Frugal Tips
Free Photo Books Every Month
Do you have a ton of photos living online on Facebook, Flickr, your blog and a ton of photo sharing sites? Sharing it online is great, but sometimes its nice to have a physical photo to pass around at party. Wouldn’t it be great if you can print it for free?
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Some of you may have signed up to photo sites because they had a “deal” that gave you free photo prints or other photo goodies. Today I wanted to share my latest discovery, HotPrints. How would you like to get photo books printed for FREE, one every month! The best part, if you live in the US, UK or Canada, shipping is free too!
I have not tried the service yet, but will be signing up and giving it a go! If you are on Facebook, you may have seen them already. Their primary product is HotBook, which is the free product. This sounds too good to be true right? How do they make money? Well, they sell advertisements, so you will see some ads in your free HotBook. Is it worth it? I think so, but I leave that judgement up to you. Have a question about their product? They’re on Twitter too!
Have you tried HotPrints? If you have I’d love to hear what you think of their product.
Recommended Book: The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
Love Reading? Get the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
Are You Getting A Tax Refund?
Are you expecting a tax refund this year? The average tax refund is $2700 this year.
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If you are getting a refund of $2700 or more, perhaps you should adjust your W4 withholdings for 2010 and keep more of your hard earned money. Instead of giving Uncle Sam an interest free loan, you could be giving yourself $50 more a week. Just make changes to your W4 and you are on your way to a self provided raise! You can use the IRS’s W4 withholding calculator to do this.
There are reasons to withhold a bit more. If you under pay Uncle Sam, you’ll be charged interest and perhaps even a penalty. If you are making estimated quarterly taxes because you are an independent contractor or in similar situations, then perhaps you should withhold a little more so you don’t get penalized next year.
So tell us, are you getting or expecting a refund this year?
Recommended Book: The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
Love Reading? Get the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
Thunder Ridge Ski Resort
We’ve had a good amount of snow this winter in NYC. Some of you have gone skiing and some may have even taken advantage of the snowfall and went cross country skiing in the streets! If you have never tried skiing or are just a beginner, like myself, you will love this deal. No car necessary!
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Thunder Ridge Ski is just 70 miles north of the city in Patterson, New York. Thunder Ridge Ski Area’s scenic slopes are perfect for all levels of skiers and snowboarders, from beginner to expert. There are slow and gentle trails, which I would be on, as well as advanced trails to challenge the adventurous!
You can find a great package from the Metro North One Day Getaway. The Day package includes: Discount round-trip rail fare, all-day/all-night lift ticket, shuttle to/from the train station to the ski area and a $5 discount on rental equipment. If you have kids, this is an even better deal.
Cost:
From Grand Central Terminal or Harlem-125th Street: adults, $51.50; seniors, $35; children 12, $39.50; children 6-11, $19.50; children age 5, $6.50; children under 5, $5. Save an additional 5 percent on rail fare when you purchase this package through WebTicket.
To get there:
Take the Harlem Line to to Patterson Station where a shuttle bus meets designated a.m. trains to take you to the ski area. Later in the day (or the following day for “Ski and Stay” package), a shuttle bus will return you to Patterson Station to meet designated p.m. trains returning to Grand Central Terminal. Check here for an ITINERARY.
I’m thinking of doing the Metro North Package. Have you been to Thunder Ridge? Did you enjoy your time there? Did you use the Metro North Package? Please share your experience with us in the comments.
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
Use Free Social Media Rather Than Paid Advertising to Promote Your Business
Starting a Business? Here are some frugal tips from Guest Blogger, Phyllis Zimbler Miller on how to get the word out!!
Do you watch the commercials on television or do you skip over them if you have pre-recorded the show? If you do watch the commercials, do you rush to buy the product advertised or do you feel that the message is just being pushed at you and you’re not buying it?
Traditional advertisers spend a fortune on TV, print, radio, direct mail, Yellow Pages, and other forms of paid advertising. Yet, thanks to the popularity and opportunities on the Internet, you no longer have to spend money to get out the word about your products.
And what’s more, you can target getting out the word to a much better defined product niche – people who might really want what you have on offer – instead of using the often scattershot approach of paid advertising.
What do I mean by free social media? Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogging, and other free social networking sites that enable you to connect with potential customers/clients.
Of course, there is no such thing as a totally free lunch. Promoting your products or services on the Internet does require formulating a strategy, and implementing that strategy does take time and effort. Yet the beauty is that you can a) target your markets where they “live” on the Internet and b) utilize social media in a strategy that has people interacting with you.
How does this work? Let’s suppose that I sell non-allergic skin care products for women. As part of my Internet promotion plan, I can join women’s online forums and participate in the online conversations.
One such site I personally belong to is www.BoomerWomenSpeak.com (yes, I’m from the Baby Boomer generation). Skin care is probably a significant concern of this age group.
If, in our imaginary scenario, I interact with other women on this site. They get to know, like and trust me thanks to the quality information that I share. Now they will probably be much more likely to buy my products than to buy skin care products advertised on television.
Then I can take this strategy and replicate it on other online communities. I do have to be willing to share free information – perhaps I write a blog on skin care in general – and to not always focus on promoting my products.
The terrific flip side of this strategy is that I can learn a great deal of useful information from others while participating in social media. I might even get ideas for a new product thanks to comments I read.
One of the reasons having an online promotion strategy is so important is that there’s only so much time in the day. Thus it is a good idea to figure out where your “online promotion time” can be best spent.
In my own opinion Twitter is the most powerful social media platform at this time. Part of the reason for this is because of the openness of Twitter – no waiting for someone to accept your friend request as on Facebook or your connection request as on LinkedIn. Another part of the reason is the limit of 140 characters in any tweet (status update).
I love being able to say something worthwhile in such a small amount of space. And I also love not having to open emails to read messages.
If you haven’t yet joined Twitter, or if you are on Twitter yet realize you aren’t getting the most bang for your buck, get my free report “How to Become a Twitter Marketing Expert” at http://millermosaicllc.com/free-twitter-report
And then follow me on Twitter – I’m @ZimblerMiller.
___
Phyllis Zimbler Miller has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the Internet marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing. She is a National Internet Business Examiner at http://www.InternetBizBlogger.com and writes the blog http://www.TwitterAndYourWebsite.com
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9 Books To Bring You Closer To Success
Do you read a lot of books? What about books on success and productivity? I admit I read more than I should when it comes to these topics. I should be putting some of the concepts into practice. Had I put all of the lessons learned in these books into practice, I’m sure I would be more successful at what I do. So like many of you, I’m still learning and doing what I can to apply the lessons I learn.
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Here are the books. I’ve arranged the nine books in a tic-tac-toe format, or the Brady Bunch format if you prefer. Aren’t you glad I still remember how to do tables in HTML? These books used to be on my sidebar, I decided to do some cleaning up and so I’m putting them on this post.
These are all great books. At the moment, my favorite book from the above list is The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
If you love reading, you might want to get the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
What about you? Have you read any of the books from the above list? What is your favorite? Do you have other books you would like to suggest?
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
12 Free Ebook Download And Search Sites
With the Advent of the Apple iPad, the ebooks market is getting more crowded. The Amazon Kindle has remained the leader up until now. Sony, Barnes & Noble among many others will be upgrading or joining this joyride. Buying the device can cost you a bit of pocket change, luckily ebooks are cheaper than the paper alternatives. An even better option is to find FREE ebooks.
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To help you find more FREE ebooks than you can read in a lifetime, I’ve put together a list of sites that either host the books themselves or helps you search for the books. Project Gutenberg is probably the most widely known. Most of you have also heard about Google digitizing books. Below you will find links to these and more.
- pdfgeni.com
- scribd.com
- Project Gutenberg
- Manybooks
- Feedbooks
- Books In My Phone
- Queens Library
- NYPL
- Online Computer Books
- Free Tech Books
- Free Computer Books
- Google Books
What sites do you use to download or find Ebooks?
Recommended Book: The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
Love Reading? Get the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
Frugal Tip #1: Cook Extra and Learn to Love Leftovers
About a year or so ago my friend M asked me for a list of frugal tips for busy people. I’ve thought and thought about this topic and I must say that I’ve found in nearly impossible to jot down my ideas on the matter. The fact is that frugality can take quite a lot of time.
Most of my yearly savings comes from reading the sales circulars, clipping coupons and making more than 90% of our meals at home. It also comes from planning in advance and being prepared. After all, nothing is worse than heading out on vacation only to realize you forgot your toothpaste, toothbrush or bathing suit. Failing to plan well in advance will always cost you more money. You’re bound to pay inflated prices as you run out to the nearest convenience store, drug store or mall.
I can’t provide tips for busy folks who don’t eat at home, but for those who do I have a few suggestions. First, learn to love leftover night and whenever you cook at home, cook extra. If you make a pot of chili, make it an extra large pot. If you saute chicken add a few more breasts to the pan or put another pan on the burner and make two meals at the same time.
If you’re using the oven, try to bake multiple dishes at once. This saves on time and electricity. Last night I made lasagna on the oven’s top shelf and baked, diced, red potatoes for tomorrow night’s side.
My husband and I eat leftovers at least one night a week and sometimes two or three times. I tend to cook extra on Sunday nights so we’ll have a quick and easy heat-up on Monday. We typically add the leftover chicken to pasta, serve it over rice with a few extra seasonings or turn it into tacos. If you make chili or soup, (chicken tortilla is my favorite), plan to eat it every other night. After all most of us aren’t fans of eating leftovers two to three days in a row.
The key is to have something on hand that you can heat up in a matter of minutes. It’ll take you a lot longer to order and pick up food than it will to preheat a pan and throw in last night’s dinner. If you can’t imagine eating the same thing night after night cut up the extra chicken and fold it into a chicken wrap or toss it on top of your lunchtime salad. It’s a great way to diversify your daily brown bag and will cost much less than going out to eat.
Rather than thinking of leftover night as a dreadful event begin to look forward to it. I used to hate the idea of eating the same thing twice, but once we started cooking more delicious meals I really began to enjoy it. I actually think some meals taste better the second night, particularly those with thick sauces like spaghetti.
If you’re already in the kitchen you might as well spend a few minutes preparing extra food. By having tomorrow night’s dinner at your fingertips you won’t find yourself asking what’s for dinner, you won’t need to run out at the last minute for additional ingredients, and you won’t be tempted to drive to a restaurant or pick up fast food. By planning ahead and cooking extra you’ll save yourself time and money. I save at least 45 to 60 minutes a week by doubling meal preparation and planning for leftovers.
2010 Winter Restaurant Week Kicks Off
Restaurant Week kicks off on Monday January 25, 2010 in NYC. Due to it’s popularity and the Great Recession, it is once again 2 weeks, from January 25th to February 7th. There are some new additions this year.
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This year, there are 260 restaurants participating. Some new additions include dell’anima, SD26 and Breslin Bar & Dining Room (in the Ace hotel). In addition, there is a new Restaurant Week Truck making rounds across the city serving soups from 24 of the participating restaurants. The truck will run week days only from 11 am to 2 pm January 25th - February 5. To find out where the truck is you can check nycgo.com or via twitter
Prices for three-course lunches are $24.07 and dinners are $35. So those of us who have been saving up and eating out less, pick a good restaurant and try it while the prices are low!
Make reservations early, as the best restaurants fill up fast! Bon Appétit!
Recommended Books:
- 2010 New York City Restaurants (ZAGAT Restaurant Guides)
- Not for Tourists 2010 Guide to New York City (Not for Tourists Guidebook)
- Frommer’s NYC Free & Dirt Cheap (Frommer’s Free & Dirt Cheap)
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
Upcoming Free Events & Winner of Business Card Giveaway
The winner of the Business Card Giveaway is Jessica! Congratulations Jessica.
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I know many of you read FrugalNYC for the freebies in NYC, so here are a number of them for this week!
- January 19, 2010 11 am to 3 pm - Wave Hill - Winter Workspace Drop-in Program: Spinning & Knitting Wool. OK, so you’re not into spinning or knitting? Wave Hill is still a great place to visit. Admission free on Tuesdays and Saturdays until noon.
- January 21, 2010 from 12 noon to 1 pm - Catch Cast members from the Broadway show Memphis, at The Pond
- January 21, 2010 at 8:30 pm - Michael Arenella and His Hot Eight at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
Hope you enjoy these events.
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
Five Free and Frugal Things To Do This Weekend
Happy Friday everyone. Looking for something free or frugal to do this weekend? Here are five things you may want to check out.
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- Go to Dylan’s Candy Bar, if you have a sweet tooth, this will be your favorite destination. It is quite different from most candy stores.
- Visit Grand Central and check out the Transit Museum’s 8th annual Holiday Train Show! It is available until 1/18/09.
- While you are at Grand Central, check out the whispering gallery of Grand Central Terminal. Read more about it at NewYorkology.
- If you like tech and gadgets, go visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab. This is where I’ll be heading to this weekend. You’ll enjoy a couple hours of fun for FREE.
- Take the Roosevelt Island Tram. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of the East river that you can’t get any other way. It costs the same as a subway ride.
What low cost activities can you suggest for this weekend?
Today is the final day to enter the Business Cards Giveaway.
Recommended Books:
- The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
- Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone.
- Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing: No-Nonsense Rules from the Ultimate Contrarian and Small Business Guru
For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.
