Skip to Content

Privacy Policy

What information does The Frugal South collect and how is it used?

This site (https://thefrugalsouth.com) operates under the name The Frugal South (“our”, “us”, “me”, “I”, or “we”). The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you what personal data we may collect when you visit this site (the “website”, “this site”) and how it may be used. This statement only applies to this website.

This site uses cookies – small text files that are stored on your browser by the site. In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences and provide anonymous tracking data to third party applications like Google Analytics.

We may use both session cookies, which expire when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which stay on your browser until deleted, to provide you with a more personalized experience on the Website.

As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the About Cookies website which offers guidance for all modern browsers.

We collect limited personal information about who you are and where you are, as well as technical data about how you are accessing this site. This personal information can be deleted or edited by you at any time, except for anonymous information that is impossible for us to delete. We work hard to keep your information private, however, because the Internet can never be completely secure, you give us your info at your own risk. When you put your private information on the Internet, it can be collected and used for others, and we are not responsible for keeping that information private or secure. If we have a security breach, we will email you within 72 hours of identification of a breach.

The Frugal South abides by GDPR regulations, so if you wish to have your information (e.g. comments or email address removed) and you’re an EU resident, please send us a message here. We are happy to remove your information. We do not resell or share your contact information with third parties. Once you opt out of the mailing list, you are permanently removed.

Here’s how this site collects and uses data:

  • Mailing list and sending newsletters: We use Flodesk to collect email addresses through the signup forms on this site, and if you submit your email address on this site, it will be added to our list to send you emails from time to time. Your email address is also stored on my hosting server for the purpose of delivering the newsletter. All newsletters sent may contain tracking pixels. The pixel is embedded in emails and allows an analysis of the success of online marketing campaigns. Because of these tracking pixels, we may see if and when you open an email and which links within the email you click. Also, this allows the Website to adapt the content of future newsletters to the interests of the user. This behavior will not be passed on to third parties. We do not sell or share your email addresses or any personal information about you. You may unsubscribe or edit your profile (link in every email, or contact us) anytime.
  • Cookies: We use cookies to collect limited information about how many times you access this site, the site that you referred you this site, what page you initially landed on, and any UTM codes (source, medium, campaign, term, and content) if they were used in the link you followed to land on this site.
  • This information is stored when you sign up for our email newsletter after you consent to signup and stored in Flodesk and on my server. This information is used so we can understand more about why people sign up for the newsletter, and you can review and/or delete this information anytime by contacting us and requesting to review or delete that information.
  • Downloads: On a few pages, I may offer free downloads of PDFs or products. We only collect email addresses, and they are sent to Flodesk for the purposes of adding you to my email newsletter.
  • Comments: When you leave a comment, you are required to enter your email address which is stored on our hosting server. Your email address will never be available publicly.  At your option, you may also add an avatar and a link to your website.
  • Affiliate Links: We may use affiliate links to earn a commission if you follow a link and pay for a service as outlined in our Disclosure Policy. These links also track your actions via cookies and a code in the link. Affiliate link partners include DVCrequest.com, DestinationsinFlorida.com, UndercoverTourist.com, Fuze360.com, and BJs.com.
  • Advertising:

    Mediavine Programmatic Advertising (Ver 1.0)

    The Website works with Mediavine to manage third-party interest-based advertising appearing on the Website. Mediavine serves content and advertisements when you visit the Website, which may use first and third-party cookies. A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a “device”) by the web server so that a website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the Website.

    First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, “Tags”) may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser’s cache. The “help” feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser’s cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at https://www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies/.

    Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.

    The Website collects the following data using a cookie when serving personalized ads:

    • IP Address
    • Operating System type
    • Operating System version
    • Device Type
    • Language of the website
    • Web browser type
    • Email (in hashed form)

    Mediavine Partners (companies listed below with whom Mediavine shares data) may also use this data to link to other end user information the partner has independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements. Mediavine Partners may also separately collect data about end users from other sources, such as advertising IDs or pixels, and link that data to data collected from Mediavine publishers in order to provide interest-based advertising across your online experience, including devices, browsers and apps. This data includes usage data, cookie information, device information, information about interactions between users and advertisements and websites, geolocation data, traffic data, and information about a visitor’s referral source to a particular website. Mediavine Partners may also create unique IDs to create audience segments, which are used to provide targeted advertising.

    If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices to opt-in or opt-out of this data collection, please visit Opt Out – NAI: Network Advertising Initiative. You may also visit http://optout.aboutads.info/#/ and http://optout.networkadvertising.org/# to learn more information about interest-based advertising. You may download the AppChoices app at YourAdChoices.com | AppChoices to opt out in connection with mobile apps, or use the platform controls on your mobile device to opt out.

    For specific information about Mediavine Partners, the data each collects and their data collection and privacy policies, please click here.

    We use a few services to manage this site and its services:

    • Flodesk is an email list management service. Personal data includes email address, location, and any information captured by this site’s cookies (described above). Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy.
    • Google Analytics (Google Inc.). Google Analytics is a web analysis service provided by Google Inc. (“Google”). Google utilizes the Data collected to track and examine the use of this website, to prepare reports on its activities and share them with other Google services. Google may use the Data collected to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network. Personal Data collected consists of Cookies and Usage Data. Place of processing is the US, here’s their Privacy Policy, and here’s how you can Opt Out from Google Analytics.
    • Facebook (Facebook Inc.). Facebook is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to share an article on your Facebook page. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
    • Instagram (Instagram Inc.). Instagram is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to follow our Instagram account by clicking the images on this page. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
    • Pinterest (Pinterest Inc.). Pinterest is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to follow a link to a Pinterest page from this website. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
    • YouTube (Google Inc.). YouTube is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to follow a link to a YouTube page from this website. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
    • A2 Hosting. A2 is a website hosting service. Personal data for hosting this site, and for operation and maintenance purposes this site and Siteground may collect files that record interactions with this site (system logs) or use for this purpose other personal data such as IP address. Place of processing is the US, and here’s their Privacy Policy.

    If you get to this site through another site or click to another site from this site, they might collect your personal info. We are not responsible for those privacy policies.

    You can contact me via email at leah@thefrugalsouth.com at any time to

    • Request access to information that The Frugal South has about you
    • Correct any information that The Frugal South has about you
    • Delete information that The Frugal South has about you permanently and completely

    Thanks for visiting The Frugal South!

    This policy was last updated August 5th, 2023.

Latest posts by Leah Crocker Althiser (see all)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Contact Me