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Espresso and Ambition

A not-so-serious gal with some serious dreams.

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A College Gal’s Guide to Money – Part 3: Splurging

October 20, 2017 by Taylor 1 Comment

A College Gal's Guide to Money, Part 3: Splurging - Espresso and Ambition

The final topic of this little mini-series on money has to do with everyone’s favorite thing to do with money: spending it. Despite being a huge advocate of budgeting and saving (aka part 1 and part 2 of this series), I think a little splurging is also healthy. It’s like eating healthy – sometimes you do a great job and fill up on fruits and veggies, and other times you eat ice cream for dinner. It’s called balance. While money can’t buy happiness, you can’t deny that there’s always a bit of a rush when you purchase something you’ve been eyeing for a while.

 

Splurge Appropriately

With splurging, there’s two keys to keeping yourself in check: planning and self-control. If you’re going to spend money on new Tory Burch boots or a Kate Spade purse, go for it. But don’t just do it at the drop of a hat. Set aside a little bit of money for a “splurge” until you’ve amassed the full amount you need; then, when the time comes, you can spend that money and not feel guilty for it later. You’ve successfully planned for your splurge. It can also be more rewarding that way – eating dessert is that much more fun when you’ve been eating healthy all day and you’re “treating yourself.” (This post already contains a lot of food metaphors… I’m not even sorry.)

Splurging also requires a bit of self-control. If you know you’re saving that splurge money for a $200 pair of boots, don’t blow it when you reach the $100 mark. If it helps, make a “vision board,” or a list of items on your splurge list that you can go back to any time you’re tempted to spend your money on something else. I personally keep a little note in my phone of all the things on my wish-list, and it’s really good to look at whenever I’m tempted to buy something random. I’ll look at the notes page and ask myself if I really want whatever other item I’m looking at as much as I want those other things, or if it’s just some frivolous purchase. This has saved me from buying so many lipsticks at Target, y’all.

 

Splurge Wisely

Buying fun, expensive items is great. But you know what’s even better? Buying fun, expensive items on sale. If you’re thinking about splurging on something, figure out if it’s the type of item to go on sale. Last fall, I knew I wanted a pair of Tory Burch riding boots – I wear riding boots nonstop in the winter, and really wanted to get myself a high-quality pair. The boots I was looking at go for $500 normally, but I knew they went on sale every once in a while. Sure enough, I waited until Thanksgiving and guess what? They went on sale for $200! That’s $300 I saved by waiting and making a splurge when it was most beneficial.

Also, splurge on items that you know you’re really going to enjoy and use regularly. The most expensive items in my closet are those boots and my Barbour jacket. Both of them get worn almost daily throughout the winter – they’re things that cost a lot of money but get a ton of use. If you’re going to blow a lot of money on something, make sure it’s something you’re really going to use and give it the love that it deserves.

 

That’s all for today, folks! I hope you guys have enjoyed this little series – I’ll be back to normally scheduled blog content next week.

xo, Taylor

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Filed Under: College, Etc., Lifestyle

Comments

  1. Maya says

    October 20, 2017 at 10:35 pm

    I love this! It’s so important not to criminalize splurging as long as you value what you buy and think before spending.
    -Maya
    http://www.mayafleming.com

    Reply

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Meet Taylor

A real-life combination of Elle Woods and Hermione Granger. Recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently living and working in DC. New blog posts every Monday, new YouTube videos every Thursday. Subscribe by clicking the link below for post updates and exclusive content!

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tayy_kay

📍 dc
🔥 nasm certified personal trainer
✨ self-love + balance
🎥 2 new workouts per week!

tayy_kay
without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little c without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little challenging to really feel like i’m working at my full potential on leg days 😶 enter: single-leg movements. since all the weight is in one leg, you’re putting way more emphasis on it than you do during two-leg movements - and you’ll definitely feel that 🔥 you also get some added bonuses in the form of ensuring you’re working each side of your body equally AND a balance challenge!!
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you can add in weights or bands to up the challenge level, or do it all bodyweight like i am here!
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1️⃣ 15 single-leg box squats per leg (use other leg as a kickstand for an easier modification!)
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2️⃣ 15 bulgarian split squats per leg
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3️⃣ 15 single-leg hip thrusts per leg
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4️⃣ 15 single-leg deadlifts per leg
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throw on at the end of a longer leg day workout or do it 3-4 times as a workout all on its own!!
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👚 @girlfriend 🎧 numb - neffex
🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time 🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time to be alive, and it’s more important now than ever to listen to your body and stop being so hard on yourself. motivation is a fickle thing and working out when you don’t have all the equipment you love is weird. give yourself permission to take a break when you need it. don’t beat yourself up for missing workouts - exercise should be something you do because it makes you happy, not because you feel like you have to punish yourself. if it doesn’t make you happy that day, that’s okay. give yourself a break, come back and try again tomorrow. 💪🏼
circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not kidding about how much i love this long resistance band, it’s so versatile! definitely worth getting your hands on one for home workouts 😊 (although almost all of these can be completely with dumbbells or heavy objects if that’s what you’ve got in hand)
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also please watch to the very end of the fourth video for quality footage of greg 😂
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1️⃣ 12 long band shoulder presses to standing chest presses
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2️⃣ 12 upright rows to bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 overhead triceps extensions per arm (the one leg stance is some bonus balance work!)
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4️⃣ 12 rear flies, featuring greg trying to fight my shadow
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5️⃣ 12 commandos
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6️⃣ 12 side-to-side pushups
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repeat 4x total!!
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👚 @underarmourwomen
🎧 best of me - neffex
giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, cra giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, crazy time in the world a little differently, and for me, it’s looked like a lot of establishing to and sticking to routines (seriously, sometimes it feels like my skincare routine and workout split are the only thing still giving meaning to days of the week, lol). my morning smoothies have been another important one - there’s a recipe in my story highlights and surprise surprise it uses this protein powder 😛
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anyways, onto the real reason you’re here! i’m giving away 25 $20 giftcards for @310nutrition with NO STRINGS ATTACHED 🤯 you hear that? you ain’t gotta do a thing to win - the first 25 people to use the code KAYGC20 on their order automatically win. get your hands on some fire plant-based protein powder, courtesy of me and 310 😋 (p.s. if you’re still seeing this caption, there are still giftcards available!!)
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#310gc20 #310shake
sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and hold a fake photo shoot just to prove to yourself that you’re still a real human
posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangen posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangentially topical. link in bio.
upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating towards circuit-style workouts lately, because they really work up a sweat and home workouts just don’t feel as legit to me unless i’m hardcore sweating 🤷🏼‍♀️ i don’t mind not breaking much of a sweat at the gym, but it feels weird not to when i’m working out at home - anyone else feel this or am i just weird?? 😅
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do all exercises back to back with no rest in between!
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1️⃣ 10 push-ups to renegade rows
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2️⃣ 12 alternating bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 diamond front raises
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4️⃣ 8 sets of 3 tricep pulses to this lil cross-body weight move that doesn’t have a name {keep your core tight to feel it on your obliques!}
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5️⃣ 15 bent-over rear delt rows
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6️⃣ finisher!! 🥵 10 burpees with 2 shoulder taps and 2 toe taps in the middle of each rep
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repeat 🔁 for a total of 3 rounds!!
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👚 top from @gymsharkwomen, shorts from @nike 🎧 dangerous - neffex
would be nice if both sides of my head could agree would be nice if both sides of my head could agree on whether my hair is wavy or straight, but apparently that’s a little too much to ask of it 😂
got a circuit-style leg workout for you today! 🥳 there are 3 sets of 3 exercises that you’ll complete back-to-back - once you’ve done those three moves, rest for 30 seconds before repeating them all over again 2 more times! rest for 1-2 minutes in between each circuit - keeping your heart rate up is the goal here, i was driiiiiiipping sweat by the end of this one 🥵
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circuit 1️⃣: 10 step-ups to reverse lunges per leg
10 reverse lunges to curtsy lunges per leg
20 lateral lunges
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circuit 2️⃣:
10 squats to surrenders (stop in a squat position before standing up at the end to really feel this one)
10 stagger-stance rdls
20 criss-cross squat jumps
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circuit 3️⃣:
15 leg lifts per side
10 single-leg glute bridges per side
15 frog pumps
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👚 top from @fabletics, joggers from @gymsharkwomen
🎧 watch me - neffex
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