SoCal Cheapskate gets it done for freesies, or vacation brain.

Happy Tuesday, friendies.
I'm home from the beach, BUT I'm also trying to get caught up on everything that I've missed/skipped/ignored over the passed three weeks. So, I have a super treat for you today. Melanie, the amazing, fun, weirdo behind Metropolitan Money Pit (A blog I LURVE) is here to teach you the ways of the cheapskate...

Take it, Melanie...

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Hi Perched readers! How's it going? My name's Melanie and I blog over at Metropolitan Money Pit. I'm a confirmed cheapskate but love to go out and have fun. How do I combine the two? By finding the best cheap activities in Southern California. And if I think they're great, I share them with my readers.

Since I just admitted I'm a total cheapskate I thought I'd take the time today to share a little of what that means. Call it my confessions if you will. Confessions of a Confirmed Cheapskate. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

- I always, always try to find the cheapest parking when I go to a concert or event. You want to charge me $20 for parking after I've already paid a crazy amount for this ticket! I don't think so. I've been know to park at the movie theatre down the street when going to a hockey game and in the neighborhood down the hill when attending a concert. It saves me money and I burn calories. I call it a win win. Oh, and speaking of concerts, I will go out of my way to go to the box office if it means I don't have to pay extra fees. You want to charge me an extra $20 for your "service?" Get out of here, Ticketmaster!

- I am a regular patron of my local library. So much so that the librarians know me. Seriously, I go there about once a week. I love to read but books ain't cheap. Well, except on Amazon, but why buy it when I can get it for free? And I'm extra lucky because my library also has a huge film collection. I'm talking new releases, not just documentaries and how to videos. And they don't charge anything to rent them! Goodbye, Netflix. Oh, and when I do buy books, I resell them when I'm done on Half.com.

My trusty library card

- I religiously cut coupons. I use them everywhere - the grocery store, Target, the drugstore, restaurants, clothing stores...if they offer a coupon, I'll be sure to find it! And you want to hear something really embarrassing? I've been addicted to coupons since I was a teenager. So much so that I took over the grocery shopping for the family because I loved them so much (coupons that is. But, don't worry, I do love my family a lot, too). Yes, when I was a newly minted 16 year old driver I would borrow my parents' car so that I could go to the grocery store.

My handy dandy coupon book. I made it out of a cosmetic bag that I (shocker) got for free.

I think I'll leave you on that note. I'd better stop my confessions before I reveal anything even more embarrassing!

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I have numerous follow up questions... 

How do you remember to USE the damn coupons anyway? I always clip them, and can't remember to bring them with me anywhere important.
How do you learn to match up sale ads to your coupons and get massive amounts of shit for free like Extreme Couponers on TLC?
And, in all seriousness, how do you find HEALTHY options with coupons? I feel like all coupons are for junk food and things that will make me very fat.
Think on it. We'll wait.

I'll be back with you tomorrow, darlings.
Until then...