Posts Tagged ‘Fantabulously Frugal Friday’

Fantabulously Frugal Friday: Postabon

by Lisa on May 7th, 2010

Fantabulously Frugal Friday

Laura, from one of my favorite sites, 89th and Broke {a NYC-based deal blog} clued me in to this fab website which is primarily based in NYC right now.  I was happy to see that when I signed up for an account there were a *few* deals based out of Chicago.  Hopefully that will expand soon… maybe I should add some!

Postabon

Postabon is a community for deal finders {and deal posters}.  If you know of a discount happening then you can log into your account and post it so that others can share in your find.  Or, if you’re not so much into the sharing, you can just log on and see what spectacular deals you can find in your neighborhood.

You can earn something called Karma points for posting deals or voting on deals that you like.  While good karma could possibly be enough of a reward, Laura supplied the following karma details.  “Each week, users who earn the most Karma points receive cool prizes – this week 35 Postabon users will receive two free comedy tickets.”  Exclusive events and activities just for posting on a deal site?  Sign me up.  {Is it cheating if I post deals from Fantabulously Frugal on Postabon?  Hmmm.}

The deals you’ll find at Postabon include traditional dining deals, but also shopping deals, spa deals, music deals, and even parking deals.  You can search for a deal by keyword, such as “Applebee’s,” or by the zip code you’re in and how far you’re willing to travel.

What I like about Postabon is that you can save deals to your account for easy reference.  I know that I need all of the help I can get remembering anything anymore, so being able to log in and see what I’ve deemed worthy of saving is a wonderful feature.

Definitely check out Postabon if you’re in the New York City area.  Heck, sign up even if you’re not in the area.  You can sign up to receive weekly emails of deals that are in your area, so as soon as there are deals you will start receiving notifications.  Or… be a real trendsetter and start earning karma by posting deals for your location.  You know what they say – you can never have enough karma. :)

Fantabulously Frugal Friday: Live Solid

by Lisa on March 5th, 2010

Live Solid Logo

I’ve known about Live Solid for quite a while now, and I’m sorry I haven’t mentioned the Live Solid initiative on this site before now.  While this site is certainly all about shopping, I hope that in a small way it is also about being budget-conscious, which is where Live Solid fits into the equation.

The Live Solid movement was started by Sun Trust Bank last year.  Believe me when I say that you’d never know the website and Facebook page have any affiliation with a bank.  The site is not preachy and they never ask you to join Sun Trust, nor really make any mention of the bank.

What Live Solid does do is ask that we all get our “priorities straight and our finances in order.”  Why?  Because at that point “life is freer and more gratifying.”  LiveSolid.com and the Live Solid Facebook Page are full of tips toward accomplishing each of those goals.

At LiveSolid.com you’ll find sections devoted to eco-friendly weddings, planning a vacation, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and many other important topics.  The information that’s presented is interesting, relevant, and not even remotely preachy.  It is good advice, plain and simple.  Also, the topics are presented in varying formats; for example, you’ll find articles, videos, and audio files.

The Live Solid Facebook Page is very interactive, with frequent tips, questions, and polls.  I’m a fan of the page and get excited when I see something new has been posted as the little tidbits of wisdom often make me think.  Here are a couple of my favorites that have been posted recently, and which demonstrate the various topics that are presented for thought and discussion:

Live Solid Tip of the Day: Make a list of 25 things you like about yourself, and tape it inside your planner or on your bathroom mirror or fridge. Read it whenever you need a boost.

Live Solid Tip of the Day: Set aside 10 minutes every hour to answer e-mail, so you aren’t a slave to the ding on your computer when you get a new message. You’ll get more done and be more efficient.

Live Solid Tip of the Day: Go out with friends who have kids and split the cost of a sitter. If you pay the sitter $15 an hour instead of $10 – he or she will earn more, but you’ll still pay less.

Live Solid Tip of the Day: Did you know that AAA will compare local gasoline pricesfor you? Find the cheapest gas station and save 10 cents per gallon!Visit www.AAA.com and type in your ZIP code.

The Facebook Page also features contests, and various useful applications.  One of my favorite applications is the Daily Dollar.  The way Daily Dollar works is that you input a specific amount of money that you’d like to start saving per day.  I told the system that I’d like to start saving $1 per day.  A bunch of suggestions popped up and I chose the one that I thought I could possibly accomplish – Make Coffee.  {As in, stop going to Starbucks every morning.}  The program then told me that if I started making my own coffee every morning I wouldn’t save just $1 per day – I would save $3!  There are lots of other helpful hints for ways to save money, such as replacing the soles on a pair of shoes instead of buying a new pair, and planning meals from the pantry.

I love Live Solid because even though I could possibly be described as a shop-a-holic, I think Live Solid helps give a little bit of perspective.  I like that all of the tips are small things that can be easily completed.  And hey – saving money on little things like gas means more money for bargain shopping. ;)