One of the best ways to use this site is for special occasions. You know you are going out for a birthday, anniversary, or to impress your new in-laws. Purchase a $50 gift certificate for $20 and save $30 off the price right away. Many places also offer a $100 gift certificate for $40 which knows $60 off the bill.  Each restaurant has different rules so please check before you buy. Remember it only saves you money if you actually use the certificate.

If you are in Los Angeles or New York or bi-coastal, there is a great new site Blackboard Eats. Sign up for their newsletter and start partaking of their deals before they expire. No cost or obligation, just check out what they have to offer. Sometimes it’s a free tapas plate, sometimes a pre fixe dinner, or a global discount on your check. This is fun for interesting places that you might not venture into otherwise.  They cover the gamut from reasonable to high end trendy.  In Los Angeles, Blackboard Eats recently has these deals-30% off dinner at Ciudad, a pre fixe dinner at the Mercantile, and free tapas with dinner at Sauce on Hampton in Venice.  They also have the dish on other deals around town. 

Now families love the Entertainment Book , not only do they have many kid friendly restaurants, they also have tickets to a variety of attractions, fun activities like bowling, theater tickets, and exercise classes just to name a few.  Today the book is half price or $17.50 with free shipping so you are way ahead. With spring break coming up, this is a good way to save on fun days.

And what does this include? 

Dinner for two at Grove restaurants including the Cheesecake Factory, the Whisper Lounge, Morels, or Maggianos. You can check the website for the specific menus.  There is a choice of appetizers, entrees, and dessert.

Movies for two at the Pacific Grove Theaters.  Yes, movie tickets are part of the date night.

And complimentary valet  parking. And you don’t have to do anything  except call the concierge at (323) 900-8080 and make your reservations.

So let’s go over this again. For $30 per person or $60 you get dinner, movie tickets and parking.  If you can swing a night out from Monday to Thursday, this is a great deal.

And this resource is free. How much better could this be? You can also park at the Century City shopping mall for three hours for free or validated self-parking is $3.50 for three hours in the garage directly beneath the building, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Weekdays after 4:30PM and on Saturday and Sunday, parking is a flat rate of $1.00 with validation.

And even better, they have a free lecture series on Thursdays (reservations are required).

Even though the Frugal Diva is not a sports aficionado, the current exhibit of iconic sports photography by Iooss and Liefer (which has been extended to March 14th) is fabulous.  Along with the photos isa  digital presentation about the featured photographers that gives you insight into their process.  The next show will feature National Geographic photos around the theme of water. And don’t forget about the lectures that illuminate the exhibits.

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.

Now this is going to sound very unfrugal however joining a gym might be a good investment if (and this is a big if) you are going to use the facilities. I recommend the larger chains such as 24 Hour Fitness.(The Frugal Diva is a member however receives no compensations for mentioning them). They have more classes (aerobics to zumba), keep up the facilities nicely, you can use a variety of locations, and they probably will not be closing down any time soon. Remember to look for deals and bargain, bargain, bargain. They need members and you have all the power. Read the contract carefully and look for any hidden charges.

Ask for the free 7 day pass to see if it fits into your schedule. It should be either near home or work. The classes that you are interested in need to be at times that you can attend.  Remember if you don’t attend at least once or twice a week, this is a waste of money. The more you attend, the better the deal. The other benefit of the gym, it is a great option when you don’t have money to spend on other activities. It gives you choices that make you healthy and keep you out of the mall.  Saturday morning might be a yoga class, swimming, and a sauna - your very own day spa experience.

And many locations have Kid’s Clubs where children can hang out while you exercise.  This is fun place with activities,  games, and close supervision.  Kids’ Club availability, rates, and hours vary per location.

Good health is the best wealth.

My only problem is tearing myself away when I could be watching five episodes of House.  Or catching up on the Jon Stewart Show or the Colbert Report. Actually as I am writing this, I have last night’s Daily Show on. Ricky Gervais is hysterical. Lost fans, here is your chance to figure out what is going on. Foodie fans watch your faves like Giada Cooks Italian and Bobby Flay. Introduce kids to old episodes of your favorites like the Dick Van Dyke show, the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, Sesame Street, and the Benji movies. And they have even more niche items like highlights from the Auto show, interviews with the stars, and the training of Olympic speed skaters.

Investing in a good computer monitor will enhance the experience.  This is a one time expense as opposed to a huge monthly fee.

This is a perfect Frugal Diva experience - all choice and no fees.

1. Your local library - get your child his/her own library card, it makes them feel very important and introduces them to the awesome library system. Make it a weekly trip and allow them to pick out 3 books at a time.  Some municipal libraries even have bookmobiles that may be in your neighborhood!  The library is also an inexpensive place to rent videos. At the Los Angeles Public Library they are usually free!

2. Your local recreation center. Many rec centers (like Westwood on Sepulveda) allow you to swim for a couple dollars per person.  Hours of enjoyment for little money! Rec centers also have affordable summer programs for kids, since they are sponsored by the city.

3. After school day care: LAUSD public schools have a free after school program called “YS” (Youth Services).  Take advantage of this if you can’t pick up your child and don’t want to pay a babysitter! YS coordinators are usually teachers from the school and they do outdoor activities with the kids they know.

4. Make your own restaurant! For dinner one night, make it fancy without going out!  Type up a little “menu” and play restaurant with your kids. Decorate your table with candles and let them make a centerpiece. Take turns being the “waiter!” Variation:While eating dinner, let your kid pretend they’re you and you pretend to be them. It is very revealing what they say, how they act and how you’re seen from their eyes!  You can also use this opportunity to point out some of their bad habits (like whining or chewing with their mouth open).

5. Have “pioneer night” where no electricity is used. This is harder for the adults than the kids! Can you go one whole night without power? No internet, no tv, no videos! Be creative and spend a whole evening with your kids in the dark! Stock up on candles and flashlights before you do this. It saves on the electric bill AND prepares your kids for emergencies!

6. Don’t have bikes? Rent them! Many of the L.A. beaches have bike rentals. If you don’t have bikes of your own, take the kids down to the beach for the day and rent bikes. For less than $10 you can have a great active day that they’ll love.

7. Bowling! Remember bowling? There are still lanes out there and you don’t even have to keep score anymore! Bowling alleys have many “off” times that are only a couple dollars a game. Check out your local bowling alley and ask for the bumpers for the kids!(Bumpers guaranteed to improve your game too!)

8. Baking. Bake with your kids. It’s fun for them to be part of the creative process and only costs a couple dollars for cake mix and frosting (or cookie dough).

9. Walks, parks and playdates. Take advantage of walking in your neighborhood and local parks. Walk slowly and point out flowers and interesting landmarks to your child.  If they are younger, practice colors and counting (”what color is that flower?”, “How many red cars can you count during our walk?”).  Barter play dates with your kids and their friends.  Play dates are a great way for parents to get “alone time” without paying for sitters.  Take the kids and their friends to the local park!  Better than video games and they won’t get bored as easily! Take a picnic lunch or snacks so they have some downtime between running and jumping! Bad weather? Take them to the mall — most malls have child play-places for free.

10. Share your picture/video camera with your kids. Most kids pick up on electronics quickly, so show them how to use the video camera and tell them to make a TV show all by themselves–with commercials!! It usually keeps them busy for hours and the result is usually hilarious!

If you don’t have kids, many of these activities are fun for adults too!

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.

All the pertinent information is on their visitors page however it does not tell you that this is a spectacular experience.

The Brentwood Getty affords you a view of the city that is unparalled. On a clear day you can see forever and since they are open until 9 PM on Saturdays you can see the city light up at night.  Walk the interesting garden path, see some art, eat at the reasonable cafeteria or coffee kiosks or the more upscale restaurant or bring your own sandwich - they are user friendly to the point of putting out umbrellas for visitors when it’s raining.  They have free talks and tours about the exhibits. They have fee hands on workshops for kids. The one this week end is  Family Drawing Hour: Exploring Color! Saturday February 20, 2010 3:30 PM geared for families with children ages 7 and up.

Saturday Nights at the Getty (formerly Friday Nights at the Getty) is a free, contemporary performance series featuring an eclectic mix of music, dance, theater, and spoken word events in the auditorium. Only reservations are needed. In the summer they have free outdoor concerts and dancing.  And remember parking is free after 5:00 p.m. and the galleries are open.

The Getty Villa  in Malibu is a museum of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. You can view antiquities, Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities -plus inspired architecture and gardens with a view of the ocean. There are tours and family activities here also. They also have evening activities with play readings and talks. Parking after 5 PM is free for cultural events.

Did I use the word free too many times? These places are so fabulous it’s amazing they and all the activities are free. Give yourself a treat and enjoy them this weekend!

A new chain has been quietly coming to town. H & M, originally from Sweden, has stores all over Los Angeles including the Beverly Center, Century City, Third Street Promenade, and the Americana in Glendale. They have taken the concept of inexpensive fashion and moved it into the stratosphere with choices for women, men, teens, and kids.  This is the store for those who need to be dressed at the office and like to be fashion forward.  When they say to dress for your next position, start here.

While most of the selections are trendy, keep an eye out for things with good lines and colors that suit your palette. The prices are good and the sales are very, very good.  They have pieces in organic cotton so you can be green and in style.  This is fun for resort and summer shopping - fun times at the beach when when you want more color and t-shirts for those weekend outings.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. This is super for the young and the slim, what about the middle aged and the curvy.  For those not wiggling into skinny jeans, there are fantastic tunic tops and cropped pants.  Or just come here for the accessories. If you want that cute scarf to make an old outfit perk up, if you would like a handbag with a pop of color, and if you occasionally want a trendy item that only lasts one season.    With a keen eye you can look in style and not break the bank.

Click on H & M and find the store nearest you. And sign up for their newsletter to get coupons and advance word on sales. ]]> http://thefrugaldiva.com/2010/02/handmclothing/feed/