LORAfied’s Best Summer Savings! Lora McLaughlin Peterson Shares Her Brilliant Dupes and Hacks (Exclusive)
Here, the lifestyle expert shares her go-to tricks for saving time & money—and easing stress!
Key Takeaways
- LORAfied’s Lora McLaughlin Peterson shares easy money-saving hacks for food, beauty and travel.
- The influencer reveals her favorite beauty dupes and stress-free hosting shortcuts.
- From Costco fashion finds to drugstore makeup swaps, Lora’s tips make chic living affordable.
Embrace freezers
“I pretty much buy in bulk and freeze,” Lora says. “I really believe the freezer section is overlooked. Things are cheaper there. Every berry I consume comes from the freezer. Berries, meat and fish are much cheaper frozen— especially beef! We’re talking 50 percent cheaper on some of these items by buying it in the freezer section.”
Keep it simple
“My cooking inspiration comes from my mom, who literally turned salt and pep- per and garlic salt into a Bobby Flay moment,” Lora says of her 95-year-old mother’s cooking skills.
“There’s this notion that you need 14 ingredients and you need a spice no one’s ever heard of that you’re never going to use again. It’s crazy. I wanted to write a cookbook where you use a handful of ingredients and buy them all at one store—whether that’s Dollar Tree or supermarkets like Safeway or Vons—and it’s all going to turn out the same! You don’t need any special skills. When it comes to cooking, don’t be hard on yourself. Take the shortcuts! Make it out of a box. I’m giving people permission. Take the quicker cooking routes if you want!”
Score digital deals
“If there’s something you want, first go to the website, put your email in and sign up for their newsletter. You’ll get 10 to 15 percent off instantly just for signing up with your email. Hold it for a big-ticket item—like, if you know you need a grill, sign up for that newsletter and get that 10 percent off. Also, walk away from it. Put it in your cart and leave that URL up. Leave the tab open on your computer, but walk away for the day or even the next day after you signed up. Nine times out of 10, you will get an email from that company that says, ‘Did you forget something in your cart? Here’s an extra 10 percent off. Please come back buy it.’”
Think outside the box before you buy
“Look for items at unusual spots,” she says. “When people think about summer patio items, they always think of the traditional places to go, but there are incredible deals to be had at places like CVS! These ‘off ’ places still carry a wide variety of seasonal items, but they need to move them faster. They just don’t hold on to special or seasonal inventory for very long. My favorite surprise finds at ‘off ’ places: I’ve bought clothing at Ace Hardware! It all depends on what their buyers have decided to bring in. I’m always shocked. But truly one of the best deals I’ve ever gotten was on patio furniture at CVS!”
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Beat the heat
“In the summer, cut back on things that you use energy for,” she says. “Cut back on the foods that require a lot of time with the stove or that will have you heating up your house. I pull out the Crock Pot a lot in the warm months because it’s easy to cook anything in there and it doesn’t overheat your kitchen or require you to crank the A/C. Skip the stove or oven and swap with the air fryer or slow cooker. It will help you save time and money on utility bills.”
Light up the night
“To boost ambiance on a dime, string up café lights anywhere on your patio, deck or balcony in your backyard. You can even string them from an umbrella,” Lora says of her favorite way to brighten any space. “Cafe lights are magical. It’s like when you stick the lights on a Christmas tree. It is an immediate up- grade—and it looks like you’ve done something fancy. I love that! Also, pick up one of those little portable fire pits because nothing says summer like cooking something over a fire. You can find fire pits on sale during the summer for next to nothing—or simply make your own by Googling an easy tutorial online.”
Look up or down when you shop
“I try to avoid buying items placed at eye level on shelves,” she says, “because the brands at eye level have paid a lot of money to be there. People don’t realize that they pay for product placement. So if you just look up or you look down, you can save 40 percent automatically by shopping a shelf or two above or a shelf or two below.”
“This is not the summer to explore lesser-known destinations because that means there are fewer flights—and high prices,” she advises. “I don’t want to discourage anyone from taking fun, exploratory trips. They’re fantastic, but right now, the airlines are really prioritizing the biggest money-making routes with the most people. My advice? I would travel somewhere popular this summer. Do the bigger tourist attractions. Also, set up flight alerts. I don’t think people do that enough. They’re going to let you know when the best deals are happening.”
Travel like this
“This is not the summer to explore lesser-known destinations because that means there are fewer flights—and high prices,” she advises. “I don’t want to discourage anyone from taking fun, exploratory trips. They’re fantastic, but right now, the airlines are really prioritizing the biggest money-making routes with the most people. My advice? I would travel somewhere popular this summer. Do the bigger tourist attractions. Also, set up flight alerts. I don’t think people do that enough. They’re going to let you know when the best deals are happening.”
Cut your own meat
“Meat is so crazy expensive right now everywhere. You can save a fortune by buying your own slab of meat and then cutting it up yourself at home. The butcher will sell it to you whole at the grocery store,” she says. “It’s shocking how much they charge you for the cutting! Also, you do not need to buy the entire package of chicken. If you don’t need it—or if you live alone or if there are only two of you—you can go to the butcher and ask for two chicken breasts and then they will repackage it and put a different price on it. They don’t typically advertise this to customers, but if you bring it up to the counter and ask, the butcher will happily do it for you without a problem.”
Swap name brands
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that L’Oréal owns Lancôme. So really, when you’re talking mascaras, lash primer, stuff like that, buy those at the drugstore,” Lora urges. “L’Oréal Lash Primer will make it look like you have false eyelashes on. It conditions your eyelashes at the same time. That is my No. 1 dupe recommendation! I don’t even love calling it a dupe because I think it’s better than the original. There are so many Sephora dupes at the drugstore right now. I think the mascara game is super strong. If you are paying full price for your mascara, you’re being ripped off.”
Get ready for guests
“My quick cleaning trick before a party is so easy. I’m a big fan of quickly walking around the house with the laundry basket and picking up any clutter or out-of-place items. Stash the basket in a closet or in the laundry room and you can get to it later. The only to-do’s that must be checked off: Make sure the dishes are done and beds are made. The minute you do that, your house feels tidy. That’s a classic Norma Jean tip from my mom. Also, if company is coming over and you want your house to smell great, put a bit of vanilla in a saucepan on low or in a Crock Pot.”
Simplify the menu
“To make hosting and summer entertaining less stressful, do no more than three menu items that you personally are going to provide—like a protein, a side and a salad, or just a protein, a side and dessert. Whatever it is, only serve three of those things,” she suggests. “Then, ask your guests to either bring a side dish or a dessert. If you don’t want to ask them to bring anything, then dessert can be easy: Go for ice cream bars or simple ice cream sandwiches cut into squares. People put crazy pressure on themselves, but classic store-bought sweets are fun—and they are always crowd-pleasers! It hearkens us back to when we were kids. Nothing says summer like red, white and blue Bomb Pops. People love the nostalgia and are thrilled to just get together.”
Save big on favorites!
Beauty dupes:
- Supergoop ($38) → Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen (starting around $9)
- Lancôme Eyeliner ($36) → L’Oréal Felt Tip Black Eyeliner ($13)
- Kosas Brow Gel ($28) → Covergirl Clear Mascara ($8) — It works as a brow gel!
- Lancôme Lash Primer ($30) → L’Oréal Lash Primer ($10)
- Guerlain Setting Powder ($62) → Physicians Formula Setting Powder ($16.50)
Fashion dupes:
- Lululemon Align Jacket ($128) → Costco zip-up ($22)
- Lululemon Scuba Pullover ($128) → Costco pullover (starting around $17)
Home dupes:
- Anthropologie Capri Blue Volcano Candle ($38) → Walmart Red Lava Candle ($12)
- Bath & Body Works Lemon Sugared Zest Candle ($29) → Walmart Sweet Sugared Lemon Candle ($6)
This article originally appeared in the June 8, 2026 print issue of Woman’s World.
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