The Frugal Dude loves to tour a state or neighboring states and soak up the local culture. My initial reaction was if one isn’t going to a major metropolitan area why bother? It took awhile to convince me to even set foot in certain areas.  Now The Frugal Diva likes nothing better then to explore what were once just names on a map.

Loveless Cafe Nashville

From the first breakfast at the famous Loveless Cafe to Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville was a lovely city that had restored many of its original venues including the train station and the original Grand Old Opry. Every generation thinks they invented music so it was amazing to see how rock and roll had the underpinnings of bluegrass and country garnered from Hank Williams, Jimmy Rodgers, and Johnny Cash.  Museums like this give an interactive history along with the costumes, cars, and artifacts, making it a multimedia experience. Our first BBQ experience turned out to be one of the best at Jim’N Nicks. It may be part of a chain but the meats were fantastic and for the Frugal Diva there was lean and delicious smoked turkey.

Gus's Fried Chicken

Tennessee feels more like three states and we were only covering the center and western portions. The next day’s driving took us to Memphis and it’s most famous resident.  Elvis was a bit before my time and I wanted to learn more about this force that pushed the boundaries of the Ed Sullivan show.  The facts are amazing, he brought his first demo record to Sun studios when he was 18 and purchased Graceland four years later. In America alone, Elvis has had over 150 different albums and singles that have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum.  Contemplating all this worked up an appetite and we headed to Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Chicken in downtown. This time will power was out the window and I succumbed to the juicy and spicy fried chicken that requires walking at least a few miles to burn off the calories. It was worth it.

Chattanooga Pedestrian Bridge

Our journey looped over to Chattanooga, a beautiful city with the river bend on one side and Lookout Mountain on the other. My favorite attraction was the Aquarium with two buildings covering river and ocean inhabitants. River Journey fascinates visitors with river otters, turtles, alligators, giant catfish and thousands of freshwater wonders.  Ocean Journey delights guests with penguins, sharks, butterflies and often scuba divers who interact with guests. Plan at least two hours for your visit.  No city in Tennessee is complete without more BBQ. Sugar’s Ribs is a great choice since they deviate from the fried foods rule that prevails in the south. With grilled veggies and vegetarian options, they satisfy a diet that had gone a little overboard. Of course, the ribs were also great. Chattanooga has a lively downtown with a pedestrian bridge for crossing the river.

Though usually a Marriott fan, this time around the Holiday Inn Express was a frugal favorite keeping the tab to an average of under $100 per night. Many of the reservations were made at the last minute and though it was Memorial Day weekend plenty of bargains were available.

If you have time, the eastern portion includes the Smokey Mountains and that Appalachian Trail a certain governor was supposed to be hiking.

But is it cheaper to fly or drive?

There is a free online web tool called the Fly or Drive Calculator from BeFrugal.com that is used to determine the best transit method. It factors in time, money and carbon emissions to quickly help someone figure out how to travel from point A to point B.

With online matchmaking the most popular way for people to meet these days, the Frugal Diva thought it best to make sure that readers enjoyed all the benefits and avoided the pitfalls.

Best Free Dating Sites gives good overall advice for those venturing into the world of online dating. In particular there is a post that allows you to find out about your potential blind date. Women are particularly vulnerable however men are not immune from danger so check out their dating safety tips.

Take the time to see if any of the free apps work for you or take a free trial at some of the sites that have fees so you can see what works for you.

So many activities, so little time.  City of Presidents is the nickname for Rapid City where there are forty life size statues of former presidents on the downtown street corners.  That was how the Frugal Diva learned that she and President Madison were around the same height.   The Journey Museum takes you on an incredible trek through time as it tells the story of the Black Hills through interactive displays. Try on old clothes and read original letters from settlers while seeing how the geology of the area brought gold miners from all over the country.

If you watched Deadwood on HBO, it’s time to see the real town and the cemetary where all the characters were buried. Casinos are the new outlaws in the area however it still retains the feel of the Old West.  Move on to Lead and tour a gold mine.  These were harrowing jobs where men and later women spent eight hours underground alongside mules.

The Indians wanted to represent their hero in a monument to Crazy Horse .  Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially started Crazy Horse Memorial June 3, 1948.  The Memorial’s mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians.

Flanked by towering limestone cliffs, this 20-mile route along US 14A, cuts through Spearfish Canyon. A forest of spruce, pine, aspen, birch and oak covers the hillsides while Spearfish Creek flows along the canyon bottom.  Bridal Veil and Roughlock Falls are highlights along the route. Stay at the Spearfish Canyon Lodge and enjoy a babbling brook, hikes along the falls, and delux accomodations. We paid $80 (with a AAA discount) for a beautiful double room. Please check for current rates.

How many remember Close Encounters of the Third Kind?  What a great opportunity to hike around Devil’s Tower and see if the aliens left anything behind.  This 1347 acre park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are seen. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower the first national monument in 1906.

The all time dinner deal for meat eaters is the Alpine Inn in Hill City. Order a perfectly prepared bacon wrapped filet mignon. baked potato, Texas toast with a starter salad of  lettuce wedge and ranch dressing.  Choose between the 6 oz. for $8.95 and a 9 oz. for $10.95 and pay in cash. If you would like a glass of wine, they are mostly under $6.

Custer State Park has unobstructed views of herds of buffalo, elk, wild turkeys, and burros so friendly you pet them from your car window. This is indeed where the deer and the antolope play. For those so inclined there are camp grounds as well as reasonably priced motels.

If you want a area with lots to do both indoors and outdoors, visit Mt. Rushmore and the South Dakota area. The Frugal Diva was amazed at how friendly people were and how easy it was to get around.  Living in Los Angeles it’s exciting to be able to park for a nominal fee and drive across town in five minutes during rush hour.

Let’s keep all the promises that we made for Earth Day.  Here are some great sites with all around tips on cleaning and caring for your home using products that are probably already in your pantry.

The Maids help you with tips for  removing all kinds of stains, from blood (if someone is dripping blood on your couch you might have bigger problems then stain removal) to paint and everything in between. Here is the Frugal Diva’s best tip – don’t serve red wine to company.

Our grandmothers knew everything.  Witch Hazel for cleansing your skin, honey to cure a sore throat, and baking soda for everything else. The Coupon Sherpa did the research. Check out this site for everything from cleaning a battery to tooth paste to shining chrome fixtures 55 All-Natural Uses for Baking Soda

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade and use the leftovers to clean and leave everything smelling fresh.

Let me know your favorite natural cleansers!

The Frugal Diva would like to thank her family who taught her how to make the most of every dollar. This lesson was not always appreciated. As a teenager nothing is more important then fitting in and not listening to your mom. You really, really, really want the same sweater the most popular girl in school is wearing and you want it now – not when it’s on sale, not in the cheaper version, and certainly not in another color that is not at all cool. My youthful wailing in no way got me the sweater because the truth was we could not afford to spend the week’s food budget on an item of clothing. My teen brain could not hook up the relationship between money, what you could afford, and what you had to do without. It took about twenty years for me to mature and use the lessons learned in childhood.

Now everyone is concerned about scarce resources, turning the lights off when you leave the room, and how to organize meals around less animal protein and more veggies. Growing your own isn’t just for certain substances, if you are in an apartment put some herbs in a pot and use them to liven up meals. If you have a garden try out some vegetables and maybe a small lemon tree. My grandmother composted scraps from the kitchen and used them to help grow the biggest and best blueberries around.

Right now the two biggest food trends are vegetarianism and eating only animal proteins. Let the twain meet with balanced meals – a bit of protein, veggies, don’t be afraid of a few whole grain carbs, and luscious fruits for dessert. Give my aunt a chicken and she would give you back at least two dinners and a delicious soup.

Think about your work or school week expenditures. Multiply them by five and then by fifty and see if the amount justifies the spending. Is that $500 better spent on coffee or as an addition to your wardrobe, a short vacation, or into your bank account? My mother was good at seeing the big picture of how small changes added up to big savings.

Be an original, when everyone is buying the same clothes see what’s out there at flea markets and vintage shops. If you like the mainstream just wait three weeks and it will be on sale. My aunts could turn themselves into glamour queens just with attitude.

Every time my dad told me to turn out the lights when I left the room, I silently screamed.  Why? I will only have to turn them on later when I reenter. It seemed like so much work to my teenage self. Now the only important news is about global warming, care taking our limited supplies of everything, and making sure to recycle.

Let everyone  know your favorite tips from another generation that you use today on The Frugal Diva Facebook page  today!

There are so many mothers these days. Between moms, grand-moms, step-moms, step-grandmoms, moms-in-law, step moms-in-law, surrogate moms, egg donors moms, birth moms, and Heather has two moms, it’s time to start shopping.  It is under three weeks away and if your mother is out of town quickly get to the Internet and save.

Shoppers are forecasted to spend a million hours shopping online for gifts. Time is very valuable. So is money. Coupon & savings expert Jon Lal (founder of BeFrugal.com) has these money and time saving Mother’s Day gift ideas:

· Send her electronic love. Ecards are free and can be personalized then scheduled to send on Mother’s Day.

· Treat her to sweets. Dining out does not have to be expensive if you go out just for dessert!

· Give your time. Consider doing something she will appreciate like chores, mowing the lawn, or something else.

· Toast to her. Check for rebates on alcohol like champagne, wine and more.

· Show her you listen. Mothers want the best for their kids and teach them lessons, like the value of a dollar. Use a coupon and shop smart if you buy her a gift.

Check my post about  magazine subscriptions or get her a museum membership for ideas that last all year long.

A few weeks ago, the Frugal Diva had the pleasure of hearing Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks speak. This company is committed to making sure that manufacturing stays here in the USA. There was not the usual “well if we could we would” excuses instead you will start to see mugs and other products that carry the Made in the USA label appearing in coffee shops across the country.

Starbucks also launched the Create Jobs for USA fund together with Opportunity Finance Network in November 2011 to provide an easy and convenient way for Americans to help other Americans. A $5 donation at Starbucks stores or createjobsforUSA.com gets you a red, white and blue Indivisible wristband to wear and show your support. To date they’ve raised over $7.5 million and loans are being given out to community businesses across the USA.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to have a latte! To read about their success so far, visit CreateJobsforUSA.org.

There is still stuff being made in America. Let’s give them our support.

Burt’s Bees natural, earth-friendly personal care products are made in the US. They not only make great products, they try to package them with a view towards sustainability.

In California, we love Dr. Bonner’s products since they are organic and smell delicious.

Buy organic teething clothes manufactured here in L. A. by my friend Sasha Taylor for her company Bodhi Babies.

Your pet should also buy American with these Amish pet supplies. They are great accents for a craftsman style home.

While we are shopping for Fido, let’s get him some fresh food at Freshpet Natural Pet Food.

We started these sports so lets support American made gloves for baseball, softball, and football. The Nokona Athletic Goods business plan has historically emphasized buying raw materials in the United States, while employing highly skilled leather crafters from the small town of Nocona, Texas, who assemble each glove by hand from more than 20 individual pieces of leather.

Let’s add to this list. Send me more companies that you know about!

The Frugal Diva thinks every day should be Earth Day. Recycle, repurpose, and replenish, it’s the best way to be thrifty.
Since no one is an authority on everything,  here are my favorite resources for going green.

Let’s start with one of my favorite activities, spring cleaning.  Yes, I am a bit of a neat freak and love nothing more then to take everything off my pantry shelves, clean, and reorganize. Sometimes you just  have to admit that you are truly never going to use that bottle of caraway seeds. This site has so many great tips Planet Green on how to use kitchen staples instead of toxic cleaning products, ways to repurpose items, and how to recycle electronics.

Find ways to celebrate Earth Day 2013 0n April 22nd.  You can start now with small acts that will help you and your community.

Even Amazon has gotten into the act with a shopping green page that includes clothes, household items, energy saving  light bulbs, and kitchen wear. When sending a gift you can also send a message about sustainability.

Learn that green in terms of clothing no longer means hemp sacks at Care2.  This site also gives great tips on crafts and healthy homes.

Energy Star is a government backed program with energy saving tips for home improvement.  Learn how to lower fuel bills by getting rid of drafts and having better insulation.

And for those who garden, Organic Gardening has 20 budget tips and even how to grow herbs indoors for apartment dwellers.

Let me know if you have other helpful sites and I will update this post.

The Frugal Diva likes to cover all bases however this new website had me floored.  Would you buy someone else’s wedding or sell your own?

The Bridal Brokerage start-up company steps into an uncharted territory: couples who’ve decided not to marry who want to sell the wedding goods and services they’ve bought, and couples who want to buy a “prepackaged” wedding and save money at the same time.

Couples planning weddings go to the site and enter things like what time of year they want to wed, how far from home and how many guests. This information goes into a database to be matched with the canceled weddings — 250,000 weddings are called off annually in the U.S. per Lauren Byrne, founder — that Bridal Brokerage has bought from brides, their parents, whoever.

With this option you don’t have to get married just because the invitations where printed.