First up:  from our friends at NPR, a free sampler celebrating this year’s Bonnaroo music festival.  If you can’t go–like me–and wish you could–like me–then console yourself with this.  The free playlist includes songs by Ozomatli and Thievery Corporation.  11 songs, yours for the taking.  Use this link to get the goods.

Next comes Starbucks, with a free music sampler as part of their promotion for their Frappuccino drink.  This one has ten free tracks, including songs by Macy Gray and Goldfrapp.

Last of the three free is another sizeable download from iTunes, their Warped sampler–in support of yet another summer music tour.  This one features 15 songs by bands including Alkaline Trio, The Word Alive, Bring Me The Horizon, and more.  Go to this link to get the down-low on the download.

That’s 36 free songs!  Three dozen tunes, yours for the taking.  If you’re looking to load up your iPod for poolside, parkside or beachside listening, three dozen free songs is not a bad way to get started on your summer playlist.

Think Eyes Lips Face with a Euro flair, but the same unbelievable pricing.  99-cent nail polish, 1.99 6-in-1 nail buffer, 99-cent lip gloss, and what’s rumored to be one fantastic liquid eyeliner.

They’ve got about the same range of products and tools as you’ll find at e.l.f., and at just about the same price point.  The line is hugely popular in Europe, and should sell well here, too.  One more reason to like them?  They do NO animal testing on their products, so they’re a cruelty-free company.  Gotta love that.

Ulta sweetens the deal with their dependably good coupons–get $3.50 a minimum order of $10 or more with coupon code 40002, or get free shipping with a minimum $25 order with the code 53558.

Sorry for the unannounced absence, but it’s been a tremendously busy–yet productive–few weeks in Budget Girl land.  I finally went on the big photo trip to Arizona and Utah I’d been planning for a year, and also got my documentary project off the ground.

See?  Told you I was busy.  I try to keep my photography endeavors separate from Budget Girl, but thought I’d better explain why I disappeared for three weeks!

But that doesn’t mean I’m not still passionate about all things fabulous.  Budget Girl is now a year old (actually, a year and a month!), and we’ve covered a lot of ground here in fashion and lifestyle.  I’m deeply appreciative to all of you who’ve followed this blog, and your input and readership is what keeps me (and this blog) going.  So, cheers!

Since we’ve passed the one-year mark, I’ve been giving some thought to what I could do to liven things up, or just do a better job of providing you with the kind of information you want.  And that’s where YOU come in.  I need your input–need it, want it, and may even beg you for it.  What do you want to see more of here at Budget Girl?  More sale scoops?  More articles on budgeting your money?  More emphasis on lifestyle?  What do you love that you’ve read here, and what do you hate?

So, okay, I’m begging.  Tell me what you think.  Share your ideas and suggestions–let me know what you want, and I will do my very best to make sure you get that when you take precious time out of your day to visit my site.

Feel free to leave your comments at the bottom of this post, write something on Budget Girl’s Facebook page, or if you’re feeling shy, drop me a line at robin@budget-girl.com.  I’ll respond to anybody who has questions, and take all suggestions to heart.  Let’s get busy on year 2!

Payless

These American Eagle embellished gladiator sandals are perfect for getting an early jump on summer, and are a budget-happy $24.99.  Find anything else of equal or lesser value, and you’ll get half off.

By the way, one of the best things about shopping at Payless.com is that you can place your order online, and get free shipping if you have it sent to your local store for pickup.  No more going into the store to find a shoe you love, only to discover they’re out of your size.  Order exactly what you want, and pick up locally.

The Body Shop’s got the BOGO right now, too, on all bath and body products.  I’m not talking just the body butter and bath gels (and who doesn’t love the body butter, anyway?), but ALL bath and body.  And if you’re a Love Your Body member, you get another ten percent off everything, too!

I‘ll give an enthusiastic testimonial for their Hemp Hand Protector, which is hands-down (ha! punny) the best hand moisturizer I’ve ever slathered on.  I don’t like anything that leaves my hands greasy or tacky, and this glides on beautifully.  I handle a lot of paper all day long at my job, which is horribly drying to hands.  I keep this on my desk, and use it religiously.

Of course, I’ll take any reason to shop at The Body Shop, sale or no sale–they’re one of the greenest, most humanitarian companies you’ll find, and they deserve your patronage.  You can read the details of what they do here, from purchasing sustainable fair trade products to contributing a percentage of all sales to humanitarian causes.  They set a wonderful example, and I hope more companies try to follow course.

So after you slather on the sunscreen–or just make sure your foundation has a good SPF–take some of that money you save by not buying overpriced remedies that don’t work, and have a little fun.

A hat isn’t the only way to keep the sun off your scalp and shoulders while you’re out and about.  These Chinese parasols are fun, and effective at keeping the sun off your shoulders and keeping you cool–and at $2.90, they’re much cheaper than a plain old umbrella (and they seem to be the fashionable sun-shade of choice here at open-air markets and festivals in Los Angeles).  Windy City Novelties also carries novelty and party supplies at bargain prices, so bookmark them for next time you’re planning for a big summer barbecue (or themed bash of your choice).

And so you’re not all squinty under that fabulous paper parasol–and don’t worry, they’re coated paper, and hold up really well (mine’s about five years old!)–pick up a new pair of sunglasses for a song.  Just make sure they’re coated to protect your eyes from UV damage.

Where to go?  Well, Sam Moon’s always a fantastic choice, and most of their sunglasses are in the $5-$6 range.

If you want a monstrously huge selection–and including women’s and men’s styles–go to Sunglass Warehouse.  You can search by style, lens coating, color–and on and on.  You’ll also get an automatic 15% off all purchases right now during their spring sale; no code needed, discount automatically applied.

So get outside, but protect yourself from the sun–stay cool and look cool, too.

Consumer Reports covers products such as wrinkle serums and hair regrowth formulas in their May issue–you can’t access it unless you’re a subscriber, but Stylist, in their usual fab fashion, gives a quick rundown on the results.

Just a quick snip to give you an idea:

Anti-wrinkle serums didn’t fare much better, with nine face serums put to the test by 79 female and male participants aged 40 to 65 who used the products on one side of their face for six weeks – and were then analyzed by panelists with high-resolution technology.

The success of the highest ranking products – DermaSilk 5 Minute Face Lift and Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle – was still limited and fell short of the advertising claims illustrated on their boxes. Prescription retinoids, which are an aggressive form of Vitamin A, continue to excel as the only creams scientifically proven to reverse the loss of collagen that causes wrinkles.

But isn’t this really what we all knew already?  Repair is not really possible once age and sun damage have taken their toll.  Again, prevention and maintenance are where you want to spend you money.  Stock up on good sunscreen, and use it.  Choose a moisturizer and foundation with an SPF of at least 15 (I’m a Bare Minerals convert going on 10 years now–it really DOES protect your skin).  Wear a hat when you’re going to be out in the sun for a long time.

See?  I’ve just given you a fantastic reason to go hat shopping.

Sometimes the best way to save money and still look fabulous is not to spend anything at all for special products that won’t deliver on their promise to do the miraculous.

Okay, stop laughing.  Rules are made to be broken, and granted, here in SoCal, sandals are almost a year-round staple, but the white clothes go-ahead weekend brings to mind pretty toes in pretty sandals–so are you prepared?

First, a little color to go with the white.  Winter probably has most of us–including yours truly–looking a bit pale in shorts and short skirts.  You may want to revisit my sunless tanning pointers to put a little c0lor on those great gams.

Next up–great deals on sandals.  Old Navy has the most stylish-looking flip flops I’ve ever seen, a bargain at $5.00 in a rainbow of colors.  Payless is having a sale on their already-low-priced wedge and platform sandals, and Target debuts its new designer sandal line by Cynthia Vincent on April 18.

Tan, check.  Sandals, check.  Toes?

Check the offerings on Lifebooker.com to find the best deals on pedicures in your area.  You can usually find a great deal for half off or more a salon’s usual price if you book through the site.

If you’d rather go easy on your budget and DIY your pedicure, then get thee to Eyes Lips Face to stock up.  If you use code EGNP3 at checkout, you can buy 3/get 3 free on their $1 nail polish, and they’ll throw in a free nail block for filing in buffing, too.

Get those toes, feet and legs in shape–it’s time to show them off!

This spring and summer’s must-have shoe is the oxford loafer–while some of you may experience Catholic school flashbacks when you think about donning these shoes, just try to keep in mind how utterly fabulous they’ll look with tailored linen pants, or a pencil skirt, or skinny jeans, or a tank dress, or shorts, or–just about anything, really.  A wonderfully classic style, and for this deal it’s a real bargain.

Today’s Deal of the Day gets you this canvas oxford in your choice of black or gray (I snatched up a pair in gray as soon as I saw them), for half off.  Regularly priced at $85 at Generic Surplus (great site, by the way), if you use coupon code LUCKYBREAKS at checkout between now and 11:59 a.m. EST tomorrow (April 2), you can snag them for half off–just $42.50, a definite bargain.

If you’re feeling blue because you missed out on the Liberty of London offerings at Target (I’m still in mourning over the Dunclare print blouse that disappeared before I could get one), cheer up!  Their new Zac Posen line finally hits stores April 25.  NY Mag’s excellent blog The Cut has a slideshow of just-released images of the line, so you can start plotting your Posen wardrobe now.  The line’s a limited-time offering, and will be gone by May 30.  Probably MUCH sooner, if the Liberty of London feeding frenzy is any indication.

And finally, Urban Outfitters jumps into the masstige trend with a new designer pairing of their own.  As Lucky reported yesterday, they’ll be premiering a line by designer Kova & T, with all pieces under $100, most well under that price point.  Check out images of the line here, and look for them in stores sometime in mid-May.

Odds and ends I’ve stumbled on for week’s end–I was delighted to see this Etsy designer I wrote about last year pop up on Stuff Under Twenty this week.  I still think those lucite rings are to die for, and the price is still impossible to beat.

Forever 21 jumps on the masstige bandwagon with a new designer partnership.  According to Stylist, they’ve chosen up-and-coming LA designer Brian Lichtenberg (way to go there, homeboy!) to design a line of clothes for the budget-friendly pop fashion retailer.  No formal launch date yet, so I’ll keep an eye out for updates.

Great sales going on now with several online retailers.  Old Navy has online-only specials up to 4o percent off (and I spotted some pieces for almost 60 percent off), Charlotte Russe is having a BOGO shoe sale (including some really cute platform sandals), and sundresses are on sale at Alloy and Victoria’s Secret.  If you’re looking to spruce up your spring wardrobe, be sure to check out those sales.

If you were lucky enough to snag any of the Liberty of London pieces that FLEW off the racks at Target–and here’s to hoping, hoping, hoping they restock some of those, because they’re gorgeous!–Sam Moon’s got some new handbags and accessories in spring brights that’ll match them quite nicely.  I’ve got my eye on this candy pink bucket tote to go with the Liberty of London sundress I picked up, and it’s a steal–as usual for Sam Moon–at $24.95.

I like to play outside in any season, but springtime really makes me impatient to get up into the mountains or out to the coast, especially with the fantastic wildflower season we’re having this year.  While I shop around for new gear, I naturally keep an eye out for great steals and fabulous deals to pass along here, and have a couple of new ones I’m especially impressed with.

Credit for these goes to Modern Hiker, which is one of the best hiking blogs around, especially if you live in southern California.  For all its miles of freeways and sprawling suburbs, SoCal is also blessed with some amazing wild places, and Modern Hiker gives the best trip reports I’ve found for area trails.

Anyway, he linked to two sites I hadn’t seen before, and both have fantastic deals on outdoor gear.  The first, The Clymb, is a members-only “boutique” that operates just like Rue La La or Ideeli, but instead of Christian Louboutins, you’ll find trail-appropriate footwear, like the current sale on Salomon footwear (prices are more than 50 percent off, with styles for men and women).  There’s no premium to join, just sign up here.

The other link Modern Hiker shared is for Steep and Cheap, which offers one deal at a time on outdoor gear.  As soon as one deal sells out, another goes up.  The current deal is for a Camelbak hydration pack–a seriously great deal at $39.99, and won’t last long.  In fact, it probably won’t be there by the time I get this post up–but that’ll give you an idea of the kind of deals you’ll find there.

Is the sun shining this weekend where you live?  Then go outside!