Hi I’m LAL host of LivingAlmostLarge and LALMusings.  I am a twenty-something DINK, living in the northeast searching for financial freedom. Everyday it’s a step hopefully in the right direction.  Sign up to follow my journey on Twitter or RSS feed!

Here are a few of my most recent frugal posts…

• Partner Up for Savings
• Active versus Passive Tightwaddery
• Are Bulk Stores Frugal?

But this week I’m hosting the 178th Festival of Frugality.  Check out the homepage if you are interested in hosting the carnival in the future!  There were a ton of great submissions so check them out.

These are some of my favorite pick’s of the festival.  I thought they were either thought provoking or had some nifty savings tips.  Check them out.

Editor’s Picks

• VH presents Optional frugality posted at Funny about Money.  She asks the important question, are you frugal because you have to be or want to be?  Personally because I have to be, but it’s like when I don’t have be, I won’t.  I like to spend money, hence living large.
• Patrick @ Money Saving Deals presents Free Mars Candy Bars Each Friday posted at Money Saving Deals. Wow, Patrick you are my new best friends. I am dying for some free chocolate, something I just can’t pass up!
• Jen presents Freebies for your birthday! posted at Saving Cents in the City.  I need to hurry and sign up, my big 3-0 birthday is coming up.  Geez, where has time gone?
• MFD presents What Frugal Means To Me posted at My Findependence Day. MFD asks us what frugality means to us?  To me?  Cutting corners where I don’t mind to afford things I do want to “spend” on!

Everything Else

• Mrs. Modern Tightwad presents MT Tips: Helpful Hints For Garage Sale Shoppers posted at Modern Tightwad.  Wow, really neato tips to score deals!  Personally I try not to buy stuff I don’t need, so passive tightwaddery rather than active!
• ElizabethG from Modern Gal gives us tips for Saving on Dental Costs.  She talks about how her recent trip to the dentist made her more away of the importance of good oral health.  I’ve found the same to be true.
• Glblguy presents Home vegetable garden posted at Gather Little by Little.  GLBLguy gives us a tour of his newly started veggie garden. I would love to do that to save some $$, but haven’t got the space.  I wonder what the true financial benefits will end up being?
• David R. Lampsen presents Stouffer’s Dinner Club – A Rewards Program for Fans of Frozen Food posted at Personal Finance Analyst.  Tips us off about a rewards dining program at home!  If you are already a fan of frozen dinners cash in.
• Tom Tessin presents Cash Back for Shopping Online posted at FCB Blog.  Tom gives us the heads up about how to save more $$$ when shopping online. I really need to remember to check out these sites before I shop online!
• Canadian Finance presents 10 Ways To Save Money At The Gas Pump posted at The Canadian Finance Blog.  One thing my DH does is he keeps our roof rack on the car year round.  We’ve talked about taking it down, but are to lazy and end up paying for the convenience.
• Madison presents 11 Ways to Save Money This Month posted at My Dollar Plan. She tells us about different things she did this month to save.  I always use Redbox instead of Blockbuster or Netflix.  That way I don’t have a standing charge and watch movies I really want for $1.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Bargain Homes In Detroit: Mansions For A Song posted at The Smarter Wallet.  If you want to salivate over great real estate deals check out this post!  I am dying.
• Nickel presents How to Save Money on Car Insurance posted at fivecentnickel.com.  Giving us a run down of some tips for car insurance shopping!  It’s nearly time for my renewal and time for me to shop around.
• Mr. ToughMoneyLove presents Battling Conventional Telecom and Media Providers posted at Tough Money Love.  I find it so difficult to deal with these people as well!  Often you spend hours just waiting to be transferred.
• Savings Toolbox presents Should You Switch to a Credit Union to Save? posted at Savings Toolbox.  I think credit unions can be great, my only problem is the ones I’ve had haven’t been too great about using other company’s ATMs.
• BankMan presents $100 Bonus for new checking account posted at High Yield Savings Accounts.  This is a great tip for anyone with USAA, a bank for military folk.  So check it out if it applies!
• Flea presents Be A Survivor: Save Big $$$ On TV and Telephone Charges posted at Be A Survivor.  I think that hanging onto a landline happens because it costs me personally $5 extra to have it a month.  I get a package deal for $100 for cable, internet, and phone.  Cutting it out, causes me to lose the bundle deal and I pay a higher price for the cable and internet.  The internet I have would still run me around $60/month.  Besides, I lived without cable before, and now I prefer to have it.
• Ben presents Free Credit Report and Credit Monitoring Trials posted at Money Smart Life. Ben compiles a nice list and links to help us monitor our credit reports and scores.
• Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents Baby Coupons, Free Samples, and Discounts posted at Cash Money Life. Here’s a great list of freebies for people with babies or soon to have babies!
• Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Make Cheap Phone Calls and Lower Your Phone Bill posted at The Digerati Life.  I’ve looked into it, but it would save me a total of $5 to get rid of my home phone line!  All because I get a great bundle deal of internet, cable, and phone.
• Freesoftware presents List of Best Free Software for New Computer posted at I Love Free Software.FSW compiled a great list of the best free software for your computer. I reccomend checking it out.
• Momma presents Home made Febreze Recipe posted at Engineer a debt free life.  Awesome, she posted a recipe to save on buying Febreeze, turns out great!   I will probably try it soon.
• Nicki presents A Big, Frugal Birthday Party posted at Domestic Cents. Gives parents a check list and rundown of how to have a kid’s birthday without blowing the family budget.  I have to say bravo!  Nowadays it seems like kid’s birthday parties are like weddings!
• Wren Caulfield presents Spring Cleaning: Do It Cheap, Do It Green posted at True Adventures in Money Hacking. Makes a pretty comprehensive list of home cleaners that you can make yourself.  My laziness outweighs the benefits, and I console myself that at least I’m cleaning and not paying someone else to save a few bucks.
• Leave Debt Behind presents Yes, You Can Save for a Big Purchase posted at Leave Debt Behind.  LDB gives us a list of tips to help us save for big purchases. I think the last point, contemplate if you really want it, is probably the most important!  Do you really want or need the purchase and will the cost improve your life by $X dollars?
• Jim presents Six Ways to Get Green & Gorgeous For Under $20 posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.  A guest post with ways to save on makeup.  As all women know, our neverending pursuit of beauty can be COSTLY!
• KCLau presents The Most Common Habit of Rich People posted at KCLau’s Money Tips.  The most common habit isn’t using coupons, apparently it’s reading.  Hmmm….why aren’t I rich?
• Pinyo presents How To Prepare For Car Breakdown And Deal With Roadside Emergencies posted at Moolanomy Personal Finance.  Pinyo gives us all a list of items to carry around in the car, even if it adds to lower gas mileage.  I need to pack a few things up, especially jumper cables with the age of my car.
• Carrie presents Unplug to Save Money on your Electric Bill posted at It’s Frugal Being Green.  I agree it’s a good idea to unplug energy vampires, but my DH won’t let me unplug the entertainment center because he doesn’t want to set it up everytime.  Sometimes you pay for convenience.
• FMF presents How to Ask Your Doctor, Hospital, or Dentist for a Discount posted at Free Money Finance. Great tips, but personally I find it hard to ask for a discount because I have insurance. If I didn’t then I would, but with insurance and a prenegotiated rate that your company pays for and I’ve never negotiated.   I also don’t think I would negotiate a major ailment.
• Ted presents Saving Money: 50 Tips for College Students posted at CampusGrotto. A very comprehensive list of money saving tips for college students.  Must read for anyone going off to school!
• FIRE Finance presents Top 7 Energy Saving Tips for this Summer! posted at FIRE Finance.  I’ve found that instead of drawing the curtains closed, I prefer the windows open for a natural breeze.  But it depends on where you live of course.
• Matt SF presents 20 Frugal Tips from Someone Who Lived Through the Great Depression posted at Steadfast Finances. Matt gives us tips his grandma’s handed down, and I have to say I mostly agree.  But the first?  Save a $1 for every dollar you spend.  Hmmm…I doubt that will ever happen.  Most of us aim to save 15% towards retirement, and the truth is, if you are saving 50% of your income, you are living on less than 25% probably because of taxes.  So I’m impressed!
• Frugal Dad presents 10 Secrets To Curbing Your Appetite For Stuff posted at Frugal Dad.  FD makes the suggestion that living simply is the best way to save; guess he’s a passive tightwad (I try to be)!
• MoneyNing presents How to Deal with Frugal Advice posted at Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning.  He says that perhaps you aren’t looking to squeeze every penny, nor do you need to be.  But the advice could help in other areas of your life.  Hmmm…I’d better start listening more.
• Matt presents Thoughts On An Inconvenient Truth posted at My Financial Recovery.  The Al Gore movie, has stimulated one more person to get with conserving and recycling.  Very cool, it’s almost time for me to start biking to work again as well.
• Carrie presents Does Cooking at Home Actually Save You Money? posted at It’s Frugal Being Green.  Hell yes.  Went out to brunch this weekend and spent $35 for my DH and I with tip and tax.  Nice that we did it with friends, but still I can make brunch for a lot less.  Plus, while I went to work on Sunday, I’m salary sooo it’s not like I got paid extra.
• Shadox presents Car Trouble, Still Worth it posted at Money and Such.  He explains why it’s worth fixing instead of replacing his very old 1997 Geo Prizm.  I gotta say it’s why I would fix instead of replace my car too!

Thanks for stopping by and thank you again to all the participants.  I really appreciate all the great posts on frugality and savings!