Patrice, thank you SO much for supporting and embracing "In Her Shoes" as a newbie in the blogosphere! I appreciate & truly respect your expertise and am honored to have you featured. Looking forward to future collaborations... Wishing Afrobella continued SUCCESS! *r

Thanks for the information. I am a newbie to being a Bella on a budget. I'll bet there are lots of us in the current eoconomic environment. LOL!

Great post Renae, the tips were very handy and I love the idea of your blog its very inspiring Well done to Bella for getting featured in the article! Im sure this is just the start of whats to come

My tips: -Multipurpose makeup! I have a 100% vegan mineral eyeshadow I love that looks good on my cheeks and lips as well. I just add a little lip butter to the color and I have wonderful gloss! -Lunch menu and Happy Hour If I MUST go out for dinner, I ask for the Lunch menu. The portion size is less, but so is the price! Also, happy hour is great for 1/2 off on the menu. -Barter! Instead of paying money for my weekly beauty services, I offer my PR skills instead. Not everyone is interested, but my hair, nails, and teeth whitening services don't cost me a dime! -Thrift store deals! Everybody knows about second-hand finds, but pay attention to the thrift store sales!!! On Sunday morning before going to church I head to this thirft store by my house for their $5 bag deals. Whatever you can fit in a large paper sack (like at the grocery store) is $5. No questions asked... bye!

Thanks for turning me on to both the article blog, Bella. Both are keepers. As for flyness on a dime, 2 things pop to mind: 1) Blessed are they that have Zara and H&M in their life. These are great fashion-foward stores (a la Forever 21) with a more euro-centric vibe. You can search for cute trendy stuff and experiment with more daring styles without crippling your budget, and find some real keepers as well. 2) Find a tailor and a cobbler. Yeah I know it sounds old-school, but a good shoe repair shop can breathe new life into a beat-up pair of shoes, and a cheapie jacket can look super-fierce after the sleeves and cut are adjusted. If you're worried about price, do what I did: make friends with the little abuelita (grandma) down the street. Some lot of older ladies happen to be fantastic seamstresses with lots of free time or who just need a few bucks on the side. They'll often do work for super cheap, or even work in trade (my neighborhood granny will hook me up with a freshly hemmed pair of pants if I grab some stuff for her at the grocery store). The upshot: you'll usually get a cup of coffee and some good stories out of her every time you visit!

@Gigi- "offering PR skills" please please expand!

I defintely shop alot from stores like Burlington Coat Factory, Dots, and Marshall's. A lot of the stuff there (especially at BCF, Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Steinmart) is shipped directly from the department stores, but just marked down. I once got a very nice dress to wear to a cocktail party for $18 (markdown plus coupon). I work the coupons and sales at other stores to get a good deal. The only thing about coupons is that you have to read the fine print--there are so may exclusions that it drives you crazy--but some savings can be had. When all else fails, you can gather up some of your nicer clothes that you don't wear anymore and take them to your local resale shop for cash to buy new duds! I cut out professional pedicures during the fall & winter. In the summer, I will get pedis every other month and maintain at home in between visits with my foot bubbler, some essential oil, my Ped Egg, and good thick moisturizer and socks to sleep in.

Hey Sincerely! I simply offer my PR expertise (mostly marketing communications: press kits, event promotions, press releases) in exchange for beauty services. It works, because all businesses need marketing, but smaller business don't always have the budget for it, especially now.