Archive for the ‘Freebies’ Category
2011
09.29
Tags: Blow-Out Bar, Cardinal Cool & the Nuns of Justice, Dave Lowell, DJ Catwalk, DJ Charlie, Ejede, Eric Timmerman, Free Coffee Day, free manicures, freebies, Good Ghost Bill, hipster-approved glasses, Indstry Print Shop, Jade Mandrake, Jason Ice, Krispy Kreme, Ladies' Night at Beauty Bar, live graffiti, Luis Banuelos, Lupe Valadez, martinis, Niz, Our Eyes Need Art, Sarah Slam, slam poetry, Spider House, Spruce Aveda Salon, Supreme Pizza Cats, Tara Carr, Tortoise and Blonde, Tyler Booker, Wake, Zachary Caballero, Zuzu Perkal
Posted in Events, Freebies, Frugal Fashion, Music | No Comments »
How’d we miss this? Today is FREE COFFEE DAY and no one told us! Clearly, we’re not getting enough caffeine in our systems. So while you’ve already missed the free 7-11 cuppa joe, you can still snag a freebie from that venerable donut institution, Krispy Kreme, until 10 PM! No purchase necessary, yo. Two locations in Austin at 701 E. Stassney Lane and 12586 Research Boulevard for your dunking pleasure.
In other freebies, enjoy the “Blow-Out Bar” with start-to-finish hair styling at Spruce Aveda Salon from 3 to 6 PM. Add a cut-out of some of the sweet frames from Tortoise & Blonde to your “before” and “after” iPhone shots and you could win a pair of hipster-approved glasses, too!
Once you’re all dolled up, get someplace to go! Tonight is Ladies’ Night at Beauty Bar, with $5 martinis & free manicures starting at 10 PM. “Lonely Man Lonestars” are just $2 for the gents, for equal opportunity drinking.
If cheap drinks aren’t quite enough to whet your whistle, get artsy with Our Eyes Need Art at Spider House for just $5 (or hit the link for a chance to win free tix from Do512). Feast your eyes on artwork from Jade Mandrake, Supreme Pizza Cats, Tara Carr, Zuzu Perkal, Dave Lowell, Niz, Sarah Slam, Eric Timmerman, Lupe Valadez, Tyler Booker, Wake and Jason Ice while watching live graffiti created by Niz, Wake, Jason Ice and Dave Lowell and enjoying the slam poetry stylings of Good Ghost Bill and Zachary Caballero. Rock out with live music by Luis Banuelos, Ejede, DJ Catwalk, Cardinal Cool & the Nuns of Justice and DJ Charlie, or grab some custom t-shirts screen printed by Industry Print Shop.
Free mothalovin’ coffee day! Time to re-fuel.
2011
09.12
Tags: 13 Little Blue Envelopes, 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover, Aimee Lee Ball, Amazon Kindle, Bruce Willis, Capital Metro SUCKS, Charles Bukowski, Cybill Disobedience, Cybill Shepherd, ebooks, Elvis, hipsters, Hollywood, Lendle.me, Linda Wisdom, Make the Devil Fumble His Wine, Maureen Johnson, Outcast, Robert Bruce, Thomas Myer
Posted in Books & Lit, Freebies, Steals and Deals | No Comments »
I’ve got a Kindle (a much-loved birthday present from my husband, who knows how I tear through books), which never ceases to attract attention on the bus—both for its technological wow-factor and for the sheer fact that I’m the weird girl who is reading on the bus. (Seriously, we are a rare breed.) Being a broke-ass frugal type, I tend not to frivolously toss down a ten-spot for digital books, so I regularly troll the free section of Amazon’s Kindle store, in search of titles that are actually worth downloading.
Trust me: I’ve been through quite a few that, despite their totally free price-tag, weren’t even worth my time. (And lord, do I have time for reading, as my average commute takes an hour each way. Thanks, CapMetro!)
In short, I’ve made a list of the top 5 books I’ve managed to acquire for free (or cheap) through Amazon which are actually worth reading. Check it out!
Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd and Aimee Lee Ball – With a subtitle like “How I survived beauty pageants, Elvis, sex, Bruce Willis, lies, marriage, motherhood, Hollywood, and the irrepressible urge to say what I think,” this book is pretty damn cheeky. Granted, it’s a celebrity memoir, and thus a bit flakily organized, but I give it 3 stars for guts. Ms. Shepherd dishes the dirt on her many and various lovers, the misogynistic boys club of Hollywood, and her quest for equal rights for all. I’d like to see more of this last bit in the future, cus there’s nothing like a loudmouthed blonde crusading for justice. HOT.- 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson – Yes, this is a Young Adult book, and shut up. It was actually really enjoyable, despite the main character’s persistent need to run away from the action of the book, and it made me long for a crazy artist aunt of my own who might send me on a whirlwind journey across Europe with nothing but a backpack and 13 envelopes directing me to my next destination. 4 stars; read it in an afternoon with a cup of coffee and dream of Paris. (NOTE: I was able to download a free version of this book as part of a promotion by the publisher, but the Kindle version currently available costs $7.99.)
- 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom – If you dig the supernatural and you’re been craving a mystery involving witches, vampires and possessed bunny slippers, then here is your next read. I’m only 14% into this book so far, but I’m already recommending it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for puns, and the vamps who inspire ‘em. (NOTE: This one was also free for a limited time, but currently costs $4.61.)
Outcast by Thomas Myer – Full disclosure: Tom is a writer friend of mine, so I am slightly biased. But even so, for $2.99 this little NaNoWriMo exercise-turned-novel is worth the price, and highly enjoyable. I was kind of peeved about his ending, but I still enjoyed the rest of the journey, so I only demoted him one star for this offense. And since his usual writing territory is the vast and largely soporific world of tech guides, I’d call this a welcome departure from the rest of his catalog. (Put that on your next book’s jacket, Tom, I dare you!)- Make the Devil Fumble His Wine by Robert Bruce – A book of poetry that doesn’t suck? On your Kindle? WTF, right? I originally downloaded this for free from Robert’s website, and now that it’s available on Amazon, it’s only $2.99 (the magic price) and highly recommended. I particularly enjoyed “Four Foolproof Ways to Create Staggering Wealth in This World.” Check this one out, even if you hate poetry. I promise you will dig it, the way hipsters dig Bukowski.
Got any free or cheap ebooks you’d recommend?
2011
08.29
Tags: Alex Trebek, Annual Grape Stomp, Becker Vineyards, Con' Olio Oils and Vinegars, Ginny's Austin, Jeopardy!, Lucille Ball, Lucy Ricardo Costume Contest, olive oil, paella, potent potables, Spanish tapas, Texas vineyards, wine
Posted in Events, Food, Freebies, Groceries | No Comments »
We’ve always been a fan of potent potables and the Jeopardy! category dedicated to rounding them up, in question form. So put on your thinking caps and riddle us this, Trebek fans: Where can you stomp grapes with your bare feet here in Texas?
If you replied “What is Becker Vineyards?” you’re the champ. Bonus points if you’re also dressed in your Italian peasant clothes or happen to own a Lucille Ball curly red wig, ‘cus Becker is also hosting their annual Lucy Ricardo Costume Contest on September 4 at 3 PM. Contestants will be judged by three criteria, according to the vineyard’s website: “1) Stomping Ability, 2) Costume, and 3) Enthusiasm!” Bring your best Lucy impressions and nice, clean feet to stomp to the beat of music by Brian Mullin.
If you’re busy on the 4th, don’t fret! You can come the day before (Sept 3) between 10 AM and 6 PM for a grape-smashin’ good time (though no prizes for your whining to Ricky about how you wanna be in the big show).
"Kim's grapes" from Becker Vineyards' Grape Stomp (photo by Flickr user aavarnum)
For those who prefer to tiptoe through the tapas, enjoy a gratis gastronomic tour of Spain at Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars (10000 Research Blvd, #130) this Tuesday, August 30. Olive oil, wine and paella will be served from 6 to 8 PM. While you’re there, invest in a nice, fresh bottle of EVOO so you can re-create the experience at home for your besties, using the “perfect paella” recipe from Ginny’s Austin.
And don’t forget to say “gracias” to your gracious hosts, lest you be branded a cheapskate. We may be on a budget, but we Shoestringers aren’t freeloaders, am I right?
2011
08.26
Tags: Adam West, Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant, Austin Bat Fest, Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, Batman, Best Wurst, Boomerang's Pies, Bright Light Social Hour, Capital Area Food Bank, Congress Avenue Bridge, Curra's Grill, Foot Patrol, La Guerrilla, live music, Matt's Famous El Rancho, Moonlight Social, Night of the Bat, Rita's Italian Ice, Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina, Schmillion, Sizzling Summer Raffle, Torchy's Tacos
Posted in Events, Food, Freebies, Groceries, Music, Restaurants, Weird | No Comments »
Two great FREE freaky foodie events happening this weekend as the temps continue to soar… like the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge!
Coincidentally, one of those events is the Austin Bat Fest, which has teamed up with Night of the Bat for a day-long celebration of Austin’s favorite local beasties. (Sorry, armadillo, but I don’t see YOU having a day dedicated to your honor. What’s up with that, anyway?)
Hit up the Congress Avenue Bridge this Saturday, August 27 from 1 PM until midnight for live music, a bat costume contest (8:15 pm), and–of course!–TV’s Batman, Adam West. There will be plenty of food and drink from local faves like Best Wurst, Boomerang’s Pies, Rita’s Italian Ice and more, and you can shop ’til you drop with local vendors.
And for those who love hot sauce as much as they love our hot weather, you won’t want to miss the Austin Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Festival this Sunday, August 28 from 11 AM to 5:30 PM at Waterloo Park. This event is almost-free, as entry is just $3, or you can donate 3 cans of food to the Capital Area Food Bank instead.
While you’re sucking back hot sauce from restaurants, bottlers and even gifted home chefs, be sure to purchase a few raffle tickets for the Sizzling Summer Raffle prize packages. We’re not sure what’s in ‘em, exactly, but at $1 a pop or 6 for $5, all proceeds go to the CAFB and enable them to provide $5 worth of nutritious food to Texas families for every $1 ticket sold. Holy burning biscuits, Batman!
In addition to screamingly hot sauces, local restaurants like Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant, Curra’s Grill, Matt’s Famous El Rancho, Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina, and Torchy’s Tacos will be slinging their best dishes and bands like Bright Light Social Hour, La Guerrilla, Foot Patrol, Moonlight Social and Schmillion will be blasting the sweet beats. Come for the hot sauce, stay for the party, and be sure to keep cool out there: this weekend is supposed to be 110 degrees, and no rain in sight.
Enjoy your last summer weekend, Austin, and we’ll catch you on the flip side.
2011
08.23
Tags: 5R Bodywork & Massage, Astor and Black, Austin deal sites, auto mechanics, Auto Techs, clothing retailers, daily deal sites, Dealuv, donating to local charities, El Chile Cafe y Cantina, FaceToFace Spa at Avery Ranch, fashion, free vouchers, gift cards, Groupon, hand-picked local businesses, Living Social, Localiter, Masala Wok, Northwest Imports, Red's Porch, restaurants, reward points, spas, trickle-down effect
Posted in Freebies, Steals and Deals | No Comments »
There has been an explosion of deal sites across America, and like many cities, Austin’s in love with their daily deals. Here at Shoestring Austin, we’ve signed up for plenty of these sites (Living Social, Groupon and Localiter, to name a few), each offering one new deal per day, with deep discounts at local businesses.
Even though we all love deals, there can be drawbacks to using these sites. The most common complaint is that while the discounts are certainly large enough to pique a buyer’s interest, the quality of participating businesses can vary widely. If you can’t find much information about the products or services offered, why would you care about getting a deal on these items? This is especially true with new businesses, who may not even have a web presence, much less any accurate online reviews by real consumers.
The second biggest complaint about deal sites is that they usually require buying a coupon or voucher. This is fine if you can remember to use your coupons or vouchers, but let’s face it: some of us are forgetful, or just plain busy, and this can end up becoming a waste of money instead of the promised huge savings.
Another issue doesn’t directly affect consumers, but comes back to bite us with the ol’ trickle-down effect. For businesses that offer deals through these websites, this is actually a very expensive marketing maneuver. Not only are they offering at least 50% off the price to consumers, but they also have to pay up to 50% of the price of their coupon to the sites offering the deal. In effect, for each deal that these businesses offer, they have to give up at least 75% off the value of their products or services. And guess who ends up paying for this in the long run? You guessed it: we, the consumers.
Enter Dealuv
With the goal of improving on the deal-a-day coupon system, Austin-based newcomer Dealuv has come up with something completely different. Deals on their site are all FREE. That’s right: you don’t have to buy vouchers anymore! Instead, vouchers are totally free to print and redeem, in exchange for sharing the deal on your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. As a result, whenever you share your favorite deals with friends, a viral effect is triggered, encouraging a self-sustaining community of deals between local businesses and consumers.
With a variety of hand-picked businesses, instead of one-off deals from nationwide chains, Dealuv also seeks to ensure that only quality products and services are available to their customers. Participating businesses are all locally-based, and include everything from restaurants (El Chile Cafe y Cantina, Masala Wok, Red’s Porch) to spas (5R Bodywork & Massage, FaceToFace Spa at Avery Ranch) to auto mechanics (Auto Techs, Northwest Imports) to upscale clothing retailers (Astor and Black).
Another bonus? Sharing your Dealuv scores actually gets you even more deals! Members earn reward points for participating in various activities on the site, including sharing deals, inviting friends to join the site, writing (private) feedback for businesses, and more. Reward points can be redeemed in the form of gift cards from affiliated businesses, or donated as cash to the charity of your choice. How cool is that?
Tired of losing your coupons and forgetting to cash in your deals? Want to get more out of your online deals? Why not give Dealuv a try? With free vouchers and sweet rewards for participating, there’s literally nothing to lose!
2011
04.01
Tags: A Million Little Pieces, April Fools, Austin Edible Book Festival, Bon-Bon Quixote, book-themed cakes, BookPeople, Crystal Watanabe, Freebies, Half Price Books, iSchool, Reeces Pieces, School of Information, Twilight Spam Musubi, University of Texas
Posted in Events, Freebies | No Comments »
While this may SOUND like another April Fools bit of foolishness, it’s actually completely real: Austin’s Edible Book Festival is back for another round of literary cakes!
Today only, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM at the University of Texas’ School of Information, you’ll be able to find witty takes on famous (and infamous) books of all sorts, from A Million Little Pieces (James Frey) made of Reeces Pieces to the impressive Bon-Bon Quixote.
Here’s a book I’d much rather eat than read:
"Twilight Spam Musubi - Edible Book Contest" (photo by Flickr user Crystal Watanabe)
Got an idea? Whip that edible book up and have it in the iSchool’s first-floor Tocker Lounge (1616 Guadalupe, across from the Clay Pit restaurant) by 1:15 PM today to be eligible to take the cake! (Winners will receive gift certificates to BookPeople at Half-Price Books.)
Voting begins at 12:30, and winners will be announced at the end of the event—at which point all are invited to dig in and let them eat cake. All Austin residents are welcome to enter and to attend this FREE event, but bring your spare change if you want to pair your cake with some Amy’s Ice Cream—they’ll be on hand with literary flavors including James and the Giant Peach, Charlie & the (Belgian) Chocolate Factory, The Mexican Vanilla Bean Tree, and The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint (Chip).
Brought to you by the Art Libraries Student Association (ArTex) and the Student Association of the School of Information (SASI), this is one event that’s sure to be a mouthful.
For more info, check out the Austin Edible Book Festival website.
Hat tip to Elizabeth Murley for posting about this event on Facebook!
2011
03.25
Tags: $1 books, Books Beyond Borders, going out of business sale
Posted in Freebies, Steals and Deals | 2 Comments »
Okay, so it’s more like $1 Friday, but the point of this post is CHEAP BOOKS, and for a literary nerd like me, this is a steal of a deal.
Books Beyond Borders, a local bookstore with the charitable aim of building schools from used book sales (and whom I’d tragically never heard of prior to this week), is going out of business and looking to sell off their literary stock ASAP. Hit them up this weekend, starting Friday the 25th, to snap up over 100,000 books for only $1 each. Holy cannolis!
In addition to their vast riches of the book variety, they’re also selling LPs (also at $1 each) plus laptops, compys and various warehouse equipment they need to get rid of. They’re also looking for scads of volunteers, so you may be able to finagle some free stuff if you donate your time to the cause.
To volunteer, email tab@booksbeyondborders.com. To buy books, head out early (the sale starts at 9 AM today [Friday]) to Books Beyond Borders at 618 C Tillery Street. Happy hunting!
2011
02.18
Tags: Austin Figurative Gallery Life Drawing, Austin magazines, Beard and Moustache Competition, book clubs, BookPeople, Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar, Cheap Date Night, Domy Books, Freeplay Sunday, Highball, Kung Fu Saloon, Leatherbag, literary events, live music, Misprint Magazine, Posh on a Budget, SwapATX, The Authors, The Belmont, The Copa Kings, The Mohawk, Two Hoots and a Holler, United States Art Authority
Posted in Freebies | No Comments »
"The Apotheosis" - Hot Prez-on-Prez action with Washington & Lincoln
Looking for a good time? Want to have some fun on the cheap? Never fear: Freebie Friday is here! Check out our picks for the best free (and cheap) events happening in Austin this President’s Day weekend.
Friday (Feb 18):
Saturday (Feb 19):
Sunday (Feb 20):
Monday (Feb 21):
Got any recommendations for free/cheap fun we’ve missed? Tweet us @ShoestringATX!
2011
01.28
Tags: 20 foot tall concrete cisterns, 2010 Halloween candy, Beauty School Dropout, Cover Girl NatureLuxe, Craigslist freebies, free haircuts, free perfume samples, free sphinx, Freebie Friday, Gucci Guilty perfume, Lacost Touch of Pink perfume, Lacoste Challenge, Lacoste Essential Sport, Lacoste Joy of Pink perfume, large landscape rock, Philosophy, Thierry Mugler Womanity perfume, This Week on Craigslist, Volkswagon bug burnt in fire
Posted in Freebies, Steals and Deals | No Comments »
This week, having discovered the wonderful world of free beauty samples (thank you, Sephora!), I thought I’d share a quick round-up of some of the free perfume samples out there. These are just a few of the scents I was able to locate online with a Google search, and it seems like most perfumeries are happy to send potential customers a sample spritzer if you ask nicely.
Free Perfume Samples
In other beauty giveaways, WalMart is currently offering samples of Cover Girl’s latest product, a foundation called NatureLuxe. How much more “natural” a fake cake for your face could be, we don’t know, but if you’re into that whole concept, here’s a chance to check it out.
And over at Philosophy, if you sign up for their mailing list, a sampler of free best-sellers will be added to your first order of $25 or more. For those who like to try new things, this is a nice add-on.
Weird Craigslist Freebies
Would your week really be complete without a little good, old-fashioned Austin weirdness? We think not. Hence, our top oddities via the Austin Craigslist free section:
Get ‘em while they’re hot!
P.S. Cami is graduating from beauty school in a few weeks and needs to prove she can do 12 types of cuts, so please stop flagging her “Free Haircuts” ads, already, and get yourself a damn free haircut! Geez, people, do you want another Beauty School Dropout on your hands?!
2011
01.21
Tags: Apple's App Store, Austin Free-Net, Austin Public Library, free computer classes, free computer hutch and filing cabinet, free e-books, Free GymGoal Dumbbell Workouts, free haircuts, free horse manure, free iPad apps, free iPhone apps, free pallets, free tech, Freebies, Kindle for iPhone, ReadyMade, Stanza from Lexcycle, Steinway Metronome, This Week on Craigslist, UT Austin digital books, UT Library, wunderlist Task Manager
Posted in Freebies | No Comments »
Here’s a wild and crazy round-up of tech-related freebies this Friday, inspired by Keeping Austin Free‘s links to the free computer classes at the Faulk Central Library (800 Guadalupe).
If you’ve been looking to get up to speed on a variety of computer skills from the basics (Windows, email, Microsoft Office) to the ins and outs of searching for jobs online or even Web 2.0 applications, be sure to check out the library’s free classes, held monthly. The library also offers links to online training, for those who prefer to learn on their own.
For more free computer classes and repairs, there’s Austin Free-Net, a local group that offers computer classes, clinics and even low-cost tech support and training for non-profit organizations and government groups.
Free Apps
With the recent debut of the App Store, here’s a short list of the free apps we’ve snapped up and can recommend from a variety of genres.
Free GymGoal Dumbbell Workouts will help organize your workouts and keep track of your progress as you go along, and if you’re new to the wonderful world of weightlifting, the quick videos demonstrating proper form are a great visual aid- Stanza from Lexcycle is a great e-reader for those not into the Kindle craze, although
- Kindle for iPhone is also pretty handy to keep around if you like to jump back and forth between reading on your device and on your phone
- Steinway Metronome app helps musicians keep time while jamming with the band, while for the rest of us it can provide an interesting rhythm to keep your fingers tapping, increasing your typing speed and upping productivity at your work station!
- wunderlist Task Manager is a great to-do list organizer, keeping you on track without killing trees or misplacing that paper notebook
Free E-books
If you’ve got an e-reader and have been wondering where to score free literature, here’s a handy round-up of tons of sites at the UT Library’s website, plus a listing of UT Austin books that are currently available in digital format
Finally: This Week on Craigslist
How can you pass up such crazy deals? Craigslist’s free section offers the following gems:
Got a favorite freebie to share? Tweet us @shoestringATX!
