Be the good you want to see in the world without spending a dime!

Do you think that you can’t afford to give to charitable organizations? Well, I guarantee that you can because I know quite a few way that don’t require anymore from you than a few clicks on your mouse.

The Animal Rescue Site (http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/)
At this site, all you need to do is click the big purple button and .6 bowls of food will be donated to animal rescues. You can do this once each day, doing the math here… that’s 219 bowls of food each year that you can potentially donate to animal rescues, just by clicking your mouse. At this site, you can also access sites with similar program for Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy and The Rainforest. Check it out!

Widmer Brewing Company Brothers Day (www.widmer.com/brothers )
Mother’s day and Father’s day have been around for years. Well, now the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company thinks that we need to honor our awesome brothers. And, for each E-card that you send, they will donate $1 to Big Brother Big Sisters Columbia Northwest. Bonus, you can read all about the fantastic beer that these guys brew out in Portland, OR. Trust me, it’s delicious.

Nike+ Human Race (http://www.nikeplus.com/)
Nike thinks that we all need to get outside and be active more and I couldn’t agree more. How about running 10k on August 31st? If you go to their very cool and fun website and sign up to do just that, you can choose where your donation goes to from The World Wildlife Federation, The UN Refugee Fund, and The Lance Armstrong Foundation. Better yet, Nike is going to make that donation for you, and all you have to do is commit to running 10k on August 31st. If you’re in a city other than Charlotte, you may be able to run with an already organized group. We’re on our own here, though. I’ll be blogging about it more later if you want to join me, just let me figure out a good 10k route.

So, go out and do your little part to change the world! You’ll be glad that you did!

Tax Free Weekend!!

I just found out about a very fabulously cheap and free thing that will be going on in North Carolina this weekend: Sales Tax Holiday!! August 1-3 are sales tax holidays! Clothing, footwear, and school supplies of $100 or less per item; school instructional materials of $300 or less per item; sports and recreation equipment of $50 or less per item; computers of $3,500 or less per item; and computer supplies of $250 or less per item will all be exempt from taxes this weekend. So go out there and stimulate the economy this weekend!! For more information or if you aren't in NC and want to see when your state is having a sales tax holiday, check out http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html

Rules of my challenge and my tips for finding great cheap and free things to do

So, I sat down last night and actually set myself some parameters. You all can be the judge of how well I do following my own rules.

Rules of the Challenge
1. Winning contests is OK- that would be considered my lucky day.
2. I can't do anything illegal- like stealing. This is a no-brainer, but I just wanted to be clear.
3. These must be things that are accessible to anyone- if I get to do something free because of my job or get drinks bought for me in a bar, then that won't count as a challenge activity. My goal is to show all of you how to replicate my good time.
4. This one is a rule for the challenge and for life: Don't take advantage of free offers, i.e. if a car dealership is handing out restaurant gift cards for taking a test drive, don't take advantage of them if you have absolutely no intention to buy a new car anytime in the near future- it's just bad karma.
5. Coupons are OK and fair game, on second thought, coupons are not just OK and fair game, they are fabulous and awesome- I love coupons!! Never, ever be too ashamed to use a coupon!
6. Frequent shopping programs are OK and fair game too- getting a free sandwich after I have bought 5 is definitely OK by me.

My Tips
1. Subscribe to email lists- so many people seem to not want a full email box, but if I'm bogged down, I just do a mass delete, if I have time I read them all... there is often very valuable information in emails.
2. Pick up free newspapers and scour them- I really like Creative Loafing, Eye and Skirt!
3. Enter contests- people always say there is no such thing as a free lunch, but if you win a contest, you may just get one!
4. Read signs and pick up fliers- again valuable information that is often overlooked, some friends of mine and I had a fabulous 4th of July on the cheap by going to a party at a bar/restaurant that was just posted on a sign outside.
5. Check out community bulletin boards- coffee shops and delis are notorious for these fabulous gems.
6. Get involved in your community- join clubs and volunteer.
7. Be creative.
8. Don't be afraid to try new things.
9. Be social and make friends- sometimes the best times are a simple game night at home with a few of your favorite people.
10. Be consistent with your frequent shopper cards- I'm pretty sure that I have about 10 different punch cards for different places to get lunch near my office, if it's a time when I need to go out to buy lunch, I should let the punch cards guide my decision.
11. Get involved in your local music scene- local bands are great and with ticket prices like $10 or even free admission, it's much kinder on your wallet than going to a show at an arena or an amphitheatre and, I think, more fun in the smaller, intimate setting. Also, most bands have a street team to help them with promotion, sign up and you can usually earn free stuff. A few big name acts have these too.

Do you have any rules that you think I should add or your own tips? If so, feel free to leave a comment!

My preliminary calendar of events

Here are the cheap and free events and activities that I have come up with so far. I know that as the month goes on, I will find other great things to do. There are a few meetings for different things I am involved in here too, trying to give an accurate idea of what my month looks like. For me, I find that sort of thing fun and I think it makes me more well-rounded, so I included them. It may not be your thing, and that's OK, there are still plenty of fun, cheap events for everyone.

Friday, August 01, 2008
1. South End Gallery Crawl, 6pm- free (reception @ Caleidoscope Gallery for Art for Art's Sake Exhibition, 6-9pm)

2. NoDa Gallery Crawl, 6-930pm- free
Saturday, August 02, 2008
1. Levine Museum- free w/ BOA card
2. Simplified @ The Press Box- free
3. Center City Green Market- free
4. Panthers Fan Fest @ Bank of America Stadium, 11am- free
5. Bon Odori Festival @ Wachovia Atrium, 11a-5p
6. Volunteer to Spruce Up Hospitality House, 9-11a, Hands on Charlotte
Sunday, August 03, 2008
1. Levine Museum- free w/ BOA card
2. Much Ado About Nothing (July 24th-August 10th) @ McGlohon Theatre, 2:30pm- free
Monday, August 04, 2008
1. Project Halo Fundraising committee meeting
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Art, 5-10pm- free
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Arpa, 6 Tapas & 6 Wines- $12
4. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 07, 2008
1. Wine Tasting @ Aquavina, 5-7pm- free
2. Epicentre @ 5- free
3. Alive After 5- free
4. $1 Domestic cans @ Cans
5. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
6. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 08, 2008
1. Movies @ the Park, Freedom Park, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, sunset
Saturday, August 09, 2008
1. Red Sky Gallery, Teapots Across America & My Charlotte Exhibitions, afternoon
2. Tailgate Farmer's Market
3. Open Studio Saturday @ McColl Center for Visual Art, 11a-4p-free
4. NC Undergraduate Juried Exhibition (Launched) @ McColl Center for Visual Art, 11a-4p- free
5. Willy Wonka @ NoDa School of Art, 7pm
Sunday, August 10, 2008
1. Simplified @ Mac's, 8pm- free
2. Much Ado About Nothing (July 24th-August 10th) @ McGlohon Theatre, 2:30pm- free
Monday, August 11, 2008

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
1. Circle Nouveau- meeting
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 14, 2008
1. Wine Tasting @ Aquavina, 5-7pm- free
2. Epicentre @ 5- free
3. Alive After 5- free
4. $1 Domestic cans @ Cans
5. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
6. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 15, 2008
1. NoDa Gallery Crawl 6-930pm
2. Black Dog (and Black Cat) Adoption Event @ Meow & Fetch, 630-830pm
Saturday, August 16, 2008
1. Tailgate Farmer's Market
2. Adoption Awareness Event @ Belk Southpark, 1030a-2p- volunteer event w/Humane Society of Charlotte
Sunday, August 17, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008
1. HOC Day Planning Committee
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Art, 5-10pm- free
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 21, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Craft & Design, 5-8pm, Free live Jazz- Free Admission
2. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
3. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 22, 2008
1. DMB Tribute Band @ Amos' Southend, 8pm- $10
Saturday, August 23, 2008
1. Great Gatsby Party- sell 10 tickets, get 2 tickets
2. Animal Control CMPD Orientation 9a-12p
Sunday, August 24, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Art, 5-10pm- free
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 28, 2008
1. Wine Tasting @ Aquavina, 5-7pm- free
2. Epicentre @ 5- free
3. Alive After 5- free
4. $1 Domestic cans @ Cans
5. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
6. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 29, 2008

Saturday, August 30, 2008
1. All Dog Art Show @ Green Rice Gallery, noon-6pm
2. Songcatcher Exhibit@ Lark & Key Gallery
Sunday, August 31, 2008
1. The Human Race 10k, www.nikeplus.com
Always Free
1. Trail Access@ USNWC, parking $5
2. Walk through Freedom Park
3. Going to the gym- already paid for
4. Reedy Creek Nature Center & Preserve
5. Public Art Walking Tour
6. For every 10 books donated to Real Eyes Bookstore, you get 1 book free (3306-A N. Davidson)
7. Dog Park
8. Imaginon

How this experiment of mine got started...

So, like many people right now, my husband and I have been trying to find ways to cut down on our expenses. One easy way to cut down is to limit what we like to call the "entertainment budget." Easier said than done because I'm not one who is really happy sitting at home and doing "nothing." I live watching TV as much as the next person (probably more) but I start to go a little stir-crazy. I'm definitely a person who likes to be on the go and living life to the fullest (and having as much fun as possible). I started thinking to myself, I live in this great city, what opportunities are out there that I am not taking to have fun for free or at least for very little cost? So, I came up with the idea to challenge myself for 1 month to see how much fun I could have and how many different things I could experience for how little money. I've been doing a lot of research, mostly on the Internet and in free newspapers, and, let me tell you, there are a lot of great things to do here in Charlotte for little or no money. It has been a busy summer, so I needed a month where I was in town every day, and August it is. So, my experiment/ challenge begins August 1st.