Here’s a statement that a lot of women can relate to: You have a closet full of clothes but have nothing to wear. It could because of rapid weight losses/gains, outdated styles, or you’re simply not in the mood to wear anything in your closet. Either way, having nothing to wear is a common dilemma for women. And if you’re on a budget, going on a shopping spree every time you have “nothing to wear” is clearly out of the question.  Thankfully, a new startup has found a way for women to get rid of the pre-loved clothes in their closets, while finding great clothing and apparel deals at the same time.

Introducing 99dresses.com, a website that gives women “access to an infinite closet of free fashion.” Simply upload photos of your unwanted (but quality) clothes in to the 99dresses database, and sell them to other girls.

There’s a virtual currency in the infinite closet called “buttons” and you can use them purchase clothes. When someone buys a dress that you uploaded, you’ll have the buttons credited to your 99dresses account. If you don’t have enough buttons to purchase the items that you want, you can buy buttons for a dollar each.

Selling Items

Before snapping photos of the clothes that you wish to sell, make sure that your items are in good condition. Think of it this way: If you’d be embarrassed to lend it to your friends, then it probably doesn’t belong in the infinite closet. When you do take pictures of your clothes, hang the items or take a photo with someone wearing them so that users can clearly see the details of the clothes. Don’t worry about the background; the 99dresses staff will remove the background before adding it to the store.

When uploading an item, you’ll be asked to provide some details, including the brand, size, color, and retail price of the item. 99dresses will suggest a price in buttons based on the above-mentioned details, but you can always manually set the price if you don’t agree with the suggestion.

When a girl purchases an item that you’re selling, 99dresses will give you the address to mail it to, and once it’s posted, you’ll get the buttons credited to your account. Take note that the seller is in charge of postage fees when mailing them to the buyer.

Buying Items

You can buy clothes using the buttons that you have in your account. Simply head to the shop, select a fabulous item, and click “Buy it now”. You’ll have to provide your address to be given to the seller, and once you receive your shipment, you’ll be asked to leave feedback and rate the seller as well as the clothes.

Of course, when buying clothing online, there’s always the possibility that the actual items are not in the size or condition that you expected them to be. If you receive an item that is in poor condition, touch base with the seller and the staff at 99dresses to sort out the situation and hopefully get the buttons back into your account. According to 99dresses, on the event that you receive an item that doesn’t fit, you can simply “re-list the dress in the Infinite Closet in a click to sell on to another girl who will enjoy it. Hopefully it will fit her better and you can spend the buttons on something new!”

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Spring is finally here which means that it’s once again high time to bring out the active side in you and go outside to smell the fresh flowers. Hibernation time is over folks, it’s the perfect season to enjoy the great outdoors. Speaking of outdoors, if you have a garden in your home, spring is a great season to start some planting and cultivating activities.

Gardening brings a lot of benefits to the table. For one thing, it’s a nice and relaxing activity that can help cut the stress and negativities in your life. For another, growing your own fruits and vegetables can save you a ton of money in grocery expenses.

If you need to cut your grocery bill, below is a list of plants that you can grow right from your back yard:

1. Lettuce – Instead of spending up to 4 dollars or more per week for a pack of lettuce, why not just pick up a package of seeds for 2 bucks and reap the benefits for months to come? Just mix in some lettuce and mesclun seeds and you’ll be enjoying your 100% homemade salad in less than two months. Additionally, lettuce doesn’t take up that much space in your garden, so you won’t have to dig up your other plants just to accommodate them.

2. Tomatoes – Here’s another one that doesn’t need a lot of space; you can actually grow some healthy tomatoes even if your garden is just the patio type. At maturity, patio tomatoes grow less than two feet, and you can choose from a wide variety, including cherry tomatoes, Big Beef, or Sun Gold.

3. Eggplants – When the weather starts getting warmer, be sure to add some eggplants to your garden! To grow a crop, you may need about 2 or 3 months of warm weather and it’s best to start with nursery grown pants rather than seeds. If you don’t have a huge garden, you can try the “Fairy Tale” a hybrid of the eggplant that grows less than two feet tall.

Aside from growing your own food, why not add in some flowers and nice plants to beautify the place? Potted plants may not be as cheap as seeds, but follow the tips below and you’re bound to find a good deal.

Finding cheap garden supplies and plants is pretty easy, as home and gardening stores regularly hold sales on plants. There are also some “end of the season” sales where you can catch great deals on plants and flowers that are about to go out of season.

You can also try turning to the World Wide Web for free plants. Websites like FreeCycle actually lets users request for free plants. Additionally, scout around for online gardening forums. These websites have a lot of active members that can really give you the scoop on where and how to get plants for cheap.

If you’ve already built up your garden, consider trading some of your plants for new ones with other gardeners. If you have any extra plants, find a fellow garden-owner and see if you can do a barter trade with them. Moreover, if you know any gardeners or homeowners who are about to move out, volunteer to take some plants off their hands.

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You can’t really put a price on the safety and well-being of you and your family, but if you’re watching your spending habits, there are a few things that you can do to increase your home security without breaking the bank.

Below are a few practical tips that can save you money while ramping up the security in your home at the same time. Check them out and see which ones you can apply at your house.

1. Strike a Deal with Home Security Companies – If you can afford an electronic home security system such as ADT, then it wouldn’t hurt to get one. For a few bucks day, you get an alarm, a direct line to emergency response, and a sign outside your door that can get burglars to back off. Of course, just because you can afford to pay for the service full price, doesn’t mean you can’t attempt to strike a good deal on home security, right? When you’re talking to the home security rep, be sure to ask if you can customize your security package. Only include the features that you actually need, and get rid of the ones that you don’t in order to save money. Also, see if you can get them to install it for free. Installation costs can add up to hundreds of dollars, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask to get it for free, especially if you’re signing up for a contract with them.

2. Install Automatic Lights – Don’t want to spend monthly fees on a home security service? Then motion sensor lights could be a good option for you. These devices light up automatically when they sense movement, and can be great additions to your back yard or front lawn. Activate them at night, and whenever someone walks into your property, they’ll light up to either scare the intruders away, or alert you that someone’s on your lawn or backyard.

3. Get a Dog – Dogs (the big kinds) are really effective in providing security in your home. They can delay or even stop burglars from entering your home and then can also bark loud enough to alert you when something is wrong. Plus as a bonus, aside from a security guard, you get a loyal companion in your home as well!

4. Effective Use of Signs – Even if you don’t have a dog, consider putting up a “Beware of Dog” sign outside your home, anyway. Visible signage can get burglars or intruders to pass over your home. Other signs that could work include a “Camera” signage or something from a home security company.

5. Make it Hard for Them to Enter – Invest in effective locks and bolts to make it difficult for intruders to enter you home. Sure, it may take a little more time and effort on your part to deal with extra locks on the door, but this additional hassle can actually save your life.

6. Pay Attention to Your Home’s Weak Points – Don’t neglect your back door and garage, as these are usually the vulnerable parts of your home that burglars could take advantage of. Double check that these points of entry are closed and secure every night and each time you leave the house.

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March 17^th is right around the corner which means it’s time to bring out the Irish in you because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up! Considered as both a religious and cultural holiday, March 17 celebrates St. Patrick, along with the most commonly recognized saints of Ireland and the arrival of Roman Italian Christianity in Ireland. Wikipedia explains that in the States, the day is “widely recognized and celebrated throughout the country. It is primarily celebrated as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the colour green, feasting, copious consumption of alcohol, religious observances, and numerous parades. The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late eighteenth century, prior to the American Revolution.”

Yes, St. Patty’s Day is such a great excuse to celebrate and be merry, but for frugalistas like us, it’s also an exciting opportunity to find sales and bargains!

Eating Out

If you’re planning to go out on the 17^th, be sure to hit the bars early, in order to catch the happy hour / St. Patrick’s Day specials. It will also help to look up which places are offering St. Patrick’s Day deals so that you’ll save time and know exactly where to go.

Be sure to wear something green, as a lot of establishments are giving away perks like discounts and freebies to those who flaunt their St. Patty’s Day spirit. The same principles go for the drinks. If you want to get bargains on booze, you might find some luck in ordering green drinks such as Kamikazes or Apple Martinis.

Staying In

If you really want to save up some cash though, consider celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at home! Round up the gang, ask them to bring their favorite Irish dish or concoction, and you’re good to go. Also be sure to scout around for deals on food and wine, then start cooking.

When it comes to the dishes and snacks that you can prepare, IntoWine.com provides some great Irish Food & Wine pairing suggestions that would be perfect for St. Patty’s Day. For instance, you can try pairing Corned Beef and Cabbage with Sonoma Pinot Noir. According to the website, combining the Pinot Noir is sure to bring the acidity to the dish. Craving for something  a little lighter? Then go for good old Fish N’ Chips together with a bottle of Australian Riesling. According to IntoWine, “the acid in the riesling cuts through the oily richness and heaviness of the battered fish and greasy chips. The high acid gives it zest and “cleans up the mouth” yet the wine’s light body does not overpower either the fish or the chips.”

Of course, let’s not forget about the decorations! Before you head to the nearest office or art supply store to pick up some cheap craft supplies, be sure to check your home for any artsy things that you can use to decorate. Green pens, highlighters, paper, and some tape should be more than enough to get you started on St. Patrick’s Day decorations.

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Tablets are some of the most handy and useful gadgets in the market today. Too bad you can’t find a great tablet at an affordable price, right? Wrong. While it’s true that there are a lot cheap iPad knock-offs out there that don’t provide any value to the consumer, it’s not impossible to find a reliable tablet that’s easy on the budget. Finding cheap electronics can be a challenge, but read on, and we’ll point you to the right direction.

Check out our top picks for the best tablets on a budget:

Kindle Fire – Amazon’s contender in the tablet industry made a lot of waves ever since it was announced, and for good reason. The Kindle Fire comes with a very modest price tag of $199, and offers a whole lot of features with it. It has a 7-inch display, weighs 14.6 ounces, and has an internal storage of 8 GB. The Kindle Fire allows users to do a wide array of things, including read books, browse the web, watch videos, and use apps. Additionally, you’ll be able to enjoy unlimited, instant streaming on thousands of films and TV shows as well as free books for borrowing if you’re an Amazon Prime member.  Of course, the Kindle has its flaws power users may find the small memory and lack of 3G capabilities troublesome, but if you’re just looking for a simple tablet that allows you to surf, read, listen, and watch, then the Kindle Fire could be perfect for you.

Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet – Consider it the Kindle Fire’s arch rival. The Nook tablet also costs $199 and has an internal memory of 8GB. Yes, you can also read book, watch videos, and play with app, just like the Fire. What makes it different? Aside from having the name “Barnes & Noble” attached to it, the Nook offers expandable memory of up to 32 GB with a micro SD card. It also has a longer battery life of up to 11.5 hours for reading and 9 hours of video. Additionally, the Nook has some social sharing capabilities that allow users to share recommendations via Facebook and Twitter.

HTC Flyer – Having an original price of $549, you can now get the HTC Flyer for a steal at 379.99 or lower.  It functions as a normal tablet that offers web browsing, apps, and multimedia. What’s unique about it though is that the HTC Flyer’s Scribe Pen that allows users to take notes and scribble with ease. It’s perfect for artists as well as people who need to rapidly take notes.

Toshiba Thrive – Need some power-user features and a massive screen sans that massive price? Then the Toshiba Thrive could be the tablet for you. With a display measurement of 10.1 inches, you’re bound to catch every detail on its screen. The Thrive has a brilliant screen resolution and is lightning fast for its size. It’s powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2—the world’s first super-chip, allowing users to multi-task with ease. Additionally, it has a dual-core processor and Adobe Flash to let you enjoy high-quality and high-def video, games, and more. Get it for as low as $379.99

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