Melissa Batai, Author at The Outlier Model - Page 2 of 4

How to Buy Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses on the Cheap

Buy Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses , wedding preparations

Melissa Batai / February 26th, 2014 / 1 Comment

Many young girls imagine their wedding. They imagine their dress, the flowers, and the ceremony. As they grow up, these same girls might buy bridal magazines and gaze longingly at wedding dresses before they’re even engaged. While we’ve seen the rise of expensive, couture dresses thanks to shows like Say Yes to the Dress, some retailers are bucking the trend and offering discount bridal...

Four Frugal Tricks That Save You Money

Frugal Tricks That Save money, frugal living, cost cutting

Melissa Batai / February 16th, 2014 / 9 Comments

Frugality is no fun, right? People who are frugal never go out with friends, never buy a coffee, never buy anything, it seems. They spend all their time hanging up their clothes to line dry, saving their recycling for repurposing, and washing out plastic baggies. Right? True, some frugal people do this. But if you’re not naturally frugal and don’t want to be extreme, there are simple...

Posted in: Minimalism and Frugality Tagged with: buy in bulk, frugal, frugality, saving and frugality, Saving money drying clothes

6 Fun Valentine’s Day Activities with Kids

Valentine's Day Activities, valentine's with the kids

Melissa Batai / February 12th, 2014 / No Comments

Valentine’s Day is marked as a time for romance, but kids like Valentine’s Day as well! After all, they get to exchange Valentine’s with their classmates and receive candy, which is the best part for many kids. My mom always made Valentine’s Day special by giving me a card and a box of chocolates. If you’re the parent of young kids and you want to make Valentine’s...

Posted in: Family Tagged with: activities with kids, children, cooking with kids, frugal cooking tips, valentines day

Three Frugal Purchases That Have Saved Us Thousands

Frugal Purchases That Have Saved Us , frugal living

Melissa Batai / February 3rd, 2014 / 4 Comments

When my husband and I were first married thirteen years ago, we were beyond broke. We lived in a high cost of living area, I had student loan and credit card debt from college, and we only had one source of income at $35,000 a year. The Tightwad Gazette was my go to resource for all things frugal. For Christmas that first year, we asked for two products: a pair of hair clippers and a wooden dowel...

Posted in: Minimalism and Frugality Tagged with: drying rack, free hair cut, free hair style, freezer, hair cut, Saving money drying clothes, Saving money on groceries