Whether you are broke, saving or just don't want to part with your hard earned cash, friend's birthday are often enough to bring on palpitations. Actually, it's not just birthdays any more. Suddenly we've gone all LA with our celebrations; hampers for baby showers, personalised stationary for a new job, bespoke perfume for a promotion...Cartier to get her through that time of the month. Too far? Well you get the idea. No one but no one wants to look cheap to their friends and this can leave us feeling the pressure to splurge.
Don't get me wrong, I adore spoiling the girls, seeing their face light up when they unwrap my carefully chosen gift. But you can't get the same joy out of it when you know it means you will be walking home for the next week. Luckily though, a little planning means neither of you have to compromise.
The general idea is to give yourself time. Rocking up to a department store a few days before the celebration will invariably result in you handing over a day's wages for a gift box of her favourite smellies. She will like it, but it wasn't worth the money- and you know it. It's simple, get online a couple of weeks before. You may even find the online price is cheaper or a that there is a free gift promotion on.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- If you have two 'X' chromosomes then you love nails inc. It's not your fault, I'm pretty sure we are genetically programmed that way. It's a quality product that any girl will recognise and want to use again and again. At £11 a pop though, buying her one for each mood will soon mount up. The solution? These glam gift sets. 'Glitterati' contains a delectable trio of shimmering shades, while 'Get Cracking' (http://www.nailsinc.com/nailpolish/get-cracking/988/) has an on-trend collection of crackle effect polishes to keep the most demanding of birthday girls happy. The best part? Each set is a mere £18! That saves you £15!
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| nails inc 'Glitterati' gift set http://www.nailsinc.com/nailpolish/the-glitterati-colour-collection/977/ |
- There is something so secretly thrilling about being the guest who turns up to the party with a bottle of bubbly to crack open. Of course, Champagne hasn't earned its luxury status by being cheap and in the past the host has been more likely to find you walking through the door with a bottle of own-brand wine tucked under your arm than anything with bubbles. I know it isn't customary to buy your best friend a present from Tesco but when it comes with a black label, this convention can be easily ignored. Until 2nd October, the supermarket have reduced their Lanson Black Label Champagne to just £22.99- and if you spend £50 or more online as a new customer you will get £10 off! That means 2 bottles of champers and some nice choccies (or even bread and milk for you) for just £40. Alternatively, Waitrose currently has Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut NV for only £31.99 (http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-42568-Bollinger+Special+Cuv%C3%A9e+Brut+NV). It's all about creating an illusion. People presume you nipped to the nearest off license and forked out £50 so the party could go down in style- only you and your bank manager know any different.
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| http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=268412298 |
- A good diary can be the epitome of style. It's like a LBD or string of pearls....the slender stiletto of stationery. The weapon of choice for powerful, intellectual women the world over, these leather bound beauties don't come cheap. At least in the shops they don't. A filofax may not be Gucci, but as far as organisers go, they are a quality brand. The 'Finsbury' is my favourite in the current range and I was delighted to find a seller on eBay asking only £15 for the mini Finsbury. It's around £40 over the counter. They are available in a range of colours and each one is crafted in sumptuous grained leather. I plan to pick it up in raspberry...but I can't pretend it'll be a present. Go to http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNIB-FINSBURY-GRAINED-LEATHER-MINI-FILOFAX-RASPBERRY-2012-and-2013-/130770249761?pt=UK_BOI_Office_Office_Supplies_Stationery_ET&hash=item1e7283a821 to see for yourself!
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| Raspberry mini Finsbury Picture taken from the link below |
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- Unless you've been under a rock for the past couple of years, you'll know about the fantastic range that ASOS has to offer. I find that their designer outlet is often full of overpriced plain cotton t-shirts from brands I've never heard of- but I do find the occasional gem! This luv AJ ring has a massive saving of nearly £90. It'll set you back just £21.50 at the moment, but still has all the allure and impressive label you think she deserves!
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| http://www.asos.com/Luv-AJ/Luv-AJ-Crystal-Knucklebuster-Ring/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1920945&cid=11625&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=200&sort=3&clr=Antique+gold |
Remember, none of these images are mine, they are taken from the websites mentioned in the respective captions. Happy saving!
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