Win a MoMA Membership

I received an Email from MoMA and thought some of you might like this planner and a chance to win a year of Free Membership.

Customize your MoMA visit using the MoMA Summer Planner and you could win a year of free admission to MoMA!

Visit MoMA.org/summer and enter to win an Individual MoMA membership, valued at $75. Just follow the log in instructions on the MoMA Summer homepage and you will automatically be entered to win a year of free admission, exclusive exhibition previews, discounts at the MoMA Stores, and so much more!

Offer valid through Monday, September 7, 2009. The winner will be notified by e-mail.

If you want to just check out MoMA for free, they offer free entry on Fridays from 4pm-8pm. Children under 16 years are always free.

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Fancy A New Template

It's been some time since we've switched from the Default blogger templates. FrugalNYC has had two default Blogger templates before settling on the current template. We still love the current template, but may make a change. Change is work, and right now we would rather stick with getting more good content out!

For anyone using a Blogger account and would like to try a new template, the Blogger Buzz blog has a great post with a list of sites that provide templates to Spruce Up Your Blog. For the SEO aware, you may have noticed I've been linking to sites with better Keywords. It helps promote the sites I link to and I hope you will do the same for sites you find worthwhile linking to. If you want to find out what SEO tips I've picked up, you may want to check out our Computer Consulting blog at blog.pixelperfectgroup.com. If you need Computer support or are just starting out your business, please contact us at Pixel Perfect Group for Computer Help.

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Check Tracfone Voicemail From Your Landline

If you want to check your Tracfone voicemail, but don't want to use up your precious minutes, there is an easy way to do it. Doing this will keep your tracfone minutes in use longer.

Make sure you have set up your voicemail password. You can do this by using the following instructions:

To Change Voice Mail Password

• From your wireless phone
• Press and hold the "1" key.
• Press the number "4" to access the personal Options menu.
• Press the number "2" to access the Administrative Options menu.
• Press the number "1" to access the Password Options menu.
• Press the number "1" to change your password.
• Enter your new password (4 digits) and press the "#" key which is under the number 9.

Once you have setup your voicemail password, check to see what your Tracfone dials to pick up voicemail. Dial that number to get to your voicemail system. Put in your phone number and then password, after the appropriate prompts.

If you can't get this working, check this link on Tracfone's site for possible alternate instructions for your own phone model. You will need your phone's serial number to get the appropriate instructions.

If you own a Tracfone, I hope this has been a helpful post.

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Photo by Refracted Moments

Custom Greeting Card - Giveaway!

Our last FrugalNYC UPrinting giveaway was a great success, so we are back to give away 250 7 x 5" Greeting Cards (Half-Fold); 10 pt Cover with matte or gloss coating Full Color Outside and Blank Inside (4/0). That was a mouthful!

Again, there will be 2 winners!

What will you do with these Custom Greeting Cards? If preparing for the Holidays way ahead of time is your thing, then that's one great use. If you have a special occasion coming up, a wedding, birth, family reunion or any other happy occasion - you'll definitely enjoy these greeting cards.

UPrinting also does Custom Postcards, Business cards and many other products. FrugalNYC may end up doing giveaways of those items in the future.

With all that said, how do you enter and qualify? The rules are very simple.

Just write a comment on this post about how you will use the Custom Greeting Cards. If you are on twitter and tweet about this contest, include @FrugalNYC in your tweet, you will get a second chance. The contest will end on August 28, 2009 and winners will be announced no later than August 31, 2009.

You only pay for the shipping, which is much better than paying full price for anything. You must also live in the USA to qualify for this giveaway.

Thank you, UPrinting, for sponsoring this giveaway. Good luck to all the contestants!

UPDATE - The Winners have been announced in the comments section!

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Getting Around In NYC

There are numerous ways of getting around in NYC. The obvious walking, public transport (bus, subway - via Metrocard) and biking. Then there are taxis, limos, private bus companies, horse carriages, and other touristy ways of getting around. Owning a car is not necessary, but many people in NYC own one anyway. I'm one of them.

Sometimes the modern convenience of having a car is forgotten when you are in NYC. I own a used car, which I've had for many years now. I don't put many miles on it, since I tend to walk and take public transport most of the time.

Why do I even keep the car? It's old, so I can't really sell it for much. It's not old enough to qualify for the recent Cash for Clunkers program. More about that in another post. The main reason I keep this old car, is due to the convenience of having it around in case of family emergencies or trips. It's cheaper to get around in a car if you actually have a full car - which I usually do when driving it about with the family in tow. Once you own a car, it's hard to imagine life without one. It's like having broadband and then going back to dial-up.

I recently had to get some repairs done on my 14 year old car. Thanks to the abundance of potholes in NYC, something came loose, and it was making rude noises while I drove it. Being the frugal guy that I am, I wanted to make sure the repairs were necessary. Fortunately I have been going to a great mechanic for many years now. In fact he helped check out this car when I was buying it used.

Mr. Kim, as I call him, is the owner of Radial Auto. It is a private shop in Woodside, Queens. In fact, if you need an honest, reliable and trustworthy mechanic (and who doesn't) I highly recommend his shop. They are very friendly at the shop and they do the job you ask of them. They don't over charge you for things you don't need. Just tell them the symptoms the best you can, and they will resolve it for you, usually within a day or two.

The only problem with owning an old used car is the cost of repairs. Hopefully I won't have to get too many of them in the near future. If I do, I know I will get the necessary things done by Mr. Kim.

What about you? Do you own a car? Do you have a great mechanic?

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Free Malware Tools

Malware, Spyware, Adware, whatever you want to call it. It boils down to software that invades your PC, without your knowing. Usual effects are: a slower pc experience, slow boot up, pop-ups, and in worse case scenarios: identity theft, keylogging, trojans that allow other malware in, etc..

I've had to deal with such malware quite often and have found the below list of Free applications very helpful. They are listed in no particular order and some of you may have others which should be on this list. If you do have other recommendations, I'd love to hear from you. We'll add them to the list.

FREE Malware Removal Tools

• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
• SuperAntispyware
• Spotbot-S&D
• Ad-Aware Free Anniversary Edition
• Spyware Doctor
• F-Secure BlackLight - Rootkit removal
• VirusTotal - Online file scanning some experts may want to use
  
• Mal-Aware - designed to remove only Smitfraud such as personal antivirus, antivirus 2010, and other fraudulent products
  

The free versions listed are fully functional, though not as robust as some of the full versions. I usually use a combination of the above list, which does quite a good job of cleaning out malware on infected PCs. Do be careful when you remove software though, depending on which one you use, some applications may be falsely identified and removed. This could render your application useless. It's always good to know what is identified and make a list to make sure it does not contain software that you actually want.

This list does not contain Antivirus software, you can find a list of free Antivirus software in my previous post titled What Free Antivirus Do You Use? If you are looking for Tech Support help, you can contact me via my Computer Consulting site at Pixel Perfect Group LLC.

Those of you who do not feel comfortable with free versions may want to check out PCWorld's review of security suites.

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Free Ugg Boots - For Bloggers!

If you are a fan of Ugg Boots, you might want to take up this offer from Whooga. For bloggers, all you have to do is write a post with the above graphic. Every entrant receives a 15% discount and a chance to win free ugg boots! Simply follow the directions listed on this page.

They will draw 3 pairs of ugg boots every 2 months and more as soon as Winter hits. Contestants may remain entered for as long as you wish and will automatically go in the draw to win for as long as you continue to display the Whooga Badge. They ship internationally so it’s open to everyone, everywhere.

Hope you have found this post helpful. Come back again for more!

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What Free Antivirus Do You Use?

Chances are, if you bought a computer recently, it came with some form of McAfee or Symantec antivirus. They do the job, but both take up more resources than necessary, and tend to slow your computer down. If you bought a second hand computer, you may or may not have the necessary antivirus installed.

Listed here are some antivirus vendors and their free offerings. Feel free to try it out, its Free! Let us know how well they work for you! The only drawback to most of these Free antivirus software is the fact that there is no support from the company. Most of these are for personal use only, meaning you are not supposed to use it for commercial purposes.

List of FREE Antivirus software

• AVG - Our current recommendation, we may be moving to Avira soon.
• Avast - This has a great tool to scan your system BEFORE it even fully boots into Windows. Requires Registration to continue to use.
  
• Avira Antivir - Download from Cnet here
• Norton Security Scan
• Clamwin - The only opensource software on this list. This does not have any Realtime detection, you need to do a scan of your files or system manually on a regular basis.
• PC Tools antivirus Free Edition - I've never used this, would love to hear what you think about it.
• BitDefender Free Edition - Pretty good as well, though I have not kept up with the current versions.
• Kapersky Free Virus Scanner - This is an online virus scanner, no need to do an install to use this. You can use this in conjunction with your current software without uninstalling anything.
• Housecall - I don't like their software in general, but I have used their online scanning in the past and it did help remove some items. Good as a secondary tool to double check.
  

This list is in no way a comprehensive list. It only contains those we have tried or have heard about frequently enough to be listed. If you know of other Free Anti-Virus software not listed here, that you really like, we would appreciate a comment on this post. We'll add it to the list!

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JetBlue Unlimited Flight Pass

Want something that's an even better deal than an unlimited 30 day Metrocard? Try the JetBlue Unlimited Flight Pass, details below.

Enjoy unlimited travel with our All-You-Can-Jet Pass! For just $599* you can take JetBlue anywhere you like, as often as you like, from September 8 to October 8, 2009. Use your All-You-Can-Jet Pass for business, for pleasure, to visit your favorite cities or to meet with a client. You might as well just do it all! With more than 50 cities to choose from, and for just $599, it’s a deal you can’t pass up.

Passes are available for purchase between August 12, 2009 and August 21, 2009 or while supplies last .

OVERVIEW: The JetBlue Unlimited Flight Pass includes unlimited coach class air travel for one (1) person whose name is registered on the Pass on JetBlue-operated flights between any cities in the JetBlue route network. The Pass may be used for travel only during the period between September 8, 2009 and October 8, 2009. All Passes expire on October 8, 2009, and all travel must be completed by 11:59 pm MDT on this date. All Pass Travel must be booked at no later than 11:59 MDT three (3) days in advance of the scheduled departure of Your outbound flight. If You have already purchased a flight on JetBlue scheduled to depart within the Travel Window, You may convert Your existing booking to Pass Travel by purchasing a Pass (an “Upgrade”). Price includes all US taxes and fees; international taxes and fees may apply.

JetBlue Unlimited Flight Pass-All You Can Jet Pass for $599 from Sept. 8-Oct. 8, 2009: For more info, check here.

I wonder how well this will sell. Will you pick up one of these passes? If you fly frequently, this is probably one of the best deals you'll get this year. If that not enough for you, here are some more travel deals posted on ABC News.

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Get Your Domains

Where do you get your domains? Most of us have seen and know about GoDaddy by now, thanks to their Superbowl commercial that brought their name to the masses. Network Solutions used to be one of the biggest players in the Domain business, though they have been surpassed now.

If you wanted to get a Domain for yourself or business, where do you go? Here are some companies that I've come across, some with great pricing to draw you in and others that provide anything and everything for a business that is growing.

Hosting and Domain Registration

• 1and1
• GoDaddy
• Network Solutions
• DogByteDomains
• DomainMonster
• BlueFur (via Twitter)
• WestHost (via Twitter)

Free Domains and Hosts

• Freedomain
• TheFreeCountry
• Free-Name.org

I've got an account via 1and1, you'll help us out if out click and purchase from this banner here.


You can also find a list of Web Hosting companies via this link. To find newly available domain names, you can check JustDropped.com. Have you registered a domain recently? Who do you use to register your domain? Come back to check for updates to this list, or post your own hosts and registrars in the comments to be included in this list.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Online Deals

This is an attempt to put the best online deal sites all in one post. This will be updated often. Please help contribute to this list! Let us know what you use to get the best deals online and off.

Sites that save you $$

• Yahoo just launched Yahoo Deals
• Woot - Daily deals on all kinds of goodies
• Techbargains - Tech finds
• FatWallet - Get cash back, find codes and get all kinds of great deals.
• Dealtaker - as the name says, it's a place for coupons and Deals.
• RetailMeNot - Why pay retail when you can get discounts? I've found some useful coupon codes from here, including ones for Tracfone. This is one of my current favorites to find codes.
  
• Dealnews
• Coupon Cabin

Additional sites to be added soon...

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Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

The 19th annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday (8/8-8/9/09) at Meadow Lake, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. You can watch over a hundred teams paddle and splash their way across the lake, to compete for $60,000 in prizes.

The festival has its roots set in the 15th century fishermen rescue of poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan committed suicide in the Miluo River to protest the emperor's rulings in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty (Chinese history).

The festival includes the main attraction races, along with lion dancers, an orchestra, music, dancing, martial arts demonstrations, an ethnic food court (not just Chinese food), and much more. The food will include some traditional Chinese items such as dumplings, fish cakes, bubble tea, Taiwanese shaved ice, zongzi among many others dishes.

If you want some other activities to attend after this festival, you can always check out the soccer (football to the rest of the world) fields, along with many other activities in the park. You can take the kids to the Queens Zoo or the Playground for all Children. You can also check out the Queens Museum or the New York Hall of Science (one of my favorite places).

The best thing about this festival, its Free! You can find directions and other related information about the festival from here.

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An Interview With Sarah Protzman

I recently put out a tweet for guest bloggers for FrugalNYC and ended up doing an interview with a wonderful soul, Sarah Protzman. After moving to NYC, Sarah has given her all to make it in this wonderful city, and she has thrived! If you're new to NYC, you may find some very valuable content on her blog. Without further ado, here is the interview with Sarah.

Name: Sarah Protzman
Age: 27
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Day job: Copy editor at a major magazine company
Ideal job: Freelance magazine writer/blogger

1) How long have you been in NYC?
Two and a half years! I still can't decide if it feels longer or shorter than that.

2) How long have you been blogging and why did you start New New Yorkers?
I've been blogging since 2003, but only recently started NewNewYorkers. It began due to the memoir I wrote about my first two years in NYC. I realized there were so many situations in the book — funny, sad, exciting or disappointing — that I could reapply to create helpful tools for new New Yorkers, many of whom are just as overwhelmed and cash-poor as I was (er, as I am).

3) Are you a full time blogger? What blogging tips can you share with us?
I'm not a full-time blogger, but my advice is to write what you know. When people read blogs, they're looking for something beyond what they can Google — an honest, intelligent perspective with a degree of utility. And it's important to me to offer a two-way conversation with my readers.

4) Where were you from originally and what made you move to NYC?
I was born and raised in Dallas, but have lived many places since then. Immediately prior to NYC, I lived in Colorado, and while I loved my job an arts writer and single-life columnist, I was daydreaming about New York. I knew I'd look back and kick myself if I didn't live here as a 20-something.

5) What aspects of your life would you consider frugal?
I'm frugal no matter what I'm buying, but I'd say apparel-wise, I'm extra savvy. Save for two pairs of shoes that were a gift, nothing in my closet cost more than $80 — and most of it is WAY less than that. I don't own anything I don't love. New York closets are too small to hold everything you never wear.

6) What is the best frugal living tip you have picked up since moving to NYC?
How to shop Craigslist! I've bought and sold lots of stuff on there, like gently used furniture or electronics. I've also found both NYC apartments I've had on Craigslist; I've never paid a dime to a broker.

7) What is your favorite and least favorite thing about NYC?
My favorite is how unpredictable and bottomless this city is — you never know how incredible your day could turn out to be. Least favorite? Anything that's overpriced. I guess the main culprits are groceries, toiletries and haircuts.

8) Is there anything else you would like to share with readers of FrugalNYC?
Yes! Ignore anyone who talks about life in NYC using the words impossible, everyone, always or no one. This city CAN be figured out, no matter how daunting or expensive it can be. And remember that matter what you're making, there's someone else living on less.

You can find more about Sarah at her New New Yorkers blog. You can also find an interview of myself on her blog. If you are a blogger in NYC and would like to be featured on FrugalNYC or would like to guest blog on FrugalNYC, send us an email or a DM via twitter.

If you have questions for myself or Sarah, please leave a comment. I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you would like to see more posts like this, us know in the comments.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.