Shel Horowitz's Monthly Frugal Fun Tip for February, 2006

For art lovers, galleries have several advantages over museums (museums are wonderful too, but while I've talked about them already several times, I somehow haven't mentioned art galleries in nine years of this newsletter)

* There's usually no charge to get in

* Even the largest gallery is small and manageable enough to see in a couple of hours

* They often feature local artists with a strong sense of place

* Wine and cheese or other snacks and a chance to hobnob with the artist on opening nights

* Lack of buying pressure; they're totally used to people who look but don't buy

* Staff are often extremely knowledgeable and very willing to answer your questions

* Each has its own sensibility--so if you find one that appeals to you, you can learn a great deal about art

* Many galleries offer a range of prices, so if you do feel like taking home some art, there's something you can afford (I've bought prints and books for $10 or $20 at times)

Shel's e-book, "The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook," includes 38 pages of great ideas on bargain shopping. The book is 280 pages of powerful frugal fun tips for a mere $8.50. To learn more, please visit https://frugalfun.com/pphtoc.html