Frugal Mania

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…)

e-Rewards, the program that values your time. You’ll earn e-Rewards Currency for participating in market research surveys that are selected to match your interests. You can redeem your earnings for valuable Rewards from a wide array of participating Reward Partners.

Earn credits with companies such as:
AirTran
Delta Skymiles
Macy’s
HiltonHonors
Borders
Pizza Hut
ProFlowers
Blockbuster
Omaha Steaks
and more

If you’re saving up all those airline miles and haven’t decided where to go, check out this list of the Top 5 Must See Countries.

If you’re a pretty avid movie goer, then you might want to sign up for Regal Cinema’s Regal Crown Club.

It’s a FREE membership and they offer discounts on concession stand items and can earn credits for free movies.

Every Tuesday you use this card when purchasing your ticket at a Regal Cinema you get a coupon for a small popcorn for $1. You really can’t beat that price these days.

To join - just visit their website.

Plus - There are some GREAT movies still coming out this summer:

Like Bruno - July 10th
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE .. can you tell I’m really excited about this one.. July 29th

For more movie insight - hop on over to Cinema Hype.

A coworker told me to join Arby’s extras - I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into.. But since then, I’ve received some email coupons for pretty much free meals.

I recently got one (and actually used it) for a free roastburger with the purchase of a drink. So my lunch that day cost me like $2. Also, I think around the holiday season, I got a coupon for a free shake (forgot to use that one). And now I have one in my email box for a chicken sandwich with the purchase of a drink or fries.. cant recall.. but I know again my lunch will cost less than $5.

That’s a frugal find!

Here’s a direct link to join - click here.

For even more info on Arby’s extras - keep reading.. (more…)

This idea will not work for everyone but it’s such a good, cool idea.. and here it is:

Go to trivia night at restaurants.

I have some die hard trivia friends that go every week. Most of these restaurants give a gift certificate to the winners of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and you can use it towards your bill that night or next time you guys go.

So you’ll learn some random new trivia and get to hang out with your friends. It’s such a win/win idea.

Worried about not winning? (more…)

Do you like to shop online but hate to pay for shipping? Well, the website www.freeshipping.org wants to help you get FREE shipping. They basically offer Free Shipping Coupons & Coupon Codes To Over 850 Stores including JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Dell and Gap.

Some of the stores they highlight are:

To see some examples of the free shipping they are offering, look here. (more…)

If you think cutting coupons and remembering them just doesn’t work for you, then join the club and join Cellfire. I would also caution.. if you don’t have a cell phone plan with unlimited text messages DON’T sign up.

Sign up online and tell Cellfire where you live, what stores, and places you like.. And coupons come straight to you on your cell phone. Go to the store, flash your phone with the coupon to the cashier and Bam! savings right there in your hand.

Want to know what companies are giving out coupons on Cellfire?? There are some major deals including FREE things!! (more…)

Okay, so technically speaking I’m late to the party, but let me set the scene for you here.  Bear with me, this is going to be long-winded.

I received a new Dell laptop about four months ago.  Beautiful machine, lightning fast and has all the bells and whistles. Needless to say it wasn’t something I would have bought myself.  A few days ago - last Friday to be exact - I was working on it as usual when suddenly I got it.  The dreaded Blue Screen of Death.

Then darkness.  Nothing.

I took a deep breath and tried to reboot.  Again, nothing.

A two hour call to Dell Tech Support later (which was an absolute joke, I might add) and I am being sent a new memory card, though that "won’t fix the problem".  I am told that I will need to reinstall Windows Vista.  Thankfully I have a roommate who is tech savvy enough to help me retrieve all of my data before I attempted such a feat.

Well today after installing the new memory I am trying to reinstall Vista.  Still trying at 8:35pm when I started at 1:30pm.

Lovely.

Okay, now on to the point of this meandering post.  While surfing around for alternatives to the various CPU-intensive Windows software programs that come automatically with PCs and laptops these days, I came across an open source program that allows me to access my instant messaging software from AOL, Yahoo and Gmail (and ICQ, MSN and others if I used them).  This software is lightweight, easy on the memory and lightning fast, though it does lack all the incredibly unnecessary bells and whistles that have become attached to AIM and Yahoo Instant Messenger these days.

This program is called Pidgin and it is open source freeware.  If you are so inclined, I strongly encourage you to download it and give it a whirl.  It took all of 2 minutes for me to become a believer.  I have uninstalled the other IM programs and feel completely safe in doing so.

That’s all I had to say, though it took me a while to say it.

I can’t believe it is Friday already.  What a week it has been!  How about some free MP3 downloads to get the weekend off to a great start?  That’s right - free music downloads for you!

Here are my top five free and legal mp3 music downloads for this week, all courtesy of Amazon.com:

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