F Winter, I'm Shopping for Spring Part 1: Trench Coats

I'm done. For real though -- winter on the east coast sucks. Doesn't matter that I'm a Jersey girl at heart, I'll never get used to snow and sleet and 20 degree wind chills.

So I'm setting my mind on spring and shopping for the season's essentials. First up: trench coats. This berry-colored one from Target is BOLD -- and at $39.99, cheap enough that you can buy a black or neutral hued one to wear on days when you don't feel like stopping traffic.

If you've got a little more dough to spare, spring for Michael Kors' cobalt-colored, mid-length trench. It's $96 at Bluefly.com -- way below retail.

I'm loving the deep purple color of this trench, which lets it transition easily from the dark days of winter to the warmer breezes of spring. It's $59.99 at Overstock.com.

Another purple option, this time more casual: Sashimi's belted trench, on sale at Nordstrom.com for $38.90. It also comes in teal and burgundy.

But these are just the trenches I'm digging -- let me know what you're excited to buy this spring and where you plan to shop. And F the cold. I'm pretty sure that if you stare it down hard enough, it'll go away.

In which we gift because Hallmark says so, dammit.

Installment numero uno of "Bling for Broke": The video version. It's a timely topic -- what to get the guy in your life for Valentine's Day without sacrificing the bones you set aside to buy yourself a hot dress. We mined mall staples -- Old Navy, Urban Outfitters, H&M -- and came up with five fab ideas under $50.

But truth be told, if you really want to save money this Valentine's Day, do what I do -- don't celebrate it, at least not in the traditional sense. My plan? Pork sandwiches at NY hole-in-the-wall Porchetta. I'm certain St. Valentine would have appreciated a boned-out hog much more than a bouquet with baby's breath. (However, he'd probably go for the hoodies in this episode.) Happy Hallmark holiday!

B4B Version 2.0

New year, new agenda: Bling for the Broke's jumping into the world of viral video, beaming to your computer screen via the magic of YouTube. Episodes will break down all you need to know to stay stylin' in this brokedown economy. And it ain't just for New Yorkers no more: Wherever you are, whatever you do, Bling for the Broke will show you how to make those Benjis (or Andrew Jacksons, as the case may be) stretch further than a pair of Lycra leggings on Madonna's legs. 

B4B's inaugrual Webisode will debut this week. Stay tuned ...