How I Save 80% on Salon Services

About 10 years ago I used to get my hair colored and cut at an upscale salon or day spa. I'd bounce around from place to place, eventually getting tired of each location for some reason or another, one of which was high prices. There was one Fancy Salon where a haircut with an entry-level cosmetologist was $35, and color with highlights were $135.  Without tip that totaled $170! And once that cosmetologist became more experienced they could charge even more for their services!

One day, a new beauty school opened near me. While not as luxe as a Fancy Salon, it was pretty nice and had a "salon feel" to it. Turns out prices are a quarter of what the the salon charges! A haircut was $18 and color service was $25 - that's $43 compared to $170. The only "price" for this cost savings is Time. Students take longer than a skilled professional. I usually allow for twice the normal amount of time. But everything is monitored and approved by a teacher so you do end up with quality results! I highly recommend Beauty Schools if you are looking to save money on your salon needs!

But let's see if we can reduce this cost any further:
I noticed that this school offered a special on gift cards during the holidays - for every $50 in gift cards purchased, you would get a $10 bonus gift card. So I started thinking: I calculated the number of haircuts and color services I would get in a average year, and calculated that cost. Then I purchased that approximate amount in gift cards. Let's say I color my hair every 6 weeks and cut it every 12 weeks. That would mean about 9 color services a year and 4 haircuts. So here is the math:

9 color @ $25 = $225
4 haircuts @$18 = $72
total for year = $297

I could buy $250 in gift cards, get $50 in bonus cards, and have $300 in gift cards to fund my hair needs for the year. That's a 20% savings right there! Now my $43 service is only costing $34 - that's 80% less than I was spending before!

So give beauty schools a try! Or look into gift card specials at your favorite salon. You can have the same fancy service at a much lower price. Now that's FUNTASTIC!

Back from a Cheap Vacation!

I realize yesterday I hadn't been posting lately - that's because I was on a cheap vacation! Here's what happened:
Last Sunday I needed to drive my Collage Daughter and Another Kid back to college in Iowa after their spring break. She made a deal with Another Kid that if his parents could do one of the trips, I would do the other.
Since I am still currently in Job Search, I decided there was no hurry to come home - what a perfect opportunity for a getaway! My daughter lives in an semi-off-campus apartment with 2 other roommates. They have a 4th bedroom that was unused, so I brought my pillow and sleeping bag and it's free "hotel" room for me!!
Add that College Daughter actually prefers home cooking to eating out! I only had to buy $22 worth of groceries to supplement her well-stocked pantry along with some goodies I brought from home. One day we split one of those $8 lunches you can get at Starbucks, and another day I spent $2 at a Taco Bell while getting my oil changed.  Otherwise, that $32 covered all of our meals for both of us for 3 days - and left College Daughter with plenty of food for the rest of the semester.
While College Daughter was at classes, I ran errands or just relaxed at her apartment. I even took the time to give myself a manicure and pedicure! When she was home we cooked yummy meals (such as cabbage rolls and homemade pizza), strolled through the local mall, visited the college's horses (they have an agricultural college!), and decorated her apartment with cute things I bought at the Dollar Tree for $10. One day we toured the college's botanic gardens. It was $8 for me. College Daughter gets in for free with student ID.
All in all, my little 3 day, 3 night getaway cost me about $50... and a few college t-shirts.

What are your "Cheap Vacation" ideas?

Sunday Share: Free Help for Sleepless Nights

I often have trouble falling asleep at night. My mind spins over the events of the day, or worries about what is to come. I've tried playing music, nature sounds, white sounds. I've even played the TV all night - and while I like dozing off to the sounds of the shows, the light of the TV bothers me terribly! One day, while browsing through Google Play, I stumbled upon the Sleep With Me Podcasts. I love them! They remind me of late night talk radio, with their soothing tones and stories that are just interesting enough to take my mind off of what I am thinking about, but progressively gets duller and duller until I am literally bored to sleep!
You can find his podcasts in all sorts of places, including but not limited to iTunes, Google Play Music, Facebook, YouTube, or his website.
What helps you to sleep at night?

Frugal Fun at the Green Living Fair!

Through my local township newsletter, I found out that there was a Green Living fair! There were more than 40 exhibits there, from local environmental groups to youth groups. As I walked in I was given a "passport" of all the exhibitors. Getting my passport stamped from each exhibit made me eligible for a raffle. There were so many interesting exhibits, such as clean eating, energy conservation techniques, composting, and even an exhibit dedicated to all the things around your home that you can use to clean up after your dog other than plastic shopping bags! One person made shopping bags by sewing the bottom of tank tops - how clever!

Thinking about it, Frugal Fun can lend itself into Green Living, such as enjoying a walk or a bike ride instead of driving the car. What frugal things do you enjoy that also lessens the impact on our planet?

More Ways to Take Free Yoga Classes!

Yesterday I talked about how I found a free monthly community yoga class in a nearby yoga studio. Another way that I like to access free yoga is through the many programs available via YouTube. One of my favorites is Sara Beth Yoga. But what inspired me to make yoga a daily part of my life was her Month of Yoga - 30 Day Challenge. Every day included a short video - just a couple minutes - that set an intention for the day. Then we had a yoga practice video.  At first the yoga practices were just 10 minutes or so - and believe me, those 10 minutes lasted forever for me! But as the month went on, I looked forward to each day's practice. Eventually we built up to 30 minute practices - but now the time just flies by! What are your favorite yoga channels on YouTube?

Come to a Free Yoga class and Namaste a While!

I love how the Avani Yoga and Agni Yoga Studios at Sky Fitness gives back to the community by providing a free restorative yoga class each month!! Tonight's class was simply rejuvenating! The studios are so lovely and provides everything I can think of possibly wanting to make your practice comfy, such as mats, bolsters, straps, blocks, and blankets. This is a picture of one of the free community yoga classes at Avani - I'm in the light pink shirt in the far right. 

The Agni side of the yoga studio is a hot yoga side. They once offered a free 4 week trial of a hot yoga sculpt class. It was so much fun to do yoga to 70's and 80's classic rock - it took my mind off of the fact I was sweating profusely in the 90 - 95 degree heated room!

I noticed that other health clubs near where I live also occasionally offer classes free to the public. Check out their newsletters and fan pages. Anything funtastic going on at your local health club or park district?

Another frugal way to get spa services!

Yesterday I talked about how I used hoarded gift cards to get myself a free massage.  You might be thinking to yourself "Well, that's fine for you, but I don't have any such gift cards laying around - what do I do?" While driving though town I discovered that my local community college teaches massage therapy and offers a massage clinic every week.  For $30 you can get a 50 minute massage.  In addition, seniors, veterans, and students of the community college are eligible for a $10 discount. We're talking $20 for a 50 minute massage! What a steal! Click here for more information. Enjoy!

Birthday Extravaganza Continues - Free Spa Services!

A week ago I was going through some papers in my house and discovered that I had not one, but two gift certificates for Heavenly Massage! Since I am on the email list for Heavenly Massage I also discovered that there was a coupon which greatly reduced the cost of an 90 minute aromatherapy massage! Since I never pony up for an extended massage like this, I thought this would be another frugally fun way to celebrate my birthday. The massage therapist was excellent and I partook in the complimentary private steam room and shower afterwards. My soul felt so much better after this sumptuous spa day. When the cashier checked my gift cards, I discovered that one was from last year and the other was four years old! Yikes! I felt sad and a little embarrassed! These friends and family members gave me these to enjoy - not hoard! What had I been saving these for?  It's like having fine china and never using it. I not only had enough on the gift cards to pay for my luxurious service, I put the rest on a new gift card - which I vow to use soon!

What gift cards are you sitting on? Go gather them up and plan a free funtastic day for yourself! And while you are at it, break out that fine china - even if it's just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Sunday Share: Cheap Chai!

I love Chai! Well, actually Masala Chai. The word "Chai" itself means tea. I'm talking about that delicious Indian spiced tea-based beverage that is popular. And since a cup of Chai in a coffeehouse can be upwards of $5, this frugal gal likes to make her own Chai Spice Mix (Masala). It's very easy!  Here is how I make it:

Ingredients
4 tsp ground cardamom
4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground all spice
2 tsp ground ginger

After mixing all this in a bowl, I like to pour it all into an empty spice shaker, like this one.

To make a cup of Masala Chai, simply add an 1/8 to a 1/4 tsp of this spice mix to a cup of hot tea, along wih a little honey and a slash of milk.

This link was my inspiration for the recipe:
http://www.thisfoxkitchen.com/recipe-handcrafted-chai-spice-mix-and-confessions-of-a-davidstea-fanatic/

Enjoy!

Breakfast is served...and free!

When you are registered at Dunkin Donuts you get a free beverage for your birthday. I decided to use this opportunity to try their fancy-pants macchiato. Wow, that was really tasty! Then I went over to Panera and got my free bagel of the day. Today's selection was cinnamon raisin. That's a $6 breakfast for free!

Shaking Up My Job Search So I Can Work Off All These Free Bagels

A couple days ago, after enjoying my free-daily-bagel-for-the-month-of-March from Panera, I attended a free workshop at the Lake Villa Public Library titled "Shake Up Your Job Search". It was targeted for people in job search for more than 2 months. I was not disappointed in learning a few new things, because as we all know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting (or hoping for!) a different result. I learned about this event because I am now on a distribution list from another career workshop I attended earlier this year at a different library.

Yesterday, I decided to go back to Panera to cash in on more freebies that I had: a free bakery treat and another free daily bagel every day for the month of March also loaded on my loyalty card. So for the price of a $3.60 latte I had lovely breakfast that I enjoyed fireside.

This morning, on my way back from running an errand, I saw the Panera again.  As long as I am passing by I may as well pick up another free bagel!

Birthday Extravaganza!

Yesterday I talked about how you can get lots of freebies when it's your birthday. Today I decided to cash in on some of that good stuff!  I started at Starbucks, where I had a free reward for my birthday, and a stars reward. I tried out that new Cascara Latte and a chicken and artichoke sandwich. And the barista told me that "the cookie jumped on my plate because it was my birthday". What an extra special treat! She also told me that I saved $12 on my breakfast!

After a leisurely breakfast I headed to the mall. First stop was Victoria's Secret, who gives out a $10 gift card for your birthday. When the salesperson greeted me I asked what were the specials of the day. Among other things was that the full-sized $25 bottles of fragrance mist were on sale for...guess what? $10! So my gift card made that free!

Next stop was Sephora where you get a free gift during the month of your birthday. I had my choice of either a blush/lipstick or serum/moisturizer. I went with the later. And using Caudali's full-sized bottles as a guide, I estimate the value of my gift to be $30!

After that I went to Bath and Body Works.  I recently received a coupon for 1 free "fun sized" product. I chose a yummy smelling lavender and honey scented lotion. Just look at all this stuff!

And I would have left the mall.....

but then I remembered that I previously cashed in some of my credit card points and now possessed a $25 gift card for JCPenney. Would you believe I found a cute crochet cotton $40 sweater marked down to only $5! That's a steal, even without the gift card! And I still have $20 left on the card!



Oh, but we are not done yet!  Next I went to the grocery store. Jewel loads a freebie or two almost every week, This week it was for a full-sized box of cereal and a container of yogurt.  I also had 2 coupons for free protein shakes. (You can get some for yourself at the link here) When I arrived at the store I found out that they were all out of the cereal they intended to give away, so they were substituting Lucky Charms. Eh, why not? So I walked out with $9.25 of free groceries.

Final stop: Panera.  You get a free bakery treat during the monthy of your birthday.  And for some reason I also have a have-a-free-bagel-everyday-during-March thing on my card.  So I now have a blueberry bagel for tomorrow morning, and a slice of my favorite - cinnamon crunch cake - YUM!!!

In review of my day:
$12 - Starbucks
$10 - Victoria's Secret
  $5 - Bath and Body Works
$30 - Sephora
$40 - JCPenney
  $9 - Jewel
  $4 - Panera
------------------------
$110 - total value! All free!!!!

I'm there's still More To Come!

Sunday Share - Birthday Edition!

There are lots of stuff you can get for free when it's your birthday! I didn't chase after any today but I sure do plan on getting some free goodies in the few days! Stay tuned!

If you do a search on "birthday freebies" you will find all sorts of blogs and articles that list them out for you.

I liked this list of Birthday Freebies

Enjoy!

Community College Complimentary Cinema!

Last night I saw a movie - for free! Not exactly in a theater, though. A few days ago I looked into the free events that the nearby community college offered and found out that they are currently having an international film series. Once a month they show a highly acclaimed international film, and then have a discussion on it afterwards. Last night the move was The Lobster. I was pleasantly surprised that they showed it in an auditorium with a large movie screen. It actually felt like I was in a movie theater. The movie itself was very surreal, and the acting is very flat - much like Napoleon Dynamite. Hey, I was just happy that it didn't have subtitles! The movie was actually pretty good and it tickled me that apparently these film series are "A Thing" and most of the people seemed to know each other and greeted each other - that was cool! After the movie about half the people left before the discussion began. I stuck around because I had a feeling the real entertainment was about to start!

Not that I am against cerebral discussions but after a while I figured all these intellectuals needed to keep it real, so my contribution was that I found it humorous that the title was The Lobster, because to me it referenced Phoebe Buffay (from the show Friends) who declared that Lobsters mated for life, and just as Rachael discovered that Ross was Her Lobster, so too did David find his Lobster.

The professor wasn't too amused - he claimed he "didn't watch sitcoms during the 90s". But I did get a "hey...yeah!" from a woman in front of me with the light of recognition in her eyes. 

I continue to be amazed at all the wonderful things in the world you can do for free! Check out your local community college!

Meditating at the Library

First off, let me tell you that I am a library junkie. I LOVE the public library - any public library. And the public library is a goldmine of fun, free things to do! I've been looking at not only my own public library but the others in the nearby towns to see what they had to offer.





Today I went to the Round Lake Public Library where there was a free Guided Mediation. It was lovely, with music, frankincense and lavender essential oils, a singing bowl, and a crystal light! I learned some great nuggets of information, such as

A) Allow your
B) Breath to
C) Calm and Center you

and that serving others can help you to get out out of a blue funk.

And I learned that the library holds this event every month on the first Wednesday of the month! I am definitely going back!