Living stylishly with the gals from Pretty Providence
When we came across Sarah and Jessica of Pretty Providence, we couldn’t help but fall for their fabulous frugal lifestyle blog. These gals love to live stylishly, eat well and play a lot — without breaking the bank. They share recipes, frugal tips and fun DIY home projects like this totally adorbs Honey Bear bookends project. Sarah, Jessica, you have the stage …
Where we’re based: Northern and southern Utah — we live five hours apart, and we both work from home.
How long we’ve been blogging: Officially, since March 2012 (we just celebrated our first blog birthday).
Blog basics: Pretty Providence is a frugal lifestyle blog. We share a passion for living frugally, and know you can still look stylish, live well, eat well and do fun things without spending tons of money. We post a lot of DIY home decor ideas, tips on how to do specific things on a budget, budget-friendly fashion finds, recipes and the like.
Other blogs we love: Over the Big Moon, All Things Thrifty, Uber Chic for Cheap, Our Freaking Budget, and Neon Fresh. Basically, we like any blog that encourages smart living and is also pretty or funny.
Guilty pleasure: Sarah: Marshmallows plus Nutella; rap music circa 2004-2006.
Jessica: Chocolate, definitely.
Last thing I bought: Jessica: Groceries, at WalMart.
Sarah: I got a pint of my favorite dressing from a Mexican restaurant to dress up some of our dinners. It’s cheaper than buying dinner at the restaurant and makes eating at home feel a little fancier!
What’s your best tip on leading a stylish lifestyle on a budget? Sarah: Never pay full price! There is almost always a coupon, a similar but cheaper alternative or a sale price for what you want if you’re willing to wait and shop around a little.
Jessica: Shop around, and think about purchases before you buy them. Only spend big money on staple pieces.
What’s the best deal you’ve ever scored? Jessica: Hmm… Probably a black Friday deal at the Levi’s outlet.
Sarah: I got a rug I’d been spying from West Elm for 55 percent off with free shipping, which you’ll know is quite a rarity if you’ve ever shopped there. Three years later, I’m still in love with it.
What’s one of your favorite DIY projects you’ve done to spice up your home? Sarah: I love the old telephone I spray-painted bright pink. It’s now one of my favorite accessories.
Jessica: I love the “You make me happy when skies are grey” board I made for my son’s nursery.
What do you find most difficult about following a budget? Jessica: Having to watch everyone else around me buying things just because they want them. In other words, making the smart choice instead of the fun or easy one.
Sarah: Eating out. I am tempted to go out daily, because I don’t love cooking and dislike doing the dishes, so that’s my greatest battle.
What’s one thing you splurge on? Sarah: My husband and I take weekend getaways here and there, plus, once a year we go on a week-long vacation. It’s part of the reason we like to be frugal in other areas, so we don’t feel as guilty splurging on travel.
Jessica: Truth be told, we spend way too much money on eating out! We are sort of closet foodies.
Do you love Tina Fey as much as we do? Jessica: We just gave away a copy of Bossypants in our “Favorite Things Giveaway” during blog birthday week.
Sarah: I laughed out loud through the entire book, and I quote Mean Girls or Baby Mama daily.
