Fru-Girl: Frugal Advice for Everyone!

Hello 2015!

2015-01-06T11:07:00.001-08:00

Hello again! It's been awhile since I've blogged! I am now living in central Ohio with my family, husband, two kids and three cats. We just bought a house and made the move from DC to Ohio over the holiday season.

So now I'm 'fru-girl' in Ohio. It's going to be interesting exploring Ohio again after living in two of the more expensive cities in America. Stay tuned for more posts about family, Ohio living, becoming home owners, cheap eats, Ohio finds, paying off debts and more.

Cheap Eats - lunch - Egg Sandwich

2013-11-13T14:30:00.001-08:00

As a new stay at home mom, being able to economize is key to keeping my sahm status. That's why cheap eats are right up my alley!

My latest go-to item has been the classic egg sandwich. Full of protein to keep me full until dinner time and indulgent enough to keep my snacking habit under control. And the best part - it's cheap!

Single Egg Sandwich with White Cheddar and Chives

1 egg cooked in a crate and barrel egg ring with tsp butter = .22 cents

2 slices of Double Protein Arnold's Whole Wheat Bread = .44 cents

1 oz Cabot cheese (Vermont white cheddar) .36 cents

(Chives from window garden - free!)

Total cost - $1.02 pretty good!!

Variations to keep it interesting:

Copycat Starbucks Veggie Egg Sandwich

Labrea Ciabatta Roll = .75 cents

1 oz Monteray Jack = .31 cents

1 egg = .22 cents

2 pepper strips diced = .5 cents

Throw peppers into scrambled egg and cook in nonstick pan. Top with Monteray Jack cheese.

Jalapeño and Cheese Egg Sandwich

1 egg cooked in a nonstick pan with tsp butter = .22 cents

2 slices of Double Protein Arnold's Whole Wheat Bread = .44 cents

1 oz Cabot cheese (Vermont white cheddar) .36 cents

Diced Jalepeno = .4 cents

Total cost - $1.06

13 months of Walter!

2013-10-09T18:34:00.001-07:00

Today Walter is 13 months old!

Wow!

The art of Thrifting

2013-09-26T12:54:00.001-07:00

Thrifting is an acquired skill of practice and of knowing what to look for, and not being afraid of all the weird stuff you will see along the way. You can find phenomenal deals at a thrift store for your home and family. Usually all your cheap finds require are a deep clean and they are good as new, saving you some serious cash!

What I look for:

Kids clothes

Plastic toys (little people, fisher price)

Depression glass and Carnival glass

Books

Computer equipment

Appliances

Useful kitchen items - Pyrex, casserole dishes, juice glasses, air poppers

Retro kitchen dishes

What I've found...

A blabla for .99 cents

1960s candy dish for 3.25

33 Little People for $6

It's a cheap adventure - if you're on a budget who doesn't like a cheap thrill! Have fun thrifting! Share your best finds on the comments below!

Whole Foods on the cheap!

2013-09-20T09:07:00.001-07:00

First of all, did you know that you can go to the customer service counter and ask for a free snack for the children when you walk in? Walter was delighted with his animal crackers and organic apple juice and a sheet of stickers!

Sorry for the blurry picture… I had Walter in the ergo carrier in front of me.

Secondly, there are fantastic deals on special buys on Fridays. For example today September 20 they are having a sale on smoke salmon for 4.99 for 4 ounces. In past deals, they have done great prices on grass fed beef, fresh fish, chicken wings and more! These special buys at whole foods are usually my 'stock up' days.

Also, in the email that they send you about the special buys you can scan a barcode to get all the coupon savings in one scan. It saves time and you don't have to clip coupons!

Also, go in with a list and stick to it in less something is on sale and you have a coupon. If you see something you want and it's not a list and not on sale… I have resorted to just take a picture of it and buy next time it's on sale. Getting derailed in whole foods is very dangerous and can cost a lot of money! Here are my "wants" for next time… Fresh Pierogies, crepes for lunchboxes and vegetable pot pies! Yum!

You Really Need A Haircut!

2013-08-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

Last summer when I knew I was having a son, I decided that I should learn how to cut men's hair since there would soon be two in the house with ever-growing hair.

My husband was ready as my first test subject while I watched a couple YouTube videos, grabbed scissors and a buzzer and went to work! I didn't do so bad!

Now I've been cutting his hair for over a year. A cheap haircut costs around $15 total for men, so by my estimate for a monthly haircut by 'Salon Stephanie' has saved us $180 this year. Once Walter starts needing haircuts that savings will double!

Packing a lunch

2013-08-13T05:10:00.001-07:00

Packing a lunch is truly a gold mine of savings. My husband takes a packed lunch to work every day (and luckily he prefers leftovers from last nights dinner!). I pack it the night before after dinner, rounding up whatever is left over and adding to it with sliced fruit, an occasional V8, veggies and string cheese. Bringing a lunch instead of buying a lunch can save $5-7 dollars a day! For one person and on the low end that's $25 per work week. Not only is it cheaper than your bought lunch... It is also generally healthier!

Here's some examples of packed lunches that I put together for Jon:

Mini meatballs and red sauce,noodles

Parmesan in a separate bag

Sliced up orange and yellow peppers

Granola bar

Blueberries

Taco bowl (leftover taco meat, rice with tomato and jalapeños, black beans)

Peeled orange slices

String cheese or Babybel

Carrot sticks

Hummus

Bavarian sausages and sauerkraut with mustard

Carrot sticks

Slices of Swiss cheese

Yogurt with fruit

Try a week of packing your lunch the night before and see how it works for you!

Cheap Friends Are Priceless!

2013-08-09T05:53:00.001-07:00

Me & my son Walter

A big part of whipping myself into financial shape has been getting inspired by others who encourage my savings and inspire my financial goals. With the highest respect, I call these "Cheap Friends" and I find them priceless! I want to encourage you to seek out frugal friends around you, family, people, blogs and others to help you as well.

Cheap and frugal friends will not pressure you into spending and they have habits that will help you save! They do things like pack lunches and snacks instead of going out, they use coupons, they enjoy free activities, they love DIY, they delight in thriftiness, and are not afraid to seek out the Goodwill or Salvation Army for a bargain. Thrifty and frugal friends don't have to be poor and typically aren't - because they are saving up!

Here's a bit about my inspirational frugal friends...

In college, I was going into debt (like most college students) and my friend and college roommate Kim helped me grasp financial reality and stop the spending cycle. She is a naturally frugal person but the thing that inspired me the most is that she finds joy in savings! What a concept! Many folks find saving money as a chore or punishment, but when Kim can save a couple dollars, she delights in it! Her excitement over saving made saving not 'the necessary evil' but something that I was doing with my friend....something fun. She loves using Groupons, coupons and finding deals wherever she goes! She also saw long-term financial goals at a time when most college students were thinking about beer money and got me thinking about my financial future. She encourages financial stability and freedom and introduced me to a book called "Automatic Millionaire" that changed my financial future all-together. I highly recommend this book.

Hanging with Walt, Amy & Kaelyn

My friend Amy loves DIY. She is crafty, creative and delights in her DIY-ness - which makes her an inspiration in frugality. She is literally like a a walking Pinterest Board. Her Christmas gifts were all homemade items like infused Raspberry Liquor, Body Sugar Scrub, Cookie Mixes and more! She handmade all her daughter's birthday decorations and her party looked fabulous. When our son Walter was born she sent us home with frozen homemade meals, like potpies, rosemary chicken and other things that make you feel like you're at home. She is a professional homemaker and that's that. Lately we have been swapping "meal plans" for cooking at home, in an effort to ease the monotony of planning out weekly meals.

Growing up my Mom was a stay-at-home-mom with me and my sister. My Mom delighted in saving money and taught me and my sister to use coupons, be resourceful and took us to garage sales. I still get excited at the prospect of garage sales, estate sales and thrift stores! I have a lot more to say about my Mom and what she taught us financially, but I'll get to that later.

After moving to DC and trying to find new friends, I found a group of new moms that meet at our local hospital. Many of them are stay-at-home Moms in the DC area which means thriftiness is a must. I have been re-encouraged by this group that has weekly meet-ups at the hospital and spin-off groups at others' homes where we bring 'pot-luck' style lunches and let our kids play for hours together. Other times we meet at shopping malls or parks and pack lunches and snacks to eat. We have also forged bonds by frequenting the local thrift shops and have delighted in finding deals for our kiddos! (A wooden play kitchen for $8, a lot of 33 Fisher-Price Little People for $6, Janie and Jack clothes for .99 cents each, etc) Now hanging with friends and doing cheap activities, Walter and I can go a whole week on less than $20 spending money!

FACT: My husband Jon is a natural with money. You know the line, "Anything you can buy, I can buy cheaper! I can buy anything cheaper than you!" from Annie Get Your Gun??? That is Jon - he can buy anything cheaper than most anyone and I am blessed to be married to someone so responsible with money. He scours the internet for deals, sets price alerts on Amazon items, reads frugal blogs like Fatwallet.com and SlickDeals.com to get the up to date financial advice from others like him on the internet-world. He can negotiate anything and will talk prices down, even at places like BestBuy. He helped me stop spending endlessly and he had us sit down and talk about finances together before we got married. The first year we were married, we got rid of all credit card debt and started working towards paying off student loans and saving for retirement. We approach life with combined accounts and a open financial relationship with goals that we are mutually striving towards.

So, even if you find saving hard or difficult or even painful, having a friend who can encourage your cheapness and frugality (I use these terms positively!) can make a significant difference to your bank account. Seek out those cheap friends who will support your financial goals. After all, who needs to keep up with the Jones's? I'd prefer to run with the Durant's, Zachrich's, Kocek's and Reed's!

It was about time for the revival of my "Fru-Girl" blog! :-) Thanks for reading!

Financial Tidbit...

2013-03-20T19:31:00.001-07:00

Good evening blog readers. My financial tip tonight is to re-evaluate you recurring expenses this week. Cable, Internet, bloated phone bill, eating out,...don't cut anything yet, just track it and understand where your money is going. Knowing is more than half the battle! If you share assets in your home with a spouse, this includes tracking everything you both are spending.

Good luck....next week we'll tackle the spending!

My son is 6 months old!!

2013-03-20T02:02:00.001-07:00

Where has this time gone? Six months has flown by, just like everyone said it would! Our Son Walter is already army crawling around the floors and sleeping in his crib through the night. He is a little darling and brings so much joy to my life! I love singing to him and walking in the woods with him. We have so much fun together....I'm looking forward to much more!

The photos below are a picture of Walter and I together, a picture of Walter at a Mommy and Me movie this week (the great and powerful Oz) I love how his face shows how much he was taking in the wonder of the movies! And the last pic is a picture of him playing on his Soldier Field blanket.

Grocery Shopping: Adjusting to a New Area...NOVA

2012-07-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

With a new area comes many changes when you move across the country...new stores, new layouts, and new regional grocery stores.

Back in Chicago, my frugal routine of grocery shopping was rock-solid....head over to Village Marketplace on Dempster for all my produce, meats, etc, (and favorites like Eastern European candies, different kinds of sauerkraut and Jon's favorite, Kabanos smoked sausages!)...then head to Aldi for the standards, like sour cream, milk, butter, pita chips, etc.

Here in NOVA or Northern Virginia, there are a lot of different choices,...Giant, Safeway, Super Walmart, Target, Shopper's Food Warehouse, and a multitude of Latino grocery stores. In Chicago, I liked shopping at the ethnic grocery stores....they usually had better produce, meats and prices than the "Jewel-Oscos" and "Dominicks" of the area and I didn't have to clip coupons to get the best price. Today I have long list of ingredients for this week's meals (I'm also doubling up on cooking many meals so I can stock my freezer with easy meals when the baby arrives!) so, I need to find the best and most frugal grocery options. I saw an Aldi down the street about a mile which I was very happy about! Stores I don't know too much about are "Best Way" which looks to be a Latino Grocery Store, as well as a couple independent Latino grocery stores along Richmond Highway. I am interested to see what they offer in prices and food offerings.

I have bought a couple items at Safeway during my first week, which seems to be a "Dominick's". Good overall basic American grocery store, but you have to hit the sales and coupons just right and use their membership card. I checked out Shopper's Food Warehouse, no membership card is necessary, and they double coupons up to $1.00. (And it's the closest to our home!) So far, I like their offerings, except they don't have a meat counter...they do have a fish counter though. Strange trade-off I think! Anyway, Walmart was a total disaster when Jon and I tried it out and it may deserve another chance, but I'm afraid...when we walked in a couple weeks ago, it was chaos...a DJ was loudly playing and screaming right by the area you grab carts, children were darting everywhere, and the atmosphere was enough to deter us that day. We have found since then, that Walmart in NOVA has the best price thus far on Breyers Ice Cream,...which is very important when it's summer and you're pregnant!

More to come on my findings and frugal grocery adventures...

Diaper Buying Basics for New Parents!

2012-07-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

What do you know about Diapers?
When I walked into CVS the other day, I looked at prices of the different brands, and random sizes and weight ranges, and called my Mom in a panic, "I don't know anything about diapers!!" I exclaimed. What size is my baby going to wear? How many of each size do I need? More importantly, what is the best price point to buy diapers?
Here are the great deals I've found and advice/knowledge I learned so far along the way!

Basics: Diaper Sizes
These are pretty standard across brands by weight of your baby.

Newborn (NB) up to 10 lbs
Size 1, 8-14 lbs (up to 14 lbs)
Size 2, 12-18 lbs
Size 2-3, 14 - 22 lbs
Size 3, 16 - 28 lbs

Stockpiling diapers at the best price point Now, you don't know how much your baby will weigh until they are born, so it's best to buy a safer size (like something they will probably wear for a long time, like size 2) or an assortment of sizes while you're stockpiling. Even if your baby is not here yet,...start your stash while you can have time to shop with both hands (stroller-free) and research deals. I've heard that your average baby will go through about 10 diapers a day. This is why you need a lot of diapers. But, the most important thing to know is what is the best price point to buy diapers...the best way to figure this out is to price packages out, by cents per diaper. Currently the best prices are when diapers are UNDER .20 cents per diaper,...any lower is bonus! And all those cloth-diaper-loving readers out there, yes, we know cloth diapers are cheaper and more frugal, etc...but some people just want to use disposable diapers!

My Diaper Deals this week...AMAZON.com
I highly recommend Amazon.com's AMAZON MOM....which is a free subscription for free 2-day shipping and 20% off deals off diapers and other Mom/Baby things. This week, I signed up for Amazon Mom and got -9.44 (for the Subscribe and Save) and used a one-time use Pampers Amazon Coupon for $3.00 off (found on Amazon Coupons!) and got a package of 246 Size 2 Pampers Diapers delivered for just .14 cents/diaper for $34.75! Just like most items, combining sales, free-shipping and online coupons is the best way to save! This sale with the Pampers Coupon on Amazon ends on July 28th,...jump on it while you can!

Item(s) Subtotal:	$47.19
Shipping & Handling:	$0.00
Promotion Applied:	-$9.44
Your Coupon Savings:	-$3.00
	-----
Total Before Tax:	$34.75
Sales Tax:	$0.00
	-----
Total for This Shipment:	$34.75

CAMELCAMELCAMEL.com
You can track history of prices for Amazon on a site called "CamelCamelCamel" (just like the stock market) and when the price hits a historic low price, you can buy, buy, buy! For example, the normal price since November 2011, for Baby Dry Diapers Size 2 (Box of 246) has been $47.19. The low on Amazon is $42.97 and the high was April 2011 at $50.55. You can set a price alert by entering the URL of the item and the desired price you would like to be notified of. A great tool - I use it for everything on Amazon.com.

DIAPERS.com
Also, I took advantage of signing up for a membership at Diapers.com. First-timers can sign up to get $10 off a case of Diapers and free shipping for items over 49.99, using the code STEP883388. First, sign into your Ebates.com to get cash-back on every online purchase for extra savings and click on their link to take you to Diapers.com. Diapers.com currently has just 1% but, hey it's something extra and I'll take it. When you click on the Pampers Diapers, the same Pampers $3.00 off coupon also appears on Diapers.com so remember to 'clip' it electronically! I got my diapers delivered to my door within 24 hours for $36.99...that's .15 cents per diaper. Also, I earned "FamilyHood Points" which you can accumulate and change in for gift-cards and other rewards. Also, from their emails I just learned that you can MAIL IN your manufacturer coupons to Diapers.com and they will credit your account! See below to view my order breakdown...

Qty	Description	Item Price	Discount	Subtotal	Estimated Delivery
1	Pampers Baby Dry Diapers XL Case Size 2 246ct.	$49.99	$10.00	$39.99	Tuesday, Jul. 24

You've earned 74 Familyhood Rewards points with this order!

Order Summary
Subtotal:	$39.99
Shipping fee:	$0
Manu. Coupon:	$3.00
Total:	$36.99

IN-STORE DEALS
Let's say you need diapers now and can't wait even 24 hours...okay, no problem. Head over to BabyCheapskate to find the up-to-date weekly in-store deals. Also, check out Pampers Gifts to Grow...When you buy Pampers, you can enter the "Gifts to Grow" points online in exchange for high-value coupons (which you can stack on other sales and deals) and gift-cards, merchandise, etc. I have only been pregnant for 8 months and don't have any kids yet, but I started my Pampers Account years ago to get in on the numerous free codes and free stuff. Go ahead and open an account (you get 100 points just for signing up before 7/26/2012) to get free coupons and free stuff, no matter who you are! Everyone likes free stuff,...here's a bunch of free codes to get you started from Freebies4Mom....

Julsumnl12spnmr (10 points, expires 7/26/12)
TWIT712PT4XD912 (5 points, expires 7/26/12)

Big changes for 2012...

2012-07-25T04:38:00.003-07:00

Big changes for the "Fru-Girl" for 2012...

Hello again world! So, many new things are in the works as I move my blogging and living location to historic Alexandria, Virginia (DC area) and begin to add to my topics with a new venture into the world of being a "Fru-Girl Mom" this year! My husband and I have switched full-time roles, so, now I am planning on staying at home with the little one and continuing our great quest to live frugally and joyfully! Stay tuned for more posts, focused on baby/parent issues, extra savings, healthy eating, moving expenses and more!

Historic Alexandria, Virginia....hometown of Robert E. Lee...

Frugal Deals this Week...

2011-12-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

FOOD

Free Peppermint Mocha Nescafe Samples available on Facebook. And CheeseNips at Walmart this week will be only .50 cents with this deal from "I Love To Gossip".

CRAFTS

Make a 3D-Snowflake from 6 sheets of paper! Turn your home or party into a winter wonderland!

ONLINE SHOPPING

December 12 (Monday) will have cyber offers that rival Black Friday....also Ebates will be offering double cash back! Sign up for Ebates now and shop til you drop online tomorrow!

STOCKING STUFFERS

One of my favorite Bloggers "Couponing to Disney" shows you how to get all kinds of goodies and stocking stuffers for free or really cheap in her Walgreen's or CVS scenarios. Print them out and bring them with you as a guide in the stores.

FREE READS

Top Free Books available on Kindle (in the right column) are found here!

Win Free Electricity for 2012!

2011-12-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

Power2Switch launched a new contest to win free electricity for a year!

To QUALIFY, you must be a Power2Switch customer. (Not a customer yet? Become one here: https://power2switch.com/)

To ENTER, you must:

1) Answer (via a comment on the linked blog) the question below and then...

2) Complete the entry form here: (https://power2switch.com/contest/billpay)

QUESTION: “If you have already switched to an alternative electricity supplier, are you seeing any savings on the cost of your electricity? If you just switched for this contest, what was preventing you from switching before today? What were you waiting for??”

DON’T FORGET TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS! THE MORE PEOPLE YOU SHARE WITH WHO SWITCH AND ENTER, THE MORE ENTRIES YOU GET INTO THE CONTEST!

You must be an Illinois resident to qualify. Winner will be announced on the Power2Switch blog on January 1st!

And don't forget you can always save more energy by following these simple tips given by Seyi Fabode (CEO & Founder of Power2Switch)

SIMPLE ENERGY SAVINGS ADVICE

Seyi mentioned in addition to switching to save money, there are other simple ways to save...

Turn off the lights when you aren't using them.
Never sleep with the lights on - it's a huge waste (of $ and electricity)
Kill the Vampires! (Vampire plugs that is!) Energy Vampires are appliances that use energy even while they're not on, see...they are dead but still suck energy,...hence, they are vampires - anyway, Seyi mentioned you can replace regular plugs with special anti-vampire plugs. These are great for TVs, computers and they monitor how long appliances have been on and turn them off when unused - saving you money on your electric bill! You can find these online or at Home/Hardware stores.
Ask your landlord for energy-efficient appliances, like "Energy-Star Rated". In the long run, they will save you both money! It's a win-win!

Free Pictures on Michigan Avenue!

2011-12-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

Take your friends and family (And Pets!!!) to the Shops at North Bridge (520 N Michigan Avenue) in Chicago this holiday season. You can take free holiday photos for families, friends and even pets!!! (on certain days). Guests can take a picture with Santa (or a winter back-drop), edit, and print their photo all for free! (Sponsored by Windows) The free photo shoot set up is located in the guest lounge by Nordstrom and will be up through December 24. It’s a fun and free way to kick off the holidays!!!

BONUS! Plus for families traveling during the holidays, free holiday photos will also be available in 21 airports nationwide including Chicago Midway. Plus,....you can enter here to win a Windows 7PC or flights from Southwest Airlines!

Aldi - a great place for cheap groceries!

2011-12-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Aldi Stores have been popping up all over Chicago lately since the Great Recession (2008 - ?).

But while Aldi is new to the mainstream, until recently the only Aldi I had ever heard of was on the outskirts of Coshocton, Ohio. My Grandmother and I would go shopping there when I stayed at her home, and sometimes there would be an Amish buggy with horses parked outside of the store. The local Amish population only shopped at Aldi and took advantage of the simple no-frills grocery store with low prices. My Granny says that they still continue to shop there to today! They are smart shoppers!

While there are no horses parked outside of my store in Evanston, there are still great prices on locally produced goods. Aldi has become my go-to place for dairy products. They stock Wisconsin Dairy products, "Happy Farms" for the lowest consistent prices. Milk is

under $3, Butter is on sale this week for $1.99, sour cream is $1.20 and blocks of cheese are $1.89. There's a host of holiday seasonal foods just in time for Christmas parties on sale now, including wines for $2.97 and cocktail sausages for $2.49! Check out the specials here and go stock up!

And while you can save a lot with coupons at Jewel and Dominick's...Aldi's products are store brand. This is a great relief to me, because I know I'm already saving without clipping coupons and relying on what the marketing wizards of the food business are telling me to buy! Also, their layout in stores is simple, no fancy marketing, just food on shelves with small signs overhead telling you the prices. Aldi also has a shopping app for smart phones, and it's free! i doesn't do coupons, because 90% of their products are store brand.

ALDI TIPS:

BYOB - Bring your own reusable bags, because after checkout, they don't provide free bags. You can use their cardboard boxes to carry your groceries out, but I find reusable bags easier to manage.
Bring a Quarter - (If you forget a quarter, ask the cashier for change for a dollar) This is your 'rent a cart' quarter. You get it back when you return your cart. (It's amazing that it only takes a quarter to contain carts in the parking lot!)
Bring cash or a debit card to pay. (No credit cards used here)

Find a local Aldi near you and start saving on your grocery bill!

Frugal Christmas...Chicago 2011!!!

2011-12-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

2011 Christmas time in Chicago! I've already seen a couple 'Christmas' commercials with pink elves selling cell phones and car insurance. I guess that means it's that time of year to start thinking about December 25th.

There are so many things to do that are free or frugal in Chicago this season....and I know I have left so many out too! And, for out-of-towners, if you plan a vacation to Chicago this season, you will get to enjoy the many amazing free things to do here in the Windy City! Even many hotels during Christmas season offer great deals to get you in town and shopping on Michigan Avenue! As for dining, remember to check online for extra special deals like these!

Here's my 'must do' list for free Christmas and Winter events for 2011!

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival - Be downtown on November 19th at 5:30 PM for the nation's largest evening holiday event! Lights, floats, free music, family fun and Disney characters - it's a great event to bring your whole family!
Millennium Park Ice Skating: Bring your skates because there's a free ice-skating rink with a great view of Chicago's iconic skyline!
Michigan Avenue: So many shoppers and festivities during the pre-Chistmas season! All the trees along the street are decorated and lit up! It's perfect at night during a light snow flurry strolling with someone you love looking at the lights and decorated windows!
Free Christmas Carol Opera - take the kids and family to "The Christmas Carol" at Northeastern Illinois University on Nov 18 & 19th at 7:30 PM, the Classic Story is set to music by Chicagoan Ronald Combs.
HOLIDAY CTA TRAIN!!! It's like Christmas on, well, a train! It's bright, cheery and costs the same as your regular train fare. Here's the dates Santa will be on the "el"!
Cloud-Gate or "The Bean": Take fun pictures for your Christmas cards at the Bean with snow and mittens! It'll be a great Christmas card picture! Get creative! Located in Millennium Park.
The Signature Room in the John Hancock Tower: To see Chicago from a bird eye's view, go up to the Signature Room rather than paying $17 to go to the observation deck (which is actually 2 floors below the Signature Room). Tip: The Women's bathroom has the best view of the city!
Eli's Cheesecake Dock Sales: Near O'Hare, Bring your favorite cheesecake to the Holidays to share with friends and family for 50-90% off! With big discount on all their gourmet cheesecakes - you'll want to buy them all! Join their mailing list to stay in touch with their sales! Website
Polar Days (at Northerly Island) - (Winter) Free wintertime and snowy fun offered throughout the winter on specific days. Ice Sculptures, free hot cocoa, Siberian Huskies, and more! Check Chicago Park District Page for details on days!
Macy's on State Street - The Macy's (aka Marshall Field's) is a delight inside and out! At Christmas it's always decorated to the nines, with marvelous storybook window displays, and of course the designer tree is an annual tradition to see and take pictures; located on Macy's top level in the famed Walnut Room.
The Home Alone House is the house of Home Alone character Kevin MacAllister (Macaulay Culkin) to the north of the city at 671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka (rail: Winnetka, Metra Commuter line from Ogilvie Transportation Center). I'm sure I don't have to remind you that this is a private home and not to disturb the residents.
Christkindlmarket, German Christmas Market in Daley Plaza: An outdoor German Christmas Market that features German food, wine, German music (Brass Bands playing Christmas Carols), small houses filled with German ornaments and Christmas traditions. Bring the kids to come see Santa for free! Walk around and absorb the authentic German culture and music in the heart of Chicago,...splurge for the Hot spiced Gluhwein, because you'll probably be freezing. I mean, it's outdoors during December,...it's going to be cold! (Runs for one month, Nov 24 - Dec 24).
Klingon Christmas Carol? - A seasonal favorite from Commedia Beauregard? Well, it could be, and you could find out for half price! Runs Nov 16-Dec 31.

Frugal Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

Free/Frugal things to do on Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Be thankful - say grace and give thanks for all the blessings in your life. There is always something to be thankful for. Play a 'thankful game' with kids or adults....write on your paper cup what you are thankful for and go around the table and share what everyone wrote down. This is a great way to also not lose your cup during family gatherings.
Be lazy and chill out with your friends and family. There's always football and those 'feel good family movies' on during Thanksgiving! Grab some cozy blankets, tea or hot chocolate and cozy up on the couch with your loved ones! (Pets count as loved ones too!)
Check out some new Christmas/Thanksgiving movies by swapping DVDs with a neighbor. My favorites are Elf and the Chicago-based original, Home Alone.
Burn off some of those pie calories with a jog or run around the neighborhood. Invite family members to join!
Look through the Black Friday Ads online and in the newspaper and carefully plan your retail attack on your favorite stores. If necessary scope out the floor plans at Best Buy and Walmart in the evening with fellow shoppers after the meal - this is a family ritual for us!
Volunteer at a senior home - visit seniors who are alone on the holiday.
Learn to cook; There's not better time! For Thanksgiving tutorials I recommend Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray's "How To" videos online.
Learn and attempt to carve the turkey. Some one's gotta do it! Learn how to do this from Martha Stewart,...she knows everything! There's a free online tutorial.
Go Christmas Caroling in your neighborhood! Hey, it's early, but the radio started playing Christmas tunes already! I say go for it!! Sing the classics, Joy to the World, Let it Snow, Away in the Manger, Frosty the Snowman and all your other favorites!
Play a game with your guests. It could be anything from 'Apples to Apples, 'Freeze Tag' to 'Texas Hold'em'.
If you're flying Southwest Airlines and over 21, treat yourself to a free beverage!
This is a great day to start Christmas projects or to start decorating for Christmas time!
If you're a guest, volunteer to help with dishes and clean up - it's a way of saying thank you to your host, without having to say any words at all.

Do you have a 1st Gen Ipod Nano?

2011-11-23T06:24:00.000-08:00

Did you know they've been recalled due to battery issues? Well it's true - see here!

Contact Apple and they'll send you a box to ship it back to them for either a new refurbished version or a brand new battery or a brand new iPod - the jury is still out on what you will receive, but either way, especially if you had battery issues with it, send it back in for a new replacement! The New York Times wrote up a little article about the issue as well...check it out!

This is actually the iPod that I still use I have the white one. My husband's version in black broke via a battery issue about 2 years ago. We're going through the replacement process which begins here on Apple's Support website.

Here's a quote from the website: "Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006.

This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages.

Apple recommends that you stop using your iPod nano (1st gen) and follow the process noted below to order a replacement unit, free of charge.

Note: This battery issue is specific to the iPod nano (1st gen) and does not affect any other iPod."

Frugal Christmas...Shopping

2011-11-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

Many people don't have time to make homemade gifts - and that's okay! You can be frugal, give with joy and still shop at the mall or online! I mean, this year I work over 50+ hours a week and while I'd love to make a personalized homemade quilt for everyone on my list, I do not have anywhere near the time, and also I am really terrible at quilting.

START PLANNING

Shopping and saving during the Christmas Season is an art! When time is tight like it is for most people, I recommend starting now (as soon as you can) and estimating who you want to buy for, brainstorming ideas for gifts and estimating what you can spend on each gift.

CASH BACK PROGRAMS

Once you have some ideas, do some internet research (aka Google) and find places for free shipping, lowest prices and definitely sign up for free cash back from places like Ebates or FatWallet. Ebates is one of my favorite places because they have all the current online coupons on their site as well as offering cash back. To sign up for Ebates, just click on the link provided or on the button below! It's worth it for getting a percentage of your spending back after Christmas! Jon and I to date have received over $90.00 back to us!

GOOGLE ALERTS

Also it is a good idea to watch an item via "Google Alert". Set up a Google Alert for the new hot toy of the year to monitor prices and other news about the item. Set up your own Google Alert here.

BLACK FRIDAY

If you're going to do Black Friday...do your research and recon ahead of time to find specific items on your list. Keep in mind, if it's not on sale on Black Friday, don't go out! Many shoppers are so crazed, dazed and sleep-deprived, it's dangerous and common for many parking lot car accidents on this day! Be sure to refer to my Black Friday tips from 2010.

Dominick's New App - Frugal (and a chance to WIN!)

2011-11-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm using a new tool as I'm making my shopping list today for Thanksgiving and looking through the weekly Dominick's Ad - on a APP (from the iTunes Store!!)

Not only is it free to download, but the first 100,000 people that download this app also get free Ragu pasta sauce! I love freebies!

So here's what I got on my list thus far,...Turkey, Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes, ingredients for Pecan Pie, GBC (Green Bean Casserole)...so with this app you can build a real shopping list and check out your local store's weekly ad. And,...there's coupons in the app for extra savings!

Since Dominick's is awesome - they asked me to see how I like the app, and will provide one of my lucky readers with a $50 Gift Card! I know this could really help someone this Thanksgiving!

First get thee to the iTunes Store to download this free App from Dominick's. Then comment on my ChicagoNow blog post (found here) about how this awesome app will help you in shopping over the holidays! You can also leave a comment about your favorite Thanksgiving or Christmas recipe. I'll choose a lucky winner randomly and Dominick's will mail you your prize!

Frugal Christmas...Advent

2011-11-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

Frugal Christmas...Advent

As Christmas approaches, I find this is the most inspiring times to think about personal finance.

This season many people are suffering in financial woes and think that has to curb their Christmas celebrations. I want to encourage you to enjoy the frugal things about Christmas season, the Nativity scenes, the free Christmas pageants at your church, the free music concerts, (my favorite at Christmas is Handel's Messiah!), the Christmas festivals and more!

THE FIRST FRUGAL CHRISTMAS

Well let me tell you, the first Christmas was frugal! I mean, think about it, Mary and Joseph gave birth without health insurance mind you, to their baby boy Jesus in an outside barn in Jerusalem! They were not in a fancy hotel, or even a hospital - they were in Jerusalem, to be counted for the census and to pay taxes. It sounds like an awful trip, they were not in their hometown with their usual doctor, they were not on vacation, they had to take a government-enforced business trip to pay taxes. Think about how it would be if you had to travel back to your hometown every year just to pay taxes, instead of the 'quick and easy' online TurboTax every April! And not only that, you have to bring your pregnant wife - not on a plane or car, or train, but on a donkey! And yet, in this dire situation of desperation and frugality, Mary still gave birth to the Savior of us all!

ADVENT CALENDARS

As Advent draws closer, I want to share some free/frugal advent calendars that I enjoy to keep your heart centered on Christ through this season. You will be bombarded with commercials that tell you your life will be better once you buy this amazing thing. Let these scripture-based Advent calendars remind you that you don't need to feel the weighty pressure of going into debt just to share your joy about Christ's birth with your friends and family.

Here's the BBC's "Bach Carol" Advent Calendar. Each day a new carol is opened!
Of course you can get creative with your family and make your own calendar!
This Blogger shows a list of the best Advent Calendars - even one that's pirate themed!

Free Performance of The Christmas Carol

2011-11-12T16:52:00.001-08:00

Take your family and friends to the classic Christmas Carol! It's a wonderful opera production put on by Northeastern Illinois University for two nights only on November 18 and 19th.

Northeastern Illinois offers a wonderful variety of free performances from students within their stellar music program year round! More information can be found here!

On Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m come and enjoy this delightful version of A Christmas Carol, the original story by Charles Dickens, set to music by Chicagoan and Opera Divo, Ron Combs. It's free to all, and spreads the message of Christmas!

Secrets of a Retail Associate for Black Friday

2011-11-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a special bonus from my good friend and guest contributor, Theresa Egan. She wrote this great article last Thanksgiving, and I figured it was worth a re-post for "pre-Black Friday". Here's her helpful advice to keep in mind while you're out shopping! Remember retailers are people too, so be nice to them as they are helping you get those Black Friday Bargains! Thanks Theresa!!

Secrets of a Retail Associate by Theresa Egan

My husband and I have nearly 20 years of retail experience between us. Needless to say, we have both seen our fair share of Black Fridays. The following is a list of things that we wish the customers who shopped in our stores for Black Friday knew. If you are a customer, avoid some of the following things and learn the others and you will receive the best customer service possible on a day that is pure chaos. As you are shopping for those great discounts, please keep the following things in mind:

1.) You probably look forward to Black Friday for weeks. I have been dreading it since I was hired. Black Friday is a nightmare for retail employees. It is completely overwhelming and so crowded that you can't breathe. The difference is that you get to leave whenever you want, but I am stuck here all day.

2.) You arrived before dawn to grab all those irresistible deals right? Well, I had to get here at least one hour before the store opened. That puts my wake up time around 2am. I'm exhausted. Yes, I am getting paid to be here, but would you be happy about going to work in the middle of the night?

3.) I know that it bothers you when I "pounce" on you the second you walk in the door by bombarding you with sale information. Guess, what? I hate it too, but my boss is standing right over there, so will you please do me a solid and just listen for ten seconds? I promise I won't bother you again.

4.) If I am wearing a lanyard with a sale badge around my neck, don't ask me if I'm for sale. It's not funny and neither are you. PS---It wasn't funny the first 100 times I heard it today either.

5.) No, I will absolutely not model the clothes for you. That's creepy. If you offer to pay me for it, I'm calling security.

6.) You know that impossibly long line that you have been standing in for a half an hour? That's how it has been all day and will be all day, and guess you has to ring you all up? On a regular day I ring around 25 transactions for my 8 hour shift, on Black Friday I will ring 350 transactions by the time I go home. Stop whining.

7.) Please, please, PLEASE read the fine print on the coupon. They always have exclusions and no I can't just magically override the computer for you. Companies purposely make it so I can't do that. It's called stealing.

8.) While we are on the topic, please, please, PLEASE read all sale signs. The exclusions are always printed on the bottom of the sign. If a sign is on a table with pants and shirts and the signs says " $19.50 Shirts" and you bring me pants and complain that they did not ring up at $19.50 then I'm going to suggest that you not buy anything and instead invest in some tutoring to learn how to read. I will never say this to you out loud because my boss is standing right there, but you know who you are.

9.) If I am talking with a customer, please don't interrupt. We are all in a hurry and we have all been up for hours and we are all tired. Just wait politely and I will help you in a moment. You are no more important than anyone else so stop pretending you are

10.) On that note, don't treat me like I am less of a human being simply because I work retail. I am not stupid. Where do you think surgeons and astronauts work to put themselves through school? I could write a lengthy novel about the abuse I have taken from customers over the years simply because I was a "shop girl." How would you feel if I came into your work and treated you like that?

11.) Yes, I do have that sweater in a medium in blue in the back. If you are polite to me I will go get it for you. If you are rude to me, then I suddenly will not have it anymore. If I honestly tell you I don't have it in the back and then if you are an absolute miserable human being to me, then I will tell you I am going back to look for it, but I will actually sit down at the break table and eat cookies and drink coffee for 10 minutes and then come out and tell you that I don't have it. Then I'll sell it to the person in line behind you as soon as you walk out the door.

12.) Remember how your mom taught you to say please and thank you when you were a child? There was a reason. A simple please and thank you can make my day. Please try to remember basic manners. It makes me want to help you and break the rules for you. I'm willing to bend rules for polite, regular customers. I won't budge for the disrespectful ones.

13.) I make more than minimum wage. Barely. There is only so much abuse that I can take before it really isn't worth it anymore, but who can leave their job in this economy? Don't make my bad situation worse by being disrespectful and demanding.

14.) Always get gift receipts. Explain to your friend that if they return it, they will only receive store credit in the amount that you paid for it. So, if you only paid $10 for that sweater, they are only going to get $10 in credit. If the sweater is now $30 it doesn't matter. You only paid $10. I am not going to give you $20 just because. I'm selling sweaters, not giving away money. Of course, if you want to exchange it for the same sweater, but a different size or color, it will be an even exchange regardless if the price has gone up or down and you will not get any money back, nor will you owe any. That's why it's called an even exchange. The same logic is true if you are returning with an original receipt. The amount you paid, is the amount you will get back.

15.) This one is actually really tricky. If a sale is a buy one get one free (affectionately referred to as BOGO) you can't return the full price sweater for the full amount and keep the free one. Otherwise we just gave you a free sweater. You will only receive half the amount that you paid back. For example: You buy 1 sweater at the BOGO price of $40 and get one for free. That means one was $40 and the other was free right? Wrong. This really means that you paid $20 for each sweater. Basically, BOGO is nothing more than half off, but way more problematic. Stores have to make a unit per transaction number each day and this helps them sell more items to each customer. Don't fall for a BOGO unless you really want 2 sweaters and understand that if you return one, you will only get $20. Only God can help you if you do a BOGO and give the sweaters to 2 different people and the person who received the free one wants to return it. Buy them a gift card instead of a sweater. If you return both sweaters, you will receive $40 back.

16.) Yes, if sweaters are 2 for $30 you must purchase 2. No, you can not get only 1 for $15. This process is known as a 2fer. If you could buy 1 at $15 then we would mark them at $15 and not 2 for $30. This is not a grocery store. I am selling sweaters, not cereal.

17.) If you have children with you, don't let them run around unattended and destroy my store. Do you know how long it takes to put up those displays and how long it takes to clean their disgusting fingerprints off all the glass in the store? They may be your precious angels, but to me they are screaming demon spawn sent to make my life a never -ending chore of cleaning Skittles off the merchandise. They are not adorable when they are using permanent pen to draw on our cashmere and silk sweaters and neither are you when you don't confess to it and try to take responsibility. We won't make you pay for it, just do the right thing and teach your children to be accountable for their actions. And no, you may absolutely not use the fitting room as a changing station and leave the dirty diaper for me to pick up. How would you like your workplace to smell like a bathroom? Seriously, in what world is this acceptable?

So as you are hurrying about scoring all those fabulous deals, be kind, be patient, be considerate and be understanding and it will be returned to you with gratitude and stellar customer service. We all want to feel appreciated and if I feel that way, I will do everything in my power to make sure you feel that way too. No, my job in retail is not hard. It doesn't take great wisdom to fold sweaters all day, but being mistreated by people day in and day out makes it unbearable and I go home upset every night. Help make this holiday pleasant for all and follow that age -old golden rule of treat others the way you want to be treated. Everything we really need to know in life we learned in kindergarten after all.