About Broke & Beautiful

Whether you’re scraping for change or swimming in cash, everyone has a little bit of broke inside of them. Maybe it comes out through your love of thrifting, your firm belief in making things instead of buying them, or maybe you just treat every shopping trip like a swap meet, haggling for the lowest price. The bottom line is that you really like shopping, but you love saving money.

Staying afloat financially can be scary, especially lately. Money has put me through the ringer for most of my life (more on that below if you’re nosey) and to cope I’ve turned saving money into a game. The game manifests every day in many forms. Maybe one day it’s finding the most perfect pair of ankle boots for walking outside in winter, and another day it’s challenging myself to craft a weekly meal plan around a 5lb. bag of black beans – I love the challenge. Winning is the best part, because winning looks like finding those boots in the clearance section and the only size left is mine, or discovering that black bean brownies are not that hard to make, and better yet, they are extremely delicious.

To me, being broke is, ironically, about getting everything you want. It’s learning the skills to literally pay the bills. I’m here to help you get the most out of your style desires and doing some of the dirty work for you.

“[Lindsay Ginn] started the site in 2007 as a way to share sales on designer clothes with her friends eventually her blog has turned into one of the coolest budget-friendly blogs out there.“ – StyleCaster

Broke And Beautiful is my ode to the feeling of getting more than you paid for. 

It’s also a documentation of my attempts to feel that way 100% of the time.

Beach days instead of music festivals, road trips instead of airfare, potlucks instead of catering…
Turn your brokeness into an opportunity creativity. 

Living the #BrokeLife is more than just “being cheap.”

On top of, well, not having any money, being broke is also about not letting big markups, tricky marketing, and the elitist fashion industry keep you from getting what you want out of life. If you’re savvy, you can find the best places to buy the things you love while keeping your bank account in check.

Use your resources: sales, discount codes, newsletter deals, auctions, secondhand shops online… and me! (Me = Lindsay. Hi, I’m writing this!) There are endless ways to get what you want and get it for cheap. (Or at the very least… cheaper.)

Without sacrificing quality or cash, I’ll show you the best stores to shop at for your favorite affordable indulgences, and give you my tried & true tips on how to support great brands, save money, and surround yourself with the things you love.

Trust me – your rich friends will be coming to you for shopping tips once you start dressing better than them, making food that’s better than restaurant quality, and taking bangin’ selfies in a beautifully furnished apartment.

Broke & Beautiful also supports indie brands and small businesses.

I’ve spent hours and hours and hours and hours (etc) researching ingredients, brand ethics, and environmental effects of the beauty and fashion industry, and I’m here to give you the 100% straight talk about which companies are bogus and which are truly ethical.

Greenwashing is a huge problem in consumer goods. That’s when brands put a bunch of nonsense words on their products to make you feel like you’re making a socially and/or environmentally responsible choice, when in reality, they’re just as bad as everyone else. Luckily, I know my sh!@, and as a marketing veteran, I can see right through that crap!

I’m dead serious about getting good brands out there, so I’ve created a code system that allows you to search brands and products by their ethical qualities. See the Ethical Shopping page for the full rundown!

“Broke and Beautiful takes the guesswork out of fashion investing by profiling must-have pieces at prices you won’t feel guilty about.” — GalTime.com

I started Broke & Beautiful in 2007 as a way to share great deals on designer clothes with my friends who were also tired of spending money on things they just deserve to have because they like them (sound logic, right?). Shopping became kind of a bummer when it should only be fun and make you feel awesome! Fortunately, my love, passion, and long-term relationship with the internet came to the rescue and finding crazy deals online became my obsession.

Paying full price for anything makes me feel nauseous, so I’ll do the extra work to make sure that never happens, thank you very much.

>> Read more about Lindsay Ginn

“This is one of the best budget fashion blogs today that will keep you laughing while saving… You’ll want them to be your closest girl friends.” — AllWomenStalk.com

“We love this edgy site’s focus on up-and-coming designers and Etsy finds.” — MyLifeScoop.com

I live online, and misery loves company I love new friends!

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Since 2007, Broke & Beautiful^sm has been helping to connect those who live inexpensively with the best, most beautiful designs for your home and lifestyle – but mostly your closet.  Broke & Beautiful has been named one of the Top Budget Style & Budget Blogs by:

• StyleCaster
• SurveyBee
• Wildberries Russia
• Shoestring Magazine
• Blogs.com
• H&M
• LifeScoop
• GalTime
• MoneyTalk News
• FeedSpot

B&B has also been named one of the Top 50 Fashion Blogs by BlogRank, and a Top 100 Fashion and Top 100 Music website by Technorati.

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