Happy Frugal Friday! I did a blog post on this subject before, but it's worth mentioning again, especially during the summer season when most people want to get away for a fun vacation but don't have a lot of money to spend.

Who says there’s no such thing as free stuff anymore?

There's a travel & marketing company that gives away complimentary travel certificates to the caribbean. Most hotels and resorts are never booked to full capacity, except perhaps during the holidays and long weekends.

Some of the exotic locations include Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta (pictured below) & Cancun in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas (last picture below), and many more destinations. Check their website for updated information.

Check out this website, they truly give you a free trip to Mexico, the Caribbean and more! The only thing you and your guest(s) need to do is attend a 90 minute no-obligation presentation and pay the room tax. They only need 7 days advance notice for reservations, subject to availability. Check out TripMama.com to compare airfare costs.

Go to www.RedeemTrip.com and mention the certificate promo code: GFF750 to receive your free exotic vacation! Or, you can also call 1-888-404-8942 or 1-866-490-0044 - remember to use promo code GFF750.

   

Happy Frugal & Thrifty Tuesday! My topic today are frugal stars or Frugal + Celebrities = Frugalebrities!

Apparently adopting the frugal lifestyle isn't just for us regular folks. There are a handful of celebrities who earn millions of dollars (who have been frugal most of their lives) and continue to be so even after they've made it big. It's refreshing to know that some stars are savvy coupon clippers and penny pinchers also!

My favorite frugalebrity icon is... Zooey Deschanel (pictured shopping for chairs). Her frugality has allowed her put more than $1.5 million in the bank. She has no credit card debt, since she pays off her balance each month. Zooey has almost $2 million more in stocks, bonds and real estate, etc. Like Zooey, my only debt is my mortgage, which I plan to pay off soon! 

Here are quotes from 10 famous celebrities about their frugal lifestyle. 

"Honestly, I’m very frugal.  I have a lot of property. I’ve invested my money and I don’t have to make any more, thank God, because I’m set. I’m now able really to be free and just do things that make me happy.”
- BEYONCE

"I am pretty frugal. I save a lot because I'm always worried about when this trip is going to stop. So I'm saving for that day so I can have a life that is secure and comfortable."
- HALLE BARRY

“When you open up the paper and you see those coupons, it looks like dollar bills staring you in the face.  It’s how I grew up. Why not?”
- HILARY SWANK

"When I was a kid, I had two jobs. I worked at a Ford dealership and at a McDonald's. I'd spend the money from one job and save the money from the other. That's still the way I am now. I live on the money I make as a comedian, and I put all the TV money in the bank. I've never spent a dime of TV money — ever."
- JAY LENO

“I was raised to have value for money, to have respect for money, even though you have a lot of it.  I still look for bargains when I go to the market.”
- JENNIFER LAWRENCE

“I use a lot of coupons. The best coupon you can get, possibly in the world, is the Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.”
- KRISTEN BELL

"I don't pay lavish expenses. I don't fly private jets. I still have only one car, and that's a Toyota Prius. I don't spend money on a lot. Money is very important to me because it allows me the freedom to choose what I want to do as an actor and most importantly because I want to accumulate enough so that one day I can do something really great and beneficial for other people, for the environment or for children."
- LEONARDO DICAPRIO

"My son only wears hand-me-downs because I've got all these older nephews. I think it's incumbent on my husband and me to really stress and to show James Wilkie by example what it means to owe your community something and that he is not entitled to the benefits of our hard work."
- SARAH JESSICA PARKER

"You know those Lotto winners, who win big and blow through all that money? That would never happen to me.  I just never wanted to put myself in the position where my spending was so huge that I had to keep making movie after movie."
- TOBEY MAGUIRE

"I am frugal, I've always been this way. When I was young, my mom would give me my allowance, and I'd peel off a little each week and have some to spare. " 
- TYRA BANKS

Happy Frugal Friday! Today is officially the first day of summer. Summer is the best time to spend time outdoors, preferably doing enjoyable activities that cost next to nothing. Check out my previous post on Fun and Free Things To Do This Summer. 

Another way to spend a great summer day outdoors plus make some extra money is to have a yard sale! This accomplishes many things for me... I get to purge stuff I don't need or use any more, I get to work on my tan and I make some extra bucks! 

Our neighborhood in Adams Hill is having a huge garage sale Saturday, June 22. If you are in the area, come check our sale. 


Here are some tips and tricks for a fun and profitable yard sale.

Timing Is Everything - pick Saturdays and/or Sundays for your sale, most people do yard sale shopping on the weekends. Open early starting at 7:00 am or 8:00 am and be prepared for early bird shoppers.

Advertise For Free - don't spend a dime promoting your upcoming yard sale. I often post ads on Craigslist a 3 days before and the day before the sale. If possible, include photos of larger ticket items in your ad to entice shoppers to check out your sale. Spread the word about your sale on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. You can also post flyers on bulletin boards at neighborhood markets or coffee shops.

Have Refreshments - offer complementary drinks, such as water or lemonade in small cups. This is a nice treat for shoppers especially during the summer. 

Organize Your Stuff - instead of just tossing items in a big heaping pile, organize them by like items or category. Make it easy for shoppers to see every item you have for sale. Try to avoid making anyone have to dig through a pile of stuff.

Display Best Items In Front - you want to put your best stuff out near the street when you have "drive-bys" checking out whether it's worth their time to stop. Display items out front such as furniture and other attractive merchandise.

No Need To Price Everything - unless it's one of your big ticket item that your price is firm on, avoid pricing every little item. Your prices should be priced low or negotiable. Let shoppers know if they buy more, you'll give them a great deal.

Have Small Bills - make sure you have enough change and small bills, go to the bank ahead of time and get change for larger bills. Most shoppers have exact change, but there are some that only have larger bills.

Everything Must Go - if you truly want most every item to sell, at the end of the day you can let shoppers know that anything they can stuff in a bag is only $5 (or whatever amount you decide). If there are still items left over at the end of your successful yard sale, pack it all up and donate it to your local thrift store, the items you donate are tax deductible.

It's Thrifty Tuesday and dad's special day is right around the corner on Sunday, June 16th. How do you let your father know he is special every day? You don't have to spend a lot of money to express your love and appreciation for him. 

Get creative by putting together a "theme" gift bag or basket. You can buy most of the smaller "extra" items from dollar stores, such as Dollar Tree or Dollar General, including Father's Day cards and even a mylar balloons!

Here are some frugal gift ideas for dad this Sunday or any day :)

Coffee + Dessert - greet dad with his favorite baked goodies along with a cup of coffee father's day morning! Make enough baked treats to last at least until lunchtime! Present him with a homemade Father's Day to start his special day.

BBQ Meal - most dad's love a good barbecue, why not treat dad to an afternoon of good old delicious BBQ plus the fixin's and of course some beer! 

Car Stuff - get your dad an inexpensive accessory for his car. It could be as simple as a some car maintenance supplies, a new license plate frame (you could even personalize it) , you might even throw in a new CD he could listen to on his commute.

Tools - some dad's are handy around the house, find out which tools he might not already have and place them in either a handy carry-all tool box or tool caddy. You can find some cheap tools at dollar stores, as Dollar Tree or Dollar General.

Golf Stuff - if your dad loves golf, but the cost of green fees are just out of your budget, you might consider giving him a new set of golf balls along with a favorite golf magazine. This idea also applies if he likes tennis or any other sport or outdoor activity.

Favorite Restaurant - if you want to treat dad to his favorite restaurant without paying full price for the meal, consider purchasing a Restaurants.com discount voucher. Most $25 gift certificates or vouchers cost only $10 or even less when they have special promotions. Go during lunchtime, the menu prices are usually less than the dinner menu.

Techie Items - instead buying dad a new mobile phone or computer, you can simply update his smartphone with a new cover case or give him a new laptop bag. If he likes to play a certain online game, you can buy him the upgraded app version for his phone. If dad is looking for cheaper mobile phone service, click here.

Books - if dad is an avid reader, consider buying him a series of books from his favorite author or subject or some Kindle eBooks to read at his leisure. 

  

Happy Frugal Friday! Wouldn't it be great to save money on practically everything without compromising your lifestyle? 

I'm highlighting one of the pages on this website which list many categories where one can save money and spend less on most everything!

Below is a list of where you can save a few bucks on things or services you use on a regular basis:

• Mobile Phone Service - Find out how to pay less for unlimited talk, text, data plus earn when you share.
  
• Dining At Restaurants - Get 10% back from dining at participating restaurants and jackpots too!
• Online Shopping - Earn cash-back on your online purchases and your friends' online purchases!
• Merchant Services - Save money and earn cash-back from your own merchant account every month.
• Advertising - Advertising solutions regardless of what type of business you own.
• Income Taxes - Maximize your tax deductions by accurately recording your business activities.
• Vitamins - Natural health costs a lot less than doctors, drugs, insurance and hospitals!
• Website Fees - Never pay full price for expenses such as domain names, website fees and hosting fees.
• Electricity - If your state is deregulated, you now have the right to choose and the POWER to save.
• Travel - Resources on how to save money on flights, cruises, vacations and more!

For a complete list of categories and helpful resources on how to "spend less" on most everything, click here.

    

Happy Thrifty Tuesday! My thrifty tip for today is ... never pay full price when you shop online! There are a few good online cash-back shopping portals out there. I'm highlighting a company called BeeSavy (pronounced savvy). Not only do you get cash-back when you shop but if you refer friends you earn money too! Listed below are the benefits of shopping online through BeeSavy's portal. Take the sting out of online shopping... sign up for a FREE account today! Click here to join.

Find Any Product At The Best Price!
With one search, BeeSavy compares prices from trusted stores, finds you the best coupons, and gets you cash back! Their comparison shopping engine goes above and beyond by including not only list price, tax, and shipping, but also cash back and coupon discounts—all in one simple interface.

Get Cash Back & Coupons From Your Favorite Stores
Find the best price on any product, get cash back from over 1,500 trusted online retailers, and find exclusive money-saving coupons at BeeSavy!

How Cash Back Works
Stores pay BeeSavy a sales commission for sending shoppers their way, and BeeSavy uses the commission to pay you cash back. We just need an email address so we can notify you when your cash back has been credited.

Coupons You'll Find Nowhere Else
BeeSavy not only scours the web for the best coupons, we also work directly with retailers to get you exclusive coupons you won't find anywhere else.

Refer Friends and Earn Commission Forever!
Other sites pay you a small, one-time commission for referring friends. BeeSavy pays you great commission on all of your referrals forever. We even pay you on all of their referrals up to seven (7) levels deep!

Take the sting out of online shopping... sign up for a FREE account today! Click here to join.