Online bidding became what it is now due to the site "ebay.com". It may be hard for some of us to imagine a life without the online thrift store, but some are (gasp) too afraid or unsure of how to use the site and don't use it to its full advantage. Here's some basics to get you started:

1.You don't have to search for specific items
So ebay is great for finding second hand name brands, but not always great for finding the exact piece you want. Search the brand or style you like (ex. "Ralph Lauren polo top") then use the categories and other filters to the left to limit your search time.

2.Fake it until you make it
There's a TON of great dupes and fakes (shh don't say I told you that!) for top quality brands on ebay. It's also totally ok to go for these much cheaper dupes. Many ebay stores are actual stores set up through ebay, not just people selling their old clothes. These items come clean, new and in (usually) tip top condition, for a fraction of the cost.

3.Don't search price low to high
So for other online boutiques, this is a great way to filter your results, but on ebay, people start their bidding at $0.99, with a week to bid on it. While these cheap prices will entice you, they entice other people as well, all who bid on the item and drive the price up quickly. Don't waste your time on items that are so cheap and still have a long way in the bidding war.

4.Don't be afraid to make an offer
Some people will let you "make an offer" for their item. Ask a price thats a little bit lower than you would actually like to pay for it, and the seller will likely make a counteroffer of something that's right in your price range. Remember most people are trying to get rid of their old stuff, and will take any bit of money for them.

5.Check out your seller
Looking at your seller's profile is helpful in many ways. You can see their reviews, how many people have shopped from them, where they're from and if they're selling more items. It's likely that if a seller has an item you like, they'll have more that are similar. Knowing where a seller is from is also important; it will affect shipping time and cost. Even the quality can depend on where a seller is from. For example, many ebay stores are selling items out of factories in China. While these items typically sell for much less than if they were American made, they're also usually much poorer in quality and take a long time to ship. Also when buying from overseas the item must go through customs, and if you bought it for over $200 you can be charged an extra fee when it arrives at your door.

6.Be careful before you start putting all your junk on ebay
After cleaning out my closet this summer, I decided I should get at least a little cash back for all the clothes I was otherwise going to donate-I figured whatever I didn't sell was ok since I was going to donate the stuff anyways. I didn't realize what a process it was to sell your stuff on ebay. If you sell too many items you can be charged a fee, you have to pay for your own shipping and boxing, the item has to be shipped out within a certain time frame after you sell it and if you break any rules in this process you could not get paid and/or be charged a fee. So be sure you understand ebay well and have everything ready to be shipped before you list ten things at once.



7.Get a PayPal account
Using PayPal rather than your credit card is much safer. PayPal stores your credit card info and charges the card to put money onto your PayPal balance, which then is transferred to the seller's PayPal or credit card. It all happens with one click (when you decide to pay using PayPal) so you don't have to even worry about going out to your car to get your purse to get your wallet to enter in all the info...and it keeps sellers from having access to your personal information
Those are all the tips I can think of now. Have any more tips? A horrible or amazing ebay experience you want to share? Comment below!

I'm sorry it has been so long (about 3 months...whoops!) since my last blog post, I've been moving into college for my first year and it's been a weird transition. I'm hopefully doing a couple classes on fashion abroad this summer so I figured I should shake off the dust and start doing some posts again.

Fall is almost over, and the chill of winter is really about to set in soon. Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks and it's at this awkward stage where it's weird to pull out all of the winter clothes and too soon to put away the fall clothes. Here I'll try to help mesh the two for an easier, and warmer, transition.

Switch out a light scarf for a warm one - I especially like the infinity scarves, and wool or thick cotton will keep the wind from creeping into your jacket.

So the past couple of weeks I've been traveling the east coast with my boyfriend, and being away for a few weeks has reminded me how hard it can be to pack. Keep some of these tips in mind to avoid taking multiple or extremely heavy bags.

• See if your hotel has washers and dryers- I've totally never thought about it until I saw them in my hotel on this vacation. If your hotel has a washer/dryer (most are just the coin operated type) this is awesome, and you can plan to bring less clothes and spend just a couple bucks to wash them and therefore get more wear out of fewer items!
  

• Only bring essential makeup products- I brought my foundation, powder, two types of eyeshadow palettes, mascara, eyeliner, two lipsticks and bronzer. YOU DON'T NEED THIS MUCH. Even though I thought these were all "essentials" I honestly only used the mascara and eyeshadow on a daily basis, and the other eyeshadow and lipstick on a special night out. Think about what you will be doing and if you're going to actually spend the time getting ready. Also remember, many makeup items can be used in different ways; mascara and a small brush can make eyeliner, lip tint can also be cheek tint, etc.
  
  
• Have a mini first aid kit- While some days of my adventure I stayed with family, they (and certainly hotels) may not have all the meds you need but don't think about. For example I brought the basics; Advil, Aleve, Tums, but also some items you might not realize could be important like nose spray, extra contact cases and solution, Gas-X, and nasal decongestant. When traveling (especially in the spring and summer) you can encounter different environments and get worse allergies than you usually would at home. Also include some bandaids and chapstick!
  
  
• Plan your budget and time (but be flexible)- My boyfriend and I planned each and every day pretty much exactly as it would happen and it kept us from spending a lot of money. We knew we had to save some more money to splurge on a cool museum but didn't have to waste money on food since we bought sandwich materials at a nearby grocery. At the same time we had to be flexible, one day it rained when we were planning on going to the beach so instead we switched that days plans with the next day and did a museum. With money, too, there will be unexpected costs, fees, taxes, souvenirs, etc.
  
  
• Try to enjoy it all- As much as you will be concerned about getting to every event on time and spending the right amount of money and fitting every bit of the vacation in, be sure to sit back and enjoy all your planning and money well spent. Sometimes it's worth it to go out to that fancy restaurant and order whatever you feel like, regardless of price. It's about enjoying the area you are in, learning about the people and culture and perhaps more about you and whoever you're with.

First of all, sorry for being MIA for a few weeks, I was on vacation! It inspired some traveling posts though so be prepared to see these soon.

"Ebates" is a third party site through which you connect to online stores. The site gives coupons and cash back for buying what you were going to buy anyways! It's been raved about by bloggers and YouTubers, so I thought I would share it with you. You enter your email and address, then search where you want to shop (it can be one of hundreds of registered sites). Ebates will connect you to the site, you do an online purchase as you usually would, then go back to Ebates to see if you earned any coupons or cash back. The amount (or sometimes lack of) coupons or cash back just depends on the registered status of the site with Ebates. On your first purchase you can also choose a $10 gift card from a few select stores!
I just started using Ebates, and have only gotten my first $10 gift card as any cash back, but I've only bought twice through the site. I've also not experienced any technical or security problems with the site, and have NOT heard any bad experiences from other bloggers or YouTubers when using the site. Ebates has also been featured on CNN, ABC, Wall Street Journal, and other credited sources.
To try out Ebates and get your first $10 gift card, sign up with this link! *I was not contacted or sponsored by Ebates, I made this post on my own to spread my positive experience and explain the site.