Where have you been all my life?  While everyone else has been aware of Michaels it has taken me this long to go into a store. And immediately sign up on their website for bargains.

Now I am not particularly good at crafts. Maybe that’s why it never seemed like a place for me to shop. Was I ever wrong! Even The Frugal Diva can put a picture in a picture frame. And a very stylish one at that. Or pick out accessories to organize my desk, closet, or photos. Yes, now my magazines are stored in pretty baskets, candles grace my table tops, and plants have been moved to matching containers.

They have great invitations you can run on a home printer. Now I know where all those cute cards originate. Kids birthday parties are a snap with postcards.  Brides this is a great place to find save the date cards, invites, thank you notes, and response cards. Make them formal or keep them modern, there are so many choices.

And they give you tons of ideas on making things fancy for a shower or fun for a kids party. It took me hours to leave and the first thing I did at home was…you guessed it!  Signed up for their email discounts.  Now the coupons are coming and I’m planning my next trip with them in hand.  That’s my kind of crafty.

Where can you find accessories for the Motorola Droid and a quesadilla maker all on in the same place? Slickdeals.net is that site. What is great about slick deals is that they are vetted by users and Slick Deals researches the merchants. Use this site when you are looking for kitchen electronics, tech stuff, digital cameras, and coupon codes for companies like Dell and Logitech.

Here is their mission as stated on their site. “Founded in 1999, Slickdeals.net is a free, user-driven deal sharing site with a mission to provide consumers an avenue to collaborate and share information in order to make the best shopping decisions. Slickdeals achieves this by providing its users a forum for communication and various shopping tools. Slickdeals.net prides itself on being user and community focused, never allowing paid placement for frontpage deal listings.”

Divas need to be state of the art and this site will help you get here.

The Frugal Diva knows how hard it is to remember all the various discounts, coupons, and special offers that are out there. They come through the mail, on line, in newspapers and magazines. What is a diva to do?

In the email realm, open a dedicated email address just to register for online discounts.  Your own internet provider usually gives you that option or you can sign up for free at gmail or hotmail. Use this address when registering for sites that send you coupons and alert you to sales. 

Quickly skim over the offers, jump on the ones you want, and be on your way.  Chico’s sends a $10 off coupon on your birthday and it can be used with another offer or on sale items.  Celebrate with new clothes that are on sale, use one of their coupons, and add in your B Day gift. Now we’re talking a real deal.  Sephora sends some free goodies your way on your B-Day. Origins has a discount birthday offer.

Your main email address will remain easily readable for your personal or business correspondence that needs to be answered.

And before going shopping or ordering  or eating out just type in the name of the store, restaurant, or service with the word sale or promo code. It is very likely that a deal will pop up on the first page of the google search.

For the paper coupons, there are several serious organizers for food coupons. For others, buy yourself a pretty wallet size organizer about the size of a checkbook. There are lovely ones to be found in Chinatown. They hold the millions of Bed, Bath, and Beyond discounts, restaurants specials, and other one of kind discounts. Remember to go through them and throw out expired offers.

After all being frugal is a life enhancer not a life clutterer.

Spread the love on Valentine’s Day weekend by helping others. Do it as a couple, alone, or get a group of friends together.

Heal the Bay Help clean up our beaches. We all need the ocean to survive.

Disney Give A Day Get A Day Volunteer one day and get a free day at Disney.

Meals On Wheels Change lives daily by making sure they get a meal every day.

Make A Wish Help this organization grant wishes to children with illnesses.

Adult Literacy Teach reading to adults through the LA public library.

Downtown Women’s Center Helping women get back on their feet.

Lange Foundation Saving homeless and impounded animals.

If you want to check out a major charity in your area, use the Charity Navigator. They rate charities so you know who runs efficiently and makes sure the money goes to help people.

If you want to stay local - most hospitals, museums, schools, and soup kitchens need volunteers.

This is the great thing, you never have to stop learning.  At Santa Monica College  you can try a new  language, improve your writing skill, or get a handle on Microsoft Excel. At Pasadena City College you can take self defense, history of Asian art, or beginning tap dance. The catalogs have many choices and different opportunities are available every semester.  And continuing education classes are given on nights and weekends.  There are also other community colleges in the LA area with preferred pricing for residents .

Imagine two or three hours a week where you can put away all your other concerns and concentrate on something interesting, interact with others, and come away with knowledge.  We are always looking for something new to do, trying to meet  people, and find networking opportunities. What could be better then a class where you have stimulating conversations, excitement over a topic, and new information.  Many classes are under $90 and when divided by the number of hours become a $10 per hour bargain.

Divas want more out of life and this is a fantastic way to get it.

The Frugal Diva loves LA. There are so many things to do and so many of them are free. This site has turned me on to areas that let you take a day vacation in the city.  Want to know all the museum free days, just click here  ExperienceLA . Want to wander through some interesting neighborhoods, just click on their adventures page. You’ll be eating at the Thai Town food court, roaming through the Broadway Corridor, and strolling  the Ports of Call village in San Pedro.

This site is so useful when you have guests who have been here multiple times.  First trip is great - the beaches, Olvera Street, LACMA, Beverly Hills. The second trip is good - Malibu, MOCA, Chinatown, Hollywood and Vine. The third trip and they start getting fussy.  Those entrance fees start adding up.  With this site, you can enjoy finding new areas to explore or maybe just buy them an all day metro pass for $5. 

Who knew there were so many beautiful Arts and Crafts houses in Pasadena or that  California Science Center with over 100 exhibits is free everyday?  Pretend you are seeing LA for the first time and rediscover your city.

How to discribe Tuesday Morning?

The most interesting yard sale in the world, going through the home of an eclectic shopper, or a surprise every time you shop. All of the above applies. There are not many places that have Chantal cookware, a pet stroller for your puppy, electric patio heater, and an iPod music system for your listening pleasure.  And at a sizable discount. They shop the world for discontinued brands, colors, and styles so that  you can wander among the goodies and find what you need. 

This is truly treasure hunting. One time you might find a vortex heater, a telescope, and diamond earrings. The next time none of these however there would be a gorgeous rug, a men’s Lucien Picard watch, and a great blender. They usually have selections in kitchenware, bed and bath, home furnishings, children’s toys, luggage, stationary and all manners of small gifts. 

They are a 700 store national chain so check them out for unusual items you might not see at a discount any where else. My favorite local one is at 901 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401, (310) 899-1569.

The Frugal Divas likes to know that they are getting the best deal possible and with travel there are so many options.  However who has the time to track every price change. And once you book who even wants to think about the fares and rates.  That’s why for airline tickets and hotels  Yapta.com is a great idea.

At no cost to you, they track prices and let you decide if this is a good deal. I’m going to quote from their website since they explain it so well. “Yapta is intended to help you get a handle on fluctuating travel prices so that you know when to “buy low”. Yapta conducts daily price checks on the specific flights and hotels that you choose, and alerts you when prices drop or when they fall within your budget.”

Plus they will let you know when a price drops after you have purchased. More valuable information from their website:

“Already booked an airline ticket? Yapta can still help you save. Most U.S. airlines have “guaranteed airfare” policies that enable you to claim a travel credit if the price of your flight drops after booking it. Not many people know that the policy even exists - nor do they bother to check the price of their flight after purchasing it. Yapta will track the price of the flights you’ve already booked and - if the price drops below what you paid - it will alert you when you’re eligible for a refund or travel credit from the airline.”

This is a great service for those who are overwhelmed by the myriad of prices and restrictions out there. Bon voyage!

Those novels you read three years ago, the shirt you haven’t worn for five years, the toys your college bound student won’t need, and the sheets for a single bed that you don’t own anymore. Sound familiar. We all put things away for a rainy day or because they remind us of a favorite time. 

This is a great time of year to reorganize, declutter, donate, and stash stuff  in boxes for a future yard sale.

In fairness to yourself before selling or donating anything that you feel might be worth something check the ebay price of the same or similar item.

If you feel something is very valuable check with a professional auction house. Bonhams Auction House opens its doors once a month so that they can assist you in appraising your property. Is it treasure or trash?  They are a neutral party who can provide an auction value estimate. They limit you to five items and the service is free. In Los Angeles they are located at 7601 Sunset Blvd or call 800 223 2854 for more information.  This is a fun experience regardless of the value. They treat you well and let you know if there is any historical information about your item.

If you decide to go forward witha yard sale here are some good rules to follow:

Put a price on all items! You can have individual prices or grab bags where everything in the bag goes for a set price. Put stickers on everything and you can also segregate areas for different prices. All fifty cent items on one table. Remember nobody comes to yard sale to send big bucks. Everything you sell is one thing you don’t have to carry back into the house.

Don’t let early arrivers throw you off. Post a sign that says when you start and don’t let anyone into your home. You want good coverage so if you don’t have enough family members, invite friends to help out or sell stuff along with you. If you can get your neighbors to join in - all the better.  Everyone has a unique inventory so the more the merrier.

Get change the day before and post that you will only give change up to $10.  Most yard sale shoppers know the drill and will come with appropriate coinage.  Since many items will be $.10 or $.25, get a few packs of quarters, dimes, and nickels plus twenty to  fifty in singles. Keep your cash on you or with a helper who is designated the cashier. 

Feel free to sell sodas or lemonade for a modest price. This is a great learning experience for small children. Let them set up a stand and feel they are part of the experience.

Now to let people know about your sale.  Many local papers have free listings, put it up on bulletin boards at your grocery store, school, church, and gym, and post signs at all major intersections in your neighborhood. Many people still drive around looking for yard sales and a neon colored paper will attract attention.

And the most important thing about a yard sale, have fun, watch your stuff enhance another person’s life, and make a few dollars in the process.

First of all Happy Holiday and a Great New Year!

Enjoy, relax, and if you shop the holiday sales-remember the most expensive item in your closet is the one you never wear. So think twice and make sure you really need that new purchase.

If you are looking for the best deals-search for your favorite store or brand and add either the word sale, coupon or promocode. Usually a deal or sale will be near the top of the list.

This is a good time of the year to reorganize and get rid of things you’re not wearing. There might be some things that you can sell and others that you can donate. Start out the New Year with a sense of freedom and knowing that you have everything you need.

For the divas making New Year’s resolutions start with small steps - a walk, read a new book, learn a new recipe, try a different shade of lipstick.

Stay tuned for new ways to save and new deals next week.