FunandFrugal20s

Free movie at the Capitol Visitor Center

2009-12-02T15:58:00.000-05:00

FILM SHOWING and DISCUSSION:

The 800 Mile Wall:
The Human Cost of Border Enforcement
Thursday, December 10, 2009
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
CVC, North Congressional Meeting Room

With Special Guest Speakers:

Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva

AND

John Carlos Frey
Director, The 800 Mile Wall

National Hannukah Menorah Lighting

2009-12-02T10:13:00.003-05:00

This is a fun thing to do every few years. In addition to watching Rabbis light the national menorah, you can eat free latkas and get free menorahs & candles. Thanks Chabad!

While you're down there, be sure to check out the christian firepit to escape the cold..what's that called again...the burning Yule-Tide log! Fun times all around.

National Hanukkah Menorah Lighting Ceremony

Date and Time: December 13, 2009, 4 p.m.

Location: The Ellipse, near the White House (at the NW end, near Constitution Avenue), Washington, DC.

Admission: Free tickets are required for reserved seats. Standing room is available to all. (202) 332-5600.

Festivities at the lighting ceremony include musical performances and hot latkes and donuts. This year's celebration will feature the US Air Force Band. The menorah will be lit each night of Hanukkah.

Official Website

www.nationalmenorah.org

Restaurants.com plus Ebates = Amazing Deals

2009-11-27T16:12:00.002-05:00

Take advantage of restaurant.com's sale today. You can buy $25 dining certificates for $2 using the promotion code SAVE. Do this through your ebates account and earn an additional 20% cash back on anything you spend. Do this with your AmEx Blue card and earn 1.25% cash back on top of the rest!

I often wondered if anyone ever found enough percentages back that they end up paying nothing...

Amazing CVS Black Friday Deals!

2009-11-25T16:40:00.002-05:00

This Thursday through Saturday, CVS is having three days of free products with so much overage you won't know what to do with yourselves! Overage, if you're new to this, means you have a coupon and the item is free (via extra care bucks) so you're coming out a dollar ahead of where you started.

As you know, you need to have a plan of attack before going. This will help you to minimize the amount of money you need to spend and will maximize the amount of products you get at no cost.

Here is my plan of action for tomorrow at 7 AM. As you see I already have $8.99 in bonus bucks for the free contact lens solution so that's a nice starting point which will help me reduce the amount of trips to the check out line. I only need to go to the check out line to exchange bonus bucks for products four times tomorrow.

Careful with self check out when you get things 100% for free because the machine, like the workers, are in disbelief and have trouble processing what just happened.

Please remember to go early tomorrow since many stores only stock a few of the free items. I mean go early unless you live in Rosslyn....

I have $8.99 in extra bucks

First Round

Universal Remote: 6.99, get 6.99

Colgate Acti Flex Manuel Toothbrush: 2.99 (1.99 with coupon), get 2.00

Pay nothing, get 8.99 in extra bucks

Second Round

Bic Soleil Razor $6.99 (4.99 with coupon) get $5

Degree: $4, get $4

Pay nothing, get $9 in extra bucks

Third Round

Shcick Razor $8.99 (7.99 with coupon), get 8.00

Mars Bar $1.59 (plus get one free), get 1.59

Pay.58, get $9.59 in bonus bucks

Fourth Round

St. Ives Body Wash: 3.99 (2.99 with coupon), get $3.00

Vaseline: 7.99 (6.49 with coupon), get 7.99

Hershey’s Bliss Bar .89 (plus get one free), get .89 back.

Pay .78, get 11.88

Ice Skating in DC

2009-11-25T10:47:00.002-05:00

Tis the season to go skating. But where?

1. National Sculpture Garden on the Mall near 7th Street. This is open from mid-November until mid-March. They've been having technical difficulties opening the rink so make sure to check the website before you go.
Cost= $7 plus $3 to rent skates.

2. Pershing Rink across from the Willard is currently closed and is asking guests to use the National Sculpture Garden's rink.

3. The Kettler Capitols Rink is open for free skating and is located above the Ballston Mall. The cost is usually $8 admission plus $3 to rent skates, however if you are able to go on a Tuesday between 2:15 and 3:15, Arlington County sponsors the rink and it's only $1 including skates! The pros of this location is that it's an indoor rink and you have space to skate and practice your spins, unlike at the small and crowded Sculpture Rink.

4. Pentagon Row Rink is at the Pentagon Metro and is open from Nov 1 through mid-March. Admission is $8 for two hours and $3 to rent skates.

5. Fort Dupont Ice Arena is by far the most affordable ice rink in the area, as it's a non-profit. Located at 3779 Ely Place, SE, you can take metro to Minnesota Ave and then U6 to Ely Place and you're there! They charge $4 adult admission and $3 to rent skates. They also offers free skate rentals and lessons to kids 5-18 years old. Here is their public skate schedule from Nov 6- Dec 20:

Fridays, 12:00 - 1:50 pm

Saturdays, 4:30 - 5:50 pm

Sundays, 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Free Audiobook download

2009-11-25T04:50:00.000-05:00

A free audiobook download (no CC required) - lots of good titles to choose from. This Amazon.com offer expires November 26th so choose fast and choose wisely!

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/LandingPages/bigListen.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0446386223.1259006840@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeilmkedfjcefecekjdffidfim.0&AID=10273919&PID=404255&SID=121890

Thanks Rob, for the tip!

See Butterflies For Free

2009-11-24T05:28:00.002-05:00

Many things in the Smithsonians are free of charge. However, the butterfly exhibit in the Natural History Smithsonian is $6 a person.

If you're interested in spending time with the butterflies at no cost, go on a Tuesday. You can pick up your free tickets starting at 10 AM at the butterfly box office on the second floor of the building. The tickets have the time of your entry listed on them.

Hours of Operation:

Regular Hours
thru Fall & Winter

Butterfly Pavilion:
First Entry: 10:15am
Final Entry: 5:00pm*

Holiday Hours
November 27, 28 & 29
December 25 - Closed
December 26
thru January 3

Butterfly Pavilion Holiday Hours:
First Entry: 10:15 AM
Final Entry: 6:00 PM*

Watch Money Being Made

2009-11-23T10:21:00.002-05:00

After over eight years of living in Washington, DC, I finally took my first tour of the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This is where they print our paper currency (did you know our bills are 25% cotton and 75% linen). There are two US BEPs, one in Texas and the other right here in DC.

The tour lasts maybe 45 minutes and they begin the tours every 15 minutes. The the thing is you have to do this on a weekday since they are closed on weekends.

It's a pretty neat tour since all of the printing rooms have glass tops so you can watch every step of the process of money being made.

Free Samples. Tomorrow Only. (my favorite sign).

To get your tour, stand in line at the tour office on 14th and C Street, SW.

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center

2009-11-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

I recently realized I have never written about the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Every night at 6 PM, thank to Target, the Kennedy Centers offers free performances ranging from Irish Step dancing to Jazz to Lesbian poetry. You can look at the schedule of what's going to be on the stage in advance on their website.

You can get to the Kennedy Center by taking a free shuttle that leaves every 15 minutes from Foggy Bottom Metro and takes you to the Kennedy Center's front doors.

While the majority of the shows are in the back foyer of the Center, sometimes you'll get lucky and the show will be in one of the theaters.

For example...

Monday, December 7, 2009

Norwegian Visions: Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Håkon Kornstad
Håkon Kornstad
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten
IN THE THEATER LAB
Double bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and saxophonist/flutonettist Håkon Kornstad have established themselves as two of the most driven young musicians on the world jazz scene. On their recent album, Elise, the duo uses unique Norwegian hymns as a basis for their improvisation. Created in 1995, Norwegian Visions is a cultural partnership program initiated by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Politics and Prose

2009-11-21T10:01:00.002-05:00

Near Comet Ping Pong, on the border of DC and MD is the 25- year old book store, Politics and Prose. Quite different than Busboys and Poets, offering social justice events and open mic, or Kramers, offering a chance to socialize over a great piece of pie, Politics and Prose has a different author every day and night come in to speak about their recent book. In fact, Julie Andrews did a book reading there with her daughter earlier this week. Their book reading events are free- so enjoy!

To see their event calendar and which authors are coming up, click here.

Their address is: 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, a 15 min-walk from the Van Ness Metro or they have a small parking lot for customers.

Terra Cotta WARRIORS @ Nat Geo

2009-11-19T18:51:00.003-05:00

You may have recently walked over some warriors on the metro grounds recently. Well, these were an ad for a really neat exhibit at the National Geographic. Sadly, for the first time Nat Geo is charging an entrance fee because these life-size warriors are pretty expensive to ship.

While the normal cost is $12 for adults, I present good news for us frugal people below!

Free Wednesdays presented by The PIMCO Foundation

With generous support from The PIMCO Foundation, 200 free day-of tickets will be available for the 6:00 p.m. exhibition viewing every Wednesday. Tickets will be distributed at 5:30 p.m. with a limit of two tickets per person.

Ebates!

2009-11-18T10:38:00.001-05:00

I know I've written previously about the magical ebates.com but now that I just received my second "big fat check" in the mail I realized I had to insist all of my followers join now.

Basically many websites link themselves to ebates and when you are going to buy anything online (airline ticket, computer memory, blinds, clothing) if you click through to the website through ebates, you get 2-10 percent cash back!

To join click this link: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=gLRlWG0ngWiOGXPRtcqOXQ%3D%3D . You even get $5 in your account just for joining!

Oh Metro how you failed me....

2009-11-17T22:34:00.002-05:00

The other day I walked into a metro station, swiped my card, and then received a call that a friend was nearby and would give me a ride home. So I left the station without using Metro. My friend suggested I call Metro to ask for a refund since they can easily see my card's history and that I entered and exited the same station within minutes.

I tried doing this today and learned about their unjust policy.

The only reason Metro will issue a refund is if your train is more than ten minutes late because of Metro's mistake. If you enter and leave the station by mistake they will not issue you a refund.

I'm quite disturbed by this policy and think we should call call to issue a complaint: 202-637-1328.

FREE PIE Today

2009-10-20T11:27:00.001-04:00

FREE PIE TASTING TODAY!

Make your day extra sweet with the perfect lunchtime treat. Stop by for free pie and the chance to win great prizes. All are invited.

FREE PUMPKIN PIE TASTING
Tuesday, October 20th from 11:30am - 1:30pm
Outside of the Marriott at Metro Center (12th & H, NW) and the JW Marriott (14th & Pennsylvania, NW)
(Supplies are limited so stop by early!)

www.foodandfriends.org/pielaunch

(Copy and Paste the info above or use the Forward to a Friend link to invite your friends and colleagues to attend)

Just for stopping by either location, you can enter to win great prizes -- such as Roundtrip Airfare.

In addition to the pumpkin pie you'll be tasting, we are offering four other delicious flavors -- apple, sweet potato, pecan and a creamy chocolate cheesecake. Each pie purchased through Slice of Life will provide one full day of meals for a neighbor in need. Buy Your Pies!

Travel Internationally for Free!

2009-10-04T10:13:00.003-04:00

My husband Shawn and I avid travelers and love to go abroad. This past summer we went to Argentina but I didn't pay for my ticket. I got it free with American Airlines points. Last summer Shawn and I both went to a wedding in Los Angeles. Again both of our tickets were free because of our American Airlines points. We don't travel enough to have earned these points ourselves. We got them through the Citi American Airlines credit card.

Every year we both get credit card offers for Citi American Airlines. Basically they waive the credit card fee for the first year and if you spend $750 on the card in the first four months you get 30,000 bonus miles in your account. I sign up for this card, get the 30,000 miles, and then cancel. Every year I do the same thing. It costs 60,000 miles for international travel so every two years Shawn and I get a free international trip!

Some friends have stated that they are concerned that this plan will hurt their credit score. I definetely would not suggest this idea for my friends who have credit card debt or are about to purchase a home or who only have a $3,000 available in credit to them. However, your credit score is affected by your available credit to debt ratio. So if you have 50,000 available in credit and only have a $1,000 balance that you pay in full each month opening and closing one card a year probably isn't going to be detrimental to your score.

Decide for yourself. Know your credit score. Don't carry credit card debt. Buy your first home before the $8k first-time homebuyer credit expires this November!

Free Birthday Treats in the Washington, DC Area!

2009-10-04T09:33:00.003-04:00

My birthday was this past week and I will be celebrating the entire month due to all the birthday meal free entree coupons I've received.

Here is a list of the free birthday treats I take advantage of every year.

Benihana's: Free entree (up to $30 value) for the month of your birthday. What you need to do: Join their online chef's table. The Benihanas in the Georgetown mall closed so you need to go to the location in Bethesda or Dulles.

Mei's Asian Bistro: This place is located in Arlington and they will mail you a free entree for the month of your birthday (up to $15). I received mine by signing up for their birthday club at Mei's. Their address is 2424 Washington Blvd, just a few blocks from the Claredon Metro.

Bangkok Bisto: Bangkok is located in Georgetown on Prospect and Wisconsin. This is the one place that will only give you a free entree (up to $12.99) on your birthday only. You just need to come in with an ID that has your bday on it and one other person (who has a different birthday than you!).

Capitol Restaurant Concepts, which ownes Neylas, Georgia Brown, Old Glory, J Pauls, Pik a Pita, and Paolo's, will give you a free appetizer along with your entree purchase. This deal is for anyone who signs up for their email list and isn't for your birthday. Sign up here.

Unos Chicago Grill also offers a free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees and other offers throughout the year. Sign up here.This offer is for signing up for their email list. For your birthday you will get a coupon for $10 off a $$25 purchase.

Ted's Montana Grill offers birthday people on their listserv a free cookie and ice cream dessert. However for a better value, you can usually get buy one get one free entrees at Ted's through their website email offers and more discounts through restaurants.com. Sign up for their email list here.

For dessert, you can sign up for MaggiMoos email list to get free ice cream on your birthday (value for a few weeks past your birthday too. Thee is a Maggi Moos in Adams Morgan on 18th Street.
You can also sign up for Cold Stone Creamery e-list to get free ice cream with one mix-in on your bithday month. Sign up here.

I suggest creating a junk email account for all these email lists and checking it your birthday month so you can take advantage of all the free food!

Let me know what I missed!

Stephanie

$25 in Free Groceries!

2009-08-15T08:38:00.002-04:00

Go to Shoppers now through Aug 23 to participate in this offer. If you buy $25 in participating Kraft grocery products (included is their many cheeses and CPK pizzas) and you will receive a $5 off coupon for your next purchase and a $20 rebate form. Just don't forget to fill out the rebate form!

Click here to see the list of qualifying items.

Visit a Farm and Buy Local

2009-07-24T20:28:00.002-04:00

On July 25 and 26 from 10-4 take part in the Montgomery County Farm Tour.

This is a great chance to visit local farms and buy fresh, local produce.

In addition, several participating farms will feature pony rides, music, and more fun times besides the food!

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/farmtour

Participating Farms

BLUE RIBBON ALPACA BREEDING CO.
4320 Damascus Rd.
Laytonsville, MD
301-570-0009

BUTLER’S ORCHARD
22222 Davis Mill Rd.
Germantown, MD
301-972-3299

BUTTON FARM LIVING HISTORY CENTER
16820 Black Rock Rd.
Germantown, MD
301-916-7090

FOX HOLLOW FARM
21804 Woodfi eld Rd., Route 124
Gaithersburg, MD
301-330-0165

HOMESTEAD FARM
15604 Sugarland Rd.
Poolesville, MD
301-977-3761

LEWIS ORCHARDS
18901 Peach Tree Rd.
Dickerson, MD
301-349-4101

ROCK HILL ORCHARD
28600 Ridge Rd.
Mount Airy, MD
301-831-7427

STAR GAZING FARM
16760 Whites Store Road
Boyds, MD
301-349-0802

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN VINEYARD
8125 Comus Rd.
Dickerson, MD
301-605-0130

CAMP OLYMPIA
5511 Muncaster Mill Rd.
Rockville, MD
301-926-9281
Saturday ONLY

HEYSER FARMS, INC.
14526 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD
301-384-7859
Saturday ONLY

POPLAR SPRING ANIMAL SANCTUARY
15200 Mt. Nebo Rd.
Poolesville, MD
301-428-8128
Saturday ONLY

RED WIGGLER COMMUNITY FARM
23400 Ridge Rd.
Germantown, MD
301-916-2216
Saturday ONLY

Spring Cleaning and "New" Clothing

2009-07-16T20:25:00.001-04:00

This Saturday from 12-5 at the Renaissance Mayflower's Cabinet Room there will be a fashion swap event. Bring in your old clothing and pick out something new from what others bring. Anything left over at the end will be donated.

To RSVP, e-mail rsvp@fashionfightspoverty.org.

Coupons for DC Restaurants

2009-07-15T20:17:00.001-04:00

I just discovered the Washington Post has a deals and discounts website where you can print coupons for local restaurants, travel, home services, and more! Check it out here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/dealsdiscount/restaurants/.

Newseum Discount

2009-07-13T11:25:00.003-04:00

Normally $21, for the month of July tickets have been discounted to $17.76. Sometimes Express (the free newspaper given out at metro stations) has $3 off coupons but if you have been wanting to visit this museum now is a great time!

Here is their website: http://www.newseum.org/tickets/about.aspx?item=tickets_splash&style=a

In addition, during Apollo weekend July 18-20, kids under 18 can go for free. 3 kids can get in with purchase of one adult ticket. Read more here: http://www.newseum.org/events_edu/apollo/.

Source of Free Goods!!

2009-07-12T11:22:00.002-04:00

I recently learned about freecycle.com, a network where people are giving away free items to prevent waste and encouraging reusing goods. This is like the free section of craigslist amplified. There are over 17k members in Washington, DC. The thing is to join you need to either work or live in city limits. To join visit freecycle.com and type Washington, DC.

FREE Slurpees today!!

2009-07-11T12:09:00.002-04:00

Who doesn't love a Seven Eleven slurpee? My personal fav is coke mixed with cherry. mmm. Anyway today, it is 7/11 so that means free slurpees from 7 AM until 11 PM. Enjoy the day, free cake, free slurpee, and free corcoran!

Read more here:
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090709005312&newsLang=en

Visit the Corcoran for FREE

2009-07-11T11:59:00.002-04:00

Through the end of August, you can visit the Corcoran Art Museum for free!! Take advantage of the special made possible due to a generous donation.

It's open 10-5 Saturdays and usually costs $10.

Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

For more information, click here: http://www.corcoran.org/freesummersaturdays/

Happy Birthday Old Town

2009-07-11T11:18:00.002-04:00

Today is Alexandria's 260th birthday so from 4-10 PM at Oronoco Bay Park at 100 Madison St there will be much festivity including exhibitors, fireworks, and birthday cake!;:

For more information visit Alexandria's website at:http://alexandriava.gov/recreation/info/default.aspx?id=12678&linkidentifier=id#birthday

More info is pasted below.

233rd USA/ 260th Alexandria Birthday Celebration
Oronoco Bay Park, 100 Madison St. from 4-10 pm
(Rain Date for fireworks only July 12)
Sponsor: City of Alexandria

4-7:30 pm

6 pm

7:30 pm

8 pm

8:30 pm

9:30 pm

Community Exhibitors, Children’s Activities, and Food & Beverage Sales

Performance by the Alexandria Singers (Pops Chorus)

Town Crier announces William D. Euille, Mayor
Presentation of Park and Recreation Commission’s CIVIC Awards
Poetry Reading by Mary McElveen, Alexandria’s Poet Laureate

Distribution of Birthday Cake by the Mayor and members of City Council

"Big Band Sound," with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra
Kim Allen Kluge, Music Director

Grand Finale fireworks display, featuring Tchaikovsky's “1812 Overture”
Cannon support by the United States Marine Corps, Basic Training School, Quantico, VA

Oronoco Bay Park has lawn seating, and participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Food, such as ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers, shaved ice and kettle korn are available for purchase, but everyone is welcome to pack a picnic supper.