Changes Are In The Works

And Then She Saved is getting a makeover! There are lots of internal changes happening over here - content's getting moved, things are getting organized, and before long this whole space will have a fresh new look!

Since there are so many changes happening on the back-end I am holding off on posting new content since it affects the information transfer.

I'm looking to resume regular posting ASAP and I'm excited to share the new site look! It's exciting!

Being Charitable While Broke - Possible or Not?

A very nice reader referred my to this cool site called Instead. 

The idea is that you choose to forgo something small like a coffee, a movie, take-out food, or something else entirely that you get to pick yourself. Then, you pick a non-profit to donate that money that you would've spend on the coffee or movie. 

I like how this site makes giving to others so attainable, and so doable.  

Do you know of similar sites? Do you give to charities when you're broke (or when you're feeling broke)? Do you do other things to make up for not giving monetarily? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

An Addiction To Superficial Things?

"Too many young folk have addiction to superficial things and not enough conviction for substantial things like justice, truth, and love." - Cornel West

Touché.

The only beef I have with this quote is that I don't think it's just the "young folk" who have an addiction to superficial things. I'm pretty sure the quest for "more", "better", and "the best" does not discriminate with age. (And, I guess I actually have beef with two things about this quote. Is he really saying young people don't have conviction about LOVE?! Has he ever met a young person in love? Now they have conviction.) 

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with this quote?

How To Survive (and Thrive) Through Unemployment

image by helga weber

Stephanie was generous enough to write a 3-part story on her recent experience with being laid-off, how she's managing to stay within a budget, and how she's learning to thrive in her new unemployed status.

Stephanie Morillo is a musician and writer from New York City. While she has recently been displaced in the 9-5 sense, she has recently shown a knack for web programming and has been performing regularly in NYC. Stephanie can be found on her website and on Twitter @radiomorillo.

Read the first part of Stephanie's story below.

How I’m Surviving Through My Unemployment

In this series, I will be explaining the different tactics I’ve been using to guide me through being a displaced worker from health, to finance, to lifestyle. In this post, I will discuss what I did my last two weeks at work and how my mindset enabled me to take action.

This past March, I was laid off from my job at an advertising agency due to lack of work. I had almost made it to one year with this company and had gone through multiple organizational changes within that short time period including a lateral move from one agency to another within only three months of being there, and a new supervisor in my department. Something had to give and that something was me.

That day I wrote in my journal, “God sometimes disguises blessings as their polar opposite”.

Everyone handles the news differently, and I was calm and collected (at work – it hit me when I got home, and I definitely cried more than my fair share). I was given two weeks to finish any outstanding projects and to start applying for new jobs, which I did. In the end, I sent out a thank you email to many of my contacts throughout the company, many of whom did not know I was being laid off. Those I did tell were concerned for me and very helpful. I even had interviews with another company (in a completely unrelated field) but ultimately lost out to a candidate who had more relevant experience. It didn’t bother me too much, however. I decided that I needed to take advantage of the one thing I was being given: TIME.

I’m not delusional or overly optimistic; I know what money can buy. Money pays the bills. Money puts food on the table. Money offers us security, it sends the kids to college, it pays for ridiculous hospital bills. But no amount of money can buy us time, and time is what I was wishing I had more of. I can turn time into money but not the other way around.

image by helga weber

So I was laid off…now what?

My fiancé was the first person I called to tell the bad news. It was extremely reassuring to hear him say he wasn’t worried, for had he been so would I. My father was also very calm about the situation, and having the two most important people in my life be understanding really enabled me to look past the urge to dwell in a big pool of self-pity and start the process of taking action.

My last two weeks at work, I had to get things done quickly. I ordered up to three months of a prescription I needed and went to the doctor for a final appointment before my insurance would end. I contacted friends inquiring about job opportunities and scheduled an appointment to see my career counselor to discuss any job openings she had heard of. I updated my resume and sent it along to three or four different companies. I even had interviews.

During those two weeks, I pulled some of my colleagues aside to let them know that I would no longer be working at the company. They were all very gracious in their response and those that I wasn’t able to see face-to-face with (like some of my colleagues abroad, for example), I sent an email on my last day, letting them know that it was my last day and I was honored to work with them. I invited them to continue the conversation by writing me at my personal email address, and those who wrote me back I told them that I got laid off. Without any hate, just the facts. 

I immediately filed a claim for unemployment insurance, making a point to painstakingly go through my claim to be sure everything was correct.

Using part of my tax return, I applied for and started a 10-week German course at a university in New York. One of my friends happens to be a web programmer, and I started taking lessons with him once a week in the hopes that I too will switch careers and become a junior-level web programmer. 

Importance of Time

For me, those last two weeks at my job were critical. Even if I wasn’t given two weeks’ notice, my attitude during that time would determine how I would face the indeterminate period of being a displaced worker that now faced me. I realized that I wasn’t the only one in my situation, I had supportive people around me, and I recognized that time was the new currency I was dealing in. How I used it would ultimately be the deciding factor in what my next steps will be.

In those two weeks I made a list of priorities, all of which required time:

• Spending more time with family and friends.
• Taking German courses.
• Studying web programming.
• Performing live and working more heavily on my music.

Have you lost your job? What did you do your last two weeks at work and the first two weeks after you lost your job? What are your time-based priorities? Feel free to sound off in the comments below.

Would you like to be a contributor on a topic related to personal finance or frugal living? Send me an email at: hello@andthenshesaved.com. (Please know that credit or lending companies will not be considered. Only real people with real stories and real experiences should email.)

7 Easy Ways To Save Money on Your Wedding Day (That Don't Require Sacrifice)

totally cute image by Michelle Belsky

I'm so happy to introduce Ashley. Ashley is a makeup artist in Toronto and has picked up a ton of helpful tips on how to save money on weddings. She's heard it all!

Hi! My name is Ashley. I’m a makeup artist from Toronto and work primarily in bridal. I blog over at Makeup: The Hustle. I write all about managing my new freelance life. 

I meet upwards of 50 brides a year, so I’ve picked up a few tips on how to save money on your big day. A lot of the money saving advice that I've seen for weddings require sacrifices that aren’t for everyone. Typically, the suggestions are to: have an "off-season" wedding, and to schedule your wedding during the Monday-Friday work week. These are great places to start with saving money on your wedding, but these 7 tips will work for those highly-desired Saturday weddings that happen in the "high-season".  

7 Easy Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding

1. Give Yourself Time

Many brides I meet describe wedding planning as their second job. Wedding planning takes time. Longer engagements have the benefit of leaving more time to save. It allows more time to: make things yourself (DIY), scour for deals, and secure choice vendors.

2. Set Priorities

In life, as in weddings, choices are so great and varied that we end up with more than we need! Splurge on the things that really matter. Forget the things that don’t. In life, I’m all about food and photography; those would be the features of my wedding and where I would put my money.

image newell jones & jones photography

3. Set A Budget

Obviously! You know I couldn’t stay away from the big B-word. Having a timeline in place and knowing what to prioritize when planning will help determine how much you need for your big day and how much can realistically be saved.

4. Get A Wedding Planner

It seems counter intuitive to save money by adding another expense but these folks are all about keeping you on track. Their events are not all 400+ people with a Trump-style budget. Wedding planners will help set priorities, find the right vendors for the right price and reveal all the hidden costs of weddings. 

5. Daily Deals

One of my brides recently used Daily Deal sites to secure transportation, bridesmaids gifts and her hotel room for the wedding. She saved over $1,000 on items she would have purchased anyway. She paid a little more than the initial coupons to make customizations but stayed well under what she would’ve spent without the deals. The important thing is to keep your eyes peeled, read the fine print, and inquire about the date prior to purchase.  

6. Buy Used

It’s safe to say that anyone who has bought something for their wedding has probably only used it once! From decor to dresses, there is a huge market of used wedding items to be found on Craigslist and wedding forums like: Bravo Bride, Recycled Bride (love the name), and Ruffled Blog. By adding some second hand elements it is sure-fire way to bring the cost down while also adding character, charm, and personality.

7. Ask For A Discount

This is a biggie. The reality is, as a vendor I am asked all of the time for a discount from brides. I can appreciate the question. The worst I can say is no. And sometimes I do; it’s not always possible to give a discount. But simply asking, with a bit of flattery and kindness can be enough. 

Just remember to choose vendors who’s prices are close to your budget. It’s silly to ask a photographer who charges $6,000 to meet your $1,500 budget. But asking if there is a part of the package you can bypass to meet a $5,500 budget isn’t unrealistic. 

Thanks Ashley!

Do you have any tips or ideas on how to save money on weddings? If so, I'd love to hear them!

Would you like to be a contributor on a topic related to personal finance or frugal living? Send me an email at: hello@andthenshesaved.com. (Please know that credit or lending companies will not be considered. Only real people with real stories and real experiences should email.)

Top 5 Tips For Controlling Impulsive Spending and Shopping

The urge to spend hits and then, POW, the purchase is made. Stop the spending urge before it starts with these 5 tips... 

Top 5 tips to control impulsive spending and shopping

1. Put a "pause" between you and the purchase

Call a friend, step out of the store, stand up from the desk and take a walk around the block. Even better, take a look at a list of reasons WHY you want you get out of debt in the first place. 

Do anything you need to do to separate yourself from the purchase. Another way to do this is to give yourself a mandatory waiting period before you buy anything. It could be 1 hour, 2 days, a month or 3 months. Whatever you choose to do, infuse some distance. This is a great way to diffuse the urge and impulse to spend. 

2. Unsubscribe from brick-and-mortar and online shop emails 

These spammy emails are full of bright colors, tempting tag-lines, and most of all the claim to a good deal. Remove the temptation and urge to online shop out of boredom. 

3. Stay out of the stores

If you hang out in stores it's easier to justify purchases. "It's on sale!", "But it's so cute!", "Oh! I haven't seen one in THIS color yet!", "Girl, you look GOOD!". All trouble.

Remember, if you hang out in a barbershop you're going to get a haircut. 

4. Stay busy to fight "boredom shopping"

Lots of times I find myself browsing online shops simply because I'm bored. I'll be working on something, think about some random thing I wanted to check out online (for research or reference or something else totally harmless) and then, before you know it there I am on a site seeing what's new for the season and what's on sale. Trouble. Trouble. Trouble.

For me, I've got to constantly keep myself on task so I don't get distracted into shopping/browsing territory because then I'm up in #3, but the virtual version. 

If you find yourself going to the mall on the weekends (we used to do this ALL the time in my pre-spending fast days) then take up some other activities that don't cost money. (There are some fun ideas in this list called 25 New Things To Try Today.) 

5. Think about how much time it will take to return the stuff you bought 

I have THE WORST buyer's remorse. I'll convince myself I love something and need it and then before you know it, I hate it and I'm regretting the purchase. Worst of all, is all the time it takes to return the stuff. I try to think about that when I'm in a "buying mood". 

For me, abstinence with shopping is the best way to go.

How to do fight impulsive spending and shopping? What do you do when the urge to spend hits? 

Insider's Guide To 23 Fun & Cheap Things You Must See (& Do) When Visiting Denver

Fourteen years ago I moved to Denver to go to photography school and I never would've guessed that I'd still be living here. Turns out Denver has won my heart. Before I moved to Denver I thought that it was a city nestled in the base of the mountains (based on the pictures I had seen) and I also thought that it would be snowing year-round.

I was surprised to find out that Denver is surprisingly sunny an gets approximately 300 days of sun per year. Denver's winters are also very mild, and we don't get tons of snow like everyone thinks we do.

When our local personal finance blogger group met-up with Phillip Taylor aka PT Money who's the organizer of the personal finance conference named FinCon which will be held here in Downtown Denver this September it was really funny listening to our group talk about Denver.

Denver's Chamber of Commerce would be very proud of us. If you didn't know better you might think we all had side-jobs working for the city's tourism board and Visit Denver, or you might think we had each been slipped a $20 bill along with a wink in hopes that we would talk Denver up. We all sounded like proud parents going on and on about Denver's finest attributes.

I started to come up with this list when I was thinking of things that the FinCon folks should do when they visit Denver and really, there's so much to do that just a couple of days isn't enough time to see everything you should.

If you're coming out for FinCon (or for anything else) try to stay a couple of extra days so you can soak up all the city has to offer. Most of the things on this list are things that I tell friends to do when they come to visit or places that I take them to. Since I live a frugal life, most of the suggestions on this list lean to towards the inexpensive and cheaper activities but there is a full range of things to do so if you want to spend money you totally can. (The list starts below)

gorgeous colorado

An insider's guide of fun and (mostly) cheap things you must see and do when you visit Denver, Colorado

Helpful tips and info:

Here is a link to a list of the Denver neighborhoods that I will mention in the list below.

The mountains are West so everyone uses them as a reference point when figuring out where things are located (you can do it too and then you'll practically be a local).

Downtown Denver is on a diagonal and the rest of the city is not. You can see the layout in this map.

We are at a mile-high above sea-level so learn about Altitude Sickness so you can recognize and treat it if you start to experience symptoms.

Pick up a free Westword Newspaper from one of the red newspaper stands to get the low-down on events happening while you're in town. Or, check them out online to find events before your visit.

Pick up a 5280 magazine (Denver's magazine, named after our altitude) to get a more in-depth look at stories and events happening in Denver.

the blue mustang by luis jimenez

1. Take the RTD SkyRide Bus To/From DIA Airport

Denver's International Airport (DIA) is quite a way out from the city. It is a $40 cab-ride in or you can do the cheaper option and take the RTD SkyRide bus from the airport (an approx. 1 hour ride) and it will deliver you right into Downtown Denver.

How to: To be brought from DIA to Downtown Denver, take the AF bus (the fare is $9, $11, or $13- depending where you pick up the bus and they don't give change so be sure to have exact amount). They will drop you off at Market Street Station. If you're staying in a hotel Downtown you'll then be able to pick up the 16th Street Mall Free Mall Ride to get closer to your hotel. If you're not a usual bus-rider check out these bus-riding tips. To depart Denver you can take the AF bus right back to the airport. These buses run about every hour so be sure to plan accordingly.

Insider info: RTD is in the process of building a LightRail that will gos from the airport into Downtown. It will be quite awhile before it's completed but we will all be thrilled when it's done.

More insider info: Be sure to take a look at the controversial raging blue horse “Mustang” with glowing red eyes when you leave the airport grounds or when you head-out to depart Denver (you can actually get a better view when you are on the departing side). To say the Blue Mustang (right) is controversial would be a complete understatement, there's actually a hate website dedicated solely to it called Bye Bye Blue Mustang!

Even more insider info: the 32-foot horse killed sculptor Luis Jimenez when it fell on him during the creation of the sculpture. While a lot of people like to hate this piece I really like it and think it's a kitchy play-on Denver's "cow-town" image. The blue mustang's glowing red eyes, flaming nostrils, and hair that's blowing in the wind seal the deal- I totally love it.

2. The 16th Street Mall

At 1.7 miles long (from Civic Center to Union Station- just recently expanded) the 16th Street Mall is the longest outdoor mall in the US. The 16th Street Mall is considered a pedestrian mall but if you don't feel like walking you can hop on and off of the free shuttle that runs the entire length of the mall. Don't miss Tattered Cover that is at the far-end of the mall and step off at the Larimer stop to check out Larimer Square (home of The Market coffee shop and an active night-life).

Insider tip: Catch the FREE Mall Ride (a shuttle) at the end of every block. There are also downtown city maps in most of the shuttle stop signs that list the stores and restaurants that run along the mall. I almost got run-over by one of these shuttles when I first moved to Denver so be aware of them. They'll honk their bell (it's a polite ding-ding but they mean business) if they see you wandering in the street in front of them but often, they cut it very close. The drivers also don't wait for passengers so if you want to catch one that your friends are on you might have to run to it. The shuttle runs from 5:00am to 1:30am and the later it gets in the night the less frequent the shuttle runs.

More inside info: During the week (Monday- Friday) from 12:00pm - 1:00pm and again at 5:00pm the 16th Street Mall gets stormed with employees pouring out of the businesses.

vintage denver

3. The Denver Pavilions

The Denver Pavilions is considered the heart of the 16th Street Mall. There are tons of shops (H&M, a 2-story Forever 21 among them), there is a movie theater, and there is even a bowling alley. While in the Pavilions you've got to make a stop at Lucky Strike (on the 3rd floor, North-end) to have your photos taken in their sometimes finicky, but authentic photo booth for a mere $3. Then, be sure to stop into the I Heart Denver store (2nd floor, also North-end) to pick up non-cheesy souvenirs and Denver gear that are made by local Denver artists. Bonus: meet the cutest shop dog ever - Denver the corgi! His full name is Denver Picard Schmiek and he works most days. He was recently voted Best Shop Dog by Westword Newspaper.

Insider info: There are up and down escalators on either side of the Pavilions and there is only one set of public restrooms which are on the 2nd floor to the left of Bath and Body Works on the South-side.

me and denver the corgi. pic by sam schimek.

4. The Blue Bear

Apparently, Denver has a love of huge blue animals. This piece of public art is titled "I See What You Mean", and comes in at 40-feet high. It was created by sculptor Lawrence Argent. This bear is so adorable as he peers into the large front windows of the Denver Convention Center. For FinCon visitors, he will be right around the corner from where the convention will be held so be sure to see his cuteness in person.

Insider info: The Ladies Fancywork Society girls knit a blue ball and chain out of 15 miles of yarn and attached it to the bear's left leg. It was in place for only 2 hours before the city removed it and then the MCA took it off their hands. The next day the incident made the cover of The Denver Post.

Insider tip: Take a look at the 2 HUGE white naked dancing aliens that are right around the corner from the Denver Convention Center and right behind the Denver Performing Arts Complex. These two dancers were the most hated public art in town until the raging blue mustang came on the scence. Now, we don't hear much about them.

the huge blue bear

the knit ball and chain. pic by ladies fancywork society.

5. The Money Museum

The Money Museum is located right off of the 16th Street Mall. It's an up-close look of the nation's financial system in action. It's FREE and is open 8:30am to 4:30pm.

6. See the high-rise office building that was built around a church

Located at 19th and California in Downtown Denver. The high-rise serves as the ultimate background for this church. It's a clever and unusual use of space.

high-rise built around church in downtown denver

7. The Brown Palace

Just walking into the lobby of The Brown Palace is a treat. Fancy wallpaper lines the walls and there is a very large circular staircase that goes up to the ceiling with the opening in the center serving as the lobby of the hotel. The Brown Palace also serves high-tea in the lobby for the fancy folk. It's right at 17th and Tremont in Downtown Denver.

Insider info: Former President Teddy Roosevelt loved The Brown Palace and visited it often.

More insider info: There is a building right across from The Brown Palace called the Navarre. Back in the day the underground tunnels linked The Brown Palace to the brothel so that "men of means" could visit the ladies without being seen. What's up scandalous!

8. The US Mint

See coin money getting made.

Insider tip: Make a reservation online in advance of your trip to be sure you get a spot on a tour.

9. Denver Food Trucks in Civic Center Park

On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00am to 2:00pm food trucks park in Civic Center and serve up lunch. They are set-up through the end of September.

10. Ride the # 15 bus

Looking for an “urban adventure" and some active people-watching? Would you like to see some "real-life/grittier" Denver in action? Then this is just the thing you need. Catch the 15 right outside of Civic Center station. This bus runs up and down Colfax Avenue. You can get a seat on the bus for $2.25.

Insider info: The 15 is the most notorious bus route in Denver. Whenever the 15 is mentioned people knowingly say, “Ohhhh... the 15.” In the past few years Colfax has under gone some rejuvenation and growth in an effort to change it's seedier image. It's worked, a little bit.

11. See Denver's Art Scene

• MCA Museum of Contemporary Art in LoDo. The MCA's Mixed Taste events are unique and a ton of fun. They have two expert speakers talk about unrelated topics and then they are somehow magically merged at the end. Parallels between each seemingly un-related topic are made and while these events always sell-out it's worth a shot to try to get a ticket.


• DAM The Denver Art Museum was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind (the same person who designed the Freedom Tower). Insider info: The new wing of the museum (there is a walk-way that connects the old and new buildings) got a lot of flak from the locals when the building had water leakage problems very soon after it's completion. Also, the DAM was the only US art museum that displayed the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective exhibit (other cities it was exhibited in were Paris and Milan). We all thought that was a pretty big deal, and that the person who got the YSL exhibit displayed here in Denver should probably get a raise if they haven't already. Insider tip: While you're over by the DAM be sure to take a look at the large red chair sculpture that has a little pony standing on it. Another one of my favorite pieces of public art in town.


• Clyfford Still Museum This museum is fairly new and is right next door/behind the DAM. Insider info: In January, a drunk girl was arrested for punching one of the $30 million-dollar paintings. After she punched it she slid down it and urinated on herself. Bad day.


• Art Districts There are 7 distinct art districts in town and each one has a different vibe. The closest one to Downtown Denver is the Santa Fe art district.

denver art museum and denver public library park

12. Eat breakfast

Denver LOVES breakfast. If you go out for breakfast in Denver you have to be prepared for a wait. Most of these places have learned that to keep everyone happy they need to have coffee ready and available for the waiting diners. To be sure to get a table without a super-long wait either go during the week or before 9:30am on the weekends.

Denver breakfast favorites:

• Snooze The MTV Real World Denver cast ate there all the time and that helped to rocket this place into local breakfast stardom.


• Jelly Right in Capitol Hill and has better food than Snooze (in my opinion).


• Waffle Bros This place started as a food cart on the 16th Street Mall and expanded into a real-live brick-and-mortar shop. They tell you (adamently) that you don't need syrup on The Original, which is encrusted in sugar crystals (yummmm suuugggggaar), but you really do. Otherwise, it's just too dry.


• Hi*Rise I haven't had a chance to eat here yet but I love the humongous colorful mural of a ladies face that you can see from the street.


• Mercury Cafe This is a cute place with a hippie vibe and live musicians that play during breakfast. They only take cash and they have swing-dance classes during the week-day evenings in the space above their restaurant.


• Watercourse Restaurant This is my all-time favorite restaurant in Denver. I love this place. It's all vegetarian and they can make any item on their menu vegan too. Their blue-plate special is a breakfast dish and is one of the least-expensive items on their menu. Three cheers for cheap!

jelly in denver's capitol hill neighborhood

13. Eat ice cream

Denver also LOVES ice cream.

Here are some Denver's favorite ice cream spots:

• Sweet Action Ice Cream I love the ice cream related art on the walls and it's also vegan friendly with at least two vegan ice cream options at most times. They also have great ice cream sandwiches in interesting flavor combos. Sweet Action is right in the middle of all the Broadway action.


• Little Man Ice Cream This place has a vintage vibe (they play doo-wop music and wear those little white envelope style hats that have poppy red piping along the edges). The shop is in the shape of a huge vintage milk can (see below) and it is right in Lower Highlands (LoHi) next to Linger Restaurant (see below). Insider tip: At Little Man they have these teeny tiny ice cream cones called the Itty Bitty. They measure about 3", with the ice cream on top and cost just $1.

little man ice cream in denver

14. See the sun set from Linger Restaurant's rooftop patio

Linger is an amazing place to see the sun set over Denver’s skyline and is in the super popular LoHi neighborhood which is just a short walk from Union Station over the Pedestrian Bridge. The meals at Linger can be on the pricier side but they have a reasonable Happy Hour food menu.

Insider info: Linger's building used to be a mortuary. Not a single sole in town is weirded out by this fact. It was called Olinger Mortuaries so they dropped the "O" and capitalized the "L" to get the perfect restaurant name. They even cleverly turned the word "Mortuaries" into "Eateries" on the massive sign on their amazing roof-top patio. That worked out well.

the rooftop of linger

lola in denver, also right by linger and little man ice cream. amazing patio and great service.

15. Must Visit Restaurants & Bars in Denver

Hope you're hungry.

• Steubens Old-school diner vibe in Uptown.


• Cuba Cuba The owners merged these two small mint-colored homes in the Golden Triangle neighborhood to create this one-of-a-kind place. (can be pricey)


• Bistro Vendome Tucked into Larimer Square, it has a very European feel. (pricey)


• Tocabe Similar set-up to Chipotle. Be sure to save room for the powdered fry balls and drizzle them with honey.


• Casa Bonita Infamous. Was featured on South Park. Terrible food, cotton candy pink. It's a must-see.


• Williams & Graham A modern-day speak-easy in LoHi.


• Double Daughters Everyone we've ever brought here remembers it. It's set-up to look like a gypsy camp at night.


• Beatrice and Woodsley (same owners as Double Daughters - above). This place is gorgeous. There are Aspen trees running from the floor to the ceiling that create little alcoves of coziness. It is lit with (what seems like) candle-light. There are also chain-saws stuck into the shelves above the bar. It's hard to explain it's awesomeness. Just trust me on this one. (totally pricey)


• Denver Bicycle Cafe In the Uptown neighborhood. Bicycles and coffee.


• Crema A coffee house in the Five Points neighborhood.


• D Bar Desserts Keegan Gerhard from the Food Network owns this place and he is in there working most nights. The layered chocolate cake and mini-milkshake combo is crazy tasty and is enough for two people to share. (not too expensive for dessert if you share)


• My Brother's Bar This is Denver's oldest bar and it's in the LoDo/River Front Park/LoHi Neighborhood. They have a tasty jalapeno cream cheese burger (from my pre-vegetarian memories) and there are Jack Kerouac ties.


• Biker Jim's Gourmet Hotdogs Yes. Gourmet hot-dogs. They even have veggie versions. This place is in LoDo and it's good for something different.


• Tom’s Home Cookin’ Soul food in the Five Points neighborhood. They serve the food until it runs out and then they close. The peach cobbler is completely amazing.


• City O’ City This is probably the most recommended restaurant in Denver. It's a vegetarian place (same owners as Watercourse Foods mentioned above) and it's just cool. If you're cool that's where you go. Insider info: It used to be a little bar and was recently renovated to its current fancier style. It's got a reputation for being a hipster place. They also make all their baked goods (which are all vegan) and their ho-ho cupcakes are awesome.

16. Shopping (and eating) on Broadway and South Broadway

Catch the 0 bus from Civic Center Station to check out:

• The Mayan Theater The style is described as "art-deco mayan revival".


• Fancy Tiger Clothing and Fancy Tiger Crafts These two shops are side-by-side. The craft Fancy Tiger is fabric-lovers dream.


• Buffalo Exchange


• Sweet Action ice cream (also mentioned above)


• Sewn Handmade goods


• Sputnik Take a picture in their photo booth or eat some of their late-night grub. Great sweet potato fries. (Lots of indie concerts happen next door at Hi-Dive)


• Ironwood When you walk in it feels like you've discovered something that no one else has. Air plants and other random and cool objects are arranged in a skilled but subtle way. I would like to live in there, or at least have the owners style my house. They know what they're doing.


• Decade Stocked full of cute gift-items and some vintage furniture.


• Wishlist Vintage Upstairs from Bardo coffee shop (go up the stairs that are to the very right of the coffee shop). Light and airy and stocked full of completely amazing and inexpensive vintage pieces. I want to buy just about everything in there.

fancy tiger clothing on south broadway in denver

17. Walk (or ride) the Cherry Creek Bike Path

If you need a break from the city you can duck into the Cherry Creek Bike Path. Platte River runs along the path and there are always plenty of people down there walking, roller-blading, and biking during the day.

Insider tip: It's totally safe during the day but don't go down there at night.

More insider info: The Cherry Creek Bike Path is part of a massive network of 850 miles of paved paths that run through the city.

18. Ride a B-Cycle

There are B-cycle stations throughout the entire city. The B-Cycles are these bright red cruiser style bikes and you can ride the bikes for 0-30 minutes absolutely free (some set-up required, check out their site for specifics). Here is a PDF map of all of the b-cycle stations.

Insider info: You can't ride any bikes on the 16th Street Mall.

19. SoBo (South Broadway) Farmers Market

This is an open-air 60k square foot seasonal urban market that is FREE and open through October. Here is their website for more info.

20. Colorado History Museum

Okay, so by now you've completely fallen in love with Colorado. Get all the facts at the Colorado History Museum.

Insider info: They just moved into their new location. They were previously located at the new Justice Center location across from the Denver Public Library (such a cool looking library by the way - shown below).

denver public library in denver colorado

21. Parks

Denver has over 200 city and mountain parks.

Insider info: Washington Park (aka Wash Park) is a local favorite as well as Cheesman Park, which used to be a huge cemetary back in the day. The bodies were removed and re-located so the city could turn the space into a park where people now run and play frisbee. Cheesman Park is totally haunted and when you walk through there are these pockets of cold air that hit you, which obviously means there are lots of angry ghosts living there.

cheesman park in denver, colorado

22. Rockies Baseball Tickets

Get $4 Rockpile tickets to see the Rockies play. The seats are at the tippity-top of the stadium but are still close enough to kind of see what's happening. This is a great family day-out.

Insider info: Most locals who live in the popular LoHi neighborhood cringe whenever a Rockies game is happening because it backs up traffic for miles surrounding the stadium.

More insider info: The Denver Zoo is also great for an inexpensive day-out. They recently expanded their elephant exhibit and they let you bring in your own food for lunch (maybe all zoos allow that? Either way, that's an awesome money-saver.)

giraffe at the denver zoo!

23. Have more time? Don't miss these great day-trips

• Red Rocks Ampitheatre Epic. You'll need to drive there. Insider info: If you get a chance to see a concert there you will not regret it. I saw the Flight of the Conchords perform at Red Rocks and it was the best show I've ever seen. There is also a popular series called Film On The Rocks and on a completely random note, they hold a sunrise Easter Service there.


• Rocky Mountain National park Another must-see. You'll also need a car for this one.


• Winter Park A cute mountain town that is busy in both the summer and the winter and is about 1 1/2 hours from Denver. The Alpine Slide is mind-blowingly fun.


• Take the "B" bus up to Boulder and check out Pearl Street Mall. Insider info: You can catch the "B" bus at Market Street Station. It's an approximately 40 minute ride and then you can say you've been to Boulder.

take a day-trip from denver to see more of the state

the alpine slide in winter park!

colorado living, winter park

Did I forget to add anything to the list? If you live in Denver where do you take your visitors? Have you visited Denver? What was your favorite place?

Remove the Guilt By Removing The Excess STUFF

image by julian bialowas

What would your life look like if you had fewer material objects, by choice? Would you then be freed up to do more of what you wanted to do because you had less STUFF to take care of? It's been my experience that that is totally how it works.

It takes so much time to think about what to buy and to then feel regretful about buying whatever I bought, and to then think about returning the item(s) because of the guilt, and then to make another trip down to the store to actually return the item, or package it back up and mail it back and wait for the money to be put back into my account and then the keeping of tabs on that to remember that I need to call the online shop if the money doesn't get refunded before too long, or look around the store to exchange the original item for something else I probably don't need and might be guilt-ridden about too!

Ugh. Totally exhausting.

Moral of the story: material stuff takes up a crap load of time. At least it does for me.

Do you find that accumulating, managing, and maintaining all the things in your life is taking up more time than you'd like it to? Is it time to minimize and shift the focus back onto what you really truly care about in life? If so, it might be time to do something about it. That cycle of guilt and remorse and time-sucking does not have to rule your life any more.

Step out of the cycle. Be done with it. 

Sometimes I slip back into my old thought process and realize how much time I've been spending thinking about things I want to buy. It makes me sick when I think about how much time has been wasted and how many other worthwhile things I'd rather be doing with my time. 

Do you find your thoughts consumed by material objects? How do you control those thoughts and urges to buy?

6 Festive Fourth of July Inspired Cocktail and Mocktail Recipes with the Hello Holiday Girls!

left: megan hunt, right: sarah lorsung tvrdik

I'm so pumped to welcome Megan Hunt of Princess Lasertron and Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik of Fash Flood as new DIY contributing columnists. These two ooze easy-going glamour and it was such a treat to get to meet them when they came to town a little while back to attend the Project Runway viewing party finale for Mondo Guerra. In August they are launching an online shop called Hello Holiday and there's no doubt that it will be bursting at the seams with charm. 

Today they're sharing 6 festive Fourth of July inspired cocktail and mocktail recipes! Take it away Megan and Sarah...

Hello, And Then She Saved readers! We're Sarah and Megan from Hello Holiday, and we are just over the moon to be asked to do a regular guest column for Anna's blog.

Thanks to her, we started our own spending diets last Spring and the savings have helped us a ton as we travel around the country meeting designers, finding inventory, and cool-hunting for the best clothes and accessories for our online store launching in August. All the ways we've saved money thanks to Anna's influence would actually make a great post. But! We're here to talk about some amazing summer party cocktails we love that you can make for around $20. To reduce the cost even more, simply remove the alcohol from each recipe. They're cool, refreshing, and you can make enough drinks for a festive little party for just a Jackson.

Summer Cocktail/Mocktail #1: The Sweet & Tart Sparkler!

We made this pitcher of refreshing tangy goodness by mixing raspberry lemonade and prosecco, a fresh-tasting sparkling white wine from Italy. It's easy to find a good bottle at the grocery store for under ten bucks. We also bought an assortment of berries and a lemon, and diced it all up to infuse the drink with even more flavor. Check your fridge to see what you have on hand before you run to the store to get some! This drink can, of course, is just as delicious if you replace the prosecco with sparkling water or soda. We always offer a non-alcoholic version for kids and driving guests! 

Summer Cocktail #2: The Vanilla Fizz

 Mix cake-flavored (or vanilla works, too!) vodka with your favorite lemon-lime soda (we used Sprite). For this drink, we also added a garnish of a strawberry, rice krispy square, and marshmallow on a skewer!

Summer Cocktail/Mocktail #3: Watermelon Crush!

This is a signature drink from Megan's mom, and one of our all-time summer favorites. Dice a watermelon and freeze it overnight, then blend the pieces with lemonade and vodka (for the mocktail version, simply leave out the vodka). Check in your fridge--you could really mix any kind of juice with this one, or even use water. We can't resist a good garnish--for this drink, we added frozen watermelon chunks and blueberries on a skewer.

Summer Cocktail #4: A Prosecco Lemon Pop!

 Here's another way to get some mileage out of that bottle of prosecco you bought for drink number one! Mix fresh lemons and a splash of lemonade with sparkling prosecco. For a 4th of July party, we soaked our lemons in food coloring overnight.

Summer Cocktail #5: Bomb Pop Blasts

This drink is vodka and sprite mixed, with a Bomb Pop mixer inside each glass. As the pop melts, it gives the drink some cool stripes and tastes delicious!

Summer Cocktail #6: Strawberry-Lemon Punch!

This is one of our favorite summer cocktails for sure because it's inspired by the sherbet punch we used to get at school dances! We froze strawberry and lemon sorbet in fluted cups, and dropped each one into a glass of Sprite. You could just as easily add a scoop of sorbet and skip the freezing part, but we liked the fluted edges on the sorbet once we peeled the paper off. And by all means if you feel like an extra kick, spike the punch!

xo, meg + rah 

Do you have a favorite cocktail or mocktail recipe? What inexpensive treats are you making for Fourth of July celebrations?