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A person’s ability to come up with a creative, romantic, and frugal Valentine’s date is a true indicator of that person’s ability to come up with creative, thoughtful, and debt-free lifestyle choices.

We’ve already covered many frugal and creative Valentine’s dates in nine unusual Valentine’s dates that are frugal too, cheap debt-free valentine’s dates, and you calling me a cheap date? You betcha. Browse all three of these articles and you will have enough great date ideas to take you through to your 25th wedding anniversary.

However, these ideas still require you follow some very important rules:

1. Plan ahead. Do not wait until the day before Valentine’s Day to make your plans. Most special dates require advance work. If you are going to take your loved one to a taping of her favorite TV show, you will definitely have to book this ahead of time. Making a portrait of your dear-heart out of soda cans REALLY takes advance notice. So, don’t wait!
2. Pay attention. If you decide that going to a drive-in movie would be a great idea, then make sure that your loved one hasn’t mentioned that she hates drive-in movies. Listen.
3. Gather support. Sometimes you need other people in order to pull off your romantic date. Let’s say you want to have a flash mob marriage proposal. You will need to gather lots of other people to pull that one off. But, you know, people WANT to help you make a great romantic effect. So, ask your friends and family for help.
4. Take pictures and video. So, you manage to pull off this sensational moment, like a sunset helicopter ride over the site of your first encounter. You really must document the moment. My husband and I talked to our not-yet-conceived children at our wedding reception. It’s some pretty cool footage. A total keeper.
5. Once the moment comes, you have to let it just unroll. You can plan and plan, but when the magic moment comes, you have to let it just happen. Don’t get upset if it doesn’t work the exact way you planned. That will DEFINITELY ruin the moment. Just enjoy the moment, and it will be even better.

I hope all these ideas help you to have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with your special someone. Anyone have some other advice?

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I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Understanding your credit – What is good credit? Learn what your credit ratings and ranges mean. (MoneyCrashers)

Hilarious tax stories – CPA’s reveal tax writeoffs that didn’t work. Yup, someone actually tried them. (Bargaineering)

Budgeting solution – Hate planning? Here’s how to budget for those who don’t like to prepare in advance. (Wisebread)

Surviving a layoff – Find out what to do after losing your job. (The Digerati Life)

Nonfans win big – Here are 4 Super Bowl deals for non-football fans. (MainStreet)

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I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Asset protection strategies – How to protect your wealth from lawsuits. (MoneyCrashers)

Beat monotony – Fifteen frugal ways to battle boredom. (Wisebread)

Shrink your rent – How to negotiate lower rent in your current apartment. (Free From Broke)

Bargain traveling – How to book cheap flight and air travel deals. (The Digerati Life)

Money matters - Setting financial goals for couples. (20 and Engaged)

New airline rules – A new federal law allows consumers to cancel a flight booking within 24 hours and get a full refund. Plus, other benefits.

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I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Time for a vacay? Learn how to plan a cheap road trip. (Money Crashers)

Find out what SOPA is and how it will affect you? (Wisebread)

Is your lease almost over? Here’s how to get a bargain when apartment hunting. (Free From Broke)

Trim the fat with these everyday savings tips. (The Digerati Life)

Hitting the grocery store? Here’s a list of items to skip to save money at grocery store. (The Consumerist)

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Is she cleaning or raiding the pantry? hfb / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Pantry clean-up – Learn how to organize your pantry and save cash. (Wisebread)

Money problems – Find out how the national debt could hurt your wallet. (MainStreet)

Saving for retirement – Five minute guide to your 401k. (Fabulous & Frugal)

Paying off debt – Five tricks to paying off your holiday debt. (Time Moneyland)

Prepaid credit card – Is the financial guru Suze Orman’s “Approved Card” worth it? (20 and Engaged)

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We heart saving money! 401k /Flickr

If you haven’t already heard, we are celebrating BargainBabe.com’s third anniversary by giving away 35 prizes! Julia asked you to share your favorite way to save money and the giveaway post was flooded with comments. Get inspiration from fellow BargainBabe.com readers!

The most popular way our readers like to save money is…

Using coupons.

Reader Kat said:

My favorite way to save money is by using coupons – in every form! Paper, electronic, downloadable, printable, codes, you name it. I’ve only been couponing since March of last year, and I’ve already saved thousands of dollars.

Want to save money like Kat? Search our Coupon Database to find all sorts of coupons. Just print and redeem! If you’re new to couponing, learn how to shrink your grocery bill with Grocery University.

Eating out less and cooking at home.

Marie said:

Favorite way to save money is cooking at home. Healthier too!

Need inspiration? Go through our recipes to find one that suites your taste. If you like dining out, watch Bargain Babe reveal secrets to getting restaurant discounts.

Swapping. Shopping secondhand stores and garage sales.

Sarah says:

My favorite way to save is to never buy clothing full-priced and to use the local goodwill prices as my standard for a very good deal ie $4 for most items and $7 for dresses and jeans.

Bobbi said it a while back, friends don’t let friends pay retail. We share deals, sales, and coupon codes in our daily coupon and freebie post to save you a bundle on items you need.

Sticking to a budget.

Jen Y said:

My favorite way to save is keep a budget – really, I can do all the extras like couponing, shopping thrift stores, ect but without knowing what is coming in, what’s going out & why I don’t save money.

If you don’t have a budget, here are three ways to budget. Find out which one works for you and stick with it!

Nixing frivolous expenses like cable.

Elizabeth says:

I think a thrifty attitude is the best way to save money – being constantly aware of your spending! For me, though, getting rid of cable has been one of the best things I’ve done to save a bit of cash.

Keep up the thrifty attitude by dropping anything that is not necessary. I’ve never had cable and I haven’t missed out. Check out these site to watch TV for free.

Using daily deals.

Jaqueline says:

I once got a $40 meal at a local BBQ place for $5 thanks to a Groupon and a $5 off email deal that I received from Groupon.

A reader recently asked what daily deal sites she should be monitoring. See what advice she received from the Bargain Babe community.

Using Swagbucks.

Pam says:

My favorite way to save money is Swagbucks. I get so much with my Amazon Gift Cards.

Get the low down on Swagbucks and become a member to score freebies. This is how BB and I get our Starbucks gift cards!

Lowering the heating bill.

T says:

I save $$ by keeping thermostat on 62 in winter and 74 in summer.

Bobbi recently shared how to save money on your heating bill. Check out her suggestions.

Hitting the library and second-run movie theaters for cheap flicks.

Sue says:

I always try to have a coupon for everything. Also we always get our movies from the library.

Catch the latest film, with these twelve ways to save money on movie tickets.

Following BargainBabe.com!

Allisha says:

This blog has given me so many ideas, tips, and tricks on how to save money and live life fully. I don’t remember how I managed to find this blog site but, I am so glad I did!

Aw, shucks! Many thanks to all the readers who love saving money with Bargain Babe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for exclusive coupons and deals. Let the freebies, coupons, and inspiration come to you. Sign up for our freebie and deal email.

Wayan Vota / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Fitness on a budget – How to create your own free home workout plan and exercise routine. (MoneyCrashers)

Wasting money – Ten things you do to save money that end up costing you more. (Wisebread)

Debt reduction – The Silicon Valley Blogger shares three do it yourself debt reduction programs to beat debt. (The Digerati Life)

Money resolutions – Here are five ways to make your money resolutions stick. (Mainstreet)

Movie ticket price hike – The movie business didn’t fare well last year. Experts are predicting movie theaters will charge more for admission. (Time Moneyland)

Fix broken powder make up – A blogger discovers how to “fix” powder makeup that has broken into pieces. Pretty nifty trick!

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At this time of year, New Year’s resolutions abound. Most of them have to do with weight or money. Many of these resolutions don’t make it past the first week of the new year.

How about instead of trying to STOP doing old things, one decides to START doing new things.

Here is a list of 10 new things that one could easily start and continue:

1. Commit a random act of kindness at least once a day. I love doing nice things for random strangers. It makes me feel good and it helps the world feel good. You can download preprinted cards, make your own, or just do an act spontaneously. The card on the right has been paid forward so many times it is starting to fall apart. Bet it has some great stories.
2. Give someone a compliment. It could be the supermarket clerk or the mailman or the boss. Doesn’t matter. It just has to be real and sincere.
3. Give yourself a compliment. Yes, a real live “wow, that was good” compliment every day. Sometimes the person we neglect to admire is ourselves.
4. Spend at least 20 minutes a day doing something you enjoy. Gardening, dancing, yoga, pretend fencing, whatever. This is not about losing weight (although that would be nice). It is about appreciating that you have a healthy body that can move and breath and see and hear. Yep! Life is good.
5. Stop and smell the roses – literally. There are so many wonderful smells in our environment, but we don’t always stop and notice them. Freshly baked cookies are my favorite, but I also love the smell of crayons.
6. Write a personal letter to someone. Oooooh! This is a good one. Personal letters have gone out of style. You know, the ones that the postal person delivers. These can be to someone that you know, but they can also be letters to people that you read about or whose work you admire, or military personnel.
7. Go through one drawer or small area of your house or office every day and organize it. Just a small area. Something easy to handle so that it doesn’t get overwhelming. Toss things out, give to charity, or offer to your local freecycle list. This includes getting rid of old bottles of spice, white out and decade-old vitamins and buying fresh new bottles if necessary. An old clumpy bottle of white out isn’t going to do anyone any good. A new bottle can be obtained at the 99 cent store.
8. Spend at least 20 minutes a day studying something that you want to learn more about. Maybe it’s fly fishing or a new language or how to use all those features on your phone.
9. I have a friend who spends New Year’s Day shredding old documents and cleaning up her files. This is a good goal and activity.
10. Start each day with a smile. It doesn’t matter what is going on in someone’s life. Finding something to smile about might help and certainty won’t hurt.

Most of these new things don’t cost a cent but can add so much value to anyone’s life. John Lennon said that “Life is what happens while you are making plans.” I plan to relish the gift of life every moment. I hope you do too.

blentley / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Low-cost Champagne – Before buying the bubbly, you have to check out this guide to buying inexpensive champagne for New Year’s Eve. (Fabulous and Frugal)

Freebies – Leah Ingram has compiled a list of New Year’s Eve freebies. (Suddenly Frugal)

Free bites – Hungry? Learn how to score free meals. Give one of these 12 suggestions a try. (Money Crashers)

Health Insurance – Tips for choosing the right health insurance plan during open enrollment. (The Digerati Life)

Save money – Want to save money in 2012? Check out this advice on how to save $5,000 in 2012. (MSN Money)

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sarniebill1 / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

December savings – Here’s a list of items to buy in December to score major deals. (Financially Fit Yahoo)

Giving gift cards – Seven ways to make the most out of gift cards. (MSN Money)

Where to find coupons – Three ways to find and use coupons for fresh and natural foods. (Second Act)

Save money on Christmas – How to spend almost nothing on gifts this year. (Wisebread)

Keep warm on a budget – The weather outside is frightful so here are seven ways to stay warm this winter. (MainStreet)

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damselfly58 / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Save money on clothes – Follow these 9 tips to make your clothes last longer.  (Wisebread)

Preparing for the holidays – Christmas budgeting and holiday shopping trends (The Digerati Life)

Holiday cards – Save money on holiday cards by following these six suggestions. (Main Street)

House shopping – The hidden costs of buying a house. (Thousandaire)

Home decorations - Holiday decorating ideas for your home – do you splurge or save? (Money Crashers)

Prevent ID theft - Keep your sensitive financial information safe with these 10 ways to prevent identity theft during the holidays. (Consumer Reports)

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Jonas N / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Gift ideas – What are you gifting your child’s teacher this Christmas? Here are 10 possible Christmas gifts for teachers.  (Wisebread)

Get it for less – Our very own Bargain Babe shares tips along with others on how to get magazine subscriptions for less. (Mainstreet)

Reduce your rent – Learn to negotiate and lower your apartment rent payments without moving. (Money Crashers)

Protect your finances – Four reasons why you should get a prenup even if you’re not filthy rich. This includes a funny music video – you must watch! (Budgets are Sexy)

Christmas safety – Avoid holiday season risks with these five tips from The Silicon Valley. (The Digerati Life)

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martha_chapa95/Flickr

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am spending the day chowing down with my in-laws on Long Island and NOT shopping. (I may hit an online sale Friday, though…)

Hope you have a wonderful day. See you back here Monday!

~Julia
aka Bargain Babe

rocketlass / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Black Friday – Fifteen Black Friday myths debunked.  (Deal News)

Holiday travel – How to find cheap flights and get the best airline ticket deals. (Money Crashers)

Party planning – Tips to throw an awesome party on a budget. (Wisebread)

DIY decorations – Learn to make Do-It-Yourself Thanksgiving decorations that won’t break the bank. (The Centsible Life)

Protect your money – Avoid falling prey to bogus deals or fine-print loopholes on Black Friday. (Main Street)

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bomb_tea / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Inexpensive recipes – Try any of these 25 cheap and tasty frozen broccoli recipes for an easy dinner. (Wisebread)

Student prices – Save money by using student discounts to purchase items. Thanks, Tina! (Bankrate)

Twitter helps – Check out the best Twitter feeds to get credit card tips.  (Main Street)

Cold weather – Get your home ready with tips to winterizing your home. (Money Crashers)

Holiday shopping – Find out what credit cards are the best for holiday shopping. (CNN Money)