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Online shopping is the way more and more of us make our purchases each year. With free shipping on transactions over a certain amount, and even free returns and exchanges, it just gets easier and easier to whip out that credit card while in your PJs. But for a lot of us, this convenience in shopping is taking a toll on our budgets. Need help kicking the bad habit of overspending? Here are seven ways to cut back on online shopping.

1. Limit time online. If spending hours online, checking and rechecking every new happening on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are your idea of entertainment, then you are setting yourself up for a budget failure. More and more retail companies are taking advantage of social media as a part of their marketing, and too much time spent surfing the web makes it even easier to drift onto shopping sites “just to take a look around,” and subsequently make purchases. I’m not saying quit social media cold turkey –- not at all — but aside from work, try cutting down your social perusing to just a couple times a day.

2. Re-imagine. There are a million ways to wear the stuff we already have in our closets, but we often get stuck throwing that top on with the same pair of pants and never challenge ourselves to create a new look. Appreciate what you already have – start out by pairing a week’s worth of outfits together in a way you’ve never worn them before. For example, if you normally wear a sweater with skinny jeans, try it now with a bright-colored skirt with leggings and booties.

3. Maximize your accessories. You’d be surprised with just how easy it is to completely transform a look just by changing up the accessories. So instead of buying something new, where you normally might just wear a simple necklace and a watch, try vamping up the arm candy and adding a pop of color with a belt or statement necklace.

FOR THE COMPLETE LIST OF 7 TIPS, VISIT MANILLA.COM

Hey guys, hope you had a wonderful week — one filled hopefully with love and lots of sweets  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I was super excited to see in print my feature in the March 2013 issue of Instyle Magazine with Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Mila Kunis on the cover.  Over the Thanksgiving break, I was inspired to fearlessly mix a couple prints and dust off my silver tights after reading this issue.  So…I perused my closet before I left New York,  grabbed my dad while on a visit home, and  we trekked out for some sunny streets for some shots.  I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out.  To see the outfits up close…check them out here and here. If you happen to pick it up, please  feel free to Instagram, Facebook, Pin or Tweet me a pic of you with it — would love to see it!  Or if you’d just like to do a drive-by at the newsstand….I’m on page 138  Hope you like!        xoxo, Brandhyze