Free Braves tickets!

I love last minute surprises. Today I got one!

My boss had good tickets to an afternoon Braves game here in Atlanta that he couldn't use. I took them and the parking pass and went to the game. It was a nice sunny day out and I drove over to the Delta Medallion parking lot right next to the stadium.

I was at work and was running a little late. I got there during the 3rd inning and walked through the air conditioned club level. My seats were behind 3rd base and quite good. I grabbed at $7 beer and $5 hot dog and enjoyed the game.

I did have to monitor my work email from my phone which wasn't too bad.

Overall for free I cannot complain! Little surprises are great sometimes!

Fun Travel: Last Minute Tickets to "The Wall" by Roger Waters

My boss surprised me with tickets and expenses paid to go see Roger Waters perform "The Wall" in Charlotte, NC. I will be taking Megabus there and back (I'd rather fly but will take it for free!) and see it Tuesday July 10th. Lower level seats!

Apparently this is part of my quarterly bonus. We have been quite busy lately so I appreciate the extra fun trip and not getting docked time off. It will be a quick trip up and back. I can check a Pink Floyd show off the list!

Half Off Depot & Living Social

I recently found two Groupon-like sites that offer great deals. They both offer good deals on restaurants and other services around major cities and offer great savings. I use them all the time to lower my dining and entertainment costs by 50% or more!

Two other sites:

• Half Off Depot
• Living Social

You simply buy a deal you like and print the coupon. Some they have to mail you at an added cost but it is still a good deal. I like to use them to try new places without having to pay full price. If it is not good or what I expect at least I got it at a big discount! Give it a try today and enjoy the savings!

Entertainment: Red Box DVD Vending

Since my recent pay cut I am paring back my non-essential expenses in my budget. Unfortunately entertainment has to be one of them. I have decided to give Red Box a try since they are all over Atlanta and only cost $1 per day to rent the movie.

I signed up online at redbox.com and they give you a code for 1 day's free rental only good that day. I used it and it was great. Get your movie, watch it, return it. Cost me $0! I like this better than Netflix as I don't watch them too frequently and I am not stuck with a monthly charge.

Every now and then you will find more codes for a free movie online. I keep an eye out for them and use them when I can. This definitely saves me money over the long haul since I don't have cable TV. Netflix is a better option if you watch a lot of movies or shows (more than about 6 per month) as it is unlimited use.

I prefer Red Box as they are close by, no monthly fees, and cheap. It fills my entertainment needs nicely. Also no need to wait in line and it is all done electronically. You can browse their online movie catalog and find the one you want locally before you leave home. It is a great service!

Earn free flights with Skymiles Dining

Note that most airline miles programs offer their own variation of this. I chose Delta Skymiles and I live in Atlanta and Delta the main airline here. Check your respective program's site for their version.

Skymiles dining allows you to earn miles at certain restaurants (usually smaller, non-chain places) no matter which credit/debit card you use. This has been really helpful for me as some of my favorite places are part of it and I am at "VIP" status where I can get up to 10 miles per dollar spent including tax and tip!

You have to go to their site an register your credit and/or debit cards. They track which restaurants you spend money at and credit your miles accounts accordingly. At 10 miles per dollar this can add up fast. My experience has been that it will take a week or two for the credit to show up in your miles account. It is always credited for each dine out you do.

I earn enough miles from dining (I travel for work and try to find good places that give me miles on the road) so that I can at least get my vacation flights with the miles I have. This cuts the cost of my vacations down to accommodation, food, etc. Obviously a lot cheaper.

The also send out bonus offers from time to time where you spend a certain amount in dining or just simply double miles for dining. I don't go overboard but try to get these bonuses if I can so I can get more free flights overseas.