Tips for frugal travelers

So I recently got back from a nice summer vaca in Chi-town and Detroit, and was able to see both cities on the cheap! I wished the shopping wasn’t so amazing as I still burned a hole in my wallet, but it was more bang for the buck. =)

Some tips/awesome finds:

Empty water bottle: So crucial for so many reasons. I bring an empty bottle to the airport, get through TSA, then fill it at the water fountain. No paying $4! I bring the bottle w/ me everywhere, as it’s easy to refill at museums, shopping centers, etc.

http://megabus.com: International bus site, super cheap, clean, and easy to use! My bus ride from Chicago to Detroit was only $18 and about 6 hours. Easy peasy and cheaper than gas for driving!

www.charmingcharlie.com: Very pretty, organized, and affordable jewelry/bag store I stumbled across in Chicago. Multiple locations. Earrings and necklaces ranged from $4-$12, and they looked really expensive!

www.platoscloset.com: Again, stumbled across this stylish thrift store w/ a good friend in Detroit, but there are many locations. I got tops for about $6, super cute! And they had adorable sundresses around $12, and don’t get me started on the purses!

And finally I have to give a shout out to the redeye. Save $ on a hotel room and just fly overnight and check in your bags in the morning until it’s time to officially check in. Coffee is cheaper than an extra night, and you’ve got adrenaline pumpin to see a new city anyhow!

Safe travels,
A of J.A.D.E.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in NYC

Well, the time has come and the coffee joints in a very coffee centric city are now getting even more plentiful!

New Yorkers love choices and they love coffee but the big question is, will the addition of the first ever Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf be a success? Their prices are just about the same as Starbucks but with NYC chock full of mom and pop coffee houses and street cart coffee at a cheaper price, it's hard to say.

My prediction is that this will be a new trend for a little while and will then fizzle out...

Many people from CA live in NYC so I'm sure they will love the new addition, but if you ask me, nothing beats a good ole NYC coffee cart 75 cent cup of Joe!

http://www.zagat.com/buzz/the-coffee-bean-and-tea-leaf-opens-today-in-midtown

MASON JARS!

I've gotten made fun of for this in the past (and well still do in present time) but nothing will ever stop me from thinking that Mason jars are quite possibly the most versatile thing out there.

If you take a little time to clean out old pickle jars, mayonaise jars, sauce jars, you name it, you are going to be left with these wonderful glass jars that can be re-used over and over again as cups, vin

tage cocktail glasses (think Long Island Iced Tea served with an 1920's flare), storage containers, candle holders...the list goes on.

I encourage you to think before you throw your next jar into the recycle bin...

Also note, this idea is becoming quite trendy in the wedding world...What a fun way to serve fun drinks...Long live the Mason jar!

Crossroads Clothing Stores

I know that Crossroads is a place that (if you know me at all) I talk about too much, but there is good reason! Crossroads is not only a great place to find on trend clothing and accessories on the cheap, but you can bring in your clothes, shoes and accessories and sell them for cash or store credit.

For each item of yours that they take, you get 35% of the price they are going to sell it for or if you would rather do store credit, you get 50% of the price!

This is a fun way to shop without hurting your wallet.

Think of it as a clothing exchange or a way to make a few extra bucks if you are having a tight week...come on now, you all know you have some clothes and shoes and other assorted items in your closet that you sure could stand to get rid of!

Check out their website for locations and details:
http://crossroadstrading.com/used-clothes-stores/