Back to School Already?

Whether you like it or not, school is rolling right around the corner again! There are already commercials for school supplies and back to school sales at clothing department stores. By now, you better believe that the real deals and steals can be found on daily deal sites like Lifesta! Check out our list to get you back on track for the new year to look fresh and start with a clean slate:

• Nothing feels better than starting the school year off right in a new wardrobe. Grab this great Groupon deal for 50% off fashion apparel and accessories from MANGO. Be the first to start a fashion trend this fall!
• Moving into a dorm at college? You’ll definitely need some help organizing. Check out this awesome deal from Lock & Lock for all your storage needs.
• Let’s face it, sooner or later you will have to actually study soon for tests and quizzes. Get your late night caffeine fix to keep you up the healthy way with hot tea from Tiesta Tea.
• Express your unique style with art prints and photos for your dorm or apartment walls from Art.com. Get this deal on Lifesta now!

See, shopping for school isn’t that bad! It can be really fun, especially when you can do it all from home. Good luck with the new school year…you’re going to do great!

(Royal) Wedding Fever

Whatever your level of enthusiasm towards Kate and William’s pending British nuptials, it’s impossible to escape the constant outpouring of news flooding the media. Funny enough, most of it isn’t even news- a groundbreaking story recently broke out about a jelly bean resembling the future princess’ face (see image to the right). If you’re so inclined, it’s apparently up for auction on Ebay. Not your cup of tea? You might be interested inthe William and Kate Dress-Up Dolly Book, featured for your convenience below.

Most of us aren’t lucky enough to be invited to the $70 million event, but with wedding season approaching in the US, I’d be willing to bet that you are either attending and/or planning a wedding in the upcoming months…and you don’t have a multi-million dollar budget stored up. After consulting with my trendy, deal-savvy girlfriends I compiled this easy guide to saving for the big day!

I’m a wedding Guest. Help me SAVE!

• Engagement, bridal shower, and weddings gifts…oh my. Go in on gifts with friends- new sites are popping up to help you divide the bill, such as splitabill and the newly funded (coming soon) Giftiki.
• Travel can be one of the biggest expenses for out of town guests. Get the best flight deals using notification tools like yapta and FareCompare, and have an affordable, jolly good time during your trip with a discounted massage/hotel/gourmet dinner/tour voucher from Lifesta!
• Recycle outfits from wedding-to-wedding…without anyone being the wiser. Use Polyvore for inspiration on how to revamp and re-accessorize without spending money on a new look for each event. Too fashionable to be seen in the same dress twice? Use Rent the Runway and get fabulous designer dresses shipped to you for the wedding day for a fraction of the price.

I’m a Bride/Groom. Help me SAVE!

• My recently wed friends rave about buy our honeymoon, a site that lets you register for anything from gourmet dinners to poolside Mai Tai’s. Major bonus- as a guest, I was much more exited to purchase snorkeling adventures over generic cutlery.
• Daily deals are your friend. I’ve recently seen hugely discounted coupons on photographers (like this one), dream-worthy venues, and professional makeup application. Sign up for Yipit to get deals from tons of sites (such as Groupon, LivingSocial, and Bloomspot) emailed to you simultaneously.
• Etsy, Etsy, Etsy. They have handmade, stylish, vintage (think Anthropologie) inspired decor, clothing, accessories, and invitations that can be custom ordered for your big day…usually at a fraction of the mass-manufactured prices you will see elsewhere.

What are your thoughts on the Royal Wedding? Have any more cost-saving tips? Post a comment! Cheerio, thanks for reading.