I didn’t start wearing glasses until high school. I didn’t start wearing glasses every day until college. Both awkward times to make the transition to wearing glasses, but I embraced them as a fashion accessory (with the bonus of actually being able to see clearly) and quickly acquired a collection of bold and colorful frames. Now I have a hard time visualizing myself with out glasses and on the rare occasion that I pop in my contacts, my friends and coworkers hardly recognize me.

I know you’re thinking that my little eyeglasses habit must cost a small fortune, but it doesn’t because I have a little trick. A trick that allows me to wear designer eyeglasses and the latest trends at a fraction of the cost.

I order online glasses.

It’s super easy to buy glasses online. The most difficult part is asking your eye doctor for your prescription information – sometimes they don’t like to give out all the information but it’s your prescription, so be firm! GlassesUSA makes it easy to enter your prescription information and even has professional opticians available to assist if you have any questions. Their 110% lowest price guarantee and 100% satisfaction guarantee makes ordering a no-lose situation.

I haven’t yet ordered from GlassesUSA.com, but I’ve heard good things from personal friends and after spending some time browsing I can see that they have a great selection of name brand frames and the latest styles, not to mention all the prescription options my eye doctor offers, so I’m excited to order a new pair of glasses this new year. And to make sure you get the very best deal on your new glasses, GlassesUSA is having a new year sale, so use these coupon codes:

Take 20% off any pair of eyeglasses and get FREE US shipping with the code: NEW2012
Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses with the code: Blog10

Do you order your eyeglasses online? Have you ordered from GlassesUSA? Tell me what you think!

This post is sponsored by www.GlassesUSA.com. All opinions are 100% my own. Please see my site policy with any questions.

GlassesUSA New Year Sale

Merry Christmas! (Yeah, I said it. I’m usually a “Happy Holidays” kinda gal, but it is Christmas Eve.)

I’ll be spending the weekend with my family but I wanted to drop in to clear my cash-spending conscience before the festivities begin.

• $30 gas
• $58 Target
• $200 TOMS (I may or may not have ordered 3 pairs of shoes in the middle of the night. If I don’t love them, they’ll be returned.)
• $25 Bluefly (Had a $25 Klout Perk so I ordered some baubles for half price!)
• $46 Lands’ End (Ordered two cable knit sweaters that were regularly $100 each!)

See you in 2012!

Daily Dollars – December 20 thru 24

Contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winner – Sammi!

Cold and flu symptoms are starting to make their way around the office this holiday season and the worst of it isn’t the running nose or sneezing; it’s the congestion and sinus pressure which inevitably causes horrible headaches and much whining and complaining by all. Most people don’t know that sinus pressure caused by nasal inflammation is a potential cause of congestion, which means they probably aren’t taking the right medication to alleviate their symptoms.

That means wasted money on the wrong medications and extra time off of work to recuperate. Don’t waste time and money when Advil® Congestion Relief treats the real problem; sinus pressure, congestion, and headaches caused by nasal swelling and inflammation.

Advil is also taking on another type of congestion – congestion problems facing communities around the country – through the Advil® Congestion Relief Project and they are looking for communities in need of relief.

Submit your story on how congestion effects your community – from long lines at the DMV to bumper-to-bumper traffic in the school parking lot – include how Advil’s Congestion Relief Project can help and your community could win up to $30,000. Advil has already unveiled a new library in the Brox so relief to your communities congestion problems could be next!

Leave a comment telling me what kinds of congestion problems are plaguing your community and one winner will receive a 10 count package of Advil Congestion Relief.

I am a member of One2One Network and this post is part of a sponsored campaign. I received both product and compensation for my time. I make no claims about Advil Congestion Relief as a product or it’s effectiveness. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Please see my site policy with any questions.

Entries will be accepted until midnight, Sunday, December 18th. One (1) winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Please use your real first name and a valid email address when entering. I am not responsible for incorrect contact information. US residents only. Prize will be shipped directly from the sponsor.

Breathe Easier: Advil Congestion Relief Project

Contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winner – Stephanie!

It’s no secret that I struggle with balancing my wants and needs. I’m a big fan of self-gifting and can usually find a reason why I deserve to treat myself to little things throughout the month. I constantly have to ask myself do I really need that? and I end up feeling guilty when I say yes too often.

But I don’t have to feel guilty about treating myself to products from Freeman Beauty; a brand I’ve used since college. Their on-the-go packets of Feeling Beautiful facial masks are a staple in my beauty routine and budget friendly at only $1.99 each at the drugstore. The Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask and Pineapple Enzyme Facial Mask are my absolute favorites that are an essential part of any DIY at-home facial.

This Saturday night (yes, I’m staying in and enjoying some me time this weekend) I’m trying the new Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask and let me just warn you – do not start your beauty routine hungry because this facial mask smells exactly like chocolate frosting. I’m dangerously close to taste-testing. It tones and diminishes the appearance of large pores while moisturizing, so you’ll look refreshed and renewed. It’s great for all skin-types and my sometimes sensitive skin was soft and hydrated after rinsing.

Freeman Beauty products are available at Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, and other retailers, but if you’d like products delivered to your door, they’ve offered the coupon code BLOGGER25 for 25% off online purchases. If you’d like to try some of my favorite products, Freeman has put together a DIY facial kit including the following products for one reader.

• Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask
• Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask
• Cucumber Peel-Off Facial Mask
• Plus a shower cap, hand towel, and travel case

To enter, leave a comment about your beauty routine and how you fit it into your budget. For extra entries:

• Follow @CorrinRenee (that’s me) and/or @FreemanBeauty on Twitter
• Like Broke As a Spoke on Facebook and/or Freeman Beauty on Facebook
• Tweet me about your beauty routine using the hashtag #BudgetBeauty

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. You have until December 16th to enter – now go get beautiful on a budget!

The lovely people at Freeman Beauty provided products for review and giveaway.

The fine print…The lovely people at Freeman Beauty provided products for review and giveaway. I received a sampling of products in exchange for my participation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Please see my site policy with any questions.

Entries will be accepted until midnight, Friday, December 16th. One (1) winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email and/or Twitter. Please use your real first name and a valid email address when entering. I am not responsible for incorrect contact information. US residents only. Prize will be shipped directly from Freeman Beauty.

Beautiful On A Budget – A Giveaway from Freeman Beauty

It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is in full-swing, but the weather in Austin has finally gotten brisk (well, at least in the early mornings), Christmas lights are twinkling in every window, and I’m craving big red cups of fancy hot beverages, so it must be true.

What’s also true is that those big red cups of fancy hot beverages are not in my budget this month. But armed with my coworker’s Keurig® and hazelnut cream K-Cups from Millstone Coffee Company and I’ve got the holiday spirit. Not to mention one perfectly brewed cup of fancy coffee at a fraction of the cost of the home of the red cup.

You know what else would put me in the holiday spirit? $10,000.

Now through December 27, 2011, coffee lovers can visit Millstone Coffee and share what matters most when enjoying their daily cup of coffee to be automatically entered for a chance to win a grand prize of $10,000, a Keurig® Single Cup Brewer, and a year supply of K-Cups from Millstone. There’s also 32 weekly prizes up for grabs, which includes a $100 grocery gift card, a Keurig® Single Cup Brewer, and a month supply of K-Cups from Millstone.

Happy brewing!

The lovely people at Millestone Coffee Company provided a variety of K-Cups for myself and my co-workers. All opinions are 100% my own and you can read my site policy if you have any questions. Please visit www.millstone.com for full contest rules.

K-Cups vs Red Cups

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Kristen!

I’m pretty thrifty when it comes to beauty products. I buy most of my cosmetics at the local drugstore (using coupons or CVS ExtraCare Bucks, naturally) and they work just as well as products from the cosmetics counter at any department store.

Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream are two products that are a staple in my medicine cabinet and cost less than $10 each ($5.99 for the full-size tube, to be exact). I’ve been using both for about 6 months now – the healing lotion in the summer months and now the healing cream since it’s gotten cooler out. Both lotions have a hint of the classic Carmex scent, which I love and trust for it’s healing properties. Healing properties that extend to all products in the Carmex family. The Healing Lotion is a great all over lotion after a shower and the Healing Cream is perfect for targeting dry elbows, knees, and feet.

I love that Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream are exactly what they say they are. Non-greasy, full of soothing aloe and nourishing vitamins, with a clean, pleasant scent. Both can be found at Walgreens and CVS and will be coming to Walmart this fall.

If you’d like to try both Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream, I’m giving away a full-size and travel size-tube of each. Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment telling me which Carmex products you use or would most like to try
• Like Broke as a Spoke on Facebook
• Follow me on Twitter

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday, November 14th.

The fine print…Entries will be accepted until Monday, November 14th. One (1) winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted by email. Please use your real first name a valid email address when entering. I am not responsible for incorrect contact information. Prize will be mailed to winner directly from the sponsor.

This is a sponsored review and giveaway courtesy of the lovely people at Carmex. Please see my site policy with any questions.

Drugstore Beauty Products – a Carmex review and giveaway!

All this holiday talk already! I’m super excited about the holidays this year – I’ll be traveling back home to Chicago for Thanksgiving and my family is visiting Austin from Chicago and New York for Christmas. I can’t wait to start decorating and baking and it’s never too early to start thinking of ways to save money. Here are ten tips to make your holiday planning budget friendly:

1. There’s only 12 weeks until Christmas – which means only 6 paychecks for most of us. Make your holiday budget early and set aside cold hard cash to pay for things like gifts, party supplies, and travel. The  more thorough you are with your planning, the more likely you are to stick to your budget.

2. One of the highlights of the holidays is the (over) abundance of baked goods. If you’re doing the baking this Christmas, remember that bulk ingredients and finished baked goods freeze like a dream. You’ll save money by buying in larger quantities and be able to start your baking earlier knowing that your famous sugar cookies will taste just as good as the day on Christmas day as on the day you baked them.

3. Order your Storkie Christmas cards early (I aim to have mine ready to address by Thanksgiving) so that you can address one or two whenever you have a free minute. They’ll be ready to mail before you know it and your holiday greetings will arrive before the snow melts. Place your order with Strokie now, and you’ll have your customized cards before Halloween. Now that’s planning ahead.

4. You’re bound to stumble across some great sales throughout the year, so stash those purchases in your trunk or the back of your closet. Whether you’re buying gifts, decorations, or supplies for your big holiday gathering, you’ll avoid sticker shock come November if you spread your purchases out throughout the year.

5. If you’re shopping online, be sure to order early to avoid rush shipping charges!

6. Make your holiday dinners pot-luck! Have everyone bring their specialty and you’ll cut your budget and the stress of having to cook every dish at the table. All it takes is a festive email a few weeks in advance and a little ego stroking to get your great aunt to bring her famous egg nog.

7. Personalize your holiday cards with a handwritten message and a family photo. It’s a cheap and easy way to amp up the holiday cheer and show family and friends that you care. Storkie has a great collection of photo Christmas cards to customize for less than the price of a store-bought greeting card. Holy Swirls is my favorite – it’s modern and festive without being too Christmas-y.

8. Do your research. I know most people don’t recommend using credit around the holidays (heck, I recommended using cash only in this very post) but if you have a credit card with a great cash back program or airline mileage rewards and you have the cash on hand to pay the bill in full (that’s the key!) then definitely take advantage of those savings!

9. Decide who you truly want/need to buy gifts for. Buying for everyone and their brother isn’t budget-friendly nor do the gifts mean as much to you or the recipient.

10. Stock up on gift cards – especially if you can get them at a discount by purchasing online or in packs of 3 or more. If you’re anything like me, you’ll mistakenly overlook someone important and gift cards to a great last minute present to have on hand. Who doesn’t like gift cards?

How do you plan ahead for the holiday season? Are you excited to start planning this year?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy with any questions.

10 Holiday Planning Tips (On A Budget)

Five-night stay for two, including round-trip airfare, at The Grand Sunset Princess Resort in Cancun, Mexico.

Eighteen little words I’d like to hear right after the phrase “you’ve won.”

I’d be okay hearing them after 40%, 50%, or 60% off, too. Which is what you’ll find every day at BookIt.com, a leading travel website fearing vacation deals from your nearest airport to destinations worldwide.

You may have noticed over the past five years of posting my spending habits that I love to travel. And that I’m also a little OCD (how many people do you know write down where they spent every dollar for five years?) so traveling means lots of research, bargain hunting, and cost comparison.

BookIt basically rewards you for doing your research. Hotels. Flights. Package deals. All right there. Ready to book. So the next time you’re looking to blow this popsicle stand, you know exactly where to look.

Oh, and why do I deserve to win a trip to Mexico? Cause I will tweet the shit out of that trip. Tweeting is good. Vacation is good. BookIt is good.

By posting this information I am entered to win a five-night stay for two, including round-trip airfare, at The Grand Sunset Princess Resort in Cancun, Mexico. All opinions are 100% my own. Please see my site policy with any questions.

You know what to do

Tax time has me rummaging through shoe boxes full of receipts, which is always quite the eye opener. While filing away all the 2010 FSA paperwork, it became abundantly clear that prescription eye glasses are my biggest health care expense.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite grateful that an astigmatism is my biggest health care concern, but the price of a yearly exam and new glasses can be a strain, and I understand why people put it off until absolutely necessary.

One great way to keep health care expenses in check is by ordering prescription glasses from Zenni Optical. For as little as $6.95 a pair, you can get frames and prescription lenses with anti-scratch coating and UV protection.

I’ve been a customer of Zenni Optical for years, and I can tell you firsthand that my orders have always been accurate, prompt, and stylish. Their website was just redesigned, making it much more user friendly, and much more tempting to order a pair of glasses for everyday of the week. Especially these full frame glasses which look like my everyday glasses but with a pop of color (green – my favorite color).

Do you order from Zenni Optical? Do you have any other tips for keeping health care costs down?

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy with any questions.

Eyeglasses on a Budget

Thank you to TurboTax for sponsoring my writing about household finances.Learn more about how TurboTax can help you find every tax deduction you deserve. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Please see my site policy with any questions.

One day, after graduating college, I was standing in the foyer of my apartment building checking my mail. After opening a credit card bill, the utility bill, the cable bill, and another credit card bill, I realized I didn’t have a grasp on how many bills I had.

I never knew what to expect in my mail box. When a bill came, I slipped it in my checkbook and paid it as soon as payday rolled around. I’d never missed a payment but there was no rhyme or reason to my money management.

In that moment, my budget was born. Well, first I panicked and then my budget was born.

I don’t like to complicate things, especially where money is concerned, so my budget is a simple spreadsheet. I don’t use any fancy formulas or software. I list the date, take home pay, and each and every account payable, including savings and miscellaneous expenditures. The total is the amount of cash left in my pocket after all bills are paid, which is then divvied up for entertainment, clothing, groceries, and unforeseeables.

The numbers aren’t accurate, but this is generally what my budget looks like. The gray accounts are paid in full, the green accounts are soon to be paid in full, and everything else is a recurring payment. See? Not fancy.

My budget will always be a work in progress. I rearrange entries, highlight monthly priorities, and keep separate tabs with more in depth information on accounts with outstanding balances. It may not be an exact science, but it gives me a good idea of where my obligations are and most importantly, it works for me.

What does your budget look like? Any tips? Tricks? Recommendations?

My (very simple) Budget