Going To The U.S.? Gotta Get a GoPhone

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Here’s how to radically reduce roaming charges while visiting in the U.S.

Young woman on cell phone in taxiTALK IS CHEAP | Roaming. It’s such a romantic word— conjuring up carefree rambles in fields of flowers or unhindered journeys on the highways and byways with only the open road ahead. Well, that’s what I imagined until I opened up my Rogers Wireless bill after a short trip to the States to find a staggering $358 in “roaming” charges! That seems more like highway robbery than footloose footwork. Read more

Pueblo Ingles

How To Stay Free At Resorts In Rural Spain

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Wanted: English speakers to stay for free at resorts in the Spanish countryside.

Pueblo Ingles TRAVEL ADVISORY | Are you friendly, flexible and fluent in English? Then for the price of a plane ticket to Madrid, you can spend eight days but zero money at a four-star resort in rural Spain. Pueblo Ingles, meaning English Village, is an organization in Spain that allows Spanish speakers to interact with English speakers. Instead of cash, you exchange your life experience, stories and patience with learners for luxurious accommodation, exquisite meals and a lounge chair by a pool. The Spanish speakers get to practise speaking real or “raw” English, as the program likes to call it, in a totally English environment; not even a “hola” allowed. Read more

Fresh Air Movie Night in Vancouver

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Going to a Fresh Air Cinema event (or two) should be on everyone’s “Must Do” list for the summer.

Fresh Air Cinema screenFREE IS GOOD | In the 1950s, when cars and families were big but budgets were small, drive-in movies were the perfect inexpensive way to spend a night out. Now there’s Fresh Air Cinema, which is not just frugal, it’s absolutely free. Read more

Subaru micro van

Read About The Little Engine That Could

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Tiny Japanese kei cars are cost-effective, fuel-efficient and more powerful than a Smart.

Subaru micro vanWhat’s shorter than a Mini Cooper, skinnier than a Toyota Echo and cuter than a VW Bug? The answer is a kei car, Japanese for “light vehicle.” The term may be unfamiliar, but you’ve probably noticed these cute and quirky little trucks, cars and vans zipping around local streets.

Kei cars are as practical as they are cute. Japan is a tiny country with narrow roads and few natural resources, so in 1949 (61 years ago!) the government introduced tax breaks for small, fuel-efficient vehicles. Though the maximum size has grown since then, kei cars are still less than 3.4 metres long and 1.48 metres wide, and have engines no more than 660 cc and 64 horsepower (this may sound wimpy, but a Smart has just 42 horsepower). Read more

The Cheaper Show Has Art Worth Every Penny

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The place to be this Saturday night is The Cheaper Show, the coolest, most egalitarian and original art-buying event in the city.

Collage by Erica Larsen, The Cheaper Show No.9

 

CHEAPER DOES IT | Do you have $200 burning a hole in your pocket? If so, there are plenty of fun ways you could spend it: mani-pedis at Holt Renfrew for you and your BFF; gourmet hot dogs (and then some) for a group of your nearest and dearest at Japa Dog’s new restaurant-style eatery on Robson Street. Or you could buy something that isn’t disposable at all, something your family and friends will also be able to enjoy for years to come: a great piece of original art. Read more

Laptop Lovers Could Use A Little Support

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THE TURN ON: Laptop computers may be wondrous things, but their prolonged use can wreak havoc on your body if you don’t take care. A good laptop stand raises the height of your computer screen, which helps with posture issues. Also, it keeps your wrists from falling below keyboard level, a practice that can lead to hand and forearm fatigue. So laptop stands are a good thing—but they can be spendy.

WHAT’S THE DEAL: The Brada plastic laptop support from IKEA is a good thing. It costs $5.00.

WHY WE’RE EXCITED: It’s hard to find a specialty coffee this cheap, let alone a genuinely useful laptop accessory. The first time we tried this little gizmo we were impressed by how much better our laptop performed under our command. With a price this low, the Brada is the perfect “just because” gift for laptop lovers.

HOW LONG WILL THE PLEASURE LAST: IKEA has plenty in stock.

WHERE’S THE F SPOT: All Lower Mainland IKEA locations.

—Submitted by S. Jobs

Get Gorgeous With Sun-Kissed Tanners

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Our top three self-tanning products give your body a beautiful, healthy glow.

When we are tanned, we feel more attractive. Why? We are full of the sun’s radiance, making us feel happier, healthier and sexier. A tan can help minimize the appearance of spider and varicose veins, balance uneven skin tone and even help to camouflage cellulite and stretch marks. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to the sun and UV radiation can cause wrinkles, brown spots, blotchiness, leathery older-looking skin and, in the worst cases, melanoma.  Lucky for us, we live in a world where we can achieve a tan in the comfort of our own homes, sans prolonged sun exposure. Read more

Hack Jobs

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The real beauty of IKEA products is that they aren’t precious, which makes them ripe for reinvention.

Ikea Hacking 017

 

MAKEOVER  MATERIAL I used to think there would come a time when I would live an IKEA-free lifestyle, when every room in my house would contain only  “Grownup Furniture” —you know, just antique or artisan made pieces mixed in with factory efforts from glamorous Italian manufacturers. And I do have a few of these items in my life. But I also continue to have some IKEA because, let’s face it, the pieces are well enough made and their design is considered, sometimes even by the boldface names (in downmarket mode) whose work I see in fancy furniture shops. Read more

3 Fun Ways To Switch Up Your Workout

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Three novel ways to get fitter by injecting some fun into your usual fitness routine.

Zumba dancers - Gold's Gym FITTER RIGHT NOW Let’s face it, like anything good for us, fitness routines can get boring after a while. Plus results from even the most fantastic regime will eventually plateau. Here are three fun ways to shake up your routine, or get back into one, and keep you engaged body, mind and soul. And with these great deals, you can’t afford not to give them a try. Read more

Ruthie Shugarman’s Clothes Swap Party

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Former event planner Ruthie Shugarman shares what she knows about hosting clothing exchange parties.

EXPERT ADVICE | When Ruthie Shugarman switched careers a few years ago, she wanted a memorable way to mark her shift from event planning to real estate sales. “I was staring into my closet one night thinking about the fact that I really needed to de-clutter when the idea for throwing a clothing exchange party hit me.” Frock swapping could be a win-win situation, she reasoned. “I could use the evening to tell friends and business associates about my new move, and they could use it to trade in things they never wear for things they might wear a lot.” Read more