Beach Decor on a Budget

After moving close to the ocean a few years ago I wanted to decorate our rented condo in a beach decor theme but didn't have a lot of money. Fortunately, this type of decor can easily be done with found objects, a little searching and some creativity. There are many ways to do beach decor on a budget.

Living close to the beach can provide a wealth of "found objects" to use for decorating. Seashells, driftwood, sand, items washed up on shore with a natural beachy look after being tattered and worn from sea and sun. These objects can be great by themselves or used to create simple decor items. Pinterest is a gold mine for ideas for making beach decor on a budget. These are some of the pins I've saved on my own Pinterest board: Coastal Decorating.

Here are a few simple inexpensive things I've created:

Just shells, sand and driftwood put into various glass containers. Cheap and easy!

 Another thing I decorate with beach finds is an old glass window from the house I grew up in.

A great idea is adding a shelf to an old widow, as seen at Just Call Me Homegirl

If you don't have access to found items to use, there are cheap resources out there for beach decor on a budget. Amazon has been my go to and I've practically decorated my entire place from it, furniture and all. Some of the things I've bought:

Shells, shells and more shells! I can never have enough and they're cheap!

Starfish - I LOVE these for beach decor and they're around $1 each! You can see where I used them in my bathroom here:

I also used this awesome Faux Wood Self Stick Wallpaper on the drawer fronts and the top of the mirror. With the leftover paper I covered empty shoe boxes to use as beachy look storage.

Another way to create beach decor on a budget is to use your own photos as art. Simply have photos blown up and framed. You can find cheap photo enlarging at most drugstores, office supply store and online. I had some photos on my phone enlarged from MailPix and bought cheap matted frames on Amazon.

If you don't like your own photos look for free photos online you can have printed out, such as these Free Beach Pictures from Pexels.

Another beach decor option to frame are these adorable Free Beach Art Printables from Growing Play

You could certainly incorporate these ideas for any decor type. Have fun decorating and stay cheap!


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    Cheap Cindy home page

Too much green? How to kill moss

It's spring cleaning time and that means many people are finding their yards, roofs, walkways, patio furniture and just about everything else outside covered in green. Not good green - like money - but furry, annoying green, as in moss. Moss can be tricky to get rid of but it can be done. Here are some great ways to kill moss.

Lawns:

Moss in lawns is caused by several factors such as too much shade, poor pH balance, accumulation of thatch, not enough fertilizer, poor drainage, etc. Moss is an indicator of an unhealthy lawn, so by strengthening your lawn you should be able to overpower the moss.

To kill moss in lawns, you can use products such as Scott's Moss Control Granules for Lawns. The description states it will kill moss, not your lawn. The formula contains added nutrients to help the lawn. Apply it in the winter or spring when moss is actively growing and on a moist lawn after tall grass is mowed to expose low-growing moss.

If you're looking for a more natural moss removal for your lawn, check out this post from The Spruce using Dish Soap as an Effective Moss Killer.

Once you've killed the moss in your lawn, dethatch and rake out all dead moss, seed bare areas with new grass, and keep moist. Raise the soil pH with a good lime containing fertilizer and trim back trees and shrubs if possible to allow more sunlight, which will kill moss and prevent it from returning.

Roofs:

To kill moss on roofs, placing a ZincShield Pure Zinc Strip along the peak of your roof will help to kill and prevent moss for many years. You can also use Spray & Forget Revolutionary Roof Cleaner, it's non-corrosive and eco-friendly. No bleach, lye, acid, phosphates or heavy metals.Works on all exterior surfaces.

Other Surfaces:

For pavers, sidewalks and driveways, you can use a solution of one part bleach to one part water and apply to surface. Let stand for 30 seconds and hose off. Be careful not to get on clothing or surrounding shrubs or plants. Pressure washing and scrubbing with a brush works well too. This will likely need to be repeated each year.

Another great choice is Safer Brand Moss and Algae Killer and Surface Cleaner. This all-natural moss and algae killer utilizes the effectiveness of potassium salts to rid your deck, roof, siding, walkways, lawn and more of the green. The ready-to-use formula attaches directly to your hose for an economical and convenient organic solution to your problem. OMRI Listed and compliant for use in organic gardening.

Tips: 
Kill moss in it's early stages to prevent widespread moss problems and keep it under control. Sunlight is a natural moss killer, so anything you can keep in direct sun will have less moss growth.

photo credit: Thad Zajdowicz, www.freeimages.com



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Sell your hair and make money

Got hair to spare? If you're willing to part it - oops, I mean part with it - and could use some extra cash, learn how to sell your hair.

This is a serious business that can fetch serious money. One of the top human hair markets claims a seller sold her 45" long virgin locks for $6500!! Crazy, right? Can I sell my hair? Here's what I found

The basics:

 When you sell your hair most buyers use it to make human hair wigs or extensions. Human hair can also be used to make eyelashes, eyebrows, beards, doll hair, art and more. Word is there's also a high demand in certain fetish industries for human hair. I'll leave it at that.

Buyers mostly want healthy virgin hair. This means when you sell your hair it should be in excellent condition, not chemically processed by perms or dyes and with limited exposure to damaging heat from hair dryers and styling tools. Healthy hair also requires a healthy host. Most hair buyers will want to know the smoking, drinking and maybe even eating habits of the hair owner. (Some buyers will buy non virgin, treated hair at a lower price.)

Longer is usually better. Most places buying hair require it to be 10 inches or longer in length. Some places will buy shorter hair, even under 5 inches.

Selling children's hair can sometimes be more profitable, as fewer people sell children's hair and the chances of it being virgin, undamaged hair are greater.

Hair color, texture, sheen and other factors can impact the prices paid. Red hair is currently at a premium, fetching upwards of $80 per inch! Buyers may have a preference for how the hair is to be cut when purchased, some even offering more money to see the haircut process on film. Don't cut it before you have a solid deal to sell your hair.

Have good photos of your hair available and a detailed description of how it has been cared for. Be honest. Hair buyers are experts at detecting damaged hair.

Where to sell your hair:

The most popular option is to sell your hair online. Several companies specialize in buying and selling hair all over the world.

buyandsellhair.com claims to be the number one human hair marketplace. It basically offers classified ads for sellers and buyers of human hair. You simply place the ad on their website for a one time listing fee (currently $14.50 for 3 months). They take no commission on sales.

HairSellon.com is another popular place to sell your hair online and make money. Register on the site and choose your ad option (currently starting at $15 for a standard 60 day ad). They offer a handy Hair Price Calculator if you need help determining a price to sell your hair.


OnlineHairAffair.com offers classified style listings of hair for sale starting at $10 for a 31 day ad.


You may also want to try selling your hair on ebay.

Sell hair locally

Some of you may be asking, "where can I sell me hair locally?" Well, this answer is going to vary depending on your location. Here are some ideas:

Place a local ad on Craigslist. This is an easy option and it's free. Woop, woop!

Other options include asking around locally at hair salons, wig shops and beauty schools. Put the word out there.

If you do decide to sell your hair, know the terms and conditions of the buyer and outlet you are using to sell your hair and always use caution.


Photo credit: FreeImages.com/Gerla Brakkee


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Get a great cheap mattress by mail!

A few months ago I moved into a condo that doesn't make it easy to move in large furniture. Amazon to the rescue! At first I was skeptical, but after reading a lot of reviews I found this great Zinus 8 inch Memory Foam Queen Mattress for about $165. Since I'm an Amazon Prime member I received free shipping and the mattress was delivered in a couple of days. I also got 5% cash back using my Amazon credit card and an additional 3% cash back shopping through Ebates. What a deal!

I was shocked when the mattress arrived at my door by UPS in a small box no more than 3 feet by 1 foot. I unboxed the mattress and followed the directions to let it expand. It was super easy. 

Let me tell you, I did not have faith this was going to be a great mattress, but I was wrong! I love this mattress and don't have any complaints. Years ago I was suckered into spending $3000 on a well known name brand mattress from one of the huge mattress outlets and it was crap. This Zinus mattress is way better in my opinion and at an amazing price. Amazon has lots of other cheap memory foam mattresses with good reviews that you might wanna check out here as well. The prices fluctuate, as with anything on Amazon, but it seems like the deals are pretty consistent.

If your looking for a quality memory foam mattress for cheap and don't wanna bother with a cumbersome delivery process, I highly recommend getting one through Amazon.

 *By the way, I wasn't paid or compensated to write this review/recommendation. This is just me sharing a great cheap deal. I sometimes however put affiliate links to products and resources I use and may make a small commission when you sign up or make a purchase. A cheap girl's gotta eat too!

Get $50 from Ebates when you refer two friends

I love using Ebates and now it's even better with their latest referral offer. Get $50 when you refer two friends plus you could win an Alaska cruise!

Get one entry into the Alaska cruise sweepstakes for each friend that signs up. Get $50 when two friends you refer make a purchase.

If you're not already a member of Ebates, this is my referral link you can sign up with. Ebates is my favorite source for saving money and finding great deals. You literally make money just shopping online as you would anyway! It's such a no-brainer to shop through Ebates. They post great offers, coupons and sales at hundreds of stores plus offer amazing cash back deals.

How the referral program works:
Ebates will pay you for every new member you refer to their site who then shops at their partner merchant sites. (These must be Qualified referrals, meaning real people - no pets, minor children or imaginary friends, nor referrals to friends or housemates who don't actually do their own shopping via their own account on Ebates.com.

Once your Qualified Referral signs up at Ebates.com and makes purchases totaling $25 or more that earn Cash Back within one year following signing up, Ebates will pay you a $5 "Base Bonus". For the referral period starting April 1st, 2017 and ending June 30th, 2017, you can earn $50 (2 x $5 Base Bonus + an additional $40 bonus) once you get your second Qualified Referral.

You can see all the terms and conditions on the Ebates website.

Get cracking and share with your friends this great source to save money! Happy shopping!

Give $20 Get $20 from LivingSocial Restaurants Plus

Have you seen this deal from Restaurants Plus by LivingSocial? They are currently offering up to $20 cash back to new members that sign up for their Restaurants Plus Program. In addition, refer your friends and get another $20 for every one that signs up and participates! That's one of the best referral offers I've seen.

It goes like this: Give $20, Get $20. Every time a friend signs up with your invite code, they'll earn 100% cashback on their first meal (up to $20). Once they've dined, you'll get $20 credited to your account! Free meal, free money!

The more you invite, the more you give, the more you earn. That's what friends are for.

You can start by signing up with my invite code. You'll get $20, I'll get $20 and we'll both be happy. Then send your own invite codes to your friends and soon everybody's happy!

I've been using the Restaurants Plus by LivingSocial program for several months and it's awesome, easy and totally free. 

Basically the program works like this: Activate any credit and/or debit cards (not including cards requiring use of PIN) you plan to use through the Restaurants Plus by LivingSocial website. Then make a qualifying purchase at any participating restaurant, bar, or club in your area. That's it! You don't need to keep track of a special card or remember a membership number. Just make purchases as you normally would at participating locations. If your purchase qualifies you'll  receive the corresponding cashback on your monthly card statement. The entire process is easy and automatic.

You can find answers to all the details on the Restaurants Plus by LivingSocial Help Site and Refer-A-Friend Terms and Conditions page.

Hurry, I'm not sure how long this offer will last!

Taco Tuesday

It's Taco Tuesday, so what better excuse to celebrate?! Cheap tacos, cheap beer, a reason for mid week drinking - I'm in!

I found these Funny Taco Tuesday Tshirts on Amazon and had to share. My favorite is the Make Tacos Not Walls shirt but there are several humorous designs to choose from.

Enjoy!

Must have items for Star Wars Day

May the 4th be with you this Star Wars Day! Don't miss out on these fun Star Wars items that make perfect gifts for you or that Star Wars fan in your life.

First and foremost, don't miss out on these fun Star Wars Light Up Lightsaber Chop Sticks



Complete your Star Wars theme dinner party with a set of Star Wars Dinner Plates



Be the envy of the party in your new Star Wars Suit



For the classiest of Star Wars fans, this Star Wars 5 Panel Canvas Art Print would look perfect above your sofa



Finally, end your Star Wars Day wrapped up in this Star Wars Being Darth Vader Comfy Throw with Sleeves



Enjoy!

Cheap Cindy: Free Stuff on Your Birthday from Over 100 Places!

Another year older, another year wiser. If you haven't signed up for your birthday freebies lately, now is the time.This huge list of where to get free stuff on your birthday (and year round in most cases) has just been updated:

 Cheap Cindy: Free Stuff on Your Birthday from Over 100 Places!

Enjoy!

Free Satisfries at Burger King this weekend

Get free Satisfries at Burger King this weekend – No purchase necessary!
Head on over to Burger King on Saturday 10/12 and Sunday 10/13 only. Limit one per customer.

See details on the Burger King website

Free Honey Sesame Chicken Breast at Panda Express

Panda Express is offering a FREE Single Serving of Honey Sesame Chicken - no purchase required! Simply print the coupon or show it on your mobile device at participating Panda Express restaurants. Valid Wednesday, 10/2/13 only.
Click here to find a location near you

$5 Magazine Subscription Sale from Amazon!

Grab yourself an early holiday gift with this great deal on more than 40 popular magazines from Amazon. This offer expires December 3, 2012 so hurry! Amazon.com $5 Magazine Subscription Sale

Macy's $10 off coupon

Get out & shop this weekend using this coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase at Macy's. Valid only on 11/09/2012 & 11/10/2012 till 1pm each day. See coupon for details & exclusions.

Elf Yourself is back!

It's back! The popular free Elf Yourself from OfficeMax is up and running for Christmas 2011. This fun little creation by JibJab allows you to upload photos to create a dancing elf or elves. You can create up to 5 elves this year for a group video. Select from 9 dances for your elf to perform: 80's, Hip Hop, Disco, Classic, Country & more. You can also choose singing elves this year.

Once you've made your selections, you can download the Elf Yourself creation, email it to people, post it to Facebook or other sites. You can also purchase products with your Elf Yourself image on them, such as mugs, greeting cards, playing cards etc.

So have some free Christmas fun and "Elf" yourself, your friends, your pets - whatever you want. Hurry, this year's Elf Yourself ends 1/15/2012.

Veteran's Day Freebies 2011

Here is a list of Veteran's Day Free stuff offers & discounts being offered to active duty military & veterans (offers may vary by location, so check with your local businesses before going):

National Veteran's Day Freebies:

• Applebee's - Free meal Nov. 11
• Chili's - Free meal Nov. 11
• Famous Dave's - offers & dates vary by location
• Golden Corral - Free dinner on Monday, Nov. 14
• Krispy Kreme - Free Doughnut to active duty & Veterans on Nov. 11
• McCormick & Schmicks - Free meal from special menu on Sunday, Nov. 13 (rsvp)
• Olive Garden - Free meal from select menu on Nov. 11
• Outback Steakhouse - Free Bloomin' Onion & Coca-cola through Nov. 11
• Red Robin - Free Cheeseburger & Fries on Nov. 11
• Spaghetti Warehouse - 11 cent meal specials on Nov. 11 - print coupon
• T.G.I. Friday's - Buy one entree, get one free on Nov. 11

For my Seattle area readers, check out this fantastic list of local free Veteran's Day offers!

New Blockbuster Express Free Movie Rental Codes - Expire Sept. 12

Enjoy some free movies this weekend with these 9 new promo codes, each good for free movie rentals at Blockbuster Express kiosks. These codes are valid on the $1 DVD 1-night movie rentals.

Use the promo codes when you pay at a Blockbuster Express kiosk or use them when you reserve a movie on BlockbusterExpress.com. Limit of one free rental using each promo code per credit/debit card. Locate a Blockbuster Express kiosk near you.

These codes expire September 12, 2011 at midnight, each code can be used once per credit card account:

75TTDR3

34PGAR2

72KRVF5

38RMAQ4

76DMNP2

29SPNF9

68MMKC2

89AGSF7

83TPLD4

Stay informed about these & other deals by following Cheap Cindy on Twitter and becoming a fan of Cheap Cindy on Facebook.

Jansport Bonfire Sessions - my favorite freebie experience ever

I've been keeping busy this summer attending local festivals & free concerts in my area, so when I heard something called The Bonfire Sessions by Jansport was coming to Seattle, I decided to check it out. This turned out to be my favorite free thing of all time.

The premise was that the first 125 people who lined up at a specific location would be loaded onto a bus, taken to a secret spot out in the woods & treated to a free concert by The Moondoggies. A surprise bonus was promised to the first 50 people in line. There were also slight mentions of free food & drinks. This sounded like a fun adventure, so I was game.

The announcement said people could start lining up at 11am, so I got there around 9:30am, fully expecting to find a mob of people clamoring to get in line. To my surprise, no one was there. Did I have the wrong location? The wrong date? I decided to wait it out in a nearby coffee shop where I could keep an eye on things from the window. Shortly before 11 I could see a few lost souls drifting around, so I ventured over & discovered, thank goodness, that they were there to line up too.

Our small group chatted for awhile, everyone a bit surprised at the low turn out, when a truck drove up pulling a colorful Jansport trailer behind it. Yay! I was finally sensing this was for real now. Some folks from the Jansport promotion crew came over to our little group & gave us a few more details on how this was to work. We were to line up and at 6pm a bus would come & take us to the festivities. Ummm...say what?? Yep, we had to stay in line for 7 hours. In the hot sun. Yikes.

We all decided to brave it out, agreeing to take turns saving each other's places in line for bathroom & food breaks. The folks from Jansport promised to keep us entertained during our wait, which they did for the first few hours. The Jansport trailer opened up & out drove an old VW bus, brightly painted to match the trailer. It was parked in front of us & left open so we could all take turns sitting inside to cool off momentarily. Music, candy, bubbles, playing cards, sidewalk chalk & yo-yo's were provided, which brought out a lot of fun & creativity among us.

The line slowly grew by a few more people as the clock ticked on. Some were reeled in off the streets by the promoters, others showed up as news was spreading by word of mouth. The numbers jumped a bit faster when the promised bonus surprise for the first 50 people in line was revealed. Free backpacks. The promoters brought out armfuls of colorful Jansport backpacks & we were allowed to select the one we wanted. Some were simple, others had fancy laptop sleeves & insulated pockets built in. The average retail price for one of these backpacks is in the $25 range, many exceeding that price, no doubt. Now this was getting fun.

Finally two large buses showed up & our crowd of now 80 or so brave souls were beyond ready to make our way to the secret destination. After a near 30 minute ride we were let off at a small trail surrounded by trees. Turned out we were at Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, a 10-acre property that serves as a recording studio for various musicians. How cool is that? We ventured into beautiful greenery, passing the studio itself, which is a large converted old barn, as we continued down through trees that surrounded us, draped with white lights, and crossed a small wooden bridge lined with luminaries, over a glimmering pond. On the other side was a bonfire and large tables spread out with all the makings for hot dogs, which even included a veggie dog option. A barrel full of sharpened sticks stood off to the side & we roasted our dogs over the fire. Another nearby table offered various drinks, including beer & several non-alcoholic choices. Up one of the trails was another option for food, gourmet burgers provided by Charlie's Bun's & Stuff. Everything was all you can eat/drink - and 100% FREE. Yep.

Up a little farther there was a large, but cozy, open grassy area. A stage was set up off to one side & there was a large bonfire area in the center of the field, surrounded by hay bundles for sitting. Outdoor games were an option for anyone that wanted to play. Bean bag toss toys & glow in the dark Jansport frisbees were sprinkled throughout the field. We all relaxed, ate, drank, laughed, played & just took it all in.

About 8:30pm or so The Moondoggies made their way to the stage and played an awesome concert. Some of us stood, some danced, others sat around the nearby bonfire, each & every one of us feeling privileged to be a part of this great & secret show. After a short intermission we gathered around the big bonfire, as The Moondoggies sat with us & played an acoustic set. It was so intimate & felt like we were hanging out with old friends. It was amazing.

The night had to come to an end, sadly, as we were loaded back onto the buses & returned to our starting point in Seattle. We had a great time, got free stuff, made unforgettable memories and some of us even made a few friends.

This was easily my favorite freebie experience, ever, by far.

I hope Jansport decides to continue the Bonfire Sessions & selects Seattle again next year. I can't wait. Additional shows are planned this year in Montreal Canada on Sept. 10, 2011 with the band Stars & in Austin, TX on September 23, 2011, the band still unannounced.

You can find more information about the Bonfire Sessions free concerts on the Jansport Unzipped Blog.

Stay informed about these & other deals by following Cheap Cindy on Twitter and becoming a fan of Cheap Cindy on Facebook.

Dairy Queen BOGO 1/2 off Blizzard

Dairy Queen is having a Buy One Get One 1/2 Price Blizzard event at participating locations from August 15 - August 21, 2011. You can see the announcement on the Dairy Queen Facebook page.

Nummers! :)

13 new promo codes for free movie rentals at Blockbuster Express kiosks

13 new promo codes are out for free movie rentals at Blockbuster Express kiosks. These codes are valid on the $1 DVD 1-night movie rentals.

Use the promo codes when you pay at a Blockbuster Express kiosk or use them when you reserve a movie on BlockbusterExpress.com. Limit of one free rental using each promo code per credit/debit card. Locate a Blockbuster Express kiosk near you.

These codes expire July 22, 2011 at midnight, each code can be used once per credit card account:

62MDEB7

23ZGDB8

86EHJR3

29KBDJ5

44NCRP7

35SVEM6

33MMMT9

These codes expire July 18, 2011 at midnight, each code can be used once per credit card account:

83MDEB5

68ZGDB5

42EHJR5

24KBDJ5

45NCRP9

62SVEM7

Free Blockbuster Express Movie Codes - Valid until June 24, 2011

New promo codes are out for free movie rentals at Blockbuster Express kiosks. These codes are valid until June 24, 2011. Use at checkout to receive free 1-night movie rentals.

Use the promo codes when you pay at a Blockbuster Express kiosk or use them when you reserve a movie on BlockbusterExpress.com. Limit of one free rental using each promo code per credit/debit card. Locate a Blockbuster Express kiosk near you.

The codes to try are:

53JBHS4

72BACC8

54RRAP5

66ASJA2

77CMEA3

92MLBJ6

57AEMR8

Good luck, & remember, one code per credit card used.