24/Savvy Food and Travel

Maybe you're short on cash, or maybe you're just a smart, savvy shopper (go you!). Either way, drugstore beauty products are a guilt-free way to treat yourself to beauty goods almost as good as pricy luxury brands (and in some cases, they're even better!).  Here are ten savvy picks, personally tested and approved by our savvy staff.

Almay Intense i-Color Satin-i Shadow Kit, $7.49 at drugstore.com. Specially coordinated to make your particular eye color pop, these pretty palettes take all the guesswork out of shading and contouring your lids. Smooth (never chalky) and hypo-allergenic, the formula is easy on the eyes.

Not only is this an incredible solution for dry hair, you can file this under another 'really useful way to repurpose a plastic bag.'  As easy as it is inexpensive, this has become one of our favorite budget beauty treatments to do at least once a month for healthy hair maintenance or before special occasions for truly lustrous locks.

Booking airfare can be a stressful experience.  You always want to be sure you've got the best deal, but surely, you're way too busy to sit around stalking websites to save a piddly $25. Unless you've got your own personal assistant, you've got to ask yourself what your time is worth before you spend hours at the computer.  When you do shop around, make sure you're working with the best discount websites and give them a quick run down before you buy.  You can almost bet you're getting the best deal and in fact, some websites guarantee it.

Savvy Scoop: We usually use the search engines to find the best deal and book directly with the airlines if the price is the same.  If you have to make changes to your flight, it'll be easier to deal directly with the airline.

BOOKING FLIGHTS (Best Search Engines, Hands Down)
kayak.com
vayama.com
mobissimo.com
orbitz.com

FARE PREDICTIONS
Bing.com/travel - Enter your destinations and this site will make recommendations on when to buy or wait, with a confidence rating, giving you all the tools you need to know when to make your move.

FLIGHT DISCOUNT ALERTS
Airfarewatchdog.com - If you've got a little time before you need to book, enter your destination and date parameters into this search engine and you can expect alerts on great deals right in your inbox.

BEST SEATS
Seatguru.com - If you're always getting that unfortunate non-reclining seat right near the toilet, check out this site to find out which are the best spots on the plane. 

BEST AIRPORT EXPERIENCE
Ifly.com - Whether you've got a long layover or need to see how fast you're going to have to run to make your connection, you can get all the dish you need to make the most of your airport time.

We believe reaching savvy nirvana is best attained through small, sustainable efforts done every day to live comfortably and peacefully within your means without looking over the fence and thinking your neighbor's lawn is oh-so-much-greener than yours or feeling like you're missing out on "the good life" just because you're working with a budget.

Getting your savvy on could mean putting a little more thought into purchases before making them OR grabbing something at the library rather than buying it OR whipping up something at home rather than splurging at a store out OR finding a way to use that SUPER SAVVY THING before chucking it--it all adds up.  How you get your savvy on is up to you, but here's how we do it and what we did last week.

The jury at Savvy Central is still out on whether or not Black Friday is a shopping "Savvy" or a "Silly." While we realize that there are deals to be had and money to be saved, the early morn' stampedes and fisticuffs over steeply discounted wares seem an odd follow up to a holiday dedicated to gratitude and, well, giving thanks for what we've got. However, if you've got a long "Dear Santa" list to fulfill and can stretch your dollar the farthest on Black Friday, well, get on out there and get those deals, you savvy girl, you. Just keep these Savvy Seven tips in mind and you'll be sure to make it your most productive trip ever.

So you didn't get the upgrade, join the club.  With airlines holding ever-more-dear the magic fairy dust that turns a cheap ticket into a luxe joyride, it seems that those of us who travel on a budget are forever destined to the cold, cramped confines of the steerage coach cabin.

Before you say "moooooo" and resign yourself to a flight from hell —particularly if it's going to be a long one—try some of our heavenly ideas for making yourself feel right at home, even if you are 40,000 miles above it.