How can we afford to live in this expensive city?  Many of us CAN’T!  But we’re here, trying to get by…paycheck to paycheck ~ while soaking up the sun.

Hi, I’m Amalia, better known as the Coupon Rockstar.  I live in Escondido and have been embracing a Frugal Lifestyle for a few years now and have loved every minute of it.  I’ve enjoyed learning more and more about this way of living and have watched myself grow into a more budget-conscious, frugal-minded, and happier me.  A small part of this lifestyle centers around super-couponing, which I’ve been doing now for a few years.  I couldn’t believe all that I was able to buy for pennies on the dollar.  Becoming more frugal was a blessing in disguise because we SPEND less and are able to GIVE more.  However, I had so many people wanting to learn the wacky world of coupons so I started teaching Super Couponing Classes.  As my coupon classes became more popular, there was a demand for a Coupon Club.

But as I mentioned earlier, super-couponing is only a small part of Frugal Lifestyle.  I’m not just a Coupon Rockstar, I’m a Freakin’ Frugalista!  I love to save money and stretch my budget every way I can.  There is so much more to being frugal than just couponing so I decided that if I was going to start a group, it would be open to all like-minded Frugal Friends.

So if you’re interested in or described as any of the following words or phrases, this group just may be for you!

Frugal Friends of San Diego, Keepin’ It REAL, Savvy Shoppers, Bartering, Freecycle, Frugal Living, Super Couponers, Coupon Clippers, Coupon Sharing, Do-It-Yourselfers, Gardening, Cooking, Dollar-Stretchers, Baking, Cooking from Scratch, Can Collecting, Crafting, Growing Food, Simplified Living, Deals & Steals, Debt-Free, Composting, Tightening-The-Pursestrings, Sewing, Canning, Reduce-Reuse-Upcycle-Recycle, Garage Sales, Estate Sales, Thrift Shops, Smart Consumers, Freebie’s, Swag, Sustainable Living, Cutting Credit Cards, Bargains, Budget-Conscious, Homemaking, Penny-Pinching, Penny-Wise, Stockpiling, Prudent, Saving, Frugalista, Cutting-Back, Scrimping, Stingy, Thrifty, Tightwad, Dumpster Divers, Economical, Trading, Charitable, Paying It Forward, Volunteering, Community Service

Now I’m really hoping to build a community of like-minded Frugal Friends in our area(s), so if you’re an expert in any of the above descriptions or titles, please consider becoming an Assistant Organizer and help get the momentum going in the group.  I’d also love for there to be an Assistant Organizer in each area of NC San Diego so we can make some local frugal-friends.  For instance, there could be an Oceanside Frugal Asst. Organizer, a Temecula Frugal Asst. Organizer, and an Escondido Frugal Asst. Organizer, just to name a few.  So if you’re in Temecula, are interested in the concept of the group but don’t want to spend the gas to drive all the way down to Escondido for a meetup or spend the money to start your own group, you are more than welcome to use this group’s calendar and try to get Temecula members together for a meetup in your area.  Using this meetup group’s site and calendar as a central hub saves money, saves gas (which helps the environment), saves time, and promotes a “hey, we’re all in this together” attitude. 

Everyone is open to poking around in the site for FREE for one month, after one month, there is a $10 per year membership due (which is just to keep this meetup site running.)  Bartering is a concept I'm open to, so if you've canned some tomatoes, or have a bushel of fruits & vegetables, or homeade tamales, or a regifted Target giftcard to pay your due, that's just fine with me.  After you’ve paid your due, you will have a title added to your name “Frugal Friend.”  If you’ve attended my Super Couponing Series, you will have a title added to your name “Coupon Rockstar.”  Only Coupon Rockstar’s can attend coupon meetups.  If you are interested in becoming a Coupon Rockstar, you can do so by attending the Coupon Rockstar 101 Series.  The materials fee is $25 and includes your first year’s membership to this meetup group.  If you have already taken a Super Couponing Class elsewhere or are already an established Extreme Couponer or Super Couponer and don’t need the Coupon Rockstar class, just contact me directly to change your Title to Coupon Rockstar.

One of my favorite bloggers uses a great quote that I think wraps up this concept in one line… “When life gives you lemons, take ‘em! Cuz hey, FREE lemons!”