Cheap is the new black

 Motivated by the current coupon-clipping climate, writers across the U.S. and Canada have pulled together to help friends and neighbors get out and about on the cheap. Cities on the Cheap, http://www.citiesonthecheap.com, is the hub for a rapidly growing network of "On the Cheap" blogs. Each blog, which is independently owned and operated, highlights city-specific freebies, discounts and deals.

The blogs are the brainchild of Atlanta writer Jennifer Maciejewski, who began with a blog for the Atlanta area, http://www.atlantaonthecheap.com. "I started out just looking for ways to help my family see and do more in Atlanta for less, but the deals I found were too good to keep to myself," Maciejewski says. "I created Atlanta on the Cheap to spread the word."

After launching the Atlanta blog, Maciejewski shared her idea on a networking site for professional writers and invited other writers to start "On the Cheap" blogs for their cities. The idea took off.

"Although a myriad of money-saving blogs exist, most focus on reaching a national U.S. audience, offering readers few, if any, city-specific deals," Maciejewski says. "Cities on the Cheap fills this niche."

Cities on the Cheap now includes more than 40 city blogs in the U.S. and Canada, with more in development.

In the past month, thrifty readers of the individual "On the Cheap" blogs have learned about free dance performances, concerts, art workshops, coffee, breakfast, poetry slams and movie passes. That’s in addition to dozens of deals on everything from Broadway shows to sporting events.

To celebrate its official launch, both the Cities on the Cheap hub and some of the local "on the cheap" sites are hosting giveaways, including CityPass booklets, movie tickets, books, and more.

The Cities on the Cheap network includes blogs in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Big Island, Birmingham (March 12), Boulder, Charlotte, Chattanooga (March 12), Chicago, Denver, Des Moines, Florida Keys, Florida Panhandle (March 12), Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, Gainesville, Gatlinburg, Gold Country, Honolulu, Houston, Hudson Valley, Indianapolis (April ’09), Jersey Shore (April ’09), Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Mobile (March 12), Montreal, Napa, New Orleans, Northeast Georgia (March 12), Palm Beach, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego (April ’09), San Francisco, Santa Fe, Sarasota, Seattle, Sonoma, Tampa Bay, Taos (April ’09), Toronto, Tucson, and Western North Carolina. One specialty site, Disney on the Cheap, focuses on deals for visiting the Florida theme parks, and the other, Florida on the Cheap, focuses on Florida’s tourist attractions.

In addition, writers are currently developing sites for Calgary, the Caribbean, Manhattan, Maui, Milwaukee, Orlando, St. Louis, West Virginia, and others.
 

For more information go to: www.citiesonthecheap.com.