Modern Tightwad: Festival of Frugality #189

Welcome to the 189th Festival of Frugality! I'm very exciting to be hosting my first carnival (ever), so I hope you enjoy what the blogosphere has presented for the frugalists and retail-ists alike. Please feel free to look around the blog. A subscription here brings free money saving tips, brutal personal experiences, tasty cheap recipes and rampant sarcasm.

Considering that it's been ridiculously hot in Portland, I thought I'd offer the Extreme Heat edition. While frugality isn't taking as much heat as it used to (people aren't blaming the economy's lack of rebound on us as much), it still takes a lot of cool to go against the grain. Please enjoy.

Editor's Picks

Tyler presents Lessons From Children's Tales: The Tortoise and the Hare posted at Frugally Green. The lessons from our youth don't become less relevant because we get older.

FMF presents It Pays to Ask -- You Never Know If/When It Will Work posted at Free Money Finance. My mother always said rule #1 was: "Don't ask, don't get." Maybe she met FMF?

Francine Jay presents 10 Signs You’re Not as Rich as You Could Be posted at FRUGILLIONAIRE. This could easily be retitled 10 signs you're not as frugal as you think you are.

Patrick @ Money Saving Deals presents Free Smoothie From Jamba Juice posted at Money Saving Deals. Since this frozen treat has been my standby from the wisdom teeth removal of 2000 through last week's heat stroke of 2009, I had to get this deal out before it expired.

Cool Your Finances

PF Credit Cards takes you through the step-by-step process of creating a balance transfer with How to Save Money With 0% Balance Transfers posted at PF Credit Cards.

DR asks a question that's been on my mind lately with Balance Transfer Smac kdown: 0% for 6 Months vs. 3.99% for 12 Months posted at The Dough Roller.

Cash for clunkers is a hot topic from Four Pillars with 2009 Cash For Clunkers Program - Trade In Your Old Junker For Money posted at Four Pillars and Patrick @ Military Money with Cash for Clunkers Information posted at Military Finance Network.

kathryn presents Easy Ways to Slash Bank Fees posted at Out of Debt - Christian Finances and Debt Help. Easy as pie and well worth the effort.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Save Your Money By Paying Yourself Last posted at The Digerati Life. Since I always thought we were supposed to "pay ourselves first" this was a great different read.

Banker Saver presents Compare Auto Loan Financing Options Before Buying A Car posted at Banker Saver. It's always good to know your options before you make a decision. At least then you know you made the best one possible.

Cool Your Fun

Frugal and free summer fun - 'nuff said.

Nicki presents The Free-dom Of Summer posted at Domestic Cents.

jim presents Ten Great S ummer Date Ideas posted at Bargaineering.

J. Money presents 3 Cheap & Sexy Summer Activities! posted at Budgets are Sexy.

Make it from Scratch presents Milk Jug Bird House posted at Make It From Scratch.

Eden presents 5 Frugal Golf Tips to Make the Game Affordable Again posted at Finance and Fat.

Grace presents Freebie Weekend posted at GRACEful Retirement.

The Smarter Wallet presents Have Fun For Less: Cheap Ways To Enjoy The Summer posted at The Smarter Wallet.

Cool Your Future

Wealth Pilgrim presents Two Steps To Save An Additional $55,012 On College Costs posted at Wealth Pilgrim: Money Management Advice, Financial Stress Management, & Resources. I certainly used one of his steps, and it saved my parents $28,000 a year.

Chris McClelland presents Best buys of the fall posted at Lucrative Investing. It's not to late to start planning your fall purchases, I would add gym equipment to the list too (after everyone gives up on their summer bodies).

Cool Your Lifestyle

Billeater presents Go DIY And Save Money posted at Billeater. No reason to spend money on things you can do yourself.

Tom @ Canadian Finance blog presents 10 Ways To Reduce Your Water Bill | The Canadian Finance Blog posted at The Canadian Finance Blog. Reducing your water bill is both frugal and earth-friendly, an absolute must.

vh presents Is a vegetable garden cost-effective? posted at Funny about Money. A good reminder that the latest frugal must, is not always a must for everyone.

Squawkfox presents 6 Cheap Ways To Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning posted at Squawkfox. Not sure I could've survived without an air conditioner in Vegas, but these tips worked great in Portland (especially the last one).

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents Unexpected Ways Having a Baby Changed Our Budget posted at Cash Money Life. We never know all the ways a child will change our lives, especially in the pocketbook.

Miss Bankrupt presents My Deadbeat Television posted at Miss Bankrupt. I like her cable math.

The Apprentice presents Are YOU Wasting Your Money? posted at If Blue Eyeshadow's Illegal, I Should Be In Prison. So when I can't repeat that salon look at home, it's not my fault!

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate presents What to Do with Too Much Lettuce in the Garden posted at Frugal Upstate. I hope to have this problem soon.

Miss M presents Fresh and Easy Cares about Good Customer Service posted at M is for Money. It never hurts to share information with stores; otherwise they can't fix whatever is the source of discontent.

Cool Your Life

You just have to read these three articles for yourself.

Madison presents How to Survive and Thrive During a Recession posted at My Dollar Plan.

PT presents Thriving On A Teacher’s Salary and Inspiring Others posted at Prime Time Money.

Matt Jabs presents The Whole Armor of Personal Finance posted at Debt Free Adventure!.

I wanted to thank everyone who submitted; every article was of excellent quality, and I wish I could have included them all.

Thank you for coming by; please visit again!

Fire and Water Courtesy of peasap

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peasap/ / CC BY 2.0