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Blogs I Enjoy
- A Frugal Living Blog - A Frugal Living Blog by a Frugal Guy – Trying to stretch his pennies a bit further.
- A Penny Closer - Finding The Change To Get There.
- Be Thrifty Like Us - Blog dedicated to helping you spend your money wisely.
- Being Frugal.net - Blog by a stay-at-home mom working hard to get out of debt.
- Brip Blap - A blog about life, family, career, and personal finance.
- Frugal Parenting - Where Personal Finance Meets Family Values.
- Hey It’s Free - Freebies, Free Stuff, Free Samples.
- Homemaker Barbi - A Frugal Mom helps you run your home & care for your family efficiently while spending less!
- Lords of the Manor - Ramblings of the semi-lucid.
- Mrs. Micah - Finance For A Freelance Life.
- My Good Cents
- Paid Twice - The trials and tribulations of getting out of debt…and someday beyond.
- Pursuing Simplicity - A Christian Mom in pursuit of a more simplified life in all areas body, mind, spirit, finances, and health.
- Sense to Save - Here, you’ll find common sense and not-so-common sense on ways you can save money.
- Stop The Ride! - Living simply and frugally. Reducing debt by using online earning opportunities.
- Thrifty and Creative - Learn To Be Thrifty in Creative Ways.
Festival of Frugality #101 – Highway To Frugal Living Edition
Growing up in central California, my frugal Dad and Mom would always take my sister and I on summer vacations up and down Highway 101, which stretches 1,540 miles from Olympia, Washington, all the way to the East Los Angeles Freeway Interchange in southern California. Since this is the 101st edition of the Festival of Frugality, I thought it would be fun to tour scenic Highway 101 while I bring you this week’s entries. Thank you to all that submitted, I really had fun going through the entries and checking them out, some great reading here. It continues to amaze me how many great frugal living bloggers are on the Internet. I am very proud to host this week and I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving shared with loved ones and large amounts of gravy!
Editor’s Picks
- Have the Courage to have the Christmas You Can Afford by Jennifer Derrick @ Saving Advice.com Like Jennifer, I have also heard people say, “I’m so afraid of Christmas. I don’t know how we’re going to afford it.” Jennifer’s advice, “Have the Christmas you can afford.” and stay out of debt because of it!
- Force Yourself To Save! 15 Painless Ways To Pay Yourself First by Silicon Valley Blogger @ The Digerati Life Some nifty tricks that will force yourself to save money every month. For me, being frugal is all about keeping as much money every month without having to constantly think about how much money I need to save to meet my goals. I don’t have the time or the energy, so I love the automatic savings tips in this post.
- 8 Holiday Shopping Tips from The Baglady @ The Baglady Some great tips to avoid the credit card debt blues this Christmas. My favorite: ‘Spend Money You Have’, and ‘Research Prices Before You Head Out’, great advice!
- Is Frugal Living the New Trend? And How Our Paper Missed the Mark by Lynnae @ Being Frugal.net. Lynnae talks about the trend that is picking up steam for those interested in frugal living. I am all for pushing this new trend as well!
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How To Sell on eBay by Suzanne @ Adventures In Daily Living. As a big ebay seller myself, I think this is one of the more detailed articles on using ebay as a selling tool that I have read. eBay is a great way to add some supplemental income. Well done, Suzanne.
Tour Stop #1 - Starting at the northern most stretch of Highway 101, the picture below is from the beautiful Olympic National Park just west of Seattle, WA. Highway 101 actually circles the entire outskirts of the park.
Frugal Travel Tips & Advice
- Budget Analysis: NY Times’ “Frugal Traveler” by poetloverrebelspy @ Less Than a Shoestring. Sometimes the so called “experts” would do themselves some good by checking out real blogs written by real people. This post is one such example. Well done.
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Traveling to France on less than $200 per day for Two by Christine @ Me, My Kid and Life. Solid travel tips if you are planning a trip to France.
Tour Stop #2 - Further to the south on Highway 101, along the Oregon coastline, this picture was taken just south of Astoria, OR. Fond memories along this coastline!
Enjoy Life Through Frugal Living
- Simple Habits That Lead To Wealth by Thomas @ Wealth Building World. Pay yourself first and delay your gratification are two of the major habits Thomas has developed on his road to creating wealth.
- FREE Land & Handsome Living Allowances! @ FIRE Finance. Check out free land in Kansas and North Dakota and some great living allowances in Alaska. If you telecommute like me, this could be quite the adventure!
- 8 Unique Ways to Save Money @ Broke Grad Student. I love lists and this one is great. My favorite: Buy Cheaper Underwear. Oh man, but the silky ones make me feel like royalty!
- Get Over Yourself, Buy Used @ Philby’s Finance. I totally agree that buying used books, and some media, is the way to go. You can really save quite a bit of money.
- Frugal Friday: Little Bits of Savings Add Up by Laura @ OpinionMom. I simple tip about axing the vending maching snack…you could end up $7,200 richer. I like how you think Laura!
- Discount Postage Stamps by Madison @ My Dollar Plan. Now you have no excuse to ever pay full price when you buys your postage stamps!
- Inexpensive Fall Activities With Our Three Year Old @ My Wealth Builder. With a three year old girl myself, I can attest that these are good tips for hours of free fun. One of our favorites this time of year is packing up some hot chocolate and driving around looking at the Christmas lights and decorations. Some people go ‘Clark Griswald’ in my town! It is pretty cool.
- 20 Ways To Save Money At The Library by Annette @ Frugal Journey. The library is a fabulous resource for saving money. It’s full of free information, entertainment, and programs that would otherwise cost big bucks if you had to pay for them yourself.
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Frugal Bridal Shower @ The Good Life On A Budget. She went to a swanky bridal shower and bought her gifts on a budget. All about going back for the price adjustment with a coupon, well done!
Tour Stop #3 - Further to the south on 101, now in northern California is the beautiful town of Trinidad. This picture is taken of Trinidad Harbor. Fortunately, the weather was not frightful when this pic was taken!
The Weather Outside is Frightful….
- Winterizing the House – Not Pretty But It’s Free by paidtwice @ Paid Twice.com. Interesting post about finding ways to keep your home warmer this winter without spending a lot of money, or actually in this case, ZERO money!
- Save a Bundle on Your Energy Bills, Part 1: Upgrade Your Equipment @ Free Money Finance. Practical post detailing how new heating and cooling equipment could end up saving you money in the long run by increasing efficiency.
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Winterizing Simply @ InnStyle Montana – Come on Inn!. Some great tips on how to keep not only your body warm this winter but also your home. Plus, a great looking Chicken Soup recipe thrown in for free, sure beats my Campbells just add water stuff!
Tour Stop #4 – Ever drive through a tree? Well you can pull off Highway 101 near Leggett, CA, and do just that! This redwood tree is called the Chandelier Tree and stands 315 feet tall.
Around The House, Closet, and Kitchen
- Cheap Healthy Good’s Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Equipment by Kris @ Cheap Healthy Good. Tips to help stock your kitchen with the essentials without breaking the bank.
- Clothes on the Cheap @ Gather Little By Little . This post follows the “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy. Some great tips on finding high quality clothes without breaking the bank.
- 6 Myths about CFL’s by Leroy @ Llama Money. Never knew much about CFL light bulbs. It appears they can really cut back on your energy costs and save you money.
- Lessons from My Wardrobe by Louise @ My Journey to Eliminate Debt. Louise explains how cutting back on her wardrobe expenses was a very liberating experience!
- Poor Man’s Cloche by Melanie @ Bean-Sprouts. Very cool way to make something yourself and save money in the process! Never heard of a Cloche before…..but I am a guy so what can I say. Hope the sourdough bread came out yummy!
- Some things are just worth the cost by Emily @ Remodeling This Life. Emily explains how sometimes being frugal means spending a little money…and she is tired of wearing wet clothes all winter!
- Frugal Cleaning by Stephanie @ Unclaimed Money. Stephanie gives some great tips on how to clean your house and get ready for those Holiday get-togethers. None of which will break the bank!
- Pay For Professionals Or D-I-Y? by Melissa @ A Penny Closer. Melissa ponders the question, “Do we pay someone to do the work or do we try to do it ourselves?” She then breaks down different labor needs for her new house. Interesting read.
Yummy Food & Drinks….and Not Expensive
- Entertainment Book Frugal Tip… @ Living Almost Large. When you do eat out of the house, you might as well have a coupon for the restaurant.
- The Backlash Against Bottled Water by Terry @ Savvy Frugality. People seem to be wising up that bottled water is total rip-off, nice post.
Tour Stop #5 – Just off Highway 101 in central California is Pismo Beach. My parents would take us camping here a lot when I was little. I always thought it was a cool beach because you could actually drive your car out on the beach. I remember my Dad would go clamming and cook up some of his famous clam chowder!
Frugal Shopping Tips & Gift Ideas
- To Gift or Not to Gift: Frugal Gift-Giving Strategies @ Five Cent Nickel.com. Excellent tips on setting limits on gift giving and other gifting alternatives.
- Shop-Analysis: Getting a Grip on Consumerism by Betsy @ Money Changes Things. Some easy to institute tips to avoid the consumerism bug. This article is very timely with the holiday shopping season right around the corner.
- They’re Out to Sabotage My Plan by Stephanie @ Stop the Ride! Stephanie says don’t buy the hype retailers are dishing out this Christmas. Stephanie, I feel your pain, we got the same “Wish List” from the store in question and it is all my kids are talking about.
- When you finish your Christmas shopping and are ready to ship your packages to family and friends, check out Shipping On A Budget by Kimberely @ My Good Cents.net I agree with her, if you can find free shipping when shopping online this is your best way to avoid shipping charges this Christmas.
- Make $$ – Shop via UPromise @ What Works For Us. Good tip about shopping with Upromise to help with child’s college fund.
- In Never Never Land by Robert @ Anything But Taxes. Never, Never use your debit card to make an online purchase. Robert details why in this post. Interesting post.
Ladies and Gentlemen…Rev Your Engines (& Pedals)
- Why You Should Buy a Used Car by Patrick @ Cash Money Life. Post goes into detail why buying a used car is the frugal way to go. You can save a lot of money, and deal with less depreciation over the life of the car.
- Saving Money Through Cyclingby Tejvan @ Cycling Info. How cycling can help save you significant money in transportation costs. Not to mention it is great exercise!
- Sleeping with Money: Buying New Cars by Paula @ Queer Cents.com. The ins and outs of negotiating the best deal on a new car purchase. A big part of being frugal is being prepared when making a big purchase.
- How To Save Money When You Take the Subway To Work by Raymond @ Money Blue Book. Good tips. I wish we had a better transportation system where I live. With gas at $3.35 a gallon here, it seems to be a no brainer to take the subway if you can.
- Have Your Car Fixed For Free @ The Happy Rock. A good tip on how to find out if your car has any recalls or complaints on it.
Tour Stop #6 – I have fond memories of stopping in Buellton, just north of Santa Barbara, CA on Highway 101 and going to Andersen’s for some of the best split pea soup ever! If you are ever in the area, you have to stop.
Budgeting and Financial Management
- Budget: How Bare Boned Can it Get?by BigDreams @ Big Dreams and Small Change . I like this one! BigDreams does a hypothetical financial analysis if she were to cut out EVERYTHING possible. This is a good technique to help you figure out where your money is going every month.
- One Major Flaw In Lowering My Credit Card Rate @ Free From Broke. Good advice on knowing exactly what is going on with your credit cards, what seems to good to be true often is.
- Pay Day is Not Every Day But Today and Here is My Frugal Way @ Money Ning. An easy to use frugal tip that is a twist on the old adage, “pay yourself first”. Post also speaks to the psychological impact of your money, or the lack thereof.
- When Ends Won’t Meet: Cutting Housing Costs @ There But For The Grace of God. Some great tips on the correct way of going about lowering your housing costs. Very detailed post, well done.
- Renters Unite! An Interesting Call For Action @ Millionaire Mommy Next Door. The debate over renting vs. buying a house rages on. This one has a comment by Tony Danza though! I thought he stayed rent free when he was the house cleaner in ‘Who’s The Boss?’ But in all seriousness, there are some very interesting opinions in this post. Check it out.
Tour Stop #7 - Finally, here is a picture of where Highway 101 starts in Los Angeles. Um, I think I will stay up here in northern California where the air cannot be seen. If you do have plans to visit L.A. in the near future, don’t forget to pack a gas mask.
Frugality as a Side Effect
- Going Without Prescription Coverage: A Self-Discovery by Amy @ Mom Advice.com. Thanks Amy for your personal story. This is a must read if you are considering homeopathic remedies.
- Frugal Flower: Carnations @ Chief Family Officer. Why is it the perfect frugal flower? Well, I guess you will just have to read CFO’s post to find out!
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Great job hosting – I love the theme!
Thanks for including my article.
Thanks for including me! Your hard work reading all the posts is duly noted.
I especially enjoyed the posts on cutting housing costs and “Lessons from my Wardrobe.” And who’da thunk you could save money on postage stamps? That’s amazing.
Thanks for hosting and including my article. I love the theme! I’ve been wanting to visit northern California. Thanks for the pics!
Kyle-
Thanks for including me and helping to launch my new blog ANYTHING BUT TAXES!
It appears that I am in good company in this Carnival – lots of good entries!
Thanks again!
Thanks for hosting & including my article! I want to head out to the west coast and drive through that tree now.
Interesting carnival – I really like the photos.
Mike
Thanks for hosting and featuring my post as an editor’s pick!
I love the way you put this together. I grew up in central California, too, and I think I’ve been to every stop on this tour. And now I’m craving soup from “Pea Soup Anderson’s”. It’s been years….Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Thanks for hosting, Kyle! I loved the scenic tour.
Nice job Kyle! Lots of reading. Glad to be included – thanks!
Thanks for hosting. Great pictures!
I got the receipt for my submission, but my entry wasn’t included…
@ Supermom, Sorry, but I did not include your submission because it was essentially a sales pitch with an affiliate link attached. Add a little more content that might be related to frugal living and I am sure you will have a good chance of being included next time!
Thanks for hosting! Great festival this week!
http://savvyfrugality.blogspot.com/2007/11/festival-of-frugality-101.html
Thanks for hosting. I’ve linked back to the carnival at:
http://millionairemommynextdoor.blogspot.com/2007/11/recommended-reading.html
(sorry for the delay – I’ve been sick…)
I’m blogging about my experience doing just this! Check out my blog to add your tidbits/advice/etc at http://shauna26.wordpress.com. After all, we need all the help we can get!