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Conscious Coins

Be Mindful With Your Money

How to Get Fabulous Makeup Without Spending a Fortune

October 25, 2017 By Zina Kumok

When I first decided that I wanted to pay off my loans early, I realized I needed to cut costs. Everywhere. That included my makeup and skincare products. Gone were the days of going to Sephora every time I wanted a new lip color, in came drugstore makeup. Growing up I was always envious of girls with designer lip glosses and eyeshadows, so it felt amazing once I started buying the brands I once coveted. But spending so much money on ... Read more...

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Filed Under: spending Tagged With: beauty, budget, drugstore makeup, makeup, maybelline, nyx

Why I’m Making My Own Halloween Costume This Year

October 15, 2015 By Zina Kumok

This year, I'm making my own Halloween costume! Why I've decided this is the year to DIY my Halloween costume.

After my grandfather passed away in January, I inherited his sewing machine. I'd always wanted to learn how to sew, and now I had no excuse not to. I'd learned to hand sew as a child, but using a sewing machine had always intimidated me. I signed up at my local sewing store for six weeks of Sewing 101. The class cost $150, which felt like an incredible luxury at the time. I learned how to thread a bobbin, replace a broken needle and sew ... Read more...

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: budget, frugal, saving

How I save money on clothes and hobbies

November 2, 2014 By Zina Kumok

Yes, I do spend money on clothes & hobbies. But here's how I do and not spend too much!

A couple weeks ago I recorded a podcast about my debt journey. One of the comments that the interviewer made was about how I had to get creative to find ways to save money while paying off debt. I get most of my books from the library and most of my movies from Netflix. But if I do want to buy something, I scour used DVD stores (where I picked up 5 copies for $12 last week) and ebay for the best prices. I love to do embroidery so I ask my ... Read more...

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Filed Under: spending, thrifting Tagged With: budget, shopping, spending

How I’m getting a free flight to Europe: A Q&A with Richmond Savers

October 19, 2014 By Zina Kumok

A few weeks ago, I met Brad Barrett, a CPA who blogs about travel rewards. Brad’s website, Richmond Savers, helps people who want to travel for free, but don’t know how. Brad helps people figure out how to use credit cards to travel for free. Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about using credit cards for points/miles? A: I think people are concerned that it is going to take up a lot of time and effort to earn ... Read more...

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Filed Under: budget, churning, Money, travel Tagged With: budget, churning, travel, travel budget, travel hack, travel tips

I’m sick of hearing excuses

October 16, 2014 By Zina Kumok

The more excuses you give for a decision, the worse it is. The more you need to justify the financial decision, the more money you’re losing. Here are some of my other favorites: "I work really hard so I deserve to eat out/shop/[insert wasteful money habit here]." Let me tell you something, we all work hard. At least we all think we work hard. I doubt I know anyone who thinks they don’t work hard. Does that mean we all deserve to buy ... Read more...

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Filed Under: budget, personal finance Tagged With: budget, personal finance

How I went to Spain for 10 days and only spent $2,000

May 13, 2014 By Zina Kumok

Spain for $2,000? Is that even possible? It is, and I'll show you how - and why - I went to Spain for only $2,000!

Since I’ve been blogging, I’ve advocated being frugal for the sake of something greater. For me, I save money on rent and entertainment so I can afford to travel. Now that I’ve arrived from my 10-day trip to Spain, I’d like to share how I was able to do it for $2,000. Lodging: Last time I went to Europe, I stayed in hostels the whole time and paid about $40 a night. That’s $40 for crowded rooms, drunk people coming in at 3 a.m. and no ... Read more...

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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: budget, travel, travel budget, travel tips

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Disclosure: I am not a financial professional nor am I licensed to dispense financial advice.
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While I share financial advice, it may not be appropriate for your lifestyle and personal situation.

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