jasonlam/Flickr
I interviewed freebie blogger Collin Morgan of Hip To Save about staying on her game, fake freebies, and blogging secrets.
Here is a Quiznos coupon for two sandwiches for $5. Some exclusions. Expires July 8, 2010.
Get a free sample of Dove hair care products – yes the company makes more than chocolate and soap – through Sam’s Club. You do not have to be a member to get the freebie.
The current J.Crew sale has 20% off dresses with free shipping. Note, select dresses are on sale.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Stephanie Ann, author of The Cheap Diva’s Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style, and Have Fun for Less Money!, shares her tips and tricks to living large on a small budget in her 224-page book. Ann is the creator of thecheapdiva.com, a budget style blog.
In her book, Ann shares her secrets to scoring deals and shows you how to make money by cashing in on your clutter or creating your own job. The book is a fun and fast read with hints of humor that come from anecdotes she shares about her time working in various home décor and retail businesses. The book also includes a handy list of websites sure to save you money.
The book is divided into five parts: Money, Fashion, Beauty, Home Décor and Entertainment.
So what makes Ann an expert in frugal living ? “For starters, I was living the frugal lifestyle long before it was fashionable,” she writes. With a series of low-income jobs and prolonged periods of unemployment, she said she’s built a “healthy sense of mistrust of employers” and many “healthy savings habits.”
If you would like to learn the secrets to a frugal and fabulous life for free, leave a comment detailing your short-lived jobs and how they helped you learn to tighten your financial belt. You may end up being the lucky winner of my review copy – signed by the Cheap Diva herself!
Comment by Friday, July 9 at 9 a.m. PST for a chance to win. If you can’t wait to get your hands on the book, you can purchase it on Amazon for $13.45.
tobyleah/Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Ever since I can remember my mother has saved money on laundry by drying our clothes on clotheslines, which are making a comeback among people who want to be green. Once strung up, these simple and electricity-free devices are not always welcomed.
A couple days ago, I read a story from NPR of a New Hampshire activist fighting for his right to use a clothesline. A Google search quickly revealed an array of similar stories. It seems that many communities do not want to see clotheslines in their neighborhoods because they consider them an eyesore. I understand that many do not want to see their neighbor’s skivvies hanging out to dry, but there are ways to be discreet. I use the shower rod instead of leaving my damp clothes outside. You can also get a low-cost drying rack that folds up into tight spaces.
To someone who grew up with clotheslines it is difficult to understand what the big deal is all about. An opponent of clotheslines is quoted in a story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch as saying that clotheslines give an atmosphere of decline and a sense that one is not in a well-off neighborhood.
It maybe the nostalgia in me speaking, but I do not see how a clothesline makes a neighborhood’s status change. Electricity is one of the biggest home expenses that can easily be subsided with a rope and clothes pins, so why not use it?
sunsurfr/Flickr
Hope everyone has a fabulous long weekend. I’m taking Monday off for a 3-day mini vacation with a girlfriend. Can’t wait! See you all Tuesday.
~Julia
aka Bargain Babe
If you are new to clothing swaps or missed the Frugal Festival, this video explains what a swap is and how they work, plus shows you how much fun this year’s event was. If you attended the Frugal Fest on June 19, look for your cameo. There are a lot of them! Click on the video below to watch.
Aaron M/Flickr
I complied a big ‘ol list of July 4 freebies and deals. Check ‘em out!
Barnes & Noble has 21 American classic ebook downloads for free in celebration of the July 4 holiday. Expires July 5, 2010.
Here is a rare American Apparel coupon for 25% off red, white, and blue clothes! Expires July 5, 2010.
Through July 25 get free pancake puppies at Denny’s when you spend at least $2.
Borders has three coupons: 90% off clearance books, DVDs, and movies; 50% off Blu-Ray DVDs, and 25% off for military personnel
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog. Lots more deals slated for this afternoon so check back.
thehume/Flickr
Readers responded to my post on how I saved $3,100 using tips I received from BargainBabe.com readers with requests for help. Please leave a comment if you have ideas for them.
Cindy in San Jose wrote:
I am looking for someone to repair my dryer. Thank you, Cindy
Yazmin in Los Angeles wrote:
Hi, I am purchasing a foreclosure home in Los Angeles. We hired an inspector and told us that whole house needs to be rewired. Our agent recommended her electrician (licensed). He went to see the house and he estimated (just labor) $1900 and we can buy material estimated $850. I am trying to stick with a licensed person. We did not expect this expense when we considered purchasing the house. We still need to buy paint and carpet/tile. I need you help please!! Yazmin
Lisa in Studio City/Sherman Oaks wrote:
Hi Julia- In reference to your article today about the Mini repairs, I’m looking for a reliable alternative to the dealer for my ’05 Honda Pilot with 66,000 miles. Needs service YESTERDAY (that crazy “maintence required” light keeps coming on!!), so any help would be appreciated
thanks, Lisa
Related posts:
Upholstery, Landscaping, and Auto Body Repair at a deep discount
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these coupons with me.Get $30 off 3G Smart Phones at Verizon Wireless. Expires July 10, 2010.
Get $12 off sitewide orders of $150 or more at Abes of Maine. Expires September 30, 2010.
Some of the hottest new apps on the iPhone are using location -based information to connect place with social networks. A new money-saving application for the Apple iPhone promises to find consumers savings just by using their location!
Myzerr, a start-up social network for coupons, provides users with the ability to download free online coupons directly to their iPhones.
This application’s handy “Nearby” function shows the user’s location on a map and displays restaurants, retail stores, gyms and other local businesses who have signed up to Myzerr to promote their business. After selecting a business, the app generates a Myzerr iPhone coupon which the user can then show to redeem the discount.
Another useful function for users and businesses is the ability to “share” the coupon on Facebook, Twitter or by email. Myzerr also allows users to form groups to share discounts with friends. With these tools, shopping centers (or any community) can form groups for their local loyalty programs.
“Everyone loves to save,” says Myzerr CEO Slade Sherman. “Now Myzerr takes all the hard work out of it! In effect, the business finds YOU – which is just as it should be. Best of all, the service is completely free, both for you the user and for the business offering the discounts!”
The ability for these businesses to easily set-up their own loyalties programs and provide exclusive discounts to local communities is set to revolutionise the coupon marketing industry.
Sherman says “We are encouraging any small business and franchise chain that understands the benefits of location based services and social media to register, there really is no risk”.
Myzerr Beta can be viewed online at Myzerr.com.
The app is available from the iPhone App Store by searching for ‘myzerr’ or you can click here.
This is paid content. Interested in an ad? Read my Advertise page.
Darwin Bell/Flickr
This post is sponsored by Mint.com, a good place to find a budget calculator and many other free financial tools.
Yazmin’s post yesterday on three green habits that are pricey – eating organic food, using organic beauty products, and installing alternative energy sources – got me thinking about green moves that DO save green. Here’s my list.
- Shopping for clothes at swaps, thrift stores, and garage sales. Expect prices to be a third of discount chains like Ross, and a fifth of main stream retail. I found the most fabulous dress at Ross yesterday for $13!
- Donating possessions to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other charities, then remembering to record the tax deduction.
- Drying clothes outside on a drying rack or clothes line. In the summer heat my clothes dry in two hours. Thick towels take about 3-4 hours. The dryer is getting lonely. More tips to save in the laundry room.
- Collect gray water in the tub before the hot water comes on and in the sink when washing vegetables. This saves you a few gallons every day. Rain barrels will collect storm run off, too. Here are even more ways to reduce your water use.
- Growing vegetables and fruit at home or in a community garden. But watch out, it’s easy to spend more on a garden than what you would pay in the grocery store. Another benefit to gardening is peace of mind.
- Carpooling or riding your bike for in-town errands.
- Recycling cans, bottles, and newspapers is a no-brainer, but did you know you can make a lot of money from recycling electronics?
- Eating vegetarian more often that you currently do. Protein from eggs and vegetables is so much cheaper than meat, and leaves a smaller carbon footprint.
Plus, check out these reader tips:
LisaL knows a way to make solar panels affordable:
Solar panels do not have to cost tens of thousands of dollars…. many companies will do a lease for little or NO money down. I just got solar for my whole house through SOLAR CITY (no I don’t work for them!), I will pay approx. $35/month for electricity to the solar company for the lease of the equipment for the next 30 YEARS–it will never go UP (which DWP can’t guarantee). Also, it’s their equipment so if anything breaks, they will fix it. This is a fraction of my monthly energy bill AND I will still use CFL’s and conserve energy, too. I think it’s still frugal…
DeniseinArk shares natural beauty secrets that are cheap:
Organic skin care products do not have to cost more than the non-organic ones, if you’re even a little bit inclined toward DIY. Mostly it takes research to figure out what does what, and a trip to the grocery store. Glycolic acids are a great example: AHA ingredients in cosmetics are fruit acids: juice from citrus and papaya, (or powders can be found in the vitamin/supplement aisle) lactic acid is found in dairy products such as yogurt and milk. BHA is salicylic acid – aka aspirin (can you say CHEAP?) Fruit and seed oils are well known antioxidants – olive, sunflower, grapeseed, etc. Fresh avocados do the same thing. At age 50, my oily skin is coming under control by using (SURPRISE!!) a couple of drops of grapeseed oil with a drop of ylang-ylang essential oil mixed in my hand and smoothed on my face after cleansing and exfoliating. I also keep a bottle of grapeseed oil in the shower and apply it the same way you’d apply baby oil after a shower, because the rest of my skin is very dry. It soaks right in very quickly and leaves my skin soft with no white lines. Each morning, I pour a little of my freshly brewed green tea into a tiny spray bottle and use it as toner and a little extra moisture spritz throughout the day. None of these items are expensive at all. It makes me wonder why the skin care items supposedly made from all natural ingredients have to be so expensive.
DeniseinArk, have you read Return To Beauty? It is a gorgeous book with dozens of homemade beauty recipes. Sounds right up your alley!
Use this Borders coupon and get 33-47% off list prices, through July 1, 2010.
Like to volunteer? Now you can get a free scoop of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for doing so.
Stop by Arby’s Monday and get a free sandwich a la the Junior Deluxe roast beef, which joins the Value Menu next week. Gotta buy a drink, however.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Alaskan Dude/Flickr
At the beginning of the month I like to consult the Consumer Reports sales calender, which tells me what things are good to buy this month because of sales, overstock, and seasonal changes in merchandise. Up this month:
- camcorders
- indoor furniture
- outdoor furniture
- swimsuits
Early July is an especially good time to buy a swimsuit because stores are marking them down but there is still a lot of selection. Wait until August and the suits are mismatched and only XS and XXL are left. On tap for August:
- air conditioners
- backpacks
- dehumidifiers
- lawn mowers
- outdoor furniture
- snow throwers
Rejoice! Starting today Starbucks is offering free WiFi to its customers. Previously, it was a complete pain in the neck to get WiFi at Starbucks, requiring you to jump through all sorts of hoops or pay for a connection. This move will certainly attract more customers and maybe win back those who switched to McDonald’s for their cheaper coffee and free WiFi. Here is a full list of places to get free Wifi.
There are some things that make you want to be a kid again, and a romp at the COOP in Studio City may well be one. This indoor-outdoor play area has a garden, reading area, and dance floor for kids ages 2-8, plus coffee WiFi for you. A monthly membership is $45, but take advantage of today’s Daily D and get it for just $20.
Not bad for unlimited visits during the month. The COOP’s hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The voucher expires September 30, 2010.
Caveats: you cannot drop off your child and leave. Not valid with any other offer. New customers only. You can buy vouchers for others as gifts but aren’t supposed to resell them.
This is not paid content, however I earn a commission on every purchase made through Daily D.
