This is definitely like treat yo ' self but be frugal about it For those who wear makeupMascara gets very germy and tends to dry out after a few months . If you want that Makeup Forever Urban Decay expensive brand mascara , just buy the trial size . It ' s so much cheaper and it will last nearly as long as the full size . You can add a couple drops of contact solution to a dry mascara for a short term solution but that ' s only going to work for a few applications . Don ' t buy Beautyblenders ! ! Buy the Ulta or generic brand for $ 4 instead of the $ 10 bb . Trust me , the off brand is the same thing . If you use a slightly damp bb knockoff , you ' ll use WAY less product and then that tube of BB cream will last a full season ! At least , for me . There ' s a site called influenster that will occasionally send you free products if you review and rate stuff a lot . You do have to be incredibly active , but they send out very highvalue items and it costs nothing to try . Also , it ' s a good site to find dupes ! Remember that products expire . Don ' t just buy the huge vat of xyz for the deal if it ' s going to take more than a year to use . 1218 months is the general rule for expiry of potions and lotions that are dispensed without touching the actual product , as opposed to a tub that you have to scoop product out with your fingers hands are dirty . Expired product won ' t work as well and then you ' ll use more and waste it . Lots of stores like Ulta or Sephora will let you return things you don ' t like even if you ' ve been using it . This can save money indirectly in case you ' re afraid to buy a product for fear you ' ll be wasting money if you don ' t like it , but also because it usually costs less to keep buying one item that works well rather than buying a few that don ' t work . but you have to find that one thing that does work . You can be frugal and also be picky . Love yourself , my friend . also , just in general , being assertive and persistent has saved me so much money . Call ahead and ask about discountsspecials before you make appointments or buy tickets to anything instead of just looking at ads or online . Never get rid of your student ID from college . And for the love of god , always carry a snack !