It seems the whole world is on sale right now and you can’t go wrong. That is if you follow the Frugal Diva rules.

1. The most expensive item in your closet is the one you never wear – even if it’s reduced by 50% with another 30% off and you have an extra 10% off coupon.  Anything not in your size, in a color you never wear, or for a sport you never play is a reminder that “on sale” doesn’t always mean saving money.

2. Do you really need it? If it’s in black, you probably do. However if you already have ten black T shirts, more black pants than you can count, and black jackets in velvet, linen, cotton, and wool. Maybe you don’t.

3. Kitchen accessories are tempting. The Food Network and Top Chef have given us souffle dreams.  Think about the reality of your meals.  Will you be pureeing asparagus for a sauce? Making a ten layer torte?  Preparing a turduckan? Then you don’t want to invest in an inversion blender, more baking accessories, and an extra large roasting pan.

4. At the grocery store, there are always discounts. When marketing think healthy. Ten boxes of oatmeal at half price – good buy. Ten boxes of Fruit Loops at half price – no way.  Low fat ground turkey that can be frozen for turkey burgers, meat loaf and chili – yes! Doughnuts reduced to ten for a dollar – no!

5. Looking for ways to organize your home.  You might not need to buy mass produced storage items. It’s more fun to use your creativity. Re-purpose items already there. Use holiday tins to hold hair accessories,  save small jars for buying bulk spices, or old mugs for pencils on your desk.

6. About to buy some books online at a discount. There is a place that has free books, DVDs, books on CD, music CDs, and magazines. It’s called the public library.

7. White sales are great at this time of year.  This is an easy way to redecorate without spending too much. New duvet covers, sheets, and towels will make a bedroom and bathroom feel new for a minimum expense.

8. The most important rule – think before you spend.

January is National Soup Month!

How many times do we look in the refrigerator and think “What in the world am I going to make for dinner?”  This is where the concept of soup becomes a time and energy saver. It’s nutritious, money saving and calorie conscious.  A box of stock, some vegetables, pasta or left over grains such as rice, and protein that can come from garbanzo beans, cut up chicken or frozen turkey meatballs. We are in business.

At some point get boxes of stock when they go on special. They come in many flavors including beef , chicken, and vegetarian. Always have fresh celery and carrots in the refrigerator. Stock pasta in different shapes and varieties – check out the new high protein pastas and rice pastas.  Left over cooked meat in any form goes in the freezer for times like this and for vegetarians keep some tofu and canned beans handy.

Grab the vegetables adding any that look ready to leave this world (not spoiled just a little past their prime) and start chopping into small pieces. Add some potatoes if you like.  If you live alone use this as a time to relax and focus on the delicious meal ahead. If you live with family or friends, this is the time to get them involved.

This is a judgement call not a strict recipe. So decide how much stock is appropriate, pour in about an inch or two and use it to steam the chopped vegetables and to defrost any cooked items from the freezer.

Now comes the fun part, raid your pantry and decide if you want to add a can of diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, black beans, or some fire roasted chilies.  If you need ideas, try The 99 Cent Chef for a delicious French Onion soup or some turkey and black bean chili recipe.   He shops cheap but the meals taste expensive.

This is your creation.  Make it a soup or use less stock and make it a stew or chili.  Put out some Parmesan or Cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top. Have some bread handy.  Stay cozy for the chilly nights ahead.

Take the time to explore any number of museums that are free this weekend. MuseumsLA.org has the complete list. This would be a great time to find out about LA’s Chinese heritage with a trip to the Chinese American Museum.  Current exhibits Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980) showcasing the architectural achievements of four pioneering Chinese American architects whose contributions were between 1945 and 1980.

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at Yang Chow’s in Chinatown. Try to get there early as the lines can get quite long after six.

Don’t you love the farmer’s markets? All that fresh produce with infinite possibilities for meals, great food stalls, and local products.  My only problem was figuring out where and when.  This site solved all my problems. LocalHarvest.org has all the markets nationwide so you can keep up with any changes, find out what’s fresh that day, and plan your weekly produce shopping.

If you are in LA, try this site for the local markets which are listed on one page and you can sort by location, day, or time. In Culver City on a Tuesday afternoon, pick up some clementines. In Studio City on a Sunday morning, pick up some sweet potatoes.  In midtown on Wednesday afternoon try the Farmers’ Market at Barnsdall Art Park for Meyer lemons. Plus when you click on the market, it takes you to a page with the specific location, events, and specialities.

In addition to the freshest in-season produce, many also offer flowers, cheeses, baked goods, local artisans’ products, free-range chicken, and even seafood. Each market is unique and produce varies.  The Santa Monica market at Arizona and 3rd on Saturday morning is mostly organic. Look for the certified organic sign to be sure.

Divas, enjoy fresh air shopping, meet local farmers, and stay healthy with more produce in your diet.  Send this article to your Frugal Dude so he can pick up some great veggies for throwing on the grill.

This is like a great bargain basement however instead of plowing through racks, you just click and see what tempts you.  BadJoan.com puts the fun back in online shopping deals.  No membership and no login just  see what’s new, check out the brands, and $4.99 flat rate for shipping. Bad Joan deals in overstock which means items come and go quickly. As Frugal Divas, you know that if you miss one deal another is coming down the road.

Bad Joan is skewed to the young and hip however there are deals for all ages including shoes, eye wear, and roomy tops that flow over jeans. Check out the final sale page where prices are even lower.  Handbags fit everyone and the Carla Mancini line is particularly fantastic.

There are measurements for most of the items to give you a better idea about fit.  As always when purchasing clothes on the Internet it is best to stick with brands you know for better sizing results and always check the return policy page.  Bad Joan has a strict return policy and every item you send back requires another shipping fee.  There are no returns on final sales.  The tradeoff is great prices for name brands.

Home office, it sounded so good when we first thought about it. Working in our slippers, never having to dress up, showering at our whim, and sipping coffee from our own mugs.

Now we order our own paper, find our own printers, and try to get supplies at the best prices. Like everything else loyalty matters, pick a club and stay with them except for exceptional bargains.  I am a proud member of the Staples Club. They give me points for purchases and every three months send me a check.  Recycle used ink cartridges for a $2 rebate per cartridge.

My personal paper goods favorite is Envelope Mall for that all important first impression. What variety, what fabulous colors, what a deal. For business I want the best quality to tell my clients they are worth it. For a few pennies more you can have something that makes a terrific impression.  Do your own invitations. Euroflap envelopes bring a touch of elegance and no one will know whether you bought them at that expensive stationary store or ordered them off the Internet.

My favorite on line printer is uprinting.com- the site where you can talk to a real person in and they actually care about your order. You can send up files for a technical review at no charge and receive an on line PDF to verify your order. And if you live in Los Angeles you can pick up your printing and skip the delivery charge. They are nice and they deliver a high quality of customer service along with great printing.

If you are also your own publicist, go to PRWeb.com - they will teach you how to write a press release and then deliver to multiple markets for $80. Not bad for getting your name out there in a hurry.

You are receiving this newsletter from Mailchimp.com. They will let you have 12,000 sends per month for up to 2000 subscribers for free. This is a great way start out your mailer and see what works before making an investment. The dashboard is user friendly and they have many templates to choose from.

If you have a straightforward legal issue, Legal Zoom is reliable with top notch customer service. I used them for a DBA after a friend recommended them.  They were so good at explaining every step that it was a very relaxed process for a legalphobe such as myself.

Use that travel time that you are saving for walking, meditating, or reading a good book to transition from office mentality back into your home environment.

The Frugal Diva is an organizing maniac. When you are down what feels better then cleaning out your closets, redoing your bookshelves using the Dewey Decimal System, or getting rid of last years anti aging creams and lotions in your bathroom.

Until February 13, indulge your desires to have a place for everything and everything in it’s place with the sale on Elfa Shelving at The Container Store. The sale extends to installation so if you are not among those not handy with even the simplest of tools, take advantage of both discounts.

Try the website for savings on things like adorable polka dot baskets for sorting bathroom items, a desktop charging stations that keeps your small electronics organized, or the cutest little swivel tray for paper clips, stamps, and push pins. Have fun and let me know your favorite organizing tricks.

If you are a locavore for food, try it for these items made in the U.S.A. from The Container Store website.

We all made resolutions for the New Year and now Restaurant Week tempts us to try new places at a lower price. If you do have dining out in your budget for this year, this is a great opportunity to venture into old favorites and recently opened restaurants at substantial discounts.

In Los Angeles, it’s dineLA for two weeks. The first is January 22 to 27 and the second is January 29 to February 3. Been meaning to sample Akasha’s interesting cuisine? A three course dinner including an appetizer, entree, and dessert will be $34.

New York City brings out the bargains from January 16 to February 10 (Monday through Fridays only).  Lunches are $24.07 and dinners $35.00 at some of the poshest places including Boulud Sud, Ca Va Brasserie by Todd English, and Ruth’s Cris Steak House.

Open Table lists all the cities that participate in dining discounts during the year. Check to see if there are any in your neighborhood or where you’ll be traveling.

After the holidays, everyone is looking to save a little extra money, and also kick their healthy resolutions into full swing! On January 8th, you can help take care of American families everywhere – and your wallet! – simply by stocking up on your basics. Johnson & Johnson Healthy Essentials is a savings pack that will be in your Sunday paper on January 8th, and for each coupon redeemed through January 15th, Johnson & Johnson will donate one meal to FEEDING AMERICA®, up to one million meals!

The Johnson and Johnson Healthy Essentials savings pack includes $190 in coupons and rebates on your family’s favorite brands including: AVEENO®, NEUTROGENA® (still love their  inexpensive facial cleansers), LISTERINE®, Johnson’s®, Splenda®, BAND-AID®, OneTouch®, VIACTIV®, RoC®, REMBRANDT®, VISINE®, DESITIN®, NEOSPORIN®, LUBRIDERM®, BENGAY®, STAYFREE®, CAREFREE®, CORTAID®, and REACH®. Coupons can also be downloaded via www.healthyessentials.com. (link goes live January 6)

Putting a Band-Aid on it usually means superficially helping something. Now it means you can really help Feeding America provide emergency food assistance through local food banks to an estimated 37 million low-income people annually.

This year, SunTrust is making a resolution: to help clients live more solid lifestyles. As part of that goal, SunTrust is launching the Solid Resolutions contest to motivate people by providing a forum for them to share their financial resolutions.

Few things are as motivating as telling others about a commitment, and that’s exactly what SunTrust is asking fans to do. Share how you resolve to live more financially-solid in 2012 and you’ll be registered in a drawing for one of four $100 SunTrust Visa® gift cards. Additionally, SunTrust will select one grand prize winner to receive a $5,000 package: a $2,500 SunTrust Visa® gift card to use now, a $2,500 SunTrust Bank¹ certificate of deposit (CD) to save for later, and a consultation with a SunTrust financial advisor.

SunTrust invites people to consider what’s holding them back and what they’ve resolved to change. What financial baggage do you have and how do you resolve to cut it loose? What luxuries will you forego in 2012 to put more money in your savings account? Motivate yourself and others by sharing your goals for 2012 through the Solid Resolutions Live Solid Facebook contest. Also, read through previously submitted resolutions to find out what’s important to other SunTrust clients in the coming year.

To enter, go to the SunTrust Live Solid Facebook page and click on the “Contests” tab.  Then, enter the contest by submitting your 2012 financial resolution.

Submissions will be accepted from January 3 at 12:00 p.m. (EST) until January 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Weekly winners will be announced each Monday during the contest. Winner of the grand prize will be notified February 1, 2012.

To learn more about the contest rules, click here. Learn more about Live Solid at livesolid.com, join the conversation on Facebook or follow @LiveSolid on Twitter.