Clicky Skip to Content

Teresa

Teresa Mears is a publisher, writer and editor who was raised to be frugal. She became a website entrepreneur after 30 years as an editor at newspapers ranging in size from the Portland (Tenn.) Leader to The Los Angeles Times and The Miami Herald, where she worked most recently. She moved to Florida in 1980 because it was the only place she could get a job during that recession and has lived in South Florida since 1985, in Miami, Hollywood, Tamarac, Wilton Manors and Fort Pierce. She is co-owner and CEO of the parent network, Living on the Cheap.

Driving around looking at holiday lights is a favorite tradition of the holiday season. We all have favorite neighborhoods in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties that go all out to decorate for Christmas, Hanukkah or winter. In South Florida, the weather is wonderful for looking at holiday lights. In fact, not only do we …

Read More about Where to see holiday lights in South Florida 2025

Who doesn’t love the winter holidays, especially in a place like Miami-Dade where winter is glorious? Indoor and outdoor events abound in Miami-Dade to celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, solstice and just the holidays in general. We have parades, on land and on water, festivals, concerts, light displays, “snow” and more family fun, much of …

Read More about Free and cheap holiday events in Miami-Dade 2025

We may never have a white Christmas, unless the snow is fake, and chestnut roasting on an open fire are unlikely. But despite our tropical winter weather, or maybe because of it, South Florida goes all out for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the winter holiday season. Palm trees look great in holiday lights, as do …

Read More about Free and cheap holiday events in South Florida 2025

For more two decades, organizers of the Martha/Mary Concerts, led by artistic founding director Paul Posnak, have been presenting award-winning musical artists. Concerts are $15 per person and $25 for Blue Circle, plus fees if you buy online. Season tickets for Blue Circle upfront seating are $88 for the entire series. The 2025-26 season runs …

Read More about Martha/Mary Concert Series 2025-26

One of the best deals around in Miami is through an organization called Culture Shock Miami. Through Culture Shock, students 13 to 22 (and their guardians) can get discount tickets to numerous cultural performances in Miami for only $5 each. New tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. the first of every month, so be …

Read More about Student discounts to the arts in Miami (including parents)

It’s impossible to think about Halloween without thinking about all our favorite scary movies. And then there are the not-so-scary Halloween movies for kids, which are often great fun for adults as well. As we prepare to celebrate Halloween, we have compiled a list of free and cheap Halloween movies being shown in South Florida …

Read More about Free and cheap Halloween movies

The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, the only museum dedicated to telling the story of 250 years of Florida Jewish heritage, arts and culture, offers free admission every Saturday. The museum’s focal point is its core exhibit, MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, 1763 to Present. The museum also has a collections and research center, films, timeline wall …

Read More about Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU free every Saturday

Channel the inner musician  you’ve always wanted to be on Friday nights during the free Friday Night Drum Jam from 7-9 p.m. at the South Florida Center for Percussive Arts, 12770 SW 125 Ave., Ste. 101, Miami, FL. This event is for all ages and abilities. Each Friday evening guests can try many different percussion instruments including …

Read More about Jam on percussion for free or join $5 community jam in Kendall

The Coral Gables Historic Merrick House Museum offers guided tours most weekends, on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. The home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will take you back to the Roaring Twenties. You’ll get to view 14 rooms and over an acre of …

Read More about Coral Gables Merrick House weekend tours are just $5

Living on the CheapSouth Florida on the Cheap is a member of Living on the Cheap, a network of websites published by frugalistas, journalists and consumer advocates. Find practical advice on saving money on groceries, travel and shopping, plus tips from our experts on how to live the good life for less at Living on the Cheap.

Living on the Cheap in the Media