Episode four forty three Frugal Beauty and Fashion Tips at Any Age with Dominique Sasa.
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, and liver your life. Here your hosts Jen and Jill.
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast. My name is Jen, my name is Jill, and today we are excited to share with you a conversation we had with the host of the Over fifty and Flourishing podcast, Dominique Sasa, about beauty and fashion not just as we age, but really at any age. It's things like we as thirty five year olds, can take right now to make this process of evolving in beauty and style involved more.
Gracefully embracing aging while also giving ourselves permission to enjoy a nice aesthetic and take care of ourselves well and look as good as we want to look.
At any age.
And Dominique also just shares some really amazing off script insight and wisdom with us, So this is a this is a not to miss. But first, this episode is brought to you by Timeless, the stuff that lasts for generations, like fanny packs, cast iron pans, or your Grandma's suitcase. They just won't quit. They're functional, and they're here to stay. Kind of like the book we just wrote. It's new, but it's full of timeless tips for spending better at
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Yes, all right, So, in celebration or in the theme of Dominique's podcast, Over fifty and Flourishing, we asked you in the friend letter, what do you think is most important financially during your forties and fifties, And so we said, we asked being confident about many decisions, being on track to retire, feeling secure in a job or other, and so many people in their fifties and sixties answered the question.
And we're really excited for this episode to get the wisdom of Dominique, who's about twenty years older than us, and from listeners and viewers like you who are a little older than us, so that we can be inspired to take the wisdom that you're giving to us. And without even being close. The thing that you guys said is being on track to retire that is the most important thing, or should be the most important thing during
your forties and fifties. We had a lot of people responding saying like, I'm in my mid fifties and like I wish that I had paid attention to the sooner someone in their sixties who didn't plan well or says they didn't plan well and wishes they had. So these
are just some of the things. And so this episode isn't specifically on how to focus on retirement so that you don't worry about it in your forties and fifties, but something that happens to so many of us as we as we evolve, And I think that's how I'm going to refer to it, because that feels like a
good word. As we evolve, we start we start paying attention to some things and stop paying attention to others, And so I think it can become really like we pay so much attention in our thirties to maybe our young children or our relationships and stuff like that, and we're investing there, which is important. And then maybe think we're behind, and so what's the point in focusing in the forties because I didn't in my thirties, So I'm
just already behind. And to hear from people like you in their fifties and sixties saying no, like I wish I'd had twenty years to think about this, reiterating that it's never you're never too late. You're never late to start thinking about these things. And we think the same in beauty and fashion and just looking and feeling good. There's never a wrong time to want to feel good.
Yeah, And you don't have to spend a ton of money. You can apply apply similar wisdom that we apply to our finances to the way that we approach the way that we care for our physical bodies as well. So I'm excited to get Dominique on here and talk about some of those external things but that are very intricately tied to internal things and our acceptance and care of ourselves.
So yeah.
So Dominique is an Emmy winning journalist, television anchor, and author. She has over twenty five years of experience in broadcast journalism and is the host of the national morning show Morning on Merritt Street on Doctor Phil's network. She also hosts Like I Said, the podcast over fifty and Flourishing, where she discusses life, health and personal growth for women over fifty. But everything she's sharing is applicable for all of us, and we're excited to introduce to her. Let's
do it, Dominique. Welcome to Frugal Friends. We're so so excited to have you here.
Oh my gosh, you too. I am honored to be here. I love all things frugal, So this should be a fruitful conversation.
This is such a lovely topic for us to explore, especially for Jen and I. This year we entered halfway through well really halfway through life, I think is where we're a we are midlife.
I don't at this.
Okay, so we've entered the start of it.
I turned thirty five.
We are possible.
I was like, I don't know when you play dying, but I don't think I'm halfway through.
Well I hope not, you know, hope for a little be surprised by a lot.
Yeah, but it has begun this realization that some of the things that worked for us in our twenties and early thirties are we're evolving out of it. And so I love your show and your perspective on like really thriving, you know, in what I believe to be like more mid midlife. So we're so excited and just all of the tips you have as a super successful woman, I'm just like evolving style and beauty and yeah, so well we'll kind of kick it off there. As like a
super successful YouTuber. You do a lot of budget friendly like makeup and restyling clothes you already own. And as somebody who's been on YouTube knowing that a lot of what goes on viral on there is like really extreme things. So but you have stayed true to your nature. So like, how did you come to embrace this lifestyle instead of the ultraspendy one we usually see on YouTube.
It's always been my nature. It's such a good question, Jen, And you know when I had you on my podcast, I kind of alluded to my nana and I would go visit her in Hallandale, Florida, Florida, every summer. And my nana was Jewish and she would take me to a place called It was in Howdale, was called shmata row. Now shmata is a nice Yiddish word for frock. So it was a place where people in the community would sell their wares and it was shmatas. It was like
house robes and shirts and dresses and things. And I would watch my nana, And my nana was really really good managing her money. You know, she never overspent. She was always within her budget. Whatever she had left over, she would hunt and bargain and she loved the thrill of a bargain. So she would take me with her and I would watch this little four foot ten woman in action, bartering and bantering with these other women's, you know, haggling for a price no I won't pay, you know, twenty,
what about fifteen? You know, going back and forth, you know, with little things and finally getting to kill. And it was such a rush for me, and it also made me realize that, you know, you have a voice in retail in some cases, in some cases now not everything is an outdoor shmata row kind of a place where you can haggle and barter and try to, you know, get your best price. But these days, there are so many apps and opportunities and ways to look for deep
discounts and smart shopping opportunities. You know, we just have to get and be mindful and be very careful of not falling into the trap and saying, oh, well, you know, it's Amazon Prime Days, or it's this you know, Black Friday, or it's Labor Day specials. You know, I ought to shop now. You know, sometimes we tend to force a purchase where we don't necessarily need a purchase, so that can be a little bait and switch as well. But if you're frugally minded, you can use those as opportunities
to wait for bigger ticket items and save. You know, I've always shopped resale. That's another thing that I talk about on my platform. I am not ashamed to say that I love gently loved and worn clothing. I have absolutely no problem with it. In fact, most of my nice, higher end pieces have come from resale shops. Because I absolutely struggle with paying thousands of dollars for a handbag or a pair of shoes. I just I cannot wrap my head around it. It's illogical to me, no matter
how much money I make or I don't make. My mindset is still the same around that I would rather look for a good deal, and so it's always been who I am, and I figure I'm not going to change it just because I'm quote unquote successful or seen as someone who is successful in a certain industry. I still want to be respectful of the income that I'm earning.
It doesn't mean it will always be there. You gals know, as entrepreneurs and being in this space, some months can be better than others, and you've got to be You've got to be wise in how you handle that money and plan and prepare for the future and not just live in today. So that's a little bit more my mindset and where I come from.
It's so cool to link that back to kind of how you grew up and seeing the ways that other women kind of prepared the path for you in your understanding of money and how you want to take that and implement it into your own life. It's a really beautiful store. So thanks for talking about your grandmother. But kind of along those lines, of course, a lot of our listeners are frually minded, budget friendly, but also wanting to enjoy life.
Now.
I think that's one of the things that kind of sets you apart, this whole flourishing lifestyle and how we move through life gracefully. What are some of your beauty tips that you might have for someone to embrace, like kind of a luxurious and effective beauty routine, but without necessarily being overly spendee.
Sure you know know where to spend your money, do your research. You don't need. And this is one thing that I learned. There were so many skin creams out there that claim to do all these miraculous wonderful things, you know, reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation in this and that, And I've tried them all and some work better than others. And the price range will vary from drugstore prices, you know, ten twelve, fifteen dollars price point, all the way up
the high end of a couple one hundred. Here's what my dermatologist told me. Get yourself a tube of retine, which can be run through prescription. Get yourself some glycolic acid, which if you purchase through a dermatologist, won't cost an
arm and a leg. And then you can use any over the counter cream that you want as a moisturizing cream to kind of bond it all together, and it's those two products where you spend your money where you're going to have the most bang for your buck because there is nothing that you can buy online in a store that's going to supersede the strength, the consistency, and the quality of prescription grade pharmaceuticals when it comes to
things to help with wrinkles and exfoliation and hyperpigmentation. So I just learned that that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to waste my money with the millions of products that are out there. I'm going to go through my dermatologists get what I need, and then I use I mean, I go through a variety of different face moisturizers, but one that I love is by a company called Honey Skin. I found them on Amazon. Why did I like them because I researched They have Manuka honey.
Manuka honey has great healing properties for the skin. They also have alo different vitamins and nutrients. It's organic, so when you use products like a glycolic acid and a retine, those can be irritants for the skin. I wanted to combine it with a product that had cooling agents agents to help calm the skin. So it's known for exemas zoriasis, you know, burns, things like that. So I figure, Okay, that makes total sense. So that's where I save money.
But it's time and it's research and knowing where where to spend your money doesn't mean that you don't. It just means that you're smart and where you do.
The beauty industry is so massive, and it does it overwhelms me to think through. Yeah, research is great, but there's so many voices out there. I love what you're saying, and I talked with my dermatologists. Sounds like you trust your dermatologists. But any other tips on where to even start with three? How to trust that the information we're receiving is going to be helpful versus just a marketing POI.
Yeah, I would think specifically with makeup because that is like, yeah, is there anywhere we shouldn't like or anything to like avoid or something because it's just an endless like void.
Yeah, it is endless, you know. I would say, first of all, I'm overwhelmed and mesmerized by the percentage of the younger population it's really getting into skincare. I mean, they are spending the bulk of the money. We're talking about teenagers and kids in their twenties who are just full on, you know, they want good skincare. They want the glassy, glowy skin. Now, the upside is that they're
wiser than my generation was. Okay, my generation was baking out in the sun with baby oil, iodine and the reflector going on. So now we're the ones paying the price for all of that intense sun damage that we did. The younger generation is a little bit more savvy about all of this. They're using the SPF, using all these you know, creams and oils and whatnot. I would argue, and even a dermatologist would say, you don't need all
that stuff. They would tell you. The most effective preventive thing that you can use is a mineral based SPF. Now you can get those anywhere. You can get those from the drug store these days, all the way up to your dermatologist. But it's the preventative where we're seeing the most progress. So that's the best place to invest. And when it comes to cosmetics, you know, here's the other thing that I've seen too. You've got you've got one company that will own you know, lung coome and loreel.
You can find so many great lower end and when I say lower end, I mean drug store, so more affordable. You can find affordable products these days that really do a remarkable job. It just depends on what you're going for. Do you sometimes want to splurge on a high end foundation, Sure, sometimes I want to try. I love Charlotte Tilbury's you know, airbrush flawless finish foundation. To me, that's like the holy grail. I can't break away. I keep trying, I can't break away. Okay,
So that's where I'm going to spend my money. Or it may be on Laura Mercia's translucent loose powder. I love that. But I use Nick's lift and snatch eyebrow pen I use you know, drug store sometimes contour. I use Elf contour and highlight. I use Elf blushes. I use Nicks lift pencils. So again, it's playing around and figuring out, and you will find that in many, many cases, there are a lot of drug store products that operate
and play just like the higher end ones do. So say, learn where to save money and learn where to spend, and that's a little bit of trial and error, and it's a lot of research and that's why content creators like myself and many others are out there to show you and tell you, hey, this one works great. You don't need to spend more than.
That, Yeah, finding the people that you can trust, because that's what's striking me as well, is how much it could cost to go through the trial and error piece. I think that's a big barrier for me too. Of I don't want to have to pay one hundred and ten dollars for this thing. I only need to discover that it's not for me. So being able to find the people who kind of have the aesthetic that you might be going for, might be a similar skin type,
similar age. It sounds like that's where influencers can be so helpful in helping us make the smart wise spending and purchasing decisions.
Yeah, And I think that's why there are so many people out there in that space. And I'm grateful. You know, you gals are much younger than me. I'm mean, I'm fifty seven, and I'm happy to be somebody in that space for women in midlife who maybe have a different set of issues than you gals. Do you know maybe you're battling more skin changes or based on hormone fluctuations and acne and things like that. You know, for my generation, it could be more dryness related to a loss of
estrogen and creping. So you know, at least there are people in every lane these days. And that's what I love so much is that there's no shortage of content. There's no shortage of places for you to find people who are out there giving authentic reviews based on what they use and what they try, and they want to tell you, hey, this is great. You got to look at it, and hey, this one not so much for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you.
Yeah, And I wish, I wish, I kind of almost want to use video because Dominique, your face is flawless.
I am a little bit shot and a guest that you just shared your age and it is nowhere near what I would have guessed.
So yeah, so definitely take your advice.
All of this retin a.
All right, So let's talk a little bit about fashion, because I love your your take on restyling and just kind of like, yeah, I find that I am in this struggle where I'm kind of like I want to mature in my style, but I'm having like a hard time. I don't know, piecing close close, They're hard, and I find that just gets harder and harder the older I get. So, like, what are your tips for evolving your style as you mature with maybe like not buying one hundred percent new wardrobe?
Yeah, you know what I love. I'm a huge fan of Pinterest. I get so many ideas just from watching sometimes capsule wardrobes or seeing other people. I have found that I have gone my taste has gone a little bit more to a classic route, a little more of a mix and match. Not to say I don't like trends and I don't shop trends, but I won't spend a lot of money on trends because I know they're seasonal. I know they may last a year and then next year maybe not so much. But also I won't just
shop a trend for a trend. A trend also has to fit. It has to look good, it has to fit my body, tight, my aesthetic, my my inner style. So not everything gets purchased, but I will find that I have gone to a little bit more of a classic. So what's a classic? Well, everybody needs like a white tank, a black tank, a white button down, a black button down, you know, some pops of color. Good good slacks, a good pants suit, a good skirt, you know good, a
good pair of heels, a good pair of flats. I mean what I love about fall twenty twenty four fashion. I find a lot of it to be so wearable. There is this push toward a little bit more classic
elegance and sophistication. Sort of reminds me a little of the Jackie O era, with you know, very straight pencil skirts and classic dresses and coats and things with high collars, and it's just beautiful, beautiful, classic clothing that these are the pieces that you probably held onto from way back when because you knew they were good and they wouldn't go out of style, and sure enough they've come back.
So I love that sort of resurrection of good you know, what's good, what's quality, what is sort of deemed as sort of timeless elegance. But then they're also having fun. I mean, Western is having a big, you know, resurgence again, and so we're seeing lots of cowboy boots and you know, flowers and prints and long floral skirts and whatnot. So it's like, figure out what's you, you know, do any of these resonate with you? Are you more of a simple type? Do you just kind of like a clean aesthetic.
Do you like to be able to yank something from your closet and say, you know what, this is safe, this is comfortable. I know if I put it on, I'm gonna feel good in it. The rest of you, I'm gonna stare at you and you looked really really good in the catalog, or you look good online and now I'm looking at you in my closet and I don't know what to do with you. If you find yourself in that situation, then shop fewer trends, because not everybody's meant to be a stylist in their own closet.
And that's okay, you know. I always think, look at the French. You know, the French have the most amazing esthetic, and they are so simple and elegant in how they style themselves. And it's usually just one pop of something that's the differentiating factor, like a pop a red lipstick or a pair of red pumps or and everything else is classic, you know, it's it could be a white buttoned down, a pair of jeens, a pair of flats, but there's that special something. So that's kind of what
I have gone to. And I have really whittled down and gotten rid of a lot of kind of trendy things or things that maybe don't flatter me as much and just got real with it. And then the rest of it off. It goes to charity and it gets donated, and that's it. And I just and I'm about ready to go through that again. And I keep doing that yearly because I think it's really important. And the more that that shrinks, actually, the happier I feel.
And where do you go when you're looking for these like really good quality classic pieces, Because I know a lot of the times now that when I'm in the thrift store it's it's just like fast fashion, like recycled. And I still love a good thrift store, but like, where do you go when you're looking for like really affordable, classic, well made pieces.
Sure, you know I love resale places like the real, real far fetch. You know, I will go to those places if I'm really wanting. Let's say, and I've bought a Herby trench coat that was probably one thousand dollars at one point that I think I got for two hundred and fifty three hundred dollars, you know, phenomenal, that's like a piece that will last forever. So places like that I will definitely go to. I will shop. I
love Neeman's Last Call. I love off Fifth Avenue. You know, their outlets are wonderful places to find some good quality pieces that are marked down. So those are kind of my go tos. So equality retailers, but I like to shop them where you know, they've over purchased, they have too much inventory, and off they go to the outlet. That's that's kind of my jam. It always has been, you know, the the outlets of the nice stores is where I find myself. But I also find myself in
secondhand stores and thrift stores. And I'll tell you what. I did a thrift store video a couple of years ago, and I found the most exquisite designer dress that was about six hundred and ninety eight dollars that I got for under one hundred dollars. It was ridiculous. It was so beautiful and so stunning. So you can, I mean, you can sometimes find those quality pieces. I found a vintage Ralph Lauren leather pair of pants. Classic, beautiful, but you just have to spend time. And you also have
to know not all resale stores are created equal. Some are in maybe higher end areas, some carry a different type of clothing, so you kind of have to look for those. But I have found treasures in places like that, and again, it just kind of hooks me back to my time with my Nana and that hunt and being able to find some really good pieces. And I've also been able to haggle and get some wiggle room and prices in places like that too.
I'm with you on the hunt.
I do enjoy that I have to watch that as an activity or just something to do. It can the thrill of the hunt can play into the ways that we impulse spend, but it can also really benefit us in being patient for the thing that we're looking for and allowing ourselves the space to look for the item
and find just the right item. I'm curious, as you're talking about a lot of these timeless pieces, have you noticed your style change over the decades, Like from your thirties to your forties to your fifties, have you had to kind of redefine what your style is even though you've kind of gone towards some timeless pieces.
Yeah, that's, you know, such an interesting question. I find that there's there's a common thread in there in that I love experimentation and I'm not afraid to try things. So I like that I'm kind of an outside the box thinker when it comes to fashion, and I can't really say I'm pigeonholed into a certain type of a look. But as I've gotten older, I also figure out it's like, you know, when you go in your closet, what continues to hang and what are you wearing on repeat over
and over and over. And I just find that I like, I guess, if I were to describe it, I've morphed into a little bit more of a Ralph Lauren style overall. I like that sort of all American classic elegance. I love denim, I love straight fitting pieces. I'm not an overly ruffled, you know, frilly kind kind of a person, but I will still play around, so, you know, maybe seventy percent of my wardrobe will have a certain esthetic and then the other thirty percent will play with a
little bit of trend in something that's different. But I just I find that straighter pieces, pieces that are a little more form fitting to my physique tend to flatter me better than clothes where I get lost, so I just have to be careful of that.
I think that's one of the beautiful aspects of aging, if we can choose to embrace it, is having our mind about us a little bit more, feeling really established in who we are, what we like, what looks good on us, what we feel confident in, and being able to really lean into that rather than I don't know what should I wear? Who am I with?
Hopeless a lot of the times pining for top like younger times like that feel.
I don't know.
In hindsight, you think you had it maybe more figured out, or it was easy, but like when you were living in it, it was not so Like I don't know what this thing in our heads is is where we like romanticize other parts of our lives even though they had just as many like struggles.
Yeah. I think for you guys too, here is such a neat opportunity is that you're at this point where you can say, all right, you know, I'm going to start to do it differently. I'm going to figure out what my look is or I'm going to play around with this and I'm really going to try to dial it in. And there's no better way, by the way, than taking photos of yourself. Because it's one thing to look at yourself in a mirror. It's a whole other
thing to photograph yourself and see. It's odd what that does, but I'm telling you it's so powerful seeing yourself in a photograph. So you can even start taking pictures of yourself in clothes that you have and see what really looks great, get rid of what doesn't, and then figure out, okay, well,
this kind of a look works for me. How can I kind of branch that off, maybe do different colors, maybe instead of the genes, put in a pencil skirt, you know, to start making it a little bit wider, but still having an aesthetic that is always on point for you. And it's a great thing to do. And then it's like, Okay, what's going to be my wow moment? What am I going to do? Am I going to pop a fun you know, bright colored purse with this, or I'm going to change up my hair or you know,
little things can make such a big difference. They can make you feel so confident. They can also completely separate you from the pack, and that's one thing I've always enjoyed. That's one thing I've always encouraged women to do is branch out. Don't don't feel like you got to be like everybody else or look like everybody else. You know, you do you in the moment, and that is the coolest look there is, not what's on, you know, the runway, it's it's you looking exactly like you think you should.
Good word.
Yeah, speaking of aging gracefully and kind of embracing this process as we're moving life. I'm curious to hear your wisdom and insight on maybe any perspective shifts you've experienced around shopping or consumption that maybe is different now than it was in your maybe twenties or thirties.
Oh, it's huge. That's probably the best question you could have asked me, because I would say when I was younger, I was definitely more of an emotional shopper. You know, shopping fixed my problems. Retail therapy. It's no joke. I mean, there's a reason why that phrase is you so frequently. It was my happy place, it was my solace, it was my comfort, it was my way to fix problems in life. And you know, we all know it doesn't it's it's immediate, But then there's that instant guilt why
did I do that? Or you know, the returns, or just the frustration of you know, that was just a bad purchase from a bad time and moment. And so I just started to really pay attention to that and realize that retail isn't going to fix relationships. It's not going to fix frustration with you know, maybe a job not moving along as fast as I thought it should have, or who knows what I mean. There are a million excuses of why we use retail to feel better in
the moment. So I got real with that and started to find other ways to feel better in the moment, you know, to practice different healthy habits, you know, meditate on something, pray about something, work on something, be patient, you know, grant myself grace, let it go. Stop feeling like I needed a pacifier in the moment. And that's that's what shopping can do. It's a pacifier for us adults. And you know the other thing too, is, you know, I wanted a plan. I wanted a plan for my future.
I wanted my financial future to look a certain way, and I knew that if I continued on that trajectory of overspending, I wasn't going to get where I needed to go. So there was a big hyper correction that took place for me in my in my I would really say late forties or fifties, where there was a big shift in my mindset about money spending and what
really brings happiness. And I think you know, and you guys will find this out too, there's something really really beautiful about your fifties where your priorities just start to shift because of where you are in your life. You know, we've got kids that are growing up and going off to school. We have parents who are aging and may need our care. We're realizing that the quality of relationships and friendships matter more than the latest Gucci bag, and
you know, things that we we gave priority to. So we get real with life. We get real with ourselves, We get real with our bodies and our minds and our direction and our purpose and our passion, and suddenly all that stuff just stops mattering. And that's such a good thing. So I have found this incredible purging and reprioritizing, which has been very freeing, And I love that you
guys are doing this podcast. I love that you're having these conversations now, and I love that you're kind of helping people in your age and demographic nip it in the bud and nip it early so that you can really set yourself up and to yourself up for tremendous success, probably far sooner and earlier than I did, which I think is amazing.
Similar to all the teenagers who are out here with their anti wrinkle green, we're out here with our purging in our thirties.
Yes, we're not buying useless products so that we have more money for our Irish Exactly exactly.
Do you Dominique while we have you here? This is a bit of a curveball question, but I think something that at least Jen and I have been interested in. I believe our listeners too, as we kind of look to people who are steps ahead of us kind of helpful mindsets. And I think I'm hearing from you in particular that you have really embraced moving through your forties and fifties, where I see so much of society pushing
against that grasping for youth. Not that we can't look good, right, We're talking about how to care for our skin and how to dress well. But it also sounds like embracing each season of life. And I'm curious if you have any kind of overarching thoughts or insight on how we can do that. How can we enter our forties, enter our fifties in a way that is I mean, maybe yeah, openness to it rather than kind of railing against it.
Sure, I mean, you can't fight the inevitable. It's going to happen, right, It's going to happen. Does it mean that we stop caring? No, And that's where I that's where I draw the line. It's like, I'm going to care in that I'm going to take care of myself. Why Because I want to live for as long as I can, as healthy as I can. I'd like to
look great during the process, have fun with that. The expression of that is joy, by the way, And if it comes from a place of it's for me and not for society, not for my spouse, not for my friends. I do this for me because it brings me internal joy,
then that's that's from a good, healthy place. But at the same time, while we do all these things, you know, we do our retine and we try to prevent sun exposure, and we you know, eat healthy diets and make good choices and get more rest and embrace and more frugal mindset so that we actually have a future that we can enjoy and we're not forced to work well into our seventies and eighties because social Security just isn't enough
to cover the bills. And that's my generation. Lord only knows if you gals are even going to get social Security. So you know, these things are important. But what comes with all of that, in my mindset is there's got to be grace. There has to be acceptance for what it is that we can't change, right, because otherwise you're going to go through this stage of your life. And I really you know, people say, well, I'm in my
second half of life. Well, no, not really, It's I'm really in my last third of life, you know, just because I'm in my fifties, we call it midlife. But do most of us live to one hundred? No, you know, we live to a lot of people in their seventies eighties, some who are very fortunate in nineties. But if I'm fifty seven and I'm doing the math, that's the last third of my life. So how do I want to
look at this last third of my life? Well, I want to I want to do it with excellence, but at the same time, I want to do it in a way where I honor and I understand that some things may not work in my favor, or no matter what I do, my skin's going to crape, or I may have you know, the crinkling on the arms and the crinkling above the knees and this or that, or
you know, my hips may hurt or whatever. And to me, that's where acceptance comes in, and that's where faith comes in, and that's where just acknowledging that I can do what I can do and the rest I have to put it up to him. And I think there's a huge relief and lease in that process, and it allows you to get through this next chapter humbly and joyfully and you know, hopefully for as long and as many healthy years as we possibly can have.
Thanks for taking us to church and that little cab dog I knew that we threw you a different one went a little bit off script, but it was soup for the soul certainly, and super helpful. I think, very in line with even aspects of what we talk about with money and how we embrace our season and work within the parameters in which we've been given and.
Be grateful through it in a way.
To kind of practice contentment without becoming complacent in it either. So, yeah, I appreciate your perspective on that. Do you know what I also appreciate.
Yeah, let's bring it back. Let's bring it back around to the regular scheduled content.
Of the week.
That's right, it's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is Williams. Maybe you've paid off your mortgage, Maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. That's bills, Buffalo Bills, Bill Clinton. This is the bill of the.
Week, Dominique. We said we would yell at you, and this is the time where we invite all of our guests and listeners to share with us your favorite bill for the week.
Anybody is there such a thing that's a favorite bill?
Oh?
I mean we've been doing this is episode? What episode is this four hundred and fifty two and there have been four hundred and fifty one bills?
Wow? Okay, so does this mean, I pick pick a bill that I like to pay, or pick a bill that I've paid, or.
Anything, or if you know a person named Bill, those are our favorite.
People named Bill. Or pets named Bill are our general favorites. But we'll take the money side as well.
Yeah, okay, two favorite Bills. So my former co anchor in Houston, his name was Bill Bisa, So name wise, he's my favorite Bill for sure because he's such a dear friend and I adore him. My other favorite Bill. Funny, it still related to the TV news business. There was some bet in the control room. I anchor the co host the news for morning on Merit on Doctor Phil's network here in the Dallas area, and my executive producer.
There was some bet between the EP and the director that I would say something, and Andrew placed a bet that she's going to say it, and sure enough I said it, and so he got the bill and I'm like, what was all of this about? And they told me, and I forgot what it was. Well I'm like, I want it. So now I've got that bill and it sits in my makeup room because they won the bet over something that I said. So at least unpredictable.
You said it, you get it. I said, yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
I know. So they are my two favorite bills.
Those are great.
Those are those are samples the bills like Bills on the Wall and Bill People. I think those are some of the tops.
So yeah, thanks for sharing that with us.
If you all listening have a bill that you want to share, if it has to do with winning a bill that was bet on you or your favorite person named Bill, or your name is Bill, Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash Bill, leave it for us.
We cannot wait. And now it's time for.
Around, all right, So for this week's Lightning Round, we will all answer this question that Dominique will have you go first. What's your favorite timeless piece that's in your closet right now?
My favorite timeless piece I have. Wow, I've got a black Victor Rolf jacket that when I tell you, the construction of this jacket is solid. I mean this jacket and I think it was made late seventies early eighties again vintage resale. This sucker is indestructible and it is probably one of my favorite black jackets because it's almost like a long jacket short coat type thing, so I
can style this in so many ways. I've had this jacket if I were to guess anywhere from fifteen to twenty years, and it looks impeccable, like I just bought it.
I love it.
How do you how do you clean something like that? Do you send it for dry cleaning?
Do you okay, definitely send it for dry cleaning?
Yes?
Do you ever get I'm sorry, I smitch. Do you ever get your like, find something you love but it's not like quite the right size? Do you ever like get something tailored?
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you guys brought that up.
I have.
Some of the dresses that I wear on air I got on Amazon for thirty eight bucks because I just I don't want to. You know, when I was in news before, I would spend a lot of money for on air clothing, and I just, you know, at this space and stage of my life, I'm not feeling it.
I mean, I have some pieces that I got from let's say Newman's Last Call or Office Avenue, but I have found some great pieces on Amazon that have just needed a little bit of tailoring and alteration to make them look like they came from those other two places I mentioned, And I kid you not these outfits that I've worn people, So where'd you get that? Where'd you get that? And I just jokingly laugh. I'm like Amazon and my tailor, and that's it. A well tailored piece
of clothing. You can find something vintage resale, take it to your tailor, get it fitted perfectly to you. It will look like you spent a million bucks. That to me is one of the best secrets around that people I don't think utilize enough of. Is a good tailor. It's a game changer for how your clothes look and fit.
Yeah, because clothes are such a difficult thing, especially if you're shopping them second hand, and just a little bit of tailoring can make it make you feel it can change like the way you feel in it, too, which is half the battle.
It feels like a custom made item. Why because it is a custom made item. And so you were able to save on one end, all right, so you spent a little bit on the other. But I can guarantee you that items going to fit you even better than something that you may have found from a higher end store that still wasn't tailored for you. I've seen that happen time and time again. Tailoring, to me, is the edge that makes all the difference.
I am just shocked that you had to come up with your own on air clothing. I would have thought that there was dressing assistants whatever they call them.
Yeah, wardrobe, wardrobe. It's funny. You know, my previous job, we did all of our wardrobe, hair and makeup, and then at this new job, they have makeup artists there. But I have just grown so accustomed to doing my own makeup, and since I have a YouTube channel, to me, it feels really weird passing the baton to something, you know what I'm saying. I mean, it's almost counterintuitive. So I do my own makeup. We still pick, you know, our own clothes, and yeah, I mean it's there's there's
no wardrobe. It would be neat, you know. But here's then here in lies the problem. Let's say they picked a department store to provide wardrobe. Well, okay, now you're having to deal with what's right off of the rack, and it's not altered, it's not tailored, it may not look just right. So you know, there's there's a plus.
Mine's right right, you have autonomy in it, but we also have responsibility.
Yeah, correct, and there's that, But I'm also just trying not to overspend there too. I rotate more I wear, and I'll mix and match a little bit more. I just don't care as much. Maybe again there's that over fifty thing. I just don't care. I don't need to have a ton of pieces of clothing to make me an effective, you know, morning show host.
I just don't agreed.
Yes, oh okay, my closet. I I have a coat that I got from a thrist store, but I don't want to double down on the coat because also it's Florida and.
Actually I wear it.
Yeah, so I would say, my, okay.
So support your local library T shirt? Is it what I see you in most often?
That is, I just got a new T shirt that says support your local library because I've decided like that's my I'm officially a one issue voter and that's like my issue is the support of local libraries. So right, But no, I was actually going to say the the it's called a jumpsuit, but it's just like a comfortable romper.
From pack, like a boiler suit.
Yeah, sure, pact, it's a sustainable clothing company that's pretty affordable, and they just have this cotton jumpsuit that I have been living in.
I just love it. Yeah.
Yeah, I've gotten so minimalist with my wardrobe that I could practically say I can't part with any of it.
It's all here to stay.
It's all necessary.
Yeah, But if I were to pick, I'm given the climate in which we live, one of my summer dresses.
If you made me pick, I think I probably could.
But I practically live in summer dresses three quarters of the year, and I feel like they're the ones that I have are perfect for even going out into the garden and watering my plants, to being able to cook, to work, to go on a quick walk, to just lounge around because they're so comfy, and yet I wouldn't mind taking like a last minute meeting in it because I'm already dressed up. It feels but it's comfy, It's true.
Yeah.
Do you like accessorizing those? Do I like taking them up?
Not a ton?
No, I'm pretty simple. I've got my glove down and catching me in a dress is okay. Maybe yes to lipstick that feels similarly to you, how you're talking about your grandmother. For my grandmother, it was always lipstick. You had to put on the lipstick. Even now she's she has Alzheimer's, she's in her nineties, but catch her without her lipstick not happening.
And I think it.
As I've gotten older, I've realized the benefit of that. You could nearly do nothing else with your makeup and just a perfectly matched lipstick. Yeah, that I will do to elevate it. Yeah, I love that. I love that about you.
Thank you job. Yeah.
I also I just when you were when you were thinking, I was thinking the rust colored like work pants that I have. Oh my gosh, I don't. I haven't worn them because it's been too hot to wear pants, but they are a staple for me. I'm in those every week. They're just this beautiful rust color. I actually got them from Amazon. But they're like a it's a work pant, but it's feels a little more casual, it feels a little bit more breathable, not maybe not breatheable, but flowy, flowy.
I just love those pants.
I goods. Yeah, salivating over our wardrobes.
Well, thank you so much, Dominique for being with us today and inspiring us to look better and afford it more feel better about it. If people want more from you, where can they go?
Oh Jen, where can't they go? It seems like I'm everywhere. I'm everywhere just like you guys. You can find me on social at Dominique Soaksa. My YouTube channel is Dominique soaks A TV, so you can find me there. But I'm on Instagram and Facebook and TikTok and yeah, all the places, all the things I put out content. Let's see, I've got my own podcast also, over fifty and Flourishing that comes out Mondays, and I do record that in video format as you know, so I like to put
that on my YouTube platform as well. And then you can listen on Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to your podcasts. And then the content that we've been talking about, whether it's fashion, hair, makeup, beauty, lifestyle, all of that is on Thursdays on YouTube. Everything comes out at one o'clock. And I would love to have some of your younger ladies who are listening to you come and join me.
You know, it's an opportunity to kind of get a leg up and maybe learn something from the older generation or get pearls of wisdom a little sooner that you get to apply. So it'd you really neat to have you. I've got such a broad audience from some twenties and thirties all the way up to eighties, and it just floors me every time when I see the women who were there, So it really feels my heart and I appreciate it and I'm so glad I was with you guys today.
Lovely Donique, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you.
I loved the conversation, like where it went. It wasn't just about like we've had these episodes right on, like minimalist skincare routine and saving money on makeup, and this was I feel like a refinement of those episodes, even our capsule wardrobe episode. I feel like this was a distillation of those episodes with some wisdom from like an aunt or like a big sister.
I feel like we owe it to ourselves and our listeners to not let someone like Dominique just fly under the radar with some of the deeper wisdom and knowledge that she was willing to give to us right not just talking about what are the specific creams I should be putting under my eyes. But what's the mindset that I can be moving through life with that's going to be beneficial to me in all aspects.
And I'm so thrilled that she was willing to do that.
And she's been on YouTube for ten years and she has been steadfast in her content and her like. She's not anti consumption. She is pro conscious consumption and intentional consumption. And she has been steadfast in that. Even over the last ten years. The YouTube algorithm has changed to only like only like super viral and extreme things go viral even on YouTube. We see it on social media. It's
the same with YouTube. So so many creators alter what they put out to appease the algorithm and grow, And Dominique has just been steadfast in who she is and that is a piece of wisdom I think that we can take as content creators, is you know, to be continue to be like steadfast in that.
Yeah.
Yeah, and continuing to provide depth to it too, right, Like not just here's one off tip, but how can we go deeper? How can we apply these principles to all aspects of our lives? How can this be beneficial as a whole person?
Yeah?
Can really be like responsible and authentic with the platform.
Yeah, how do we change how we think about these things and what internally motivates us so that we can continue to execute these tips that help control our consumption and stuff? And so I just appreciate it so much, and I am so glad that you guys got to hear from her, And thank you so much for listening to Frugal Friends. We love reading your kind reviews. We especially loved this one from Meredith Mereth. Mary the Dragon and Fly says, my friends are tired of hearing me talk about this podcast.
So allright, a reviewer, I love that title. I love it.
This is a long one, but why I won't go through the word for word, but I'll go through the important parts. As cringey as it is to say, this podcast has actually been life changing. It's useful for women in their teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties for men. I've been on a binge for seven months now and have only found two episodes that I didn't find something applicable to me, although I often pause the podcast to share
my own relevant stories and opinions to the empty car. Yes, I've learned about personal finance, but I have truly learned so much about myself. I learned that I tend to make a decision about buying a thing, spending money on it, but not to actually own the item, figuring out where it would go in my life or in my space. Having this one little distinction has really helped me cut back on impulse purchases. The emphasis on simplicity caused me to actually see what's in my space, which lets you
an accidental no spend challenge. Three months without getting groceries and I only went back to the store because I ran out of better I learned what's actually important to me in my life and was able to make big life changes by making relatively small financial changes. And probably the biggest thing I have learned, however, is from Jill. If you do an awkward thing enough times, it becomes
a thing. The first time it will be awkward. The twentieth time, you'll be singing along to the Bill of the Week song, Yeah, marry.
The Dragonfly, I know we could not.
That is just so beautiful and timely for this episode, which is probably thanks to Goldie matching us up with this one.
We love the.
Timeless advice and we're so glad that you're receiving that. Certainly, not every episode is going to be for every person, but it is so rewarding to see that what we are putting out there is being consumed by people of a variety of age ranges, living in a variety of
different places, and really finding relevance to yourself. And I think that's a testament to just I mean, not some of the advice, but I think even how we can move through life, that we can find kind of what works for us and then apply it differently as we age and grow. So anyways, Marry the Dragonfly. That was so beautiful, and we really appreciate all the time that
you put into leaving that review. If anyone else listening feels as though they've got something to say that might be encouraging the price, or others have.
Called you annoying because you only talk about frugal friends, I don't know our friend group.
It doesn't have to be as long as this review, but we would be so grateful for your review. If you have never done that before, it helps our show, it helps out the listeners, And another way to help us is by getting the book pre ordering.
It by what youlovebook dot com.
So much Bye Gorugle Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni. All right, so maybe let's talk about I wish Travis had responded to this text message because as soon as we wrapped up this interview, Travis Smith, my beloved husband, sent me pictures of a dog and he said, want a puppy, miniature puddle. And clearly we talk about dogs so little that it auto corrected poodle to puddle because we never mentioned do We never talk about dogs. And it is a cute dog, but like, it's not I
don't need that dog. And so I just responded, I was like, whose dog is that? And he hasn't told me?
Who's Like, it's yours?
Now I got it for you.
What do you want to name it?
So he can't bring a dog home today because he's going to a concert right after work, so he could legostically even do this.
Sorry, I can't have a puppy. I'm going to a concert tonight.
It's so true. He's not coming home after work, He's going straight to Tampa, so he how would he get a He can't bring the puppy to the Coheed show?
Is the puppy on a skateboard in one of the pictures.
Yes, the puppy.
If they should have explained the puppies pictures he's in or she. I don't know if this dog is on a skateboard right here, and then on a person's.
Lap inside in a car in a car, so the puppy is coming with them somewhere.
I don't know where. Can I can't say I recognize these bracelets or this car side door, I can't say I recognize it.
It's the person Travis is carpooling with to the show that they're bringing the puppy to that he's bringing the puppy afterwards.
I know who he's going to that show with. And I don't believe that they would just give Travis a dog.
I mean, I'm gonna stay tuned.
Yeah, I'm interested to see whose dog. I mean, it's probably one of his students got a dog and they're, you know, kids, so they can't like dogs are work. Dogs are like children, and they didn't realize they weren't ready to be parents.
So your guests, we're gonna have to stay tuned.
You might be a dog mom. I'm absolutely not a dog mom. I'm already you're already a mom, so might as well, and definitely not to a miniature puddle. No offense to miniature puddles.
You can't jump in those puddles very well.
TBD.
Wow