Meet Me at McGillin’s

A happy coincidence – New Year’s Eve this year will coincide with the 150th anniversary of McGillin’s Olde Ale House – and that translates into a fun, affordable celebration this year.

To start the party – and their anniversary year – off right, the good folks at McGillin’s are serving up open a limited quantity of its very own beer, McGillin’s 1860 IPA. They’re also resolved to serve 150 brands of beer in the new year, so stop in between the comics and the string bands to make a dent or two in that number.

Can’t make it this week? Well, the celebrating will be going on all year, so check out their site and follow ‘em on Twitter or Facebook.

Give and Get – 30% off Coupon for the Gap, Old Navy, More..

We all know it’s better to give than to receive. (Disclaimer: certain younger members of my household may beg to differ, but we all know, right?) But what about giving – AND receiving? That’s the best of both worlds!  (Shoot, I hate it when I quote Miley Cyrus. But I digress.)

From July 30 through August 2, bring in this multi-use coupon to any Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap Outlet or Banana Republic Factory store and they’ll give 5% of your purchase price to Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. You’ll also get 30% off your purchases. How’s that for a great deal?

You can use the coupon over and over again, but only through Sunday. So pack up the kids and get some back-to-school shopping done on the cheap….and feel good about yourself in the process!

I Scream, You Scream…Ice Cream Festival 7/3-7/5

My family looks forward to this one all year….starting at noon today, the eleventh annual Super Scooper Ice Cream Festival will be held at Penn’s Landing.  For a mere $5, you get a spoon and access to all the ice cream and water ice you could possibly want, served up by over 20 different companies including Breyers, Good Humor, Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks and Turkey Hill. Heck, Mr. Softee even shows up for this one!

And while you’re snacking on your summertime favorite, you’ll be helping lick leukemia. All net proceeds from the event will benefit the Children’s Hospital Oncolology Division and the Joshua Kahan Fund, which aims to raise awareness and funds for pediatric leukemia research.

The event isn’t just a fundraiser, or a cheap way to fill up on great ice cream. It’s also held to honor the spirit of Josh Kahan, a little boy who lost his five-month battle with AML leukemia in September 1997.  Joshua’s short life proved it takes more than courage or spirit to lick leukemia…it takes research to battle this disease, and research takes money. So why not get in on the sweetest way to make the dream of licking leukemia come true?

Hope to see you there….just remember, don’t toss your spoon!

Fast Five for Free Friday

Hey you guys!

Since we’re now headed into the summer and good weather, I know you’ll want to be out and about more. How can you do that and keep a reign on your cash flow?

Well, let me present the OnTheCheap solution for this common dilemma – the Fast Five For Free Friday. (See, Mrs. Ackerman, I wasn’t sleeping through that lesson on alliteration!) Every Friday I’ll shoot off a quick list of things you can do that weekend for free…so just check back when you have some time on your hands, m’kay?

Without further ado, here’s the first list of Five For Free.  And according to the Weather Channel, all signals point to a beautiful weekend. Go enjoy – without busting the budget.

*Speaking of Peace: A Festival of the Arts – What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? Find out through the photo essays, storytelling and music at this festival, presented by the Frazer Mennonite Church
in Frazer, PA. Tomorrow, 1-7 pm. Call 610-644-3397 or check the web site for details.

* Ruby’s Walk Across America – Reality star Ruby Gettinger’s anti-obesity walk kicks off in Philly (just in time for swimsuit season, eh?).  Meet Ruby and the other walkers at Lloyd Hall, One Boathouse Row, from 8 am to 2 pm.

* Lincoln High School Glory Days – Ah, nostalgia! Apparently Lincoln High School is scheduled for demolition – but not before one last blow-out celebration. Flea markets, music, tours, games and memorabilia will mark the goodbyes from 8 am to 2 pm tomorrow. 3201 Ryan Avenue; 215-335-5653.

* ARTspiration! – Billed as a free community arts festival for the whole family, this event will be held at the Fleisher Art Memorial from 10-4 on Sunday. Check out the arts and crafts, book sale, bake sale and free performances at the nation’s oldest tuition-free art school. Tip: don’t miss the “Play With Your Food” booth.

* And, for those headed to the shore – the Boardwalk Spring Family Fun Fest will be going on all weekend in Ocean City. Face painters, bands, pony rides and a juried art show are some of the featured attractions on the boards from 9-6. Call 609-457-1151 for info.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Day 2-Omoma Coffee

Brew up a cup of love for mom. Or win a pound for the two of you to share!

Remember the old Beverly Hillbillies TV show, where oil was referred to as “black gold”? Well, most of the moms I know would agree – coffee is the true black gold of our day. Serve your mom a mug of freshly brewed, delicious coffee this Mother’s Day, and you’ll open her eyes to your gratitude and affection.

For an affordable way to treat your mom to her favorite beverage, try a gift set from OMOMA Coffee. Gift sets range in price from a mere $14.99 to $74.99, and all include their delicious 100% Arabica gourmet estate OMOMA coffee, an OMOMA mug, absolutely yummy biscotti and a personalized gift message.  Or, if mom has enough mugs, order a pound of their medium (American), dark (French) or Espresso roast, sold in individual serving packet, by the pot or by the pound.

And, specially for PhillyOnTheCheap readers, OMOMA is offering two special ways for you to share their coffee with mom this Mother’s Day. First, you can get 20% off your order on their site. Just enter coupon code 1239922423 during checkout, and a 20% discount will be applied to one order per customer. Note this code cannot be used with Google checkout, but can be combined with other OMOMA discount offers, including the free shipping for orders over $35. The code is good until May 15.

Now the giveaway – the good folks at OMOMA are giving away a pound of their coffee to one lucky reader. Just enter a comment on this blog post with a mom memory, and you’ll be entered to win the pound. The contest closes Friday, May 8.  Winner will be chosen by our handy dandy itemizer and announced on Mother’s Day.

So head on over to OMOMA – and perk your mom’s day right up!

Get The Truth: Saturday is Record Store Day

The big Kahuna at Cities On The Cheap shared this one…

“The 18th is the third Saturday in April, which means it’s Record Store Day. And if you’re passionate about music (and your indie record store), you won’t want to miss it.

On Record Store Day, hundreds of independently owned record stores throw a rockin’ party. The specifics vary from store to store, but there’ll often be live performances, artist meet-and-greets and other festivities, as well as vinyl & CD releases of works made especially for the day.

Check with your local indie record store to find out details of the Record Store Day celebration near you. Click here for a list of participating stores.”

Now, I for one had no idea there was such an animal as Record Store Day. (Does Hallmark make a card for that?) But anyway, in my youth I sold records (remember those?) and printed Ticketron tix (before the days of that monster, TicketMaster) at the Listening Booth in the Deptford Mall. Remember our motto…”Get the truth at your Listening Booth”?

But I digress.  Go celebrate this Saturday….the locator indicates there are plenty of indies willing to party it up in our area!

Day Tripping On The Cheap

We had planned to make the rounds of yard sales on Saturday, but the rain sort of ruined our plans. So what to do with the kids on a rainy Saturday that’s educational, fun and (most important to my budget) cheap?

Well, never fear, the City of Brotherly Love came through again. First, our foursome (one 6 year old in pigtails, one 12 year old art lover, my dh and I) headed over to the historic district, where we visited the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street. This is a great bargain – $3 for adults, $2 for kids, which means we could flag down (hee) an educational museum experience for just one Alexander Hamilton ($10).

And we were doubly lucky on this particular trip. First, the guy selling us the tickets asked if we wanted the audio tour, which was being offered at the sale price of just a dollar that day (it’s usually two). So we snatched up the headphones, which saved us a lot of reading aloud. (Note to self: wait until the kids are old enough to read before taking them to museums. If that’s impossible, bring along a lot of Sucrets.)

Second, the museum was holding a special exhibit called Marching to the White House: Election Memorabilia from the Sublime to the Ridiculous which was free with admission. This was so neat – presidential campaign buttons (like “Nixon Now!” and “All the Way With JFK“) were displayed along with surprising posters (Elvis for president? Really?) and even Jimmy Carter toilet paper. The kids had a blast checking out the oddball items, while I tried to see which campaigns I could actually remember based on the memorabilia (I’ll admit to the Nixon – Humphrey race).

After finishing the tour, we were directed to the courtyard, where the famed seamstress and her husband are buried. Although we were too late to catch her Saturday, “Betsy Ross” also makes personal appearances out there and is quick to teach children her one-snip method of making five-pointed stars.

The campaign memorabilia will be on display through May. Betsy Ross makes the rounds daily, with a special story hour on Sunday mornings.

Let’s Stay Overnight!

At these prices, you can’t afford not to stay in Philly this spring. From March 10 to May 21, the Alexander Inn is offering rooms from Thursday through Sundays for just a buck.  Yep, you read that right – prime time weekend lodging for what it costs to get medium fries off the Super Value menu.

And the Inn has a great locale, too, for your visiting guests (or just to get out of the suburbs for a night!) It’s only minutes away from the Avenue of the Arts, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Antique Row and the Independence Hall area.

Of course, there are a few cavaets – but no small print! The rooms are limited and will be confirmed on a first come, first serve basis in advance. Guests are only permitted one reservation at this rock bottom price and cannot reserve multiple rooms (you know, share the wealth!). Credit cards will be charged for rack rate, but all but a dollar will be returned at check out.

Make your reservations now at the Inn or by telephone at 215-923-3535 or tollfree at 1-877-253-9466.

Flower Show Savings

This Sunday isn’t just my birthday – it’s also the first day of the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. Okay, so maybe you’re alright with just seeing the shrubs in your neighbor’s garden. But if you’re longing for a taste of spring after a long gray winter, then the Pennsylvania Convention Center is the place to be the first week of March.

Of course, beauty comes with a price…and a pretty hefty one at that. Advance purchase tickets are $22 an adult and $13 for kids. And if you hesitate, you’ll be paying $24-28 at the door depending on the day (ouch!).

But there are a few bargains to be had. If you buy your ticket through SEPTA, you can get $3 off a March 7th or 8th ticket, or $1 off any other day. Family Fun Packs (2 adult and 2 kiddie tickets) are available for $65, and students 17-24 can get in for $17 with a student ID.

Post Game Skate – Dollar Dogs!

It’s a big weekend for the Phantoms….on Friday, February 27, our favorite farm team will debut their third specialty jersey this season. It’s Spectrum-themed – in honor of their soon to be demolished home – and will be worn several times between now and the end of the season. You big spenders, take note: these special jerseys will be auctioned off after the April 5th game. Talk about instant collector items!

But there are still Phantoms deals to be had, even for us with minor league budgets. On Saturday, February 28, kids 14 and under can skate with their favorite Phantoms stars after the game. It’s also Dollar Dog Night, so mom and dad can munch on dogs while the kids are skating. It’s all good.

For real Phantoms fans (or fans of a good deal), check out the new three game deal. You get six lower level tickets (two for three games) for just $79 – and they throw in a voucher for a free Phantoms hat and T-shirt. No skating on thin ice here – just a solid deal and great hockey.