Festival of Frugality

This week's Festival of Frugality is up over at The MomAdvice blog.

$.05 Highway robbery...

This is a cautionary tale, folks. I went to the movies this weekend and I was robbed!

Normally, I go to the cheap theater that plays second-run movies a few months after their initial release. I can have a date where my total cost for two tickets, popcorn and a drink is $10.

Well, my gf wanted to see Santa Clause 3 during the holiday season. So, I had some extra money and decided to do something special for her. I am very vague on the actual prices of things, but I must have spent almost $50 for tickets and (here it comes) condiments! At least now the serving sizes match up with the price, bit I would rather pay a dollar for a mini cup (small?) than $3.50 for a medium that is twice the size of McDonald's Supersize!

My only saving grace was that I used my student ID and saved $4 bucks (whoopdy freakin do) and we snuck into another movie (granted, the condiments that we bought for that movie were the same price as the tickets, but still).

So, as a result of this, I have two tips and, as such, this will go in the coin jar:

1. Keep your old student id's. Ususally, you can purchase more than 1 ticket with only one card. Rarely do the attendants actually check the card, so borrow someone else's if you have to.

2. Never, never, never go to the regular movie theater or at least don't buy food there. It's too damn expensive. Find a local second-run theater; it's cheaper and less crowded.

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This week's Festivals

Whew! Third Festival this week!

Festival of Frugality is up over at Frugal Duchess. Great job hosting!

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The 56th Carnival of the Green is up over at Urban Eco. Great job Urban Eco!

I submitted my rodent post.

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The Festival of Under 30 Finance is up!

Thanks to Student of Finance for Hosting!

Big Hello to everyone stopping by! My blog is new, so there's not a lot of content, but come back soon and come back often as my site grows.

$.05: What do rodents and shredders have in common?

If you have a gerbil, a hamster, or any other rodent (kids don't count!) and they like to chew, chew, chew, don't buy those expensive cardboard tubes at the store. For that matter, don't buy those wood chewing sticks either.

Give them your empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls to chew on. If you really love your pet, leave a little bit of tp on the roll. The shreds make up a nice, soft bedding.This works really well if you go through a lot of tp and paper towels. I don't go through as many as I used to but I have my friends saving their rolls for me.

If you are not as lucky as I am to have great friends like this (or you don't want your friends to think you're crazy), you can also have your pet shred up old bills, statements, and the like. Caution: I am always careful to only give my gerbil plain papers and nothing glossy or plastic-y.

As a plus, when you clean out the cage, all the shreds can be used in the compost!

This tip is economical and green. What more could you ask for?

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