That’s what Brian Boitano would do.
Tip Of The Day: What plans are cooking in the dark recesses of the Cheap Chick’s mind? Read on to learn what frugal madness lurks…Bwahahaha! *cough, cough, cough*
Tip For Tomorrow: Last week, I took my gift cards in hand and went shopping. Thank goodness one of them was for JCPenney, because they abound with cute, radically discounted clothes. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: Well, hello there new decade! How are you? So far, you haven’t done much to inspire me, but then, you also haven’t made me run screaming into the night like 2009. So I would say that’s a win. Moving on.
2010 has been declared by my friends and me as The Year Of Excellent Things. Heck, I even gave it a theme song. Personally, 2010 will be the year of making frugal plans to expand my Multi-Media Empire – and actually make it multi-media – and improve my humble offerings to you. Here’s what I have in store:
1. Improve the usability of this site. First, the Comments – are you guys having a difficult time leaving comments? Is it not user-friendly? Because I really, really want to hear from all of you, and I’m not getting much in the way of feedback (not that I’m whining, I know how busy you are). So let me know if my Most Awesome Web Designer and I need to revamp the Comments.
I also think I’m going to drop the whole “Tip Of The Day, Tip For Tomorrow” format. I started that set-up to create some continuity and excitement, kind of like a cliffhanger – ‘tune in tomorrow to see what happens.’ But I think it’s grown tired and tends to stagnate my flights of frugal fancy. What say you guys?
I also want to combine the Contact Me and Advertising pages, turn the About Me into more of a media resume with embedded Fox 9 segments, and put the About Me stuff on a page called History Of Cheap. I also think I should make it so just one post appears on the home page. Sound good to you?
2. Create a weekly podcast. I’ve been throwing around this idea for a year now. When I asked Cooper Lawrence (ATTENTION: Shameless Name-Dropping) how I could better break into radio hosting, she suggested starting a podcast to build up a following. Also, I could use those casts to create an audio reel for auditions. So, would you guys listen to a weekly, hour-long cast on frugal living? Complete with guests and giveaways?
3. Create a show for YouTube. I LOVE The Guild. I also love Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog and all the Threadbanger tutorials. They got me thinking, “Self, do you think you could put together a frugal living/tips show?” And the answer is yes – after I do some research into how and price out a handheld camera with tripod attachment. Would you guys watch a 3-5 minute clip on different frugal tips? If I get clever at editing, I may even have a theme song.
4. Once I have that camera, I can use it to record an impassioned plea to Oprah Winfrey to have me on her show. You can help my quest to get on Oprah by going here, and telling her, “You should totally have The Cheap Chick be one of your guests. She’s putting the fun back in frugal! Best of all, if she get’s on your show, she’ll dance the Richfield Fight Song in uniform on live TV. Everyone wins!”
I think that’s a good start for the new decade. I have other, personal plans – exercise more, wear everything in my closets instead of shopping, make a bunch of new costumes, go to Costume Con – but those don’t really affect you. And I am ALL ABOUT YOU IN 2010. So please, tell me what you think about my plans, and share your own in the Comments below. Thank you! (I’m also going to be more polite this year.)
9 Comments
1. No trouble with comments
2. I would listen, if only I could remember to listen to podcasts or understood better how to utilize them to fit my life.
3. I would watch, fo’ sho’. Friend Nic on FB and ask him about cameras. He’ll help you out.
I totally agree that it is time (long past time, actually) to move beyond the Tip of the Day, Tip for Tomorrow format. I never much liked the “further elucidation” bit. Except for Alexander the Great, Empires tend to be headed by adult-like non-stagnant folks. Erin the Great (Cheap-Chick the Great doesn’t quite work) would be perfect for the next decade of Empire Building.
One other thing. Polite is okay, but too polite can shade into wimpy, and wimpy is only good for eating hamburgers.
Far too many radio type people have ADD (or at least what resembles it). IMHO, I believe that brevity is your friend and an hour long podcast is too much. The 3 to 5 minute bit will do just fine! You can always tape more and edit down. (I’m ROFLMAO at the part about creating the “audio reel” insinuating that ANYBODY has a reel to reel anymore)
As for the camera, you have lots of resources within easy access, use ‘em. Next time you run into the roomie at the station, ask him. Ask Vinnie, ask them all…they’ll be a wealth of info for finding the right equipment for your needs at the right price (heck, they might even be selling one!)
Good luck & have fun storming the castle!
I would keep more than one post on the main page. I would also request that instead of putting things in bold, you instead turn those words into links, because you use bold font the way many bloggers use links, and links = convenient access to the information you’re talking about.
I like the ideas you have for the page, and agree that podcasts should also = brief. “This American Life” is an hour-long podcast, but I think other things should be shorter. I agree that 3-5 minutes sounds just right for what you do. Like audio blog posts.
Also, your newer photos you had taken this year are so nice! I think they would be awesome in a new site header if you decide to go that route.
I agree with the bold=links comment.
My only problem with comments is that the name field is too short for my handle. LOL
I completely agree about ditching the tip for today/tomorrow. I always skip that part when reading.
I personally don’t listen/watch video/audio on blogs because it’s too hard to do with the kids around. They get up in my face wanting to watch too
But I think that would be popular with many people.
Agree about keeping the video/podcasts shorter. Not many folks have an hour to spare on any given blog even once a week. Like the idea of getting away from the tip of the day/tip for tomorrow as well.
On a side note, how in the world do you stand such cold winters? I live in Alabama and we are expericing our 3rd or 4th day in a row of highs in the 30s and we are all whining like babies wanting our warmth back! And now there is a threat of 1-2 inches of snow so I’m sure the entire city will shut down.
Well. I think you should have a theme song like Charlotte Church. Complete with the naughty bits! I also know that you can get a decent tripod at Target for $15-30. DQ just got one for $15.
Let’s see, what else? I agree: DOWN with Tips, UP with Oprah! (or People, whichever you prefer.)
Also – HI Papa Schneider! Smooches! I am working on writing in 2010! With lots of exclamation points! (Or not.)
I like to think that I coined the phrase “The Year of Excellent Things” but I am willing to share that mantle with you, because I am Like That.
I would also love to listen to shorter podcasts. Although I think you could get up to 10+ minutes if you are particularly impassioned about something. Take chocolate, for instance. Or wine. Or pie. Or half-naked dampened men. All things I know you are fond of.
Lastly – perhaps you should build a scale model of the Cheap Empire out of Legos as a starting point. Why? Because it would be fun. Everyone loves Legos.
Toodles!
I’m a wee bit tardy to the party, so please forgive moi. While you’ve already responded on the 6th to this day’s post, Erin, I humbly offer my comments re.: your questions from the 5th.
I have no idea how to deal with Podcasts. Never listened to one. But I’d give it a whirl, if a friend would help me along (you know, like training wheels). The shorter segments, both in Podcasts and in YouTube, sound good. Great ideas, actually. You could have guests, for sure. Famous, semi-famous, or total strangers (hunky man candy is still welcome in your endeavors! Hee-hee.). I never minded the tips for today/tomorrow, whatever. But if you and the majority of folks feel change is needed, I’m down with that. I’d love to see occasional pieces on re-purposing/recycling items to lengthen their usefulness. For example, how you and your buds have made costumes out of table runners, etc. (I’m currently working on making mittens and winter caps from old sweaters, wool coats, and other assorted fabric scraps — yikes!) They don’t hafta be complicated or fancy, as I think most of us have elementary to moderate sewing and crafting skills. Ideas could be as simple as ripping apart a purse for its parts, to repair or change up another (which I’ve done, and cheaply), and things useful to guys and as much of the general population as possible (no pressure — just giving ideas). To *me*, being frugal involves not only finding great deals at Heaven — oops, I meant, Target (
LOL) — and elsewhere, at events, etc., but in trying to extend the life of something we shouldn’t or don’t need to throw out just yet. Hope this helps! Thanks, Erin! 