Blogworld New York Early Bird Pricing Ends Tomorrow!

It goes without saying that I learned an incredible amount from last year's Blogworld event here in New York City. As the date of the event creeps ever nearer I dance with the question of what I can truly afford one year later. The first question is, can I even afford to go to Blogworld this year? However, as the first question enters my mind, a second quickly challenges, can I afford not to?

As an attendee last year, I was a sponge sucking up whatever knowledge I could from every panel I could get into. I was having a virtual identity crisis as I had just started this blog and wasn't entirely sure I was walking away from another. When I was asked questions like "What kind of blogger are you?" I was honestly stymied, not knowing which passion I wished to pursue or what Rivera Runs Through It was meant to be.


Things are different now. I could go to Blogworld not only to learn, but also to network. In fact, my brand new (FREE) business cards arrived from VistaPrint today. Is this a sign? Shall I go into the red, start skipping breakfast or grow my hair out again just to jump in the waters again?

As far as I see it, I have 24 hours to decide. The early bird pricing ends tomorrow.

I figured I would share this news with you too, just in case you wanted to take advantage of this great deal. According to the Blogworld people you can Save up to $400 off your BlogWorld registration with Early Bird pricing! Early Bird pricing ends on 3/22/12!

Here's a small sampling of what I learned from last year's event:

• 3 Quickie Lessons from My First Day at Blogworld Expo New York 2011 
• 3 More Lessons from BlogWorld Expo NY 
• Blogging With An Authentic Voice 
• The Birds and Bees of Your Blog Life 
• Your Book Proposal from a Publisher's Perspective

And when I unearth my notebook from the event, I'm sure there are even more posts that can be written and shared.

Here are the various passes available for this year's event:

Important Dates and Pass Prices:

Pass Type	Thru Mar 22	Thru May 15	After May 15
3-Day Blogger and Podcaster Pass	$197	$297	$397
Social Media Business Summit	$697	$897	$1,097
Expo Pass	$47	$57	$77
Virtual Ticket	$197	$247	$297
Virtual Ticket Add-On (add to 3 Day or SMBS passes only)	$47	$47	$97

Check out who is speaking at Blog World Expo in June!

So is it worth the money? Absolutely. Now if I can just FIND that money!

How do you make the decision of how much you will invest in your own education - is it based on how much you have, how much you'll learn, a balance of the two, or something else entirely?

Have you ever attended a blogging conference? What lessons did you learn?

4 Deals Under $10 & a Diaper Bag 50% Off

I've been slacking. My apologies. Every week I get e-mailed all of these great deals and I have no one to use them on! I guess it's the impending holiday season that got me thinking about how helpful these might be to YOU, so here they are - the five active deals for this week. Enjoy!!

1. Designer Diaper Bag for 50% savings AND Free Shipping

2. Retro Cat-Eye Pendant Necklace

3. Buzz Lightyear Watch 50% off

 4. Dangle Flower Earrings in Silver tone

5. Same Dangle Flower Earrings, but IN GOLD tone

How to Enjoy Broadway for Next to Nothing

It may come as no surprise to you that I am currently strapped for cash. However, it is November 2011 and I know I am far from alone in that situation.

And, yet, last weekend I went to go see an Off-Broadway show. On Saturday night I was living the high life again, enjoying one of the finer things in life.

How did she do it?!! She has no money for that kind of thing!!

I hear you asking that question from here. If I were in your shoes, I'd be saying the same thing, but I have a secret. Today I want to share that secret with you.

My Secret 

The secret is StudentRush.org and their Will-Call Club. I found out about this gem the same way you are right now - I read a blog post from someone else (thank you New York Cliche!!!) who had enjoyed it. She claimed she was seeing Broadway and Off-Broadway shows for nothing.

I couldn't believe it.

I had to check it out for myself.

So I did. And guess what? When I get my StudentRush tickets, they actually say $0 on them! It's kind of amazing. All I have to pay is a reservation fee. The highest I have paid for that was $18 and that was for the last weekend of Bengal Tiger with Robin Williams! This weekend, I paid $5 per ticket. I don't know about you, but I can't get into a movie for that - scratch that - I can't even pay for the gas to get me to a movie for that!

How Does It Work?

When I made my first reservations with StudentRush this summer, I have to be honest, I was a little nervous. I was skeptical. As a native New Yorker I am not bred to believe in the "too good to be true" deals of a lifetime. My husband and I didn't tell anyone what we were up to just in case the plan came crashing down and we were made fools of.

In order to gt my tickets I had to meet some guy outside of a Starbucks a couple of hours before the show to pick up my tickets. Really? This had "shady" written all over it for me, but I embraced my sense of adventure and my seemingly insatiable for a a night out in these desperate financial times and went for it.

You already know what happened. I wouldn't be writing to you about this if it didn't - IT WAS A SUCCESS!! It was AWESOME!!

If you live near NYC, if you are planning to visit NYC, or you have family out here, then you need to check this site out and see all that it offers! I found this great video made by Frugal-Nomics describing the whole (FREE) process so you can come and enjoy the savings too!


StudentRush.org: A way for you to Stop and Enjoy the Culture from Frugal-nomics on Vimeo.

So now that you know my secret, perhaps we can meet up at a show!!

Which show would you love to see show up in the StudentRush Will-Call club?

Has the increasing price of theater tickets kept you away from the theater?

Check out tomorrow's post where I review this weekend's Off-Broadway show: Voca People!

5 Promo Codes from New York Comic Con 2011

It's finally here! While there is going to be tons of stuff to share with you as I get the opportunity to explore the Exhibitor Floor, Artist Alley, Panels and Screenings throughout the weekend, right now I can quickly share some of the great deals found here at the Con just in case you didn't have the chance to swing on by!

 20% Off At Midtown Comics Of course, there has to be some fantastic comic book deals at a ComicCon! Midtown Comics is a pretty famous comic book store found here in New York City (there are actually three now!), but they also have a great online store and presence. Head over to midtowncomics.com and use CODEWORD: NYCC before October 23, 2011 for 20% off any purchase (excluding gift cards and pre-orders).

10% Off at HasbroToyShop.com Toys and comic books seem to go hand in hand. It is no surprise that Hasbro has a strong presence at the New York Comic Con, or that they are happy to share a nice discount opportunity with a large portion of their fan base. Check out HasbroToyShop.com and enter promo code: NYCC2011 before November 6, 2011 to receive 10% off your online order. (This offer can not be used on gift cards, HasbroToyShop.com Exclusives, Hasbro Ultimate Gifts or PLAYATHON Fundraising Kits. The discount applies to pre-tax and pre-shipping amount.)

Free Movie Rental from FlixFling Need a movie night? (Who doesn't??!!) Flix Fling is a website that provides unlimited streaming movies online. You can sign up by visiting www.FlixFling.com and get a free rental (excluding "Premium" Titles) using the promo code: NYCOMICCON . If you are already a subscriber to FlixFling, then you can use this promo code toward any purchase!

$5 Off CSI: The Experience at Discovery Times Square Discovery Times Square, located on 44th Street right in between 7th and 8th Avenue, provides great experiences for fans. In promoting this most recent experience, Discovery says we can "Play the role of a crime scene investigator in CSI: The Experience... Complete with 3 Crime Scenes, 15 Forensic Lab Stations and dazzling special effects." To take advantage of this discount, use the promo code: CSICON when ordering tickets at CSIEXHIBIT.COM. This offer expires on March 2, 2012.

20% Off T-SHIRTS and FUN Apparel!!!! Every single Comic Con I go to, I come home with at least two brand new t-shirts and longing for about 15 more! www.StylinOnline.com is offering all of us 20% our next online order (so I can save on this year's take-home wish list!) simply by using coupon code: CON2011. So go check them out for easy Halloween ideas, fun and cool t-shirts for yourself or as gifts, or even some  super onesies for the little cuties in your life!


So I hope you can make use of at least one of these deals before they expire! Stay tuned for more goodies from the Con and (who knows?) maybe even more cool deals!

[UPDATED] Hot Topic Sales!!

'Tis the season to gear up with some new graphic tees, sneakers, denim, backpacks and more. My favorite place to do so? Hot Topic, of course! It's the place I run to when I'm looking for new Harry Potter apparel, t-shirts that express ME :) , fun and crazy socks, super cool wallets (right now I am rocking an awesome "I love Nerds" wallet from Hot Topic), or great deals on my CONVERSE!

Basically if you are looking for something fun to wear, to express your personality or support your favorite band, TV show, book, character or even thinking about going a little pop-retro, then check out Hot Topic and their latest sale going on until 9/3/11.

Here's the link:

UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 - 20% OFF CONTINUES THROUGH OCTOBER 9TH!!

UPDATES: ALL OTHER SALES BELOW ARE OVER AS OF SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 (but get ready for HALLOWEEN!!)
TODAY ONLY
 
If you act today, there's even FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS MADE ON AUGUST 24, 2011!
ONE DAY ONLY: Free Shipping on All Orders at HotTopic.com - No minimum purchase necessary! Shop Now!


BACKPACKS, ANYONE?

From Jansport and Yakpak to character themed backpacks, Hot Topic has quite a selection for the back to school-ers, so it is definitely worth checking out their backpack sale going on right now, if you haven't found your perfect fit!
Get $10 Off Select Backpacks at HotTopic.com. Jansport, Yak Pak + More - Shop Now!


MY FAVORITE SALE OF THEM ALL

However, my favorite sale of all, the one that I simply CAN NOT resist (I doubt you will be able to either) is the RETURN OF THE BUY ONE, GET ONE 50% OFF T-SHIRT SALE!!! This starts tomorrow, so I am giving you a nice heads up to get your mouse-clicking hand ready for some seriously fun shopping! Awesomesauce.
Back for a Limited Time Only - Buy 1 Tee, Get the 2nd 50% Off, August 25th - 28th!


I hope you enjoy Hot Topic as much as I do. My love went so deep, I simply had to apply to be an affiliate and I am happy I have done so, this way I can spread the Hot Topic happiness on to you!