The Cheap Diva

Running of the Brides Never Runs Out of Laughs

Running of the Bride: My Frenzied Quest to Tie the Knot, Tear Up the Dance Floor, and Figure Out Why My 15 Minutes of Fame Included Commercial Breaks by Rachel Eddey is a funny and often fascinating account of one woman's quest to create her dream wedding in just a few months without losing her mind. The story, based on real life events, begins with a romantic proposal on the Sex and the City movie set and escalates into a frenzied rush to get countless wedding details taken care of before the big day.

Stories of the strategic military like hunt for the right wedding dress to bad makeup artists that seem to have learned the trade in clown school and more are all told in a conversational tone with a great sense of humor. The author is offered a chance to have her wedding dance featured on a reality show. This episode of the book offers amusing insights into the highly staged and practically scripted world of  "reality" TV. The book wraps up on a satisfying note with the author reflecting on how committing to the perfect soulmate is far more important that having the perfect wedding.

Save Money at the Movies

I had almost given up on going to the movies because of the blockbuster prices, then consumer expert Andrea Woroch sent me the following article full of money strategies. Pass the popcorn!

With summer around the corner, Hollywood is about to roll out a slew of sequels, blockbusters and indie films sure to satisfy most people's craving for easy entertainment. Before making your summer selections, however, you should consider how best to spend your movie money.

According to TIME Moneyland, ticket prices are expected to increase this year thanks to lackluster sales in 2011 -- and that's not including the exorbitant cost of concessions. Don't let the inflated cost of the cinema deflate your family's desire to catch the season's best flicks on the big screen.

Follow these 11 tips to avoid blowing your movie budget.

1. Join AAA
The automobile club offers $8 tickets to Regal, United Artists and Edwards movie theaters. The catch is that you have to go to one of their offices to buy them.

2. Buy Movie Packs
This is the way to go for families. You can buy a four-pack of tickets from Costco, good for a variety of theatres, for just $34.99 and a 10-pack for $82.99. There's no expiration date and you can use the tickets seven days a week. BulkTix.com also saves you an average of $2 to $3 off a ticket's face value for seven different chains.

3. Attend Second-Run Theatres
There are several chains that show movies a bit past their prime. If you can wait to see the latest iteration of a Marvel comic, you'll pay anywhere from $3 to $6 for the same movie.

4. Ask for Senior Rates
If you're 60 or over, you'll get a discount from select locations of AMC Theatres. And Cinemark offers Seniors Day every Monday at some locations for seniors 62 and older. Ultimately, it helps to ask the cashier or one of the theatre managers about available discounts for seniors. Just be prepared to show your ID.

5. Skip the Concession Stand
Eat before you head out to the movies so you won't be tempted by the many treats on offer. Granted this is how theaters make their money, but it's also how you double the cost of your ticket.

6. Use Discount Gift Cards
Save 10 to 30 percent by purchasing discount movie theater gift cards from such sites as GiftCardGranny. In addition to saving instantly on ticket prices, you can cut the cost of concessions if the smell of popcorn is too tempting to overcome.

7. Swipe Your Plastic
Credit card companies and banks have increased their reward perks over the last few years and some of those include free passes to the theater. Visa Signature offers their credit card holders two-for-one movie tickets via Fandango on Fridays. Deutsche Bank Debit Card users can get one free pass for every one ticket purchased through BookMyShow.com. Ask your credit card or bank about such reward perks and take advantage of the discount.

8. Be Loyal
Kerasotes Theaters has the FiveBuckClub, which sends weekly emails with a list of movies members can see for $5. AMC Theatres offers points toward discounts, concession upgrades and more if you join their Stubs Rewards Program. Check with your local theatres to see if they provide similar deals for loyal customers.

9. Daily Deal It
Though daily deals for restaurants and spa services overwhelm your inbox, you have good reason to search through the clutter. Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial have featured movie theater savings of up to 50 percent, and will likely offer similar promotions this summer. The vouchers typically expire within a couple months so make note of the date and use them up before then.

10. Early-Bird Deals
Matinees can save you anywhere from 30 to 50 percent off prime-time ticket prices, leaving more money in your wallet for warm summer evenings.

11. Say Something
Have you ever watched a movie where the sound system was off enough to drive you crazy? Perhaps you ended up surrounded by a swarm of teenagers who shouted at the screen throughout the film. Don't be afraid to ask for a voucher or your money back if you have a bad experience. You may be surprised how often theaters will accommodate a polite request.

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles. You can follow her on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips or email andrea@andreaworoch.com.

Stop and Smell the Roses For Free

Grab your sunscreen, some comfortable shoes, and your coupon for free admission to a public garden. Better Homes and Gardens is celebrating National Public Gardens Day May 11, 2012 by offering coupons for free admission for a public garden for you and your friends and family. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a beautiful change of scenery while flowers are in full bloom. The most gorgeous colors are found in nature. Look at the stunning mix of colors in the garden for inspiration in decorating your own home or creating your own bouquets at home.

See Glamourous Period Costumes on Display

Maybe it's the Diva in me, but I am not easily impressed. So when I say I loved the Cut! Costume and the Cinema exhibit now showing at the Durham Museum in Omaha Nebraska through April 29, 2012 you know it's special. I was amazed by the attention to detail and sheer beauty of some of the pieces. If that isn't enought to satisfy your fashion addiction, this exhibit adjoins another exhibit called Drawn to Fashion featuring three decades of fashion illistration by talented artist Mary Mitchell . Since the Cut! Costume and the Cinema exhibit actually lives up to it's press, I am posting the Durham Museum exhibit description here:

"Discover the glamour, luxury, and artistry of cinematic couture in CUT! Costume and the Cinema. You will experience five centuries of fashion and style as interpreted by award-winning costume designers. Through 43 period costumes, created by and borrowed from the London costume house of Cosprop Ltd., CUT! takes an in-depth look at the art of making costumes that set the scene and establish authenticity in period films. The films represented in the exhibition depict five centuries of history, drama, comedy, fantasy, and adventure through period costumes worn by such famous film stars as Johnny Depp, Daniel Craig, Kate Winslet, Sandra Bullock, Uma Thurman, Angelica Huston and many others. In all, more than 30 actors will be represented from 27 films, including Sherlock Holmes, Academy Award winner The Duchess, and favorites Pirates of the Caribbean, Sense and Sensibility, and The Phantom of the Opera.

Since 1986, when the Academy Award for Costume Design was awarded to a Cosprop designer for A Room With A View, the company has supplied costumes for 24 nominated films. In 2008, three of the five Oscar nominees included Cosprop designs. In 2009, the Academy Award for Costume Design was awarded for The Duchess, the highest accolade for a designer and the costumers. Like their period prototypes, these opulent costumes are crafted of sumptuous fabrics and decorated with intricate embroidery and lace. This beautiful exhibition will allow you to get close to the stories portrayed on screen and to appreciate the fine details that often can only fleetingly be viewed on the screen."

 

American Pickers Guide to Picking

Picking is like a treasure hunt for collectible junk and picking for a living isn't for wimps. That's the message that I got out of the fun and fascinating book American Pickers Guide to Picking by Libby Callaway. The book chronicles the adventures of the stars of the TV show American Pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz  in their quest to aquire valuable items among a sea of junk and reluctant sellers. As the book makes clear, picking does not have the same elegant gloss of collecting fancy antiques. The book is filled with tales of rummaging through old barns, basements and other unglamourous locations.

What keeps these dedicated and enthusiastic pickers going is the thrill of the hunt and their genuine interest in meeting new and interesting people. Mike and Frank come across as two likable guys with a strong sense of ethics that serves them well in the business of buying and reselling collectible junk, such as old signs, vintage motorcycles, old oil cans and too many other items to mention here. In addition to telling stories of some of the interesting people this picking team has met in there many miles on the road, the book is packed with lots of practical advice on how to be a picker, where to look for great finds, how to interact with people successfully and the importance of persistance. I'm too much of a diva to change to a career that involves a lot of knocking on a stranger's door and rummaging through dirty barns full of rusty junk, but I still enjoyed learning about the life of a professional picker.

Remodeled Gives an Insider Look at Modeling

The difference between the new TV show Remodeled and the TV show Americas Next Top Model is that Remodeled is actually about the modeling business! While Americas Next Top Model features a bunch of contrived challenges and cat fights to create the usual reality show manufactured and melodramatic drama, Remodeled offers a real look at the modeling business from a man who is not only a legend in the business, but also a legend in his own mind judging by his attitude. 

Modeling industry veteran Paul Fisher is working to bring together hundreds of small modeling agencies from around the world as part of his new venture called The Network. In order to achieve this goal and give the major New York modeling agencies a run for their money (literally) Paul has to overhaul the smaller underperforming agencies one at a time.

Dealing with issues ranging from getting models to sign exclusive contracts to following models on go sees with runway casting directors may not sound like riveting entertainment, but it is! I love this show. Paul's assistant Joseph dresses like an aspiring goth and wears more eye makeup than the models. While Paul offers drama and keen business insights, Joseph offers comic relief by making snarky comments

Simply Cheap and Easy Entertaining Ideas

Unlike Martha Stewart, my idea for entertaining do NOT involve a hiring so many cooks and food servers that the staff outnumber the guests. The point of getting together socially with friends and family is to relax and have fun, why make it complicated? Keep things simple and affordable with a "Simple Pleasures Party".  As the name suggests, you will not be whipping up a lavish banquet big enough to feed a small third world country or hiring a professional magician to entertain. Keeping things simple not only reduces stress on the host, it cuts down on costs as well.

For entertainment, keep things simple by offering games and activities that are easy to pick up on quickly. This Jeweled Vintage Couture 550-Piece Fashion Puzzle - A Magestic Train Ride for $9.99 is the perfect activity for a small gathering because it's an ongoing project. If a guest shows up a little late they can still participate without interrupting the flow of activity.

After playing the game Monopoly I unofficially renamed the game MONOTONY for how long and tedious it is. A faster, cheaper and a lot more fun game choice is the Uno Card Game. This game has enough strategy to keep things interesting but it's still simple enough to learn that guests can pick up on it right away. It's also short enough to appeal to short attention spans.

 

 

Now that the entertainment is taken care of, it's time to eat! Forget about serving soda pop. Unless you are holding your party at the local Walmart you will be able to stock everyone's favorite fizzy drink, there are simply too many options. Instead of soda, serve something easy like flavored tea. Buy a few blended flavored teas, like this Good Earth Organic Green Tea, Mango, Peach and Pineapple 18-Count Tea Bags. With so much flavor going on you won't have to worry about extras like sugar and honey. For snacks serve cheap filling food like a can of deluxe mixed nuts (not cheap) mixed into a bowl with a bag of pretzels (super cheap). A bag of cheddar popcorn, seasoned chips or goodies from the bakery section of your local Walmart or Target are also great munchies.

Tune In and Chill Out with Great Holiday Music

I wish Santa would deliver some decent Christmas music to the local radio stations. So many perfectly good holiday songs are ruined by singers with weak voices better suited to predictable pop tunes. If you are looking for great holiday music your best bet is to buy it. On amazon.com you can preview samples of the music before buying it.

Josh Groban is one pop star that is clearly not getting by on good looks alone. He has the kind of soaring voice and beautiful range that brings the holiday classics to life in a way that is simply uplifting. His Noel by Josh Groban CD is sure to become a Christmas classic.

The song Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer! serves as an important reminder that listening to "fun" holiday songs can get pretty irritating pretty fast. To ensure that you won't have the lyrics to Frosty the Snowman stuck in your head through the New Year, add some instrumental holiday music to your play list.  Mannheim Steamroller is famous for putting a contemporary twist on the holiday classics. Their best selling Christmas by Mannheim Steamroller CD is worth a listen.

If you're feeling nostalgic for classic holiday tunes such as White Christmas sung by Bing Crosby or The Christmas Song sung by Nat "King" Cole then Christmas All-Time Greatest, Vol. 01 is worth a listen. This compilation CD includes songs ranging from the serious (I'll Be Home for Christmas sung by Glen Campbell) to the silly (Little Saint Nick sung by the Beach Boys).

Holiday Movies Provide Cheap Entertainment

Unless you party with the funnest people on the planet, after a while holiday gatherings can feel like a never ending marathon of small talk and big calorie desserts. To keep things fresh and interesting, interrupt the chatfest and play a crowd pleasing holiday movie. There is a holiday movie for just about any crowd. Here are a few of my favorites.

Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas DVD for $14.99 is a holiday classic for many reasons. It's short enough to appeal to the short attention span crowd (kids and internet junkies who will simply DIE if they have to wait longer than an hour to check their email/Facebook page). It's strikes the perfect balance between sweetness, whimsy and humor which appeals anyone who is a kid at heart. The story and animation are simply entertaining, even after all these years.

 

What I love about A Christmas Story is that the story is told from 9 year old Ralphie Parker's point of view.  This delightful holiday gem tells is set in the 1940's and tells the story of Ralphie's efforts to obtain the ultimate Christmas present, a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-Shot, Range Model Air Rifle, in spite of the fact that every adult that he tells warns him he'll shoot his eye out. Meanwhile The Old Man just got a strange award (a lamp shaped like a woman's leg), Ralphie's not too bright friend gets his tongue stuck to a flag pole, and Ralphie accidentally blurts out the f-word in front of his father. 

 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a delightful low brow goofball comedy with Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and family. Clark and his wife are all prepared for a nice Christmas with the kids when their home is invaded by backwoods cousin Eddie and his brood, along with other wacky and/or stuffy relatives. Complications and chaos including over the top holiday lighting, a crazed squirel and even crazier characters create plenty of situations to laugh about.

 

Watch Your Favorites Shows for Free and Cut the Cable

I have saved thousands of dollars over the years by simply not having cable TV, ever! I refuse to pay top dollar to watch the few shows that I am really interested in watching. If I want to see a certain show I just wait for it to come out on DVD and I just buy the DVD for that one show.  Now there are even cheaper ways to indulge in must see TV without spending money on cable or DVDs.  You can watch TV programs for free at hulu.com and tv.com or sign up for a cheap service  like Netflix. Being the cheap couch potato that I am, I'm more likely to use the free services than Netflix, but if you watch a lot of movies as well as regular TV shows, Netflix is worth checking out.

 

Princess Diana Exhibit is a Royal Treat

Princess Diana is described as a "glamourous humanitarian" by her brother in the wonderful exhibit celebrating her life .  The Diana, a celebration display at Union Station in downtown Kansas, does an excellent job of striking a balance between her image as a elegant style icon, her personal history and the reality of her volunteer efforts.  She ultimately comes across as a person, not just a fashion plate. The Diana, a celebration, exhibit gets off to a stunning start with a sparkling tiara as one of the first exhibit pieces.  The intimate exhibit includes highlights from home movies, some of her childhood momentos such a personal letters and portraits, and moves on to a room showcasing her wedding dress on a mannequin while a video clip of the wedding plays on a nearby screen.  The most important stop for us style addicts is the fashion room containing over 2o of the outfits she wore to glamourous events, as well as more humble outfits appropriately worn for her humanitarian efforts.  To make the event even more fun, attend glamourous exhibit with some gal pals like I did then do lunch at a nearby restaurant. Diana, a celebration is the perfect destination for a leisurely girlfriend get together.   

Enjoy Cheap Thrills with Free Attractions and Roadside Oddities

The seductive siren song of summer calls even the most budget conscious babe to get out there and have some fun while the sun shines.  So how do you enjoy more adventures without spending a lot more money? 

An easy way to save cash is to get creative and look for free or cheap attractions near you to reduce on travel costs.  If you're so broke you can't even afford to pay attention, check out free-attractions.com. This handy web site lists free attractions, such as museums, concerts, parks, etc. by state and by city making it easy to find attractions right in your own back yard.  A terrific web site for oddball roadside attractions is roadsideamerica.com. Roadsideamerica.com features the kind of attractions, such as bowling ball house, big coffee pots, two story outhouses and the world's largest lava lamp, that aren't likely to show up on traditional tourist web sites.  Now that you have lots of cheap inspiration, it's time to get out there and have some fun!

Shark Tank is Back with a Real Bite

Want to see dreams crushed and major money deals made in minutes?  Then tune into Shark Tank on ABC.  In tonight's episode of Shark Tanks on ABC, one of the rich investors or "Sharks" as they are called, tells an aspiring entreprenuer who presented a bacon cooking system that turns on autmatically that he was going to add it to his museum of "stupid things that kill people".  It's this kind of brutal honesty, as well as the insightful business advice, why didn't I think of that? great products being presented and Sharks competing and undermining each other when a potentially profitable product comes along that makes this such an entertaining show.  The back biting on other reality shows get repetitive pretty fast (I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard the phrase "I'm not here to make friends" on a reality show).  Shark Tank manages to be full of suprises, like offering one entrepreneur 4 million dollars on the spot to buy his company outright!

Reduce Stress Cheaply through Meditation

For years I have been helping money savvy Diva's like you avoid financial stress by teaching you how to spend smarter. Now I want to help you reduce your emotional stress as well, using one of the cheapest forms of stress relief there is, meditation.  I organized a meditation workshop that teaches you how to  relax your mind and body.  I hope you can join us for the Relaxation through Meditation workshop led by local wellness expert Katie Van Ommeren on March 30, at 6:00 pm.  

In this workshop you will learn how to reduce stress naturally through the art of meditation.

The workshop is designed to take the mystery out of meditation by explaining what meditation is and how to do it to enjoy the best results.

Katie Van Ommeren shares variety of meditations, including walking meditations, meditative visualizations, and short meditations for when you don't have time for a long meditation.

The meditation workshop includes a guided meditation that will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.  Worksheets are provided with meditation instructions and positive affirmations that you can take home so you can continue to enjoy the benefits of meditation long after the workshop is over.

The meditation workshop takes place at Unity Church at 10300 Antioch, Overland Park, KS 66212 in the Harmony room in the lower lever.  Seating is limited and you must have a ticket to attend.  If you are paying at the door be sure to reserve tickets for the event through relaxationthroughmeditation.eventbrite.com.  Thank you.

Buy tickets for this event before March 27 and receive 10% off a copy of the latest book by lifestyle expert Stephanie Ann The Cheap Diva's Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style and Have Fun for Less Money! when you buy a copy at the event.

The Cheap Diva's Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style, and Have Fun for Less Money!  Available as a paperback and an ebook.

Show Yourself some Love this Valentine's Day

I love Valentines Day, I just hate the propaganda generated by retailers who generally ignore platonic expressions of love.  Instead they repeatedly bombard shoppers with the message that Valentines Day is for Romantics only and if you don't have someone in your life buying you cheap lingerie and cute teddy bears then you are a total loser and you should hide out in bed all day until Valentines Day passes or Prince Charming shows up on a white horse, whichever comes first. 

This Valentines Day instead of waiting for a romantic partner (who may not be that romantic or may not even exist) to show their love through high calorie candies, show yourself some love by pampering yourself and/or expressing your innermost passions.   Pampering can be as cheap and easy as visiting a local beauty school that does facials and massages.  Check out beautyschoolsdirectory.com to find a fabulous school near you.  Think about what you are passionate about, and then start thinking of ways to get in touch with that passion.  Love music but hate buying CD's or downloads, click on over to Pandora Radio and listen for free. Pandora not only lets you listen for free it will find new music similar to the tunes you love based on melody, instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, lyrics etc. so you discover even more music to love.  If you love the great outdoors, head out to a local park for a scenic walk or call your local gym to see if they have a rock climging wall.  Love art?  Check the web site for your local museum to see if they offer any free day or special discounts.  No matter what you do this Valentine's Day, do it with love!

Fun New Year Resolutions

This year I am skipping all the predictable New Years resolutions to lose weight, get organized and win the lottery, and replacing them with one simple resolution.  This year I am going to have more fun! 

The Cheap Diva's Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style and Have Fun for Less Money!.

Nothing banishes boredom like learning something new and interesting.  UMKC Communiversity offers cheap classes on everything from self hypnosis to Salsa dancing, Beer Appreciation 101 and a whole lot more.  I'm looking forward to meeting adventurous students and terrific teachers the new year.

As part of my resolution to have more fun, I'm going to spend a less time dealing with (junk/spam) email and more time face to face with fun people.  Between the local entertainment magazine I pick up at the library or coffee shops, the events section in the community paper and event/entertainment web sites I'm sure I can find lots of cheap ways to entertain myself and my gal pals.  If all else fails, a movie night at home or window shopping at the more upscale boutiques is always cheap entertainment.  I hope you all enjoy a fun and fabulous New Year!

 

 

Local Lighting Diplays offer Free Entertainment

If you've reached the "I'm so broke I can't afford to pay attention" stage of the holidays I have some good news.   You can entertain your family and friends for free by enjoying some of the local lighting displays.  Leisurely driving by dazzling lighting displays is such a popular holiday tradition that the local Sun Publications newspaper created a List of Local Lighting Displays .  Creating your own "holiday lights tour"  is a fabulous way to take a break from the holiday choas without breaking the bank.  So gas up the mom mobile and get ready for an "enlightening" experience!

Do it for Less this Holiday Season

A huge party doesn't have to come with a huge price tag.  The book “Do it for Less Parties” by Denise Vivaldo promotes itself as “The how-to cookbook and guide to catering your own party for 12 to 75 guests without breaking the bank.” I was impressed by the way the book not only lives up to the promises on the cover, it’s also packed with the kind of practical advice that is useful long after the party is over. Light on pictures and heavy on the fundamentals of food selection, storage and preparation, this book is more than a glorified recipe book. It is a valuable resource for anyone organizing a party. When I say anyone I speak as someone with no cooking talent whatsoever, as any guest who has ever attempted to choke down my cooking will attest to. Some of the food suggestions, such as buying tart shell and letting guests fill it with various fruits, nutella and nuts, or her fast hors d’oeurves are perfect for us less than perfect cooks. For those of you whose ambition goes as far as creating a whole meal, there are recipes coordinated around specific party themes such as authentic toscana. For convenience, recipes are broken down by ingredients you can buy weeks before or just a day or two before the party.

Vivaldo’s years of experience as a caterer are apparent in the way she lays out sensible strategies for such often overlooked issues as how exactly to lay out a buffet, seating diagrams and guides, hiring wait staff and kitchen help, calculating how much alcohol and food will be needed for different functions and choosing and maintaining good equipment. With few glossy pictures, this is clearly not a coffee table book. No, this book definitely belongs in the kitchens of savvy hostesses everywhere.

Happy Holiday Tunes

With perky to the point of annoying tunes like Frosty the Snowman being played in the shopping malls and the radio about a million too many times, it's easy to forget that listening to holiday music can be a pleasant experience. 

Celebrate Christmas with classic holiday tunes by one of the most famous crooners of all time Frank Sinatra.  Frank Sinatra The Christmas Collection embraces traditional holiday tunes with flair.

 

 

 

Keep holiday gatherings feeling festive by alternating holiday songs with instrumental CDs.  The Mannheim Steamroller Christmas is pleasant instrumental holiday music that won't put your guests to sleep.   As an added bonus, because it's instrumental you don't have to worry about guests who have had a bit too much egg nog trying to sing (badly) along to the lyrics.

Save Money on Food for Holiday Entertaining

  Spending a fortune on holiday food can put anyone in a Grinch like mood.  To keep your holiday spirits high and your credit card bills low, start planning now so you can save later.

Spirit of the Season Collection $7.99 to $34.99.

One of the easiest ways to save money is to request that your guests bring food.  Themes for bring your own food parties include cookie exchanges where everyone brings at least a dozen cookies to share, a wine tasting party where everyone brings a bottle of wine to sample and share, to a sentimental journey theme where guests are encouraged to make a dish from a favorite family recipe or buy a dish that reminds them of happy holiday memories.   The only food you need to supply is whatever is missing, such as coffee, tea and hot cocoa to wash down all those yummy cookies! 

 

Nate Berkus has an Eye for Bargains

If like me you love decorating shows but are too cheap to pay for cable, fear not.  You can invite Oprah's favorite interior designer Nate Berkus into your home via his TV show The Nate Berkus Show.  Check your local listings.  The entertaining show offers stylish inspiration and practical information on a variety of topics including the occassional fashion feature.  The Nate Berkus show embraces the concept of spending smarter and offers us Cheap Diva's with more style than cash plenty of stylish solutions on a variety of topics.  Some of the topics covered in his shows so far include how to reduce your energy bill, spending less on food, decorating with affordable vintage and salvaged items and using black and white fabric from thrift store clothes to create pillows.

Nate proves that he is more than a pretty face with a flair for decor.   While other perky to the point of annoying TV hosts sometimes come across as trying too hard, Nate brings a refreshing sincerity to his role as host.  He engages his guests in an upbeat friendly manner without upstaging them.  His guests run the gamut from celebrities to lifestyle experts to ordinary folks like you and me who could use some professional help.  The Nate Berkus Show features so many great ideas and useful resources that instead of reaching for my remote, I feel like I should be reaching for a pen and paper to take notes.   

 

Save Money on Your Next Movie Night

For a little more than the cost of admission at a local theater you can buy a blockbuster movie at a budget price.  Whether your embrace fabulously shallow and stylish flicks like Sex in the City 2 or prefer to dive into deeper themes with Eat, Pray Love, a movie night in the comfort of your own home offers the perfect cheap entertainment. 

To buy movies for less money, avoid stores like Walmart and Target which sell hot titles at higher prices than you find elsewhere.  If you have the patience, you can wait for your local Blockbuster store to sell used copies of your coveted movie for less than a new one would cost.  Ebay is also a super source for buying movies at below retail prices.  Amazon.com is another budget friendly option, since independent sellers often sell DVDs for less than the Amazon retail price.  I have shopped at used DVD/CD stores and found them surprisingly expensive, so I skip them altogether.

Typical munchies for movie nights are pretty cheap to begin with.  Popcorn, candy and anything else with enough sugar and fat to tantalize the taste buds should please your audience.  To make things even cheaper, you can encourage guests to bring plenty of their own favorite snack or beverage to share.  This saves money and eliminates the need to stock 101 different sodas so the person who wants the diet/sugar free/caffeine free/cherry/limeade/Coke won't die of thirst because you don't have her favorite beverage and she refuses to drink anything else.

Free Movie Passes are a Real Crowd Pleaser

Have you ever watched a movie on the BIG screen only to later regret the 2 hours of your life you wasted on the seriously awful flick, not to mention spending too much money for too little entertainment?  Well good news, when you get your hands out of that popcorn bucket long enough to grab some free movie passes you won't have to spend good money on bad movies!  You may still spend time watching movies that should have never made it onto the big screen (or any screen for that matter), but at least you won't be wasting money.  Local newspapers and local entertainment magazines are great places to find free movie passes.  Just be quick about it, or all the movie passes will be snapped up by frugal movie lovers looking for a cheap thrill.

For you tech savvy types who do everything (except watch movies) online, Filmmetro.com is a great source for free movie passes.  The only catch with using Filmmetro.com is that they ask for a lot of personal information to sign up, such as your first and last name and birth date.  If you don't like giving out a lot of personal information, try using just the first initial of your last name instead of providing them with your entire last name.  For businesses like this that ask for an email address, I give them the same Google email address that I use for this blog, since that is public information.  I reserve my personal email address for a select group of personal and professional contacts that I know won't bombard me with promotional emails.

Have and Eventful Summer

 Looking for some cheap thrills this summer?  Then check out eventful.com .  The list of entertaining local diversions at Eventful.com includes concerts, conferences, festivals, art, family friendly entertainment, literary events, nightlife, outdoor recreation, sports and theatre/comedy.  When the summer heat starts to rise, along with your air conditioning bill, enjoy the free air conditioning and a blockbuster summer   movie at one of the theaters listed on eventful.com. 

If your favorite entertainer is ignoring your your fair city/suburb (how dare they!) and isn't scheduled to perform locally anytime soon, you can show them what an obsessed fan you really are by using the Demand it! and demanding that they visit your neck of the woods.  However you chose to use eventful.com, you are guaranteed to have one eventful summer!

Hot Prices on Sunny Outdoor Style

Overpriced designer beach towels might look great in glossy magazines, but they don't look so great on my credit card bill.  I like my summer style to be both frugal and fun.

Nothing hits the spot on balmy summer days like something cool and creamy, and I'm NOT talking about diet soda!  This yummy Ice Cream Keeper for $14.00 keeps ice cream cool for up to 90 minutes so you can enjoy ice cream in it's natural state and not have to slurp melted ice cream which frankly isn't as much fun.

I'm all for traveling light in the summertime, but there are a few items such as sunscreen, sunglasses and a really trashy novel that  are essential to my poolside/backyard leisure.  This Boca Chaise Organizer for $9.99 keeps these essentials close by leaving your hands free for sipping margaritas while reading that trashy novel.

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I have no idea how this Franklin Golf Toss Combo for $29.99 works, but it sure looks like a lot of fun!

Just for Her Expo offers a Cheap Fashion Fix

One of the cheapest ways to shop and be entertained is to attend a major women's expo, like the Just for Her Expo going on this weekend.  Organizers of these events know that it takes more than just a room full of vendors  hawking everything from plastic jewelry to plastic surgery to get women through the door.  Larger expos offer a variety of entertainment and perks to turn what could simply be a shopping marathon into a girlfriend get together type of event.  For example, the Just for Her Expo has a fashion show tonight and live demonstrations tomorrow.  Some women's expo organizers are smart enough to figure out that women whose kids are whining loudly and begging to leave will spend less time and money at the expo, so they include family friendly activities to keep the kids occupied and the mom spending.  Or you can leave the kids at home and turn a trip to the women's expo into a girlfriend get together for all your fashionable friends.

To find women's expos in your area, read local magazines, entertainment web sites or newspapers.  Major expo's geared towards women are often held on convention centers, so checking out the web sites for local convention centers is another way to find out whats going on.

Shopping Events Give Local Malls a Run for Their Money

Where can you get a cute handbag and a cute haircut under the same roof?  At the local salon of course.  I just came back from an event at a local salon called Cutting Loose that hosted a customer appreciation night where vendors selling everything from jewelry to candles to handbags and more set up tables alongside shampoo stations and hair stylist chairs.  Customers munching on free food and wine provided by the salon were allowed to leisurely wander through the salon from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM to chat with vendors and hopefully buy something besides a bang trim and highlights.

Salons are just one of the many businesses trying to get more customers through the door by hosting what I call girlfriend get together events.  Local bars and restaurants are wining and dining female customers by hosting ladies nights that include everything from quickie manicures, to fashion presentations, to pampering shoulder massages that are performed with the customers fully clothed.  To entice budget conscious babes, these products and services are often offered at a reduced price.  The good news is that as more businesses host these types of events it will become easier and cheaper to find fun and fashionable things to do with your friends.  The bad news is that these types of events aren't always well publicized so you might have to do some serious hunting to find out what's going on where.  Signing up for email notifications from your favorite businesses, frequenting their web sites and checking out their events section, reading the events section of local newspapers, web sites and blogs or simply asking around for entertaining ideas are all great ways to stay up to date on the latest trends in fashionable girlfriend get togethers.

Tour Luxury Homes for Free with the Spring Homes Tour

Officially the purpose of the annual Spring Homes Tour in Kansas and Missouri is to allow potential buyers to tour a variety of homes.  Unofficially it gives people like me who posses more style than cash, a chance to leisurely wander through some very large and very luxurious homes and imagine what it would be like living in them. 

Frankly I'm not convinced I would be happier living in a multilevel, multi room multi everything mansion.  The idea of living in a house so large I would need a map to find my way from the bedroom to the kitchen sounds more like a daily workout than living a life of leisure.  What appeals to me about the Spring Homes Tour is that the more expensive houses are decorated by professional designers.  Walking through a decorated million dollar mansion is like walking into a glossy design magazine.  The suprising thing is that for all the money and sophisticated taste that goes into these homes, I always come away with some sort of style inspiration that I can apply to my more humble abode.  A free homes tour is a lot of fun.  I encourage anyone who loves home decor to check out the local homes tour and take note of any design ideas that help you create the  home into the home of your dreams in your own home.  

Enjoy Cheap Thrills with a Card Sharks Party

Hosting a game night is a cheap and easy way to entertain, but if bunko is getting boring or you just want to try something new, try a Card Sharks party.  Depending on how many people attend, you will need anywhere from one to three decks of playing cards.  Research fast and easy to play games like 21 (also known as blackjack), Go Fish, UNO (which requires a special UNO deck of playing cards) and poker. 

To evoke a beachy surfs up sort of mood, light Yankee Ocean Water scented candles, play some seaside appropriate music, such as the Beach Boys, and use a beach towel as a tablecloth. 

Reward your winning winning players (otherwise known as Card Sharks) with cheap prizes, like Shark Gummy Candies from Oriental Trading Company.  For cheap snacks that won't take a bite out of your budget, take inspiration from the seaside and buy goldfish crackers, saltwater taffy, or simply serve chips and dip. 

When the party is supposed to be wrapping up, but some of your guests appear to be attached to their chairs like a barnacle on a ship, play the theme music from Jaws.  That should clear the room!

Eleven Minutes Fashion Documentary Isn't Worth the Time

I'll watch just about anything if it's about fashion and it's on film.  The Eleven Minutes documentary featuring Project Runway designer Jay McCarroll is the first fashion documentary that I have ever seen that was rated R for language.  Jay McCarroll's use of foul language and tasteless jokes about body excrement take up so much time in Eleven Minutes, that if they were edited out the documentary would probably last a little over 11 minutes. 

Even if you are a big Jay McCarroll fan from watching him on Project Runway, you might not like Eleven Minutes.  With Project Runway you get brief highlights that emphasize his enthusiasm and wit and highly original style.  With Eleven Minutes you get a more subdued Jay McCarroll with a lot less humor and a lot more swearing with a little fashion sprinkled throughout.  In order for a documentary to work the star of the documentary needs to have an engaging or dynamic personality.  In Eleven Minutes Jay McCarroll sews for hours on end and stresses out over the various obstacles that threaten to derail his show and yet we never get a real sense of his passion and drive.  At one point he says he likes fashion.  Seriously?  He couldn't come up with a more intense or interesting way of expressing his thoughts on fashion than to say "I like fashion"?

In spite of many obstacles the fashion show does happen, but it's not a great hit with buyers.  I suspect Eleven Minutes will follow suit and not be a hit either.  If you want to watch an entertaining fashion documentary starring a passionate designer see Unzipped starring Izaaz Mizrahi.  Eleven Minutes is not worth one minute of your time or money.