Harry Potter and the Half-Price Tickets
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theatres tonight at 12:01 am. If you'd love to go, but don't want to fork over $8.50 (or more) for a seat, I've got a great suggestion for you: head to a drive-in theatre.
At my local drive-in, adults are $6, kid ages 5-12 are $3 and kids 4 and under are free. So, that's $15 if my family watches Harry Potter at the drive-in or $30 if we watch it at the theatre. Would you like to guess where we'll be?
Share Your Thoughts
Do you plan to watch the new Harry Potter movie? Tell us what you're doing to keep the cost down.
Kids Eat Free
Planning to take your family out to eat this week? Then, you may want to check out one of the many restaurants with a kids-eat-free promotion.
Donna Montaldo, our Guide to Coupons/Bargains has put together a list of national chains where kids eat free. Check it out:
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Do You Use Rain Barrels?
As the rain pours down outside, I am reminded once again that I could be collecting rain water, if only I had a few rain barrels.
Looks like it's time to double up on my savings efforts, so I can get those barrels off of my wish list and into my yard.
Photo © Flickr user dane_brian
Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
Salad makes a great cheap and healthy meal – especially when you grow your own ingredients. Whip up a different salad dressing each time, and you'll never tire of eating it.
Here are several dressing recipes to try (I'm partial to the Buttermilk Dill, minus the garlic powder):
Do you have a special dressing that you like to make? Please share the recipe.
Photo © Flickr user LDHNY
Featured Reader: Lynn, CO
Name:
Lynn from Colorado
Your Favorite Source for Bargains:
Yard sales
Your Best Bargain of All Time:
A vintage pair of jeans from the 50's in great condition that I purchased for 5O cents and resold for $5OO.
Repair It and Save
Repairing your broken belongings is a great way to save money – especially if you do the repair work yourself. Why not grab a tool box and put your fix-it skills to the test?
What have you repaired recently? Share your "I-Fixed-It" story.
Photo © Flickr user geishaboy500
Save Money with Sweepstakes
The recession has caused a lot of people to give up vacations, trips to the movies and meals out. If you're sorely missing your bit of fun, sweepstakes could be a way to bring it back.
Set aside some time each day to enter contests (30 minutes should do it), and you may just score some fun money, movie tickets or even that much-needed vacation.
Sandra Grauschopf, our Guide to Contest & Sweepstakes, has the advice that you need to get started:
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Cold Food and Drink Recipes
Hot kitchens are great in the winter, but miserable in the summer. Work more cold meals into your menu, and you'll be rewarded with a cooler kitchen, a cooler you and a smaller utility bill. Score!
Related Reading:
Photo © flickr user House_of_Sims
Featured Reader: Rachel, WA
Name:
Rachel from Washington
Your Favorite Source for Bargains:
Grocery Outlet has awesome prices on fancy cosmetics and organic shampoos and toiletries. When the season is right the farmers market is a cool place to get fresh organic produce while supporting the local economy.
Your Best Bargain of All Time:
Anything free! Someone's trash could be my treasure.
Frugal Summer Grilling
Have you gotten your grill out yet? If not, the Fourth of July weekend is the perfect time to do it. Keep your grilling costs down with these frugal recipes:
Meat Seasonings and Tenderizers
Make Your Own Marinade
Homemade Meat Tenderizer
Top 10 Barbeque Sauce Recipes
Top 10 Rub Recipes
Buns
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Homemade Hot Dog Buns
Condiment Recipes
Homemade Steak Sauce
Tomato Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Desserts
Ice Cream Recipes
Popsicle Recipes
Photo © Flickr user giffconstable