A Lucky Dream Come True

Here is the scenario. Long day at the office, even longer day to come home to. You get home and check the mail. Yes! this month's Lucky just came in. You know exactly how the rest of the night will pan out. You will forget to cook dinner, the dog will forgo his evening walk… oh, and the gym. Did you honestly think you were going to make it to the gym? No, tonight you slip into your sweats, plant yourself on the couch with a big cup of tea and study and tab anything and everything you need in the magazine. At the end of the day do you ever get anything you marked in the issue? Chances are no.
Now is your chance to live the Lucky lifestyle. The first weekend of November Lucky mag will be having its annual LuckyShops. This is where the pages of your favorite magazine come to life at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City on November 6th and 7th. A $20 price of admission will get you into the best shopping experience this town has to offer. Brands such as Vera Wang and Devi Kroell will have pop-up booths for you to get clothes, jewels and beauty items for up to 75% off. In addition to getting those new J Brand Jeans at wholesale prices, sip on some cocktails and score some freebies. There will be lots of perks for your purchases, like complimentary bejewelment with your brand spanking new Havianas. Go ahead, pinch yourself, because you are living among the pages of Lucky mag.

Safety First, ALWAYS

So we spend a lot of time here at Living the Life On a Budget talking about getting your drink on. With spreading the news about the deals and steals out there, I assume you are making the right decisions at the end of the night. But sometimes we forget our senses and make stupid decisions. In NYC, its easy to stick out your arm and an army of yellow cabs will safely get you home, but in other cities this is not always an option. Amongst the crazy night life that is LA, you now have the option of Y Drive LA. In an effort to prevent DUIs and you waking up with your car parked in your garage, Y Drive LA makes the morning after a bit more pleasurable than in the past. For $38, comparable to 2 cab rides, one home and one to find your pimped out SUV the next morning, Y Drive, will transport you home in your own vehicle. Well how does the driver get back to where he started? Granted you don't have all the contents of your life in your trunk, a Y Drive LA driver stores his foldable scooter to later drive him back to help another night owl. Now program Adam's number in your phone (888) 401-DUI7. And this weekend if you even think you are a bit tipsy, give him a ring. The $38 you spend on Y Drive is a whole lot less than all those legal fees when L.A.P.D. pull you over.

Get Me Out of This Place

Its that time of year, when you just need a break. You know you want to check out all the places I broadcast about on Living the Life on a Budget. Now is your chance to break free from the daily grind and book a flight across country for $100 each way. Virgin America, is giving you this opportunity, to fly to either coast at reduced prices. Its soon to be winter and you are going to want to escape the frigid weather they call winter in Boston and go to LA for $200 round trip. Live in San Fran and want to see what snow and winter is like in NYC, you too can make it happen. You have until October 27th to lock this deal in. You have your options of traveling to Boston, DC, San Fran, LA, Fort Lauderdale, etc, so the options are endless. You have to travel by March 10th, but I think you will have taken full advantage of this already. Just remember it maybe fall out today but in just 2 months you are going to wish you had taken full advantage of this deal.

Excuse Me, Over Here, Ms. Celebrity Please Pose for a Picture?

Its less than two weeks away, and you have the perfect costume. Of course you are going to hit the streets as Lady Gaga, you have your pantless outfit all picked out and you have been doing squats in preparation since Fall showed up. If you happen to be dressing up and getting down in Chi-town this Halloween, there are a whole host of parties for you to show off your celebrity alter-ego and potentially walk away with a little something, something. Take the elevator up to the 27th floor next Saturday night of The Wit, to try and win the $1,000 cash prize for best celebrity look-a-like. The 9th Annual Black i Ball Party at Roof starts at 9, and there is no cover. Just because you look like a celebrity, does not mean you can be as late. You need people to see that costume.
Or do you have a thing for dead celebs, everyone from Elvis Presley to Bob Ross? Then the party at LuxBar is more your speed. Dead Celebrity Halloween has no cover as well and begins at 10 PM. So you can hit up The Wit as well. There are tons of drink specials, and the ability to win a $500 Gibsons Gift card. So its time to get to work and figure out which celebutant dead or alive you can pull off the best. I want you guys to get mistaken for a stumbling Lilo or bumbling Kanye. I will see you in next week's US mag.

The Pizza Battle Continues

So you both decided what you wanted for dinner. Pizza! You want a slice, he wants deep dish and you are nowhere near shielding your big apple from the blistering wind. You are in LALA land and just need the closest thing to satisfy that craving. Nestled in Santa Monica, you can give him what he wants without sacrificing what you need to get through the day at N.Y. & C. Pizzeria. There is no need to compromise at this joint. The menu sells slices for the true pizza connoisseur and deep dish for those who want to wave their Midwest pride. Like the place you are familiar with from back home its small and has no frills to get you in the door. The good food the kitchen keeps sending out keeps the pizza lovers coming back for more. So when noone can compromise on what they want for dinner head to N.Y. & C. because you do not have to be in the middle of that fight anymore. Everyone (aka your spoiled friend) can get what they really wanted.

Vintage Delights

You know I love vintage. You know I love reworked vintage. And finally you know I love to bring you sites that do both those things. So go check out Ramona West, to find some modern vintage. Hailing from the laid back cool capital of SoCal, Ramona West is an edited collection of love. Taking note of what is happening on today's runway the collections are tailored to fit the modern silhouette. You will not look like you just traveled through a time machine from the 1970s. Service is not thrown by the wayside, orders are shipped within 48 hours. Ramona does not want you to miss out on her wares. If you cannot find what you are looking for at the new e-commerce site, check out the etsy shop too. Oops, I almost forgot to mention that most items up for sale are under $60. I would say its hard to find good quality in stores today at that price. So choose wisely, as each item is unique, and send your friends to H&M to try and find knock-offs.

Simple Treats

So as the days get a little colder, you think you should forget about fro yo and other frozen desserts that put smiles on your face. But as the mercury dips, you still can handle a little frozen delight at the end of the night. Are you making this a daily habit and your pocketbook and hips paying the price? Head over to your closest McDonald's and proudly order off the dollar menu. I know you are thinking, a trip to Mickey D's without gilt, that is like saying a zebra does not have stripes. Well little did you know that the Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone is one of those simple delights that will satisfy your sweet tooth. At its bare bones, it is just vanilla soft serve in a wafer cone. But sometimes simple is the best. What brings the value home is that in most places it is on the dollar menu and only puts a 150 calorie dent into your diet. If you are religious Biggest Loser fan like I, you know that a treat of those calories is not going to tip the scales in the wrong direction. So skip on the fancy chocolate souffle with your date, and take him to where you can get perfection for pennies.

Diamonds And Chocolate?

What is a girls perfect fantasy? Brad Pitt shirtless cleaning the kitchen with a hot meal waiting for you when you return from work? Well duh, but we are talking about the attainable here. So if you had the chance to wear a 16-carat diamond necklace for two weeks, wouldn't you jump at the chance. Well guess what, Hershey Bliss Chocolates is giving you the opportunity to tell them why you should be rocking some serious bling. Click on the link and you could be on your way to having a new statement piece. This contest was inspired by the best selling book The Necklace, somewhat like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants this novel follows 13 women as they wear the coveted jewels. Sounds like something every girl wants. In order to qualify, tell Hershey's how this bauble will bring bliss to your life. Then you could be walking around with a serious neck ache (just kidding) from all those flawless gems.

I Want Some Pie

Living abroad you get to taste a lot of new foods you learn to love, and other ones you can say you tried. You do not need to tell anyone you spit it out. Living in London, I indulged in a meat pie from time to time. The word meat pie does not exactly sound appetizing, but if you deconstruct what is inside, how can it really be that bad? Flaky crust, savory meat, smooth potatoes. That's a win win situation in my book, maybe not my hips. Just like the Brit's the Australians enjoy this treat from time to time, but being on the other side of the globe its hard to keep it fresh and hot on the flight back. So now you can enjoy Boomerang's Gourmet Veggie & Meat Pies in the comfort of your own home. In the Aussie tradition, these are made with the flakiest pastry and the most fresh ingredients with no artificial flavors or ingredients. To get these on your dinner table you can order a dozen pies for at home preparation. At $60 it may sound steep, but do the math. Its 5 bucks a pie and we all know what you can get for dinner at that price. So why not make it a treat and get some to change up your dinner routine. Having a dinner party and do not want to cook. Look like a hero and put a bunch of these in the oven. Your guests will not be able to get over the smell wafting through your place. Impress your guest with an Australian staple.