Monthly Mashup: November Edition

One major holiday down, one to go.  We hope all of you LifeStyler readers had a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday (and long weekend), complete with home cooked meals and family gatherings.  Ours consisted of alternately inhaling baked macaroni and candied yams while watching old Twilight Zone re-runs on the tube.  But then we got down to business and compiled our favorite posts from the month of November in our monthly mashup of cheap, thrifty, and fabulous articles from LifeStyler and beyond the blogosphere.  Keep reading for our November Editor’s Picks.

Don’t Be a Gift-Giving Dunce – We’ve all gotten those gifts for Christmas — the ones you’re not so sure what to do with, or even somewhat repulsed by.  The LifeStyler staff recalls some of their most sucky presents of their childhood and share how you can avoid being a gift-giving dunce.

Saving on Transportation Costs in NYC – With NYC’s cost of living still at a peak and jobs being slashed in all industries, it’s important to cut costs wherever possible in your budget.  Read on for our tips for saving some dough with on your daily commute.

53 Inexpensive Christmas Gifts – David over at Money Under 30 rounds up 53 easy and inexpensive Christmas gift ideas for the cash strapped or just financially conscious consumer.

What I Learned from Damon Dash – We lowly, under-paid office drones aren’t the only ones getting ourselves into financial trouble.  Even multi-millionaires screw up sometimes!  We take a deeper look into Damon Dash’s recent financial pitfalls and see how he could have avoided this serious cash blunder.

5 Ways to Save Daily – Small steps can go a long way.  Along with making drastic changes in your lifestyle, it’s important to make small adjustments as well.  By taking a closer look at where you spend money every day, you can save hundreds of dollars a year with barely an afterthought.

Avoid the Workplace Monkey Suit - Hate the ‘ole suit and tie shebaggle every day?  Our men’s style expert, Jeffrey Wilson, shows you how to slowly integrate your own personal style — complete with t-shirts and tennis shoes — into your work wardrobe and still look polished and professional.

Cyber Monday Deals – Ditched the Black Friday madness for some Cyber Monday deals? The Budget Fashionista is keeping up with deals and will be updating this page all day to reflect new sales and incoming deals.

Lauren Unplugged – Living in a society that is hugely focused on being “plugged in” 24/7, it’s easy to forget what pure, unadulterated solitude is like.  So, when my old, tired Blackberry crapped out it’s last signal earlier this year, I vowed to end the madness and trade in the intrusive PDA lifestyle for a simpler solution.

5 Mistakes Young Professionals Make at Work – Assimilating into the workplace for the first time is no easy feat.  In a whirlwind of office culture and subsequent politics, it’s easy to make simple blunders that will spotlight your greenness.  Keep on reading for a list of the 5 most common mistakes that young professionals frequently make and how to stay on top of your game and ahead of the curve.

What I Learned From Damon Dash’s Financial Muck Up

On Friday, the New York Daily News ran a story about Damon Dash, the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records(most famous for a little rapper you may have heard of named Jay-Z) and the accompanying Rocawear clothing line. Dash, who just a few years ago looked to be the second coming of Russell Simmons, is now in the poor house. Read more