Sealing the Deal / kelsey malie

The move to Portland was one Ben and I knew would come with some financial cut-backs. It's not right to call it a financial struggle because we certainly still enjoy eating out and new things, but with incomes decreased due to Ben being in medical school (and meeting the dreaded state income tax we didn't have in Washington), we are having to rethink how much we spend on superfluous items throughout the month. Neither of us are shopping, eating out, or even buying expensive grocery items as much and I'm trying to just use blog income for frivolous purchases like home decor, clothing, etc.

I'm finding that to get what I want, I am heading to deals sites and waiting for better sales before even browsing a website for new clothes and furniture. We finally went clothes shopping on Labor Day weekend when we heard that there were great deals at our favorite spots. I'm also in the market for a pair of rainboots and a rain jacket and have my eye on deals sites that will offer a great percentage off on a normally $100+ item. It is fun in its own way - getting something 50% off can feel like a massive accomplishment and it definitely tempers my "want it now" feelings. More planning is usually better!

That brings me to some exciting news I thought I'd share in lieu of having outfit posts (did you want to see pictures of me laying in bed congested watching ANTM? Didn't think so!). GroopDealz, a deals site you may have heard of before in your internet wanderings, is celebrating their 3rd birthday this week! GroopDealz offers insanely priced boutique items like pretty blouses for under $20, unique jewelry for under $10, and home furnishings like pillow covers and cute coasters. Their birthday celebration is going on all week long, starting today, Monday the 9th and there is an opportunity to win some massive prizes that I will definitely be entering to win.

There are new deals coming this week to GroopDealz that I just adore. The bracelet below looks like perfect items to wear on a bare arm in the summer, or over a tight turtleneck (I'm thinking black with the mint bracelet below). It's also under $5! They're also releasing a crazy deal on the aztec tank dress that could be paired with a long, open cardigan and some black boots to work in the early Fall for only $19.99 marked down from $40. Be sure to check them out!