Frugal Mania

Somehow I randomly found this program called Groupon. It’s a gift certificate coupon service that sends you one deal a day for something in your city that is HEAVILY discounted - like a restaurant, clothing store, personal training, comedy shows, etc.

This is available for the following cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Inside Tip: The opportunity to buy is only available for 24 hours. So if you see something of interest, you have to buy it that day!

Want to know what today’s deal is? (more…)

1. Do take-out vs delivery or eating in - this way you can save on having to pay a tip
2. Only eat half your meal - If it’s a big meal, only eat half and bring the other half home for lunch the next day. Two meals for the price of one.
3. Share with someone - Maybe you can both get a small salad and then share your entree.
4. Skip the alcohol - You will save a ton if you don’t drink alcohol. In some cases, it can be more expensive than your entree.
5. Find out the weekly specials - Some places have happy hour specials if you come in earlier to eat - check their website.
6. Coupons - An oldy but a goody - flip through the coupons you get in the mail and visit your local eateries.

Any other tip you can think of that I left off the list?

Or be smart and win your dinner for free at trivia night.

Book swap parties and Clothing swap parties are starting to become very popular. The idea behind them is very simple. Someone hosts the event at his/her home and you bring a book (to those parties) or clothing/purses/accessories to the event.

It’s a FREE way to get new things and a fun social event. Plan to stick around, drink some wine, eat some fruit, make a new friend, and tell her/him about your new items.

Here’s a really cute, informative video about How to Host a Clothing Swap Party from VideoJug.

And don’t forget that awesome resource that’s the best book swap system out there - The Library.

Recently I’ve been really into podcasts.. I’m a big follower of NPR’s This American Life and Coffe Break Spanish - podcasts to learn the Spanish language. These shows are high quality, extremely well produced, and the best part - FREE.

If you have an iPod then you’re familiar with iTunes, so go check out the Podcasts! There are literally thousands of other ones on there. Leave a comment on which podcast you listen to.

Want to know about the free songs? (more…)