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Saturday, January 1, 2011

1 Year Subscription to Smart Luxury Travel Magazine only $2.99

Right now on Tanga, Smart Luxury Travel Magazine is available for $23.00. When you use coupon code SMART at checkout, the price drops to only $2.99!


Note: When you buy magazine subscriptions off Tanga remember that it can take up to 8-14 weeks to get your first subscription delivery.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Free 7 Day Guest Pass to Your Local Bally's


Make a New Year's Resolution to work out more? Then jump start it with a free 7 day guest pass at Bally Total Fitness! Sign up here by picking your local Bally location and then submitting your information. They will email you your guest pass.

Enjoy!


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Day 1: Create a Realistic Budget

I know this may seem like such a basic concept -- creating a budget -- and most people do have a budget. What most people don't have is a REALISTIC budget. Meaning knowing what they actually need for everything they buy in their day to day lives and being realistic about what you actually spend. If you know you have a Starbucks habit and spend $4 a day on coffee, that needs to be taken into account! If you're only budgeting $50 a week for food or eating out $24 or almost half of that is consumed by your coffee!

I know that there are certain things my husband and I like to do every month. For example, we like to go out to a nice dinner or go out to Dave & Buster's once each month to have a date night. This therefore is already planned into our budget so that there are no unplanned or charges turning up on the credit cards at the end of the month.


How to Create a Realistic Budget:

1. Know how much money your bottom line is for your monthly bills. If you only have $2000 in income, be sure your total budget comes out at $2000 or less. Otherwise you're going to end up short the next month or charging up your credit cards.

2. Start by making a list of ALL of your bills. Rent, cable, utilities, Netflix, cell phones, gas for your work commute - you name it. This includes everything that you get a set bill for every month. These are your non-negotiables. They are due every month and must paid. Also in this category should be groceries. Not eating out in general, but the money you spend at the grocery store for food for your family each month.

If you are looking to cut your budget down or save money, this is the time to look and see if there is anywhere you can lower these bills. For example, if you have Netflix and are on a 3 DVD at a time plan, consider dropping down to a 2 DVD at a time plan. This might only save you a couple of dollars a month, but over time that adds up! You can also look into cable plans that cut out channels you don't watch, reducing the number of minutes on your cell phone bill, carpooling, couponing, or implementing green ideas in your home to cut down your utility bills.

Now deduct the total of these non-negotiables from your total monthly budget. This gives you what you have left to allocate among those other areas you spend each month.

3. Now assess where else you spend money. Shopping, eating out, going out to the movies, video games subscriptions, etc. Here is where you begin allocating what you have left to spend. This requires prioritizing what is most important. Here is where your Starbucks habit is taken into account and you have decide whether it is more important to continue getting your morning latte or cutting back and saving that money or allocating it somewhere else.

Again, the most important part is to be realistic! Know that if you're spending the money, you account for it. If you're not honest with yourself, your budget will not do you any good.

4. Stick to your budget! If you know how much money you have to spend on each different thing and you can stick to it, you don't need to worry whether your bank account will be short at the end of the month.

5. Update your budget regularly. If you incur a new bill, a medical bill for example, that you know have to make a monthly payment on be sure to take that into account. You may need to adjust your spending on the extras until the bill is paid off. This may mean putting your Netflix on hold for a few months or drinking coffee at home or avoiding the mall.



Although it may seem difficult at first, a realistic budget is one of the best tools the frugal girl can have. It keeps you (and your spending) on track. And as you implement more of the frugal ideas I'm going to share with you over the next year, you will begin to see that budget shrink! This means that you will be able to either get more for your money or be able to confidently reduce your budget in those areas to reflect what you actually spend and save the excess. Either way, it's a win-win for your wallet!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

365 Days of Frugal Ideas

2011 brings with it some big changes for me and my husband. I will be graduating law school and studying for the bar, we are hoping to save for a down payment on a house, and we hope to be able to save as much as possible so that we can start a family in the next few years.

The bottom-line is that our New Year's resolution is to be frugal and there are so many simple ways to save money that we all forget about in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. So here I will be writing the 365 Days of Frugal Ideas. Starting January 1, 2011, I will post a daily tip, idea, suggestion, or innovation that will help you to save money. Be sure to check back!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more
information.

Friday, December 31, 2010

A Note on the Name Change

First, let me start off by saying a big THANK YOU to all of you who have supported my blog. It honestly means so much to me.

I want to let you know why I changed the name of my blog. It has recently come to my attention that last year someone trademarked the word "Frugalista" and has been attempting to enforce that trademark. While I do not agree with the validity of the trademark given that Frugalista is a common word that was used long before she attempted to trademark it, there is currently still a live trademark on file and I do not want to infringe on that trademark.

Therefore, I have changed the name of my site to "The DC Frugal Girl" and the new website is www.thedcfrugalgirl.com and Twitter is now @DCFrugalGirl. Although the name has changed, this is still the same great money saving frugal blog. If you followed me on Google Friend Connect, you are still following and if you followed me on Facebook please check to see if the likes continued. Some had to be removed so I could change the name, so please please please re-like my page if you were one of the random names that I had to remove so I could get the number under 100 to change the name (It pained me to have to remove anyone and I greatly appreciate your support, I chose the names at random so please don't take it personally and I hope you will re-like my page).

Also, if you have "grabbed" my badge or linked to my page, please update it with the new link and grab the new badge on my side bar. Those of you who I know have me listed on their blog roll, I will be emailing you directly with the new info.

Everyone, thank you again for your support and I promise there are great frugal ideas to come!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Men's Fitness also $3.99 on Tanga!

I just posted below about Shape magazine being only $3.99 for a one-year subscription on Tanga.


Good news is the Men's Fitness can also be scored for only $3.99! Use promo code FITNESS at checkout.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

1 Year Subscription to Shape Magazine for only $3.99

Tanga is another one of those daily deals sites where they bring you products for less.

Right now they have Shape magazine available. When you got to the website it lists the subscription as $24.00, but when you use promo code SHAPE at checkout it drops the price to only $3.99 per year! You also have the option at checkout to purchase a 1 year, 2 year, or 3 year subscription at the promo price. Great if your New Year's Resolution is to get in shape!


NOTE: When you buy magazine subscriptions through Tanga they say you should expect to wait 10-14 weeks for your first subscription delivery.



Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Derek Close Music Giveaway Update

There was a little bit of confusion over the last giveaway so the deadline is being extended until
January 5, 2011. Trust me you will love his music WAYYY past the holidays.

To clarify: after you like Derek Close on Facebook come back to my blog and leave a comment on the Derek Close Giveaway Post.

If you have any questions please ask!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Free 60 Day Trial Membership to BJ

If you're one of those people who likes to stock up their pantry, be sure to take advantage of this free 60 day trial to BJ's Wholesale Club. You print out the coupon and take it to the membership desk in the store to activate the membership. But HURRY because this coupon must be activated before it expires on Friday!


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Free Computer Maintenance and Green Fix on HomeRun

HomeRun is another group buying site that I have recently come across. BUT one of the things that sets this group buying site apart is that sometimes you can get things completely free!



Right now on HomeRun if you search under Washington DC you can get Free Computer Maintenance and Green Fix from MyCuredComputer.com. (Or here is a direct link to the page) The voucher provides you with remote diagnostic service from the company so you don't even have to leave your home. This was also help you adjust your settings to help conserve energy. A $40 value and right now you can get it free! When you "buy" the voucher it will ask you to put in billing information, but this is only for authorization purposes. It does not post a charge (I snagged this deal myself and checked my statement!).


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Kohl's Deals

Right now you can get 20% off at Kohl's (including clearance items!) using promo code TWENTY4U. 

Here are my picks of some great deals, but HURRY because things are selling out fast! And shipping is only $0.99 per item!

Pink Water Bottle for only $2.07 -- great if your making a New Year's resolution to work out more!


Vintage Stone Plaid Fedora for only $1.60! This is probably my favorite find!!!





Twins '47 Boston Red Sex Cooperstown Cleanup Baseball Cap only $3.20!


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Upcoming NaturalSkinShop.com Review

I have always wanted to try a glycolic acid peel to help my skin, so I am very excited about the upcoming NaturalSkinShop.com review. I will be reviewing the Glycolic Acid Peel and cannot wait to see and share the results! NaturalSkinShop.com will also be providing a discount code for all you readers, so be sure to check back for the post!

FTC Disclosure: I will be receiving a complimentary product from NaturalSkinShop.com to review and I received this opportunity through my participation in SheBlogs


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Viewpoints Promo to get a $10 Gift Card

Viewpoints is a website where consumers right reviews about products and rate them to help others who are considering buying them. What better way to make a decision than other people's firsthand experiences?



Right now, if you write 10 qualifying reviews (have to be a certain length and in certain categories -- see this link for details) by Dec. 31, you get a $10 Amazon Gift Card! You have to sign up before you right reviews, but the process only takes a minute.

I have done the reviews for gift cards twice before and have had no trouble. And with all those Christmas presents lying around, I'm sure there is plenty to be reviewed!


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Eversave Deals!

Here are the online Eversave deals that can be purchased and redeemed from anywhere in the US. Also be sure to check out your regional deals as well!

AND if you are new to Eversave and sign up before Friday you'll get $5 in free credit added to your account just for signing up!



Today's Save: Sheyna

Today's Save:$25 for $50 worth of custom, hand-crafted jewelry from Sheyna.com - Free shipping on all orders!

Expires 02:59 AM - Dec 31, 2010


Bonus Save: Manhattanite

Today's Save:$25 for $50 worth of trend-setting apparel and accessories from Manhattanite.com, featuring brands like So Low, Betsey Johnson and Dogeared

Expires 02:59 AM - Dec 28, 2010


Bonus Save: Eternity Scarves - Save $15 on your online purchase!

Today's Save:$15 for $30 worth of chic, cozy scarves from Eternity Scarves

Expires 02:59 AM - Dec 30, 2010
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Coupons Ending Soon on Coupons.com

Be sure to head over to Coupons.com and print these coupons before they expire!



Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

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