down 70% and food and candy are marked 50% off. On the seventh day, a week after the holiday, food and candy hits 70% off. Number six, check the dollar section. I mean, this is the tricky one, right? You're walking right in the Target, and you're like, whoa, what's this little aisle over here?

It's like a dollar. But then they sneak in like a $5 thing sometimes, even $8. So you got to watch it. Okay, you got to be careful. But there is some really good stuff. There's just a lot of crap in there, but there's also some great stuff, like thank you cards, gift bags, little kid toys, all of that. So make sure you watch it because you can justify a dollar very easily. It's like, oh, it's just a dollar, just dollar.

You look up, you're like, I've spent $100 in the dollar section. So make sure you watch that. Number seven, stack coupons using the Target Circle app. I love this app so much. So this has great coupons and coupon codes. And remember George Camel was on when he told us about all the money hacks. Yeah, well, this is the same thing. So you can sort by discount and see what discount is best for you.

Number eight, use Target's registries. Yep. So if you're engaged, getting married, maybe you're going to have a baby soon, all the things. Registries can really help you save money, especially on big-to-get items. What's beautiful is the things that don't come off the registry, Target will give you 15% off each item. So you stack that 15% deal with the 5% red card, the debit card, not credit card people, together. And then if you cartwheel discounts that they have on the app, I mean, you can say, save so much money doing that. So thank you, registries. Thank you. Number nine, use your own bag, and Target will give you a five cent discount upon checkout. Probably won't change your life,

but hey, you're saving money, right? Number 10, shop online. Okay, with this, you need to know yourself. Some of you actually save money by shopping online because you're very disciplined, and you know exactly what's going on and you have this like online conviction, and you have this like online conviction and your spirit. And when you get to check out and it's above the budget, you're like, no, no, no, no. And you're able to organize and you're like, I save so much money this way because I'm so in control. Some of you are like that. And that's wonderful. Others of you, not so much. You actually end up spending more when you shop online. That's kind of me, you guys. I can go crazy. I can. I'm like, oh, this is cute. This is good. This is good. And sometimes with Target,

things that are online are not always in the store. So I feel the need that like I kind of get it, right? So I do have to watch myself and know, okay, I can just browse mindlessly down here, you know, just for entertainment. And then I look up and I'm like, oh, there's so much in my cart. I need to just sleep on it, right? So again, online shopping can save you money because, again, you're not just walking through the store mindlessly shopping the aisles, but you can easily spend more too. So just make sure you watch out. Number 11, use other money saving apps. So we talked about honey. Remember when George was on too? So this is a great one because it will show you in your browser any promo codes that apply to your purchase, and then you can do it on

Target.com and look to see, okay, yeah, you can get some discounts that way. Number 12, you don't need to buy two of something in order to reap the benefits of the two for X deal. So this is awesome. So Target will label something. Okay, yeah, you get two for X amount of dollars, but sometimes you don't have to buy two of that to get the lower price. I learned this with grocery shopping too. If it's like, buy one, get one free. If you just buy one, they'll actually mark it down to like 50% off. And Target can be the same. So just by sticking with one item, it's going to mark it down and you truly will save money. Number 13, shop for toys after Christmas. So Target does a semi-annual toy sale in January and July. So you can strategically think, yeah, we're going to

for our kids. Christmas for next year coming up. We have friends that will probably have babies, like be thinking about other stuff in life, and then you can go and buy a bunch of stuff that's discounted, and you have it there. So when you need a present, you just get it out of your closet. It's brilliant. Number 14, sign up for the Target Red Card. The debit card. Yes, it's a debit card, a full-blown debit card. You get 5% back on every purchase. Isn't that amazing? I love mine. I mean, I was so paranoid when I signed up for it a few years ago. I kept saying, like, this is not a credit card, right? This is not a credit card, right? This is not a credit card. Like, How does it, like, he was like, no, it literally connects to your bank account.

Like it takes money out. I was like, so like a debit card. He's like, yeah, like a debit card. I said, not a credit card. He said it's not a credit card. I was like, okay, it can't be a credit card. It needs to be a debit card. And it is.

It's a debit card. That's what it is. And it's amazing. So you get 5% back. And here's the best part. When you're in Target shopping, you get 5% off at your Starbucks that's in there too. Who knew? It's amazing.

Now again, you got to be careful because you're thinking, oh, I'm saving money. So then you could end up spending more money. So got to watch that because remember, cash will always be better than any plastic, which brings me to number 15. Use cash. So studies do show always. This has been like this for decades, you guys. When you spend with cash, you spend less because what it does, it triggers your brain and the pain centers of your brain light up when you spend with cash. Probably for multiple reasons.

I mean, one, it's visual. You see it. Number two, like there's an exchange that happens. So when you spend with cash, you have to hand something over. to get something back, right? Like, all this stuff happens when you use cash. So those of you that are early on in the budget process, or maybe you're in baby steps like one through three, use cash.

Okay, so this will always save you money at Target and other places. It's amazing. Now, if you can't use cash, obviously a debit card is going to be your next best bet. Number 16, purchase gift cards with your red card and get the gift cards 5% off. Just as an example, if you're going on a Disney vacation, You can get Disney gift cards at Target for cheaper because you get that 5% savings, and then you can book your trip with that gift card. Number 17, don't forget about returning items you don't use.

So you can return anything at Target up to 90 days. So do not forget that, yeah, maybe you thought you were going to wear this thing or use this thing in your kitchen and it's just sitting there, the price I still on it. If you're not using it, take it back. Get your money back. Number 18. Exchange use electronics for $1,000. Target gift cards.

Okay, I didn't realize this. But this is the thing. So check online first at Target to make sure all this applies to you. But you can actually ship in used Fitbits, Kindles, iPhones, all of this for an exchange for a Target gift card, which is just crazy. So you may get a better deal like on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. So do some research before you do it. But if you look it up your item online and you're like, yeah, you get the quote and you like

and they're going to send you a prepaid shipping label for free, so you don't have to haul your stuff to the stores. Put in the mail and there it goes, and then you get a Target gift card. I love it. Number 19, use discipline. Yes. Guys, listen, Target, it will steal from you.

It will take your money before you realize it. So you really do. You got to be disciplined. You got to know your budget. You got to know what's going on. And if you're going in there for retail therapy, because you're like, oh, I just need to get away from the kids. It's like, oh, well, listen, no, don't go to Target because you're going to spend so much money.

So short-term happiness in that moment where you're thinking, oh, I want some new makeup or I'm going to buy some new clothes or whatever. Yeah, it's going to feel good in the moment, but it's really not going to give you a long-lasting piece. Okay, so remember that. Don't go there for retail therapy. And number 20 is advice from you guys. So the official Rachel Cruz community on Facebook, you guys post so much about how you save money at Target. in so many other places. But I love it because it just shows discipline.

Like we were just talking about that. Okay, so for instance, Morgan was having a rough day. And she just felt better by buying the sweater. And then she looked at her budget and she said, no, she put the sweater back. Good job, Morgan. Amber put more stuff back on the shelf. And she kept in her carts because she was on Baby Step 3, which is her fully funded emergency fund.

Amber, I love the discipline. Jessica is watching her spending and she only spent. Get this, you guys. $5.11.11 at Target in the last two weeks. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. So, yes, like many of us, Target is a passion. We love Target. It's like a one-stop shop. It's wonderful, but we can all benefit from saving some money from there, right? It's very important. So, listen, you guys, if you truly want to be in control of your money at Target and everywhere else, Ramsey Plus will help you get out of debt and save faster than you think. That's

because Ramsey Plus has unlimited access to our flagship course, which is Financial Peace University. So this is our step-by-step plan that teaches you how to save and spend wisely and pay off your debt. So start a free trial today. Just text Rachel Plus to 337, 8, 9. So you guys, Target, again, heaven on earth. We love it, love it, love it, but we have to be disciplined, we have to be in control. And having all these money saving hacks helps us. Every little bit helps when you can just apply some stuff, save money over the long haul. It does amazing things to not just your bank account, but also your soul. Now listen, me and my team, those are the lists we came up with, right? 20 pretty great ones, but I want to hear from you. Do you know other ways to save a

target? Selfishly, I want to know. So again, let me know because it's all about saving money, you guys. This is a big part of our financial journey to be wise with the money that we have. Today we're going to talk about, let's say one of my love languages, clothes. So I brought Alison Labattis on and she is the founder of Get Your Pretty On and her new book, The Ultimate Book of Outfit Formulas, is out. So congratulations. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thanks for being here. Thank you for having me. Okay. So we're chatting about clothes fashion because it's something that a lot of people will spend money on. Some people don't feel like they have a big budget. to spend money on. And so it's always this like hard give and take, right, of our money and our clothes. Do you find that a lot, that tension with a lot of people? Absolutely. Yes. And I think that

a lot of it is us just giving ourselves permission to buy, as moms especially, just permission to take a little bit of the family budget and say, this is reserved for me. And I'm going to go ahead and get some clothes that make me feel amazing. Yes. It is true because how you feel represent so much of your life, right? I mean, there's an element of that that is so true. So, So people watching, they say, okay, Alison, that's great. But our family budget is like, we don't have a lot. What are some tips that people can work with when they go into their closets? Like, what can you say to help them get that formula, that outfit formula, right, that your book's about?

How can they do that with what's just in their closet now? Well, I have a trick I'm going to share with you. But first off, I'm going to say that most of us actually have more functional wardroops than we even realize. I mean, I think it's that old adage, I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, right? Yes, totally, yes, yes. Completely unpopular opinion. I'm going to just acknowledge that right now, but you've got to clean your closet out. And you have to know what you have to know what you need because most of us only wear 20% of what's in our closet at any given time.

I hate to say awesome. I think that's probably true. It is. You go back to the same pieces because you're like, this is what I love. Yes. Okay, that's a great point. And if you take everything else out, then, you know, that decision fatigue of walking in there and seeing everything all at once is taken away. You see your 20% and then you can truly assess, take an inventory and know what do I need, what guys?

so I need to fill in in my wardrobe. And then you're armed with that list of things when you walk into the store. You're not overwhelmed. You're not going to make those impulse buys. But many of us don't even have to buy anything. If you do this and you have that 20%, you can look at those pieces and say, are there any classic basic items in here? Things that I can pair up in multiple ways, things that I can wear over and over.

And here's the trick. So if you have a favorite pair of jeans, which most of us do. Yes. So we're going to start with anything on our lower half. There's five variables of an outfit formula. Your bottoms. Okay. Your tops.

Okay. Yes. Your topers, which are going to be your jackets. The layer. I've learned about this. Yes. Your shoes and your accessories. Yes.

So I recommend starting with your bottoms, with your favorite pair of jeans, and then start pairing them up with multiple items in your closet. So you're going to pull out a top, then add a to topor, then add some shoes, and then you can add the accessories if you want to now or you can wait until later. Yeah. But when you have that pairing, take your phone, snap a pick of it, and then move on to the next pairing with that same pair of pants. And keep doing this until you've exhausted.

options in your closet. And what this is going to do is, number one, it's going to show you. You have multiple ways of pairing up what you already have. And number two, you're going to have all those pictures on your phone, and you can pull it up in the morning, walk in your closet and know exactly what you're wearing every day. It feels like clueless. That maybe because she had her screen or her computer and you're like, yes, this is exact. I want that. Okay, so I want to go back to what you said at the beginning because I think this is really important. So the minimalists, they're some of my favorite guests that have on the show because that idea of just limiting that fatigue, you're putting extra energy into

something in your life that is unnecessary. You can actually remove things. It feels like a weight is lifted off. And I'm guilty of this. I have probably two things. I should have brought them just to prove the point. But I have two things in my closet right now I can think about that are probably 11 years old. And the word tired, I've heard, oh, it's tired. Yeah, they're tired. But I remembered when I bought them and they were expensive at the time. I spent my, I remember it was like this big deal. And I'm like, I just can't let it go. I haven't worn it in years, in years. So it's stuff like that for me that I know is there. And I'm like, Rachel, just get rid of it. Just stop. It's fine. Why are you hanging on to it? Because when I walk in, I can actually see,

okay, here's what I actually like and put your energy towards those things versus the things that you're just trying to weed out. Definitely. And I think a lot of us have emotional baggage around the things in our closets. They either represent a time in our lives where we, you know, it was a different memory or a different time or a different size or whatever and we keep all of that stuff in there but it's really not serving us in our everyday life and it's okay if you want to keep it out stash it somewhere else yep you don't have to you know keep it in your closet that's the point is just have those few pieces in there that you're wearing that's all you're wearing anyway let's be on this yes absolutely absolutely it's so true it's so true okay so people that actually

have a little bit of money to spend when it comes to clothes like okay I want to like go about this, but do it in a wise way, something that, again, you're not just filling your closet with a bunch of stuff you will never wear. Where are some tips for that? Like when you go shopping, what are some things? Okay, I have the money. Like, how can I do this wisely? So I love to calculate a cost per wear basis on everything that I buy. Okay. And I'll give you an example of this. A few back, I was buying a handbag every season. I'm going to like, oh, I want this cute purse, because it's this color, is this no, you know, this new seasonal trend or whatever. And I was doing that like four times a year and I would carry it for three months, get sick of it, move on.

And so I sat down and I thought, well, if I invested in a higher quality bag that I was going to carry over the course of, say, two years, calculate out that cost per use basis on that bag, it was actually a better value than those seasonal bags that I wasn't really spending a whole lot of money on. So I really love to do this exercise with so many things that I buy. Handbags are a great investment. Don't confuse name brands with quality because it's not always synonymous. So you can get a great leather tote that's going to hold up for a long time. time, it doesn't necessarily have to be a name brand, but just look for good quality. Outerware is another place that you can absolutely spend money because these are things,

your coats you're going to wear season after season, year after year. You're going to get a lot of use out of those on a cost per wear basis. Another place that you're going to want to put your money is shoes. Yes. Yay! Yes. Good shoes. Shoes is the love language. So, yeah, invest in good quality shoes, too, that are going to hold up, that are going to be comfortable, stand the test of time. They're going to wear for probably a few years. Yes. Nits are a number. another good place to invest. Nobody likes a cheap scratchy sweater. Nobody likes that. But, yeah, a good quality knit. It's going to hold up really, really well, and it's going to be a nice comfortable fabric, too. And then I always put jeans on this list, but jeans aren't necessarily

something you have to invest a lot of money in because denim, quality and cost are not always correlated with denim. You can find nice quality jeans that may not be all that expensive, but the place you're going to want to invest is buy multiple washes in that gene. If you find a pair of jeans at fits you perfectly, go ahead and buy all the washes in those jeans, you will thank yourself later. Yes, because you know it fits. Yes. You know it's great.

You're like, oh, I love it. Okay, so those are great things to splurge on, but you're like, yes, my investment pieces. Now, what are things that you're like, nope, don't sporge on it, but if you have a little cash, it's fun just to buy that you can change out kind of season to season. Hands down accessories. Accessories, they're like the spice on the outfit, you know? And they really just refresh your basics. You know, you can buy some new seasonal trends, accessories.

every single season, and it's not going to break the bank. It's just a quick and easy way that you can just add a little bit of something to your outfits. So that's a great area. Another one is the seasonal trends. So the things that aren't going to stay in style year after year, season after season, take a little bit of money and add a new color to your wardrobe, add a new pattern or a new style, something that may not have that longevity, but you're not going to feel like, you know,

you're wasting money because it's not going to be that expensive. Yes, that's right. And there's certain stores that lend to that, right, that are more inexpensive. that you're like, okay, these are super trendy, and I can go in. You know, I'm thinking about like your H&Ms or your, you know what I mean? Like things like that that you're like, yeah, I'm not going to spend a ton on. But I can go and, yeah, just spend a little bit and get something kind of fun. But if it goes away next year, it's not the end of the world.

No big deal. Exactly. And sometimes those trends stay in style longer. And if they do, then that's a good opportunity for you to upgrade the trend. A few years back, I bought a pair of leopard flats. And I was like, oh, leopard's having a moment right now. And then leopard has continued having a moment. So I wore out those flats.

And I invested in a bit. better quality of leopard flats that have held up for the past, you know, three to four years. So it's okay to upgrade that trend later on if it sticks around. Okay, that's so good. Back to the shoes, right? Yes. Always, always the shoes, Alice, always the shoes. Okay, what are like just some dues and don'ts of clothes when you look at people and you're like, oh, don't do that. And then some, you're like, yes, keep doing that. Like the layering. I love someone who gives them. The layering is amazing. Yes, like makes everything look that much better? It really does. It's It's amazing.

It's called the completer piece when you add that third item on. So the third item is the completer piece. And I know if you live in a hot climate, it's a little bit hard to do that. Yes. I love in Texas. So I love when I can wear my blazers in jackets. And it just feels like I'm wearing a complete outfit. But really, I think that the biggest thing that women need to focus on is finding pieces that fit and flatter your body.

Honestly, that is the key. It's the trick. It's a little bit difficult to figure out. But once you look at your body shape and then look at the pieces that are specifically going to fit and flatter your shape, It just opens up this whole new world of possibility of everything. Okay, so let's go through a couple of body shapes, so I'm thinking about it. Okay, so if someone is like more of the pear-shaped, what are ideal for that body type? I'm a pair.

Okay. Yes, yes. Yes, so with pear shapes, obviously we're going to want to accentuate. We have narrow waist. Yes. And typically we have wider hips. So I try to, you know, I wear high-waste jeans. Things are going to hit at my natural waist.

You're also going to want with a pear-shaped because you're usually big. bigger on bottom and on top, do something that's going to balance out your proportions. So across the top, you know, horizontal stripes are always a good idea. Anything that's going to make your shoulders feel broader, seem broader, anything that's going to draw the eye up. So think V-necks that are going to draw the eye up to the face. Statement necklaces also draw the eye up as do statement earrings. Yes.

So there's these little tips and tricks to kind of like balance the proportions visually where it's not where you're having to think too hard about it, but just accentuating the right spots and drawing the eye to the right areas. I love that. Okay, how about someone shorter and more just petite? Like my sister and my mom, this is how they were built. And Denise, my sister's always complaining because she's like, oh, I can't wear like certain jeans, right? They cut in a certain spot or like, like it just looks, you know, and she's like, oh, it just never looks like good. I'm like, yeah, but it could. I don't know. But like, what are some tips for shorter, more petite people? It's always about elongating if you're a petite. You're going to want

to do things like monochromatic tones, wearing darker colors from your. your waist down, like all the way through your shoes if you're able to, not wearing jeans that cut you off too high on the legs. That's what we're talking about. Yes. Those are typically off limits. You're going to want to look for the longer pants, anything that's going to create a longer silhouette.

Petit ladies look amazing in a bootcut gene with a heel under it because that's going to instantly make the legs look a mile long. Go up. Okay. How about more like the rectangle body shape, right? Not a lot of curves, just kind of that straight rectangle look. Again, it's going to be about. creating the illusion, right? So with a rectangle body shape, you're going to want to create

the illusion that you have the waist that you nip in. So this is a great body shape for wearing a little thin belt around your waist, belting even your cardigans, your dresses. The great thing about rectangles is that they generally are proportionate between their shoulders and hips, so they can get away with a lot of different styles. You can wear sheath dresses and the straight pants and all of those things, but really going to just be about accentuating that waist and creating the illusion of having that little bit of an hourglass curve. Yes, I love that. Because, again, when you're going to invest in something like clothes, right, that we're talking about it,

it's like, yeah, then you want something that's going to fit you, and it's going to make you just feel wonderful. Okay. What are some don'ts? Some don'ts. So I am a rebel when it comes to fashion rules. Okay, okay. I love it. So let's talk about fashion rules a little bit.

Yes. You know, the whole wear white after labor day. We can all do that. Like, we can definitely do that. I wear white jeans year round now. Yes. But I think the biggest question I get asked, honestly, in the space of what are some do's and don'ts with fashion rules, a lot of women come to me and say, I don't know what's age-appropriate

anymore. Oh, that's good. Yep. Yes. And my rule with this is a little bit different, but I like to say don't dress in what feels age-appropriate, dress in what feels you appropriate, meaning does it make you feel stylish? Does it make you feel more confident?

Does it fit and flatter your body? You can ask yourself these questions. And the selfie never lies. So if you ever are... This works for anything. If you're ever curious, does this work for me? Take the selfie, look at the picture, and you should be able to tell from that picture. And if not, then send it to a friend that's going to be direct and brutally honest with you.

There you go. That's it. That's good. That's good. I know, that's what's so hard about now. I'm like, you know, I'll see different trends. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, is that just for a bunch of 16-year-olds? I don't know.

I'm a mom of three. I don't know if that's okay or not. But that's good. Yeah, it's just like whatever works for you. And I think that's a great rule. Okay. Gosh, this is all so good. It is because when we talk about budgeting, specifically clothing, is always in that line item.

And so whether you're buying for your kids or buying for yourself, which I think is an important part of this, to actually, like, feel great. Yeah, you just want to be wise with the money that you have. So these are great tips. Absolutely. So good to help the money, help the dollar go further in the closet. I love it. Alison, thank you so much for being here. And where can everyone find you?

Everyone can find me at get your pretty on.com. Get your pretty on.com. And the book is sold everywhere. Everywhere, you guys. Okay. Make sure to pick it up. this is, I love these kind of topics because I'm like, every day, you know, everyone's got to get dressed. You got to put clothes on to figure out what works for you, what you feel great in. And again,

that's going to help support your budgets. So great. Alison, thanks again. Thanks, Rachel. Now it's time for Ask Rachel. So this is where I get to answer your questions, all of that. And kind of coaching through and talking through your situation is something that I love so much. So today on the episode, I have Stephanie here. Stephanie, welcome to the show. Hi, good morning. Thank you. much for having me. Thank you. I was going to say thank you, Stephanie. I so appreciate you coming on. So tell us a little bit about you, where you're calling from, your kids, where you guys are in your financial journey, kind of all the things. Sure. So my husband and I, we have three kids and we live in the Chicagoland suburbs. And we finished the baby steps quite a few years ago. And my question is

how we can shift from, you know, saving and being a little bit tight with our money, very cautious. and I mean, we still want to tell our money where to go, but how do we switch to spending and enjoying and having peace about spending money? Such a great question. And it's so funny because I talk to so many people that are in baby steps one through three and it's like the grind and they can't wait to be out

because we just want to be able to spend to get and enjoy. And then sometimes when you get to that other side, you're like, wait, how do I do this? What's okay? What's not okay? Because you're so used to those guardrails where now it's a little bit of a wider road. So your question is so normal.

I feel like I've talked to so many people that have this question and kind of this predicament. So tell me this. So you guys are on babysat seven. Yes. Which is pretty amazing. It's been in a couple years and we've been able to invest and that's been really fun. We've always been givers and so we plan to continue to do that.

But when it comes to like the fun stuff, I think the people closest to us would say like we're kind of even though tight with our money are just very careful. And that's not exactly the reputation we want. We see ourselves as generous, but it's almost like when it gets to, to be just like that extra stuff. We don't know what the rules are. Yes. Okay, so tell me this. Number one, I'm not going to worry about your reputation because you guys are great people, I know, and you're super smart. You're on Babysept 7, which is incredible. So congratulations. Not many people can say that. That's huge, absolutely huge. So what are the things that you're saying

no to that you kind of want to start saying yes to? Is it that you go on a trip, but you could say, oh, we could have stayed in a nicer hotel or gone out to eat more or we want a new car? Like, what are the big things that you're thinking through or small things that you just find yourself saying no to where you think, I could probably say yes and be okay? Well, they're big and small. I mean, we have our kids paying further on Starbucks and earning money and all of that, but it's more of like a lesson than we can't afford it. But our kids might not even know that. And then also kind of the bigger things like, we have two in junior high this year and we think like, well, we need something fun so that they'll continue hanging out with us. Like, do we get a pool? Do we get a boat? But we always say no to

these things because we just don't know what the rules are. Yes. Well, I would say a lot of it is to focus on your motivation on why. So there's three things you can do with money when you're on Baby Step 7. You can give it. And we talk about that. You know, you are able to give like no one else and you guys are giving. So I would say continue to even do that more and more. You can invest, which you guys are doing and you can watch your money grow and you're doing for the future. And then you can spend it. So these three big buckets are the three big things you can do now. So in that spending category for you all, just I think I would check the motivation of what's going on. So first, for instance, your kids, I think that's great. I think it's incredible that you're making them pay for it. Now, could you give them a little bit each month and they have to kind of budget that some of that money and learn that? Yeah, I think that that's fine too. I don't think it has to be this really legalistic way to raise your kids with money. But I'll say this, growing up, like, heck no, we're not given everything that we wanted. We had to work. We had to do all of that. And so, yes, is that a blessing and a gift that you're giving your kids in that way? Absolutely.

And honestly, them thinking that you don't have a lot, I think is very good. great too. I remember like going through high school and being like, we're some of the poorer ones here at this high school. And they come to find out that wasn't the case. But I really was convinced like, oh, so and so they have a big house and they may go. They make so much funny. Right. And I think for a high schooler, I think that that's great. Farne me is like, yeah, because you're showing your kids that like your joy, your happiness, your life is not surrounded by just stuff, right? So from your kids' perspective, I think that that's awesome. And if you guys are gazillionaires and they don't know that until they're adults and you let them in on that, because I think that is a

that will be needed later in life, perfect. But as for the motivation of buying these big purchases, I think if it's a small percentage of your net worth of what you guys make a year, if you and your husband are in agreement, you're like, yeah, this is something we want to do. It's going to probably hurt a little when you pull the trigger, right? If you're going to build a nice pull, those are expensive. If you're going to go get a nice boat, obviously those are expensive. So it's going to feel, oh gosh.

But listen, on paper it's good. Your motivation, you're not doing these things. because you want everyone else to think that you guys are awesome. In fact, that's the problem. You're more awesome than people probably know you are, which is great. So that's not your motivation. Your motivation is to do it for your family, all of that. Do you know what I'm saying?

The emotional side and the mathematical side are adding up to me and the relational side with you and your husband. So all of this, I think there's a green light. And it's going to take a level of saying, okay, we can do this. But for me, it's that percentage and you're not being wasteful. So I'll give you this. My husband and I are in the middle of planning a trip for our kids to Disney. Okay.

And the budget I want is much larger than the budget my husband wants. And so I was showing him all the percentages. This percentage of what we save every month. If it's just this percentage is great. And he's like, yeah, Rachel, but the need of this, this and that. So we're like missing each other on the mathematical and the emotional, which is just so funny. So we're constantly kind of in this conversation. So even knowing that with your husband, if you guys, as much as you can be on that same page to say, okay,

it's not a big percentage of our net worth. We can do this. We agree. And again, the motivation of what it's going to do to our family is amazing. It's awesome. So it's hard, though. I understand. I understand. Is there kind of a scarcity mindset at all with you guys? I think more me than my husband, probably. And I think in most relationships, there's probably like a little bit more of the spender and then a little more of the saver. And I think it has a lot to do with how I was raised. but it doesn't exactly make sense. So I'd like to kind of kick that. Yes, that's right.

That's right. I know. I think it is one of those things, too, of just giving yourself permission to spend and actually just doing it, and it's going to take a little practice. So maybe it's not a boat. That's the first big thing you guys, you know,

but maybe, you know, you up your lifestyle, a small percentage for the next three months and kind of spend a little bit more than you're used to and just kind of start to build that muscle. But again, we're not going crazy here. I'm not telling you to go take cash out your 401K to go buy a boat, right? You're doing this in a really controlled and encouraging environment, really, because of what you guys have done.

So I hope that helps. I just want to encourage you and give you that motivation that you can and you're okay. And it's going to be okay. Yes, that's awesome. Thank you. Well, thanks so much, Stephanie, for being on. I appreciate it. And for all of you that have any questions for me, you can go to any of my social media channels from Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, all of it, and ask your question.

And maybe you can be a guest here on the show. And Stephanie, again, thanks for calling in and sharing your story. I think it's so helpful for so many people. Thank you so much. Well, I love Stephanie's question because it's one that I get a lot. You know, you guys, I mean, you sacrifice a lot. You kind of get into this rhythm and this habit of just saving money and paying off debt. When you get to a place, you can actually spend it.

You really have to enjoy it. You know, we talk about living like no one else. So later you can live and give like no one else. So again, Stephanie, thanks for your question. And thank you, Allison, for coming. coming on and chatting all things, fashion and clothes, love to that conversation. And if you guys have not hit the subscribe button to the podcast, make sure you do that. And if the spirit leads, you can leave a review. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. And remember to

take control of your money and create a life you love.