The Cheap Book has been nominated as a finalist in the 2008 Humor category by the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA)!  The Book Awards attracted 149 nominations from 66 publishers from the 12 Midwestern states in their region.   On May 13th, 2009, MIPA will hold an awards ceremony announcing the winners.  Cross your fingers in hopes of The Cheap Book winning first place!!

Check out www.mipa.org for more information.

When Rashida Jones, star of movie I Love You, Man, travels, she packs the same small containers she bought years ago and refills them with her favorite products from her home instead of buying new mini versions.

Try this cheap way to reduce facial redness and puffiness and calm irritation:

Brew a cup of organic chamomile tea; let it cool,  then pour into a spray bottle and spritz all over face.  Extracted from the daisy plant, chamomile acts as an anti-inflammatory.

This a great tip from Self Magazine, March 2009.

What better way to start out the new year, but with the swearing in of a frugal United States President!

President Elect Barack Obama has only one car for his family: a Ford Escape Hybrid.  Rumor has it that he dislikes shopping and waits until he wears holes in his shoes before replacing them.  His wife, Michelle, enjoys shopping for clothing at a discount, including at The Gap.  She proudly boasts of her $30 dresses.  Designer dresses are a rarity.

Setting a good frugal example for the world is an excellent way to start this new administration on a smart note.  We all look forward to Obama’s wise and thrifty changes that will help get our economy back on track.

A normal person might think it would be time to toss the above glove.  But not if you’re a Cheapo.   This has been the third time this particular glove of mine has had a “finger blowout”.  I just pull out the old needle and thread and sew away.   After awhile, the glove fingers become shorter and shorter due to the poor sewing technique and will pop through almost immediately.  It is not until then that I will finally toss these long lasting beauties.

Another great tip from the authors of The Cheap Book!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

We wish you a cheap and wonderful new year!!!

As summed up by Ann Oldenburg of USA Today, Oprah’s annual Favorite Things program was very different this year. There was no grand unveiling of fabulous appliances, gadgets, sweaters or other pricey presents to be given to all the lucky audience members. This year, “Bringing real meaning back to the holidays is my favorite thing,” said Oprah on today’s show.Viewers offered ideas for homemade gifts including salsa and hot chocolate. Oprah suggested writing heartfelt notes and presenting them in pretty boxes to friends, family and co-workers.

Kristen Bell, star of Veronica Mars, was seen wearing a $45 dress from Target at a hotel opening in San Diego. The beautiful strapless dress was designed by Behnaz Sarafpour for Target and was an off-the-rack special for a limited season.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 10, 2009 for our speaking engagement at the Penn Lake Libary.  How we became cheap, why we decided to write a book and how we got published are among the many topics will be discussing at this event.

How appropriate for us to speak at the ultimate cheapo enabler…a library!  Although we would like everyone to buy our book, borrowing books is the ultimate in frugality and of course, we encourage such behavior.

We hope you can join us at 1:00pm on January 10th!  The Penn Lake Library is located on 8800 Penn Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota.

We hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Keep it cheap!