August 2007 Archives

Until Sept. 12, Nordstrom is marking down select shoes 33%. Their shoes are always fabulous and I find it hard NOT to find something adorable and comfortable there. Which is why I usually have to avoid walking through that part of the store. Sigh.

Locations in Canoga Park. Glendale, Oxnard.

Southwest has $49 one way fares from Burbank to: Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix, Sacramento, and San Jose. Book by Sept 6 with 7-day advance purchase, and travel between Sept 12 and 30. Not too shabby!

A friendly bargain hunter who lives behind the Orange Curtain let me know about a half-price sale on Xbox games like Small Arms, Guantlet, and Zuma Deluxe. But ya gotta act quick. The sale is for the 48 hour period beginning at 12:00 a.m. GMT on Sunday, September 2 and continues to the very last minute of Monday. Crap! Who knows what GMT time translates to? Hmmm, they are 8 hours ahead of us. So that means the sale starts at 4pm Saturday and ends at 4pm Monday.

Also, they have a funny system where the games cost a certain amount of points, instead of dollars. But they make you buy the points. Riiiight, that makes a lot of sense.

This isn't in the Valley, but the clothes look really cute so I made an exception. Wicati is having a 50 to 90% off sale on summer stuff, including shoes, bags, and some jewelry. This Saturday only. New Fall merchandise is 15% off too. Kids welcome.

Visit them at 2318 Westwood Blvd. L.A. (310) 470-2651

A friend recommended Overstock.com as a good place to get good-quality handbags at a discount. There's not an outright category for handbags, but if you search handbags you'll come up with a good selection.

I saw a Celine bag for $1,000 (orig $1,900), a Prada bag for $800 (orig $1,360), and other bags by Chloe, Tod's and Burberry. My taste is a bit cheaper (can you really justify carrying someone's rent on your shoulder?).
I liked this tan shoulder bag from Via Spiga, above, for $130 (orig $250), plus this black and white polka dot halter dress, below, for $26 (orig $70). In sizes 8, 10, 12, and 14.

Great deals at Longs Drugs and CVS. Longs has Gatorade 32-ouncers for 79-cents, Tropicana fresh oj in 64-ouncers for $3 each, Crest toothpaste for $1.49 after a mail in rebate, 25% off Neutrogena cosmetics. Locations here.

CVS has 18 packs of Bud Light, Coors Light or Biller Lite for $9, 50% off FX Stylers (like the Curl Booster), 50% off all the Trimm Beauty Products. Locations here.

Old Navy has a bunch of tops, Ts, polos, henley thermals, and camis for $12.50 (orig $14.50 to $19.50). Today thru Sept. 3. Locations West Hills, Northridge, Valencia, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, Glendale.

Tons of sales this weekend. Big 5 Sporting Goods has great prices thru Tue with the caveat that supplies may run out. Hana River sandals are $10 (orig $25), hydroseal goggles are $6 (orig $13), a Kodiak tent is $40 (orig $70). Plus tons of shoes are marked down. A $15 Ziongo Biogo pogo stick (orig $25) looks super fun. Locations in Canoga Park, Reseda, Northridge, Encino, Granada Hills, Van Nuys, Simi Valley, Studio City, Thousand Oaks, Valencia, Burbank, Glendale.

The clearance stuff at Levi's online store is an extra 50% off. Discount taken at checkout. Get ANOTHER 25% off with the coupon code LEVIS_25. I know of late Levi's are not considered as hip as Seven or Diesel, but growing up Levi's were *the* jeans to have, so they are still the bomb in my book. Here are a few prices:

Women's Tops
Levi's Strappy V-Neck Tank $3.75
Levi's Fleece Pullover Hoodie $7.50
Levi's Smocked Top with Ruffle Bottom $7.50
Vintage Trucker Jacket $7.50
Levi's Fleece Crew $7.50

Men's Bottoms
501 Cut-Off Shorts $10.87
Tab Twill Flat Front Shorts $10.87

At these prices, trying things on is not as important, especially if you are familiar with how Levi's sizes run or have a nearby store you can pop into before buying online. Shipping is $5 per order.

Get a 10% off coupon for everything in OSH stores valid Sat, Sun, and Mon with a sticky coupon in today's local paper. Definitely time to re-start my herb garden after the last one was attached by bugs. Locations in Canoga Park, Granada Hills, Van Nuys, Burbank, Santa Clarita.

Labor Day weekend. A time to relax, fill your belly with hot dogs, and SHOP!!! With so many sales this weekend, think real hard about buying anything full price. But also remember not to fall into the mindset that just because something is on sale, it's a bargain. Here are some tips to avoid the dangerous "bargain mentality" (from my story in the Daily News a few weeks back):

+Does the item fit your needs? Is the battery-operated duster in your hand the product you need, or are you really in the market for a sponge?
+Does the price tag fall within your pre-set range? (You do have a range, don't you?)
+Does the brand fall within the list of labels you are comfortable with?
+Does the item have all the features and functions you need? If you want a gas-guzzling Hummer, don't buy the used two-door Hyundai just because it's dirt cheap.
+If you answered yes to all of the above, proceed to the cash register. If you answered no to any of the questions, get out of line.

Signs a markdown is not a good deal
+The salesperson is pushing really hard. If the product truly stands out, nobody should mind if you take time to comparison shop.
+The quoted price is an ``introductory rate.'' That means your bill is going to fly to the moon quicker than you can say Neil Armstrong. Pull out your magnifying glass and read the fine print.
+Online reviews are stunning. Paid bloggers or company shills may be posting overly positive reviews to boost ratings. Take these reviews -- and those that are overly negative and may be written by competitors -- with a grain of salt.

The Rack is having a sale, today only. Here's the deal:

"Find great deals throughout the store on merchandice priced under $20." Today - Aug 30 - only.

Locations in Woodland Hills, Glendale Fashion Center, Howard Hughes Center, and Oxnard.

Heard about a possible sale at Ann Taylor Loft every Saturday in September. The Glendale Galleria posted this note in its sales section:

"introducing LOFT STYLE SATURDAYS
four September Saturdays
one perfect wardrobe

You're invited to transform your fall wardrobe during four Saturdays in September. Join us at the LOFT for style tips, great fall fashion and special offers. All day, each Saturday September 8, 15, 22 and 29."

Hmmmm. I called the Glendale store and ask them what the deal was. An employee said coupons for $12.50 off purchases of $50 or more would be doubled to $25 off a purchase of $50+. Aha! But then she kept talking and mentioned some other sales and it wasn't clear exactly how it worked. They give the coupons to everyone? You don't need to bring one in? That's what she led me to believe.

Stay tuned. Will share more info as I get it.

I was about to throw out my nasty, mold-covered shower curtain (I can't believe I let it go this long!) and pony up another $6 for a new one when I visited home. My Mom's shower curtain was pristine, but didn't smell all plasticky like the brand new ones do. I mentioned this and she shared her secret: she washes it in the washer machine with soap and bleach (no clothes). It works!

Thanks Mom.

Slickdeals has a deal on a HP LaserJet 1018 Printer (CB419A) for $80 with free shipping. Get the $65 mail-in rebate coupon here. Coupon says its good to Sept 30 but I'm suspicous because these deals usually don't last.

Read reviews from Nwegg.com here. 63 of 69 reviews were either excellent or good.

Is it me or are the clothes at JCrew getting even more adorable? Maybe it's cuz I broke a self-imposed moratorium on looking at their catalogue (too tempting) last night. Can you blame me? I desperately needed something to read/look at while munching on chips and salsa. There's the Sophie Peacoat sweater, above, with two high buttons and an open collar plus three-quarter sleeves for $148. And I love the pink Wool Herringbone Bella jacket, below, for $198. The tops are pricey, but sometimes it's worth splurging on an eye-catching jacket that really spices up your basic jeans and tee combo.

Free shipping on orders of $150 or more thru Sept 8 with code sp-290 at checkout.

Best Buy is offering 10% to 12% off with this coupon, good on one item thru Sept 5 in stores only. The 10% deal is for items in these categories: home theater, computer accessories, digital camera priced $250 and up, phones, MP3 players, and applicances. Check the coupon for details. The 12% discount is for Reward Zone members, or those using Zone Master Card or a Best Buy credit card.

This sale isn't until Oct 12-14, but it's not one to miss. Kristin Nelson, a Sherman Oaks mom, runs a huge consignment sale out of a 6,000 square foot warehouse in Van Nuys. Think a neatly organized garage sale on steriods. You will find "anything you would possibly need for a baby," she said. Clothes, toys, changing pads, exersaucers, bouncy seats...Pictures of past sales give you a good idea.

This year the LA Kids Consignment is at Seville Hall at 7963 Van Nuys Blvd. For more info, or to become a consigner, check out her Web site here. Kristin takes a 35% cut of sales, or 30% if you volunteer for 3 hours.

I've been told readers are having trouble subscribing to the Bargain Hunter. That sucks! I hope you haven't chewed all your fingernails and slammed your keyboard on your desk. That's my first reaction when technology outsmarts me.

I have our tech guys working on it. In the meantime, the trouble could be that you don't have a feed reader on your computer. If you do, let me know because then I'm *really* in trouble. :)

If you don't have a feed reader, you can download one from Google at

https://www.google.com/reader

or if that doens't work, try:

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?hl=en&nui=1&service=reader&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freader

Signing up allows you to subscribe to any RSS feed. I finally signed up a few days ago and it's pretty cool. Hope that helps.
~Julia

(not my actual lunch)

On my way to Ramen Nippon, a top rated Japanese noddle house in Reseda, I spotted Tony's Pupuseria II. A place to check out later, I decided. But my opportunity came sooner than planned after a tedius wait and above-LL prices pushed me out the door. Back at the El Salvadorian Pupuseria, I ordered three of the namesake pancake-like treats. Pork and beans, pork and cheese, and pork, bean and cheese. Got all my bases covered.

The place was packed and I had plenty of time to peruse the menu, which had a real deal for takeout. $10 for either 5 pupuas and 10 tamales OR 10 pupusas and 5 tamales. Pupusas are normally between $1.55 and $1.75. Can sodas were 75-cents, horchata and other juice drinks $2 to $2.50, and milkshakes were $2.50.

When my food finally came the pupusas were perfect: almost crunchy on the outside with a hot and gooey filling. Served with shredded lettuce and carrots and hot sauce. I couldn't finish two of them! The waitress rang up my bill to $3.23 and I politely remind her I ordered three pupusas, not two. Turns out every Wednesday they are just 99-cents each! That explains the crowd and long wait. Next time, I plan to arrive before noon, order just two pupuaas, and get the stawberry-banana shake. With tip, this meal was a Lincoln Lunch. Right. On. The. Nose.

See? That's Lincoln right on the fiver!

Visit them at 20039 Vanowen in Canoga Park. (818) 340-0899.

SmartBargains has this fun baby bag from The Sak for $30 (orig $69). Comes with matching changing pad, bib, and bottle holder, plus removable clear center pouch. Bag is 14.5 inches' long by 10.5 inches' tall by 6 inches' deep. Only 2 left in peach, above, and 6 in teal. Made of cotton, polyester, nylon, and PVC.

Usually gasoline prices jump right about now in anticipation of the driving-heavy Labor Day holiday this Monday, Sept 3, and I would be screaming at everyone to fill up immediately. This year is different. For a bunch of reasons you can read about here , gas prices are expected to hold steady or even DROP a few pennies this weekend. As always, look for the best prices in your neighborhood before filling up.

Feeling guilty about all those plastic bags stuffed under your sink? Me too. Lift the shame by using Envirosax instead. They are made of lightweight polyester and each bag holds about two plastic bags worth. The patterns are bright and fun and the bags could easily be used for carrying books, recycling, beach stuff, your lunch, etc. One Envirosax is $7.50 each or get a set of 5 for $35 (saving $2.50).

Too bad I already have a half dozen Trader Joes canvas bags (not as cute but much cheaper at $3 a pop). Plus there's always the chance that I will win $25 worth of groceries in their reuseable-bag raffle. Envirosax also sells hemp bags for -gasp- $22. Incredibly, the hemp bags are sold out.

Another great lead from CityMommy: private pilates classes for $25 an hour, and the first session is free! Includes work on the Reformer, Cadillac and Wunda Chair machines with a teacher named Jennifer Miller. Contact her at jmiller@fitbypilates.com or call 818-999-3065.

Classes are taught in Woodland Hills off Victory and Winnetka.

A reader reminded me of something important yesterday. She went to Nordstrom Rack in Wodland Hills looking for a party outfit but only found a $15 peasant top. She wore the new blouse over to the nearby Topanga mall, where everything was much more pricey, and got two random compliments on it!

If you feel like a million bucks, you look like a million bucks. Even if your outfit only cost fifteen dollars.

Thanks to CityMommy I heard about a sale at T Bags this Sunday Sept 30 only. Entry is based on your membership level:
8am entry for platinum members
9am entry for gold members only
10am entry for general public

More of their colorful dresses below. Membership is pricey, $200 for platinum and $100 for gold. Become a member here.

Visit them at 930 Hilgard Avenue in Los Angeles. (323) 933-8840 x 111.

Finding the right gift can be like searching for the right man. There are so many possibilities and so many of them are crap! Luckily I've got my sweetie and when I need a gift for him I can always turn to Surprise.com. This Web site helps you find a gift with searches by gender, age group, occasion, and price. Within those you can search dozens of personality types, like bath connoisseur, hates to clean, sushi lover, works too much, and loves their car.

I found these possibilities for my guy (our anniversary is coming up, after all):

The Lapinator, a plastic sheath that aborbs 95% of the heat your computer puts out, eliminating scalded thighs once and for all. $30

A Make Your Own Hot Sauce Kit for $20. Anything that encourages him to cook more I love.

Personalized T-shirts for $23. They suggest one that says:

According to my wife
JULIA
I am very happy

And many more. Happy hunting.

Watch out for extra traffic at the Fallbrook Center on Fallbrook between Vanowen and Victory. Part of the parking lot in front of Old Navy and other stores are being repaved so the cars are having a hard time squeezing in. Fallbrook at Vanowen is especially bad, a colleague tells me. Guess I'll put off a trip to Trader Joe's for a few days.

Map of area here.

The trendy and fun girls clothes at Wild Thing, a Ventura Blvd boutique with sizes from tots to teens, are all 65% off. The owner is busy raising her three daughters and decided to close after a year in business. Bad part is, their last day of business is FRIDAY, Aug 31. Prices below are after discount, before tax.

A glamour girl camoflogue tee by Tokidoki was $14, a pink jersey dress with green lining by Claesen was $12, a disco-inspired stretchy belt with burgendy, orange and pink stripes was $9. Pink and white tropical print board shorts by Milk & Honey were $14, black patent leather flats with a ribbon to tie around the ankle by Pazito were $22, and last but not least, a camo-print training bra with pink lining was $5.

Visit them at 22530 Ventura, just east of Sale. Daily 10-6. (818) 225-7989.

Check out the fall handbags on Smart Bargains. You can search by newest arrivals, price, or greatest % off. I like this Cole Haan Wristlet , left, in black for $50 (orig $85). It would be a refreshing change from the monster purse I usually carry around.

Also like a mustard-colored satchel purse from Isaac Mizrahi for $300 (orig $695.00). And I spotted a cute brown purse, below, from Lucky Brand for $100 (orig $228.00). Ahhh, my power of description are failing me...must eat lunch before I implode.

BargainsLA is salvating over the upcoming summer clearance sale at discounter The Outlet by ELS. It's worth missing work for, they say! But before you get your hopes up, remember this place is in Monrovia!

If you go, look for markdowns 25%-60% off prices that are already 30%-70% off retail. Clothing is an extra 50% off, furniture is an extra 25% off. Store also has appliances, electronics, bedding, toys, housewares, etc. Reviews from Insider Pages here.

Here's a sampling of prices from BargainLA: "A Toshiba 62” DLP TV retails at $2000 but is here for only $800. A Dimage 6MP Digital camera usually goes for $389. But during this sale its only $149! How about a $230 ping pong table for just 50 bucks?"

Sale starts 9am Aug 29. No word on return policy.

Visit The Outlet by ELS at 1532 S. California Ave., Monrovia. (626) 357-8449 x 4. Hours Wed to Fri Aug 29 to 31, 9am-7pm; Sat Aug 1 to Sun Aug 2, 9am-5pm. Closed Mon and Tue.

Apparently the free swing classes Wednesdays at Sherman Oaks Galleria are so popular they are extending them into September. Get your boogie on at the 7:30 p.m. class between sets. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 9:30 p.m. Here's the line up:

Sept 5: Eddie's Rockin' Revue featuring Royal Crown Revue
Sept 12: Flattop Tom & his Jump Cats
Sept 19: Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums
Sept 26: Mark Tortorici & the Hollywood Combo

Visit them at Ventura and Sepulveda in Sherman Oaks. Parking with validation at restaurants, etc. Valet parking for fee.

A grey business card on a bench at Inner Power Yoga in Calabasas piqued my interest. The card from L'amour De La Fashion boasted 50% to 70% off Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, BCBG, Escada, Roberto Cavalli and Celine. A woman named Jackie runs the place from her Hollywood home. Her brother is a distributor in Europe and sends her what he can spare. Jackie sounds like a real sweatheart although I haven't seen any of her clothes. But she's French, she must have good taste!

Most of her clothes are dresses and gowns, high fashion dailywear, a few pairs of boots. No real shoe selection, sadly. She has only a few of each item, sizes 0 to 14. It's rare that I need a red-carpet worthy dress, but perhaps I should get one and then guilt-trip the entertainment reporter into taking me to a gala premier! Cough. He's *always* reminding me of the free shows he goes to.

By appointment only. Cash or credit. No returns. (323) 874-4928.

Got my yoga fix at Inner Power Yoga in Calabasas yesterday and found a great coupon there. A buy one get one free at Smoothie King at the other end of the strip mall. Also a $1 off any smoothie. Now it's kind of tacky to just walk in and grab a coupon and go, but it's up to you. (They are on a bench to your right when you walk in.) In the back of the studio I found a $15 off a purchase of $75 or more at Baby Style, which has locations in Sherman Oaks, Glendale, and Santa Monica. Expires 8/31. Need actual coupon for discount.

Visit Inner Power Yoga at 22281 Mulholland Hwy in Gelson's Shopping Center.

To convince myself that taking advantage of bargains really IS possible (and not just a well-thought out extra errand that feels like a waste of gas) I went to Walgreens during my lunch break with two things on my list: a toothbrush and shampoo that were free after mail-in rebates. Found the toothbrush aisle ravaged and not a single sticker advertising the freebie. So I couldn't even confirm that they were sold out!

I grabbed four brushes that were $1 each and headed to the counter. Like a horse with blinders I didn't even look at the candy or nail polish. I asked the checker if they were all out of the free toothbrushes and he hunched down behind the counter. Turns out these things are so coveted they keep them behind the counter with the cigarettes and Nicorette. I got the last one! Definitely deserving of a Bargain Hunter gold star. (About as satisfying as they were in third grade!)

That's when I remembered the shampoo. Left my 5 awesome toothbrushes at the counter, picked out two bottles of Pantene shampoo and one conditioner and headed back to the counter. Turns out I had the wrong type of shamoo. There are a million these days to make your hair fuller, or thinner, or straighter or curlier. The type on sale is supposed to make your hair more clumpy. That could work with my frizz-prone locks. If not, I can pawn it off on hubby. I mean, it's perfect for your hair darling!

Finally I had the freebies plus a few extra brushes. Total came to $14.34 but I have a check for $8.98 coming in the mail (you have to fill out the booklet, which you have to ask for. Can't do the rebate online in Cali for some reason.) The moral of the story is be determined to save a buck and ask questions. You will be rewarded - if you don't blow the savings on gold stars!

I've blogged about individual sales from Wowcoupons, but this site deserves it's own post. It's easy to use and has a good amount of deals. A working Mom named Elena runs the site and she divides the coupons into five sections: retail, grocery, restaurant, rebates, and travel. Retail alone has more than 200 deals, though a tiny portion have expired. Click here to see the retail sales. Before you buy anything, remember to check Wow!

Found good produce prices at the Pierce Farm Center at the corner of De Soto and Victory in Woodland Hills. A basket of four green bell peppers was $2. Massize eggplants by the register were $1 each. A generous basket of green and yellow squash was $3. Tomatos were $6 for 6, bigger discounts if you buy in bulk. Extra large cantelope's were $2. Peaches were $5 for six. Mini-watermelons were $4. Avocados $1.50 each. Corn was a tad expensive: 1 for 75-cents, 3 for $2, 6 for $4 or 12 for $8, so if you buy more than one it's 66-cents each. No discount for bulk. Overall, the prices definitely beat the farmer's market I regularly shop at.

Everything's grown right there, not by students but by a private farm. Proceeds go towards building the Ag department at Pierce. Cash or credit. Daily 10 to 6. 818-999-6300.

Print this coupon and bring it into any Victoria's Secret to get $10 off your purchase of Pink hoodies, undies, and bras. Expires Aug 31. One per customer.

Starting Oct 31, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics will have a booth at Macy's in the Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. According to the company all of the foundations and powders are yellow-based, so they "match and look natural on every skin tone." It's designed to take be applied in less than five minutes.

A few excellent deals in the new arrivals at Smart Bargains. This Reaction Kenneth Cole down jacket for $100 (orig $150) may not get used very often in LA, but when the mercury drops you'll have the cutest poofy jacket in town. Also saw a Tahari wool skirt suit for $100 (orig $280). A pair of Cole Haan loafters for $80 (orig $145) are for men, sadly.
I'm contemplating a pair of baby blue stone earrings, below, for $100 (orig $195). But can my ears really handle 3 karats of aquamarine? Jeez those things are big. Maybe I should find out.

When you book 3 nights at Hotels.com you get a $20 rebate. The longer you stay the bigger the rebate, up to $100 for a 12-night stay. Get the rebate coupon here.

Caveat: must book by Sept 30 and use hotel rooms by Nov 30. Not applicable to vacation packages. Must mail in rebate *after* you've stayed at the hotel.

Toys 'r Us stores (not online) are selling the Air Hogs Hyper Hawks plane for $12 (orig $30). For ages 5 and up. See it fly here.

Sigh. The Monday morning blues. A tougher case than usual, but probably nothing that a hot cup of coffee can't fix. Here's the best of the Sunday newspaper ads:

Aquafresh toothbrush is FREE after a $4 mail-in rebate at Walgreens. Also free are 12.6 ounce bottles of Pantene shampoo or conditioner. Says it has to be the "texturizer" type. Locations here.

Lamps at Pier 1 Imports from $29 to $150. Locations here. Shop online for even better sales. Pier 1 says they are moving their online stock to the stores, so there are steep discounts of up to 75% online. A handcrafted wood lamp , below, was $60 (orig $120). (hint, hint Mom.) A ton of the stuff has already sold out so don't wait.

Choose from $4 DVDs at Best Buy: Crash, American Psycho, Resevoir Dogs, TNMT Vol 2, Dirty Dancing, Total Recall, Saw II and others. Circuit City has a decent selction of $4 DVDs too: 28 Days, Amistad, Rosemary's Baby, Booty Call, Patch Adams, Charlie's Angeles Full Throttle. Also check out CC's Will Farrell fest: $7 for each of his Saturday Night Live DVD's, Superstar, Anchorman, Old School, and Roxbury. Here's a super funny short of him arguing with his pint-sized landlord.

Sunday sales continued:

Best place to buy the TI-83 graphing calculator: Office Depot. Theirs is $60 after a mail in rebate and store discount, while Staples has the same calculator for $75. Sine? Cosine? Let the calculator do the math.

Sport Chalet has 30% off swimwear, tennis clothes, beach towels, sandals, body & skim boards, life jackets, kayaks and canoes, rash guards and pool toys. Thru Sept 3. Locations here.

Look-a-like Crocs are $10 at Big 5 Sporting Goods. That's one shoe trend that's finally met my price point. Also 30% off men and women's Speedo and TYR swimwear. Thru Sept 4. Locations here.

Maybe it's time to fill that blank space above the couch: framed artwork is 30% off at Aaron Brothers. Plus get 50% off marker and pencil sets by Prismacolor and 50% off paper pads and sheet paper. Thru Sept. 9. Locations in Woodland Hills, Northridge, Encino, Simi Valley, Westwood, Studio City, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, West Hollywood.

Cost Plus World Market has $1 wine glasses (without the stems) that are usually $2. Thru Sept 9. (877) 967-5362. Locations in Sherman Oaks, Northridge, Woodland Hills, Westlake Village, Glendale, Valenica.

Tennis star Venus Williams is getting her own line of clothing, EleVen. The on and off the court styles will be sold through Steve & Barry's which also launched Sarah Jessica Parker's line, Bitten. Williams' line hits the stores in November, but she'll be wearing them at the US Open starting Aug 27. I know Venus is a rock star on the court, but can she make my thighs look like her well-oiled missles?

S&B locations here. Nearest one seems to be downtown.

A colleague told me Living Spaces, which claims to be California's largest furniture store, is coming to Panorama City. They offer same day delivery and is super cheap, she says, but their stuff isn't the highest quality. Well, my last name isn't Trump. Is yours?

Though I can't vouch for their furniture, the store knows their customer: women who drag hapless husbands and annoying children to pick out furniture only they truly care about. I'm guessing that's the reason why stores have a "theater-sized movie screen" that shows live sports events and a supervised "Kid's Fun Room" where kids can watch movies and play video games.

Or, us ladies could accept that we are the decision makers when it comes to furniture shopping (and a lot of other things) and leave hubby at home with the kids.

Current locations in Rancho Cucamonga and La Mirada.

Wilshire Home Entertainment is having a sale this weekend only, Aug 25 and 26. Buy a 42-inch or bigger Pioneer or Elite Kuro flat panel TV and get $500 off a Pioneer receiver or Blu-Ray disc player.

Caveats: while supplies last. On select Pioneer 2007 models.

Locations in Thousand Oaks (805-497-7536) and Valencia (661-291-1900).

Sherwin Williams has a big paint sale this Saturday only. 40% off paints and stains, 15% off duration home and exterior coating, 30% painting products and applicators. Locations in Simi Valley, Sepulveda, and Santa Clarita. (800) 474-3794.

Gathered a few discount inserts from this month's Real Simple magazine:

$25 off purchase of $100 or more at JJill, in stores (need paper coupon), online (code 5150725) or over the phone (code 5150725) at 800-642-9989. Thru Sept 30.

15% off your entire purchase at Eddie Bauer thru Oct 1. In stores with ad code 6834 (looks like you need the paper coupon), online with promo code REALSIM09, or by phone (800-426-8020) mention code 198. Can be used more than once!

$25 off purchase of $100 or more at Coldwater Creek. In stores, online, or over the phone (800-262-0040), use code PLA7835.

Caveats: not good at outlets.

I love reading Real Simple magazine, if only to dream of all the ways I can effortlessly and cheaply transform my home to look like the rooms in their pages. Of course, I never do any of it. (Does anybody? I'd really like to know.) This month may be different. On page 46 of Sept 2007's issue they have a two-step centerpiece that requires ingredients I actually have on hand.

You need: smallish vase, little rocks or pebbles, a straw, a flower.

1. Cut the straw so that it's an inch shorter than the vase. Hold it upright in the middle of the vase and fill the vase with rocks.
2. Stick the cut flower into the straw (which helps it stand straight). Fill halfway with water.

You can also do this with dirt or sand. Wonder if rice would work?

Bow. Kiss. Fight! If this were a thumb war I'd probably kick your ass, but really it's just dueling drug store ads. At CVS, get 1 bottle of Nature Made or Nature's Resource vitamins free when you buy 1 bottle, get 50% off CVS brand pharmacy and foot care tools (i.e. painful beauty-enablers), and get a free pack of Zantac heartburn mints after the mail in rebate.

Longs has tons of buy 1 get 1 free makeup deals: Maybelline eyeliner with purchase of mascara, Maybelline extreme lipliner with purchase of lipstick, Almay face and eye products, Bonne Bell cosmetics, Wet 'n Wild cosmetics, and Revlon Age Defying products. Also 25% Sally Hansen nailpolish, lip stuff, and cosmetics.

Longs also has decent prices on booze. a 12-pack of Sierra Nevada or Sam Adams is $11.99. Gatorade 32-ounce bottles are just 79-cents, a very good price.

Caveats: Need frequent shopper cards.

Looks like this time around, Longs fingered CVS. Longs locations here. CVS locations here.

Old Navy is giving away a free black tank with a burnt red floral pattern up one side when you buy a $25 pair of jeans. Until Aug 30 online and in stores.

Caveats: not good for jean skirts, shorts, and capris.

Locations in West Hills, Northridge, Valencia, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Oxnard, Ventura.

I used to belong to a gym when I lived on the East Coast. Made sense cause there's a few months of the year when you just do NOT want to be outside. But here in sunny cali, I don't see the need. I started running to keep in shape so I can play Ultimate Frisbee, but now I'm kinda into running on its own. Problem is, when I'm not running I wish I was, and when I'm pounding the pavement, nothing seems more appealing than walking.

I try, and I try, and I try, and I try.
I can't get no...duh nuh nuh.
I can't get no!

(You can't beat the free workout, though.)

The Crate & Barrel store at Westfield Topanga is moving to a bigger two-story space, a "stand alone building" on the southeast corner of Victory and Topanga. That's the Sear's parking lot that's never full. They plan to break ground in Fall 2007 and will open in Fall 2008. Wonder how long Sears will stick it out. Not that they aren't doing business. There's always people poking around the store when I walk through it to get to the rest of the mall. And Sears is definitely not the only low-budget store there, but it just seems out of place. Everything else is new and shiny and Sears is just Sears.

(not my actual lunch)

Headed to Pismo Grill on Canoga in Woodland Hills to get my shrimp taco fix today. Turned out it was a Lincoln Lunch and I wasn't even trying (that hard). The shrimp taco was $2.75 for a full-size taco witih five shrimps, plus $1.95 for a side salad and rice. Total was $5.09. They validate parking, too.

Psst, it's called a Lincoln Lunch cause prez Lincoln is on the fiver. And. Its. A. Five. Dollar. Meal.

After hearing this morning how many gazillions of people are signed up for the Borders Books card - 20 million accounting for one in five households - I decided it was time to figure out if this card, and a similar one at rival Barnes & Noble, make sense. Here's the breakdown:

Borders VS. Barnes & Noble
Cost: Free VS. $25
Applies online: No VS. Yes
Perks: $5 for every $150 you spend plus coupons every Thursday VS. 40% off hardback bestsellers, 20% off adult hardcovers, 10% off paperbacks, CDs, kids books, cafe purchases
Makes sense: Yes, if you don't mind giving out personal info VS. Not unless you buy a LOT of stuff at B&N. Best case scenario - everything you buy is 40% off - you need to spend $63. Worst case - everything is only 10% off - you need to spend $250. So if B&N is your daily source of Joe, go for it.

Thanks to my sweetie for checking the math. My earlier post that you only needed to spend $33 was, sad to say, wrong. Babe, do you get tired of always being right?

Caveat: have to sign up in person for the Borders card.

All the clearance toys at Toys R Us are up to 65% off. Check out the selection here. Stores in Calabasas, Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Northridge, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Burbank,

Read a story from the Detroit Free Press that Borders has 20 million members that reach one in five households in the whole friggin' country! I'm really curious if this program makes sense. Tied up with a daily story right now, but check back this afternoon for a breakdown of the cost versus benefit of the frequent customer programs offered at Borders and its rival Barnes & Noble. Doesn't buying online still cost the least?

Just another reason why I love SmartBargains: they let you search shoe sales by your size. Now you won't be disappointed that the terrific heel at 60% off only comes in size 6! Maybe I DO need those silver slingback heels from Max Studio for $70 (orig $150).

Office Depot has a fun promotion offering 15% off a backpack and everything you can stuff in it. Not bad! The coupon code is 52574466. Until Aug 25.

Lots of caveats: In-store only. Need paper coupon (check out today's local newspaper for one). Doesn't apply to graphing calculators , gift cards, cameras, memory, software, stamps, ink or toner, and a few other computer related stuff. Stick to the basic school supplies and you'll be fine.

Got a soccer practice coming up? Need a new sports bra? Get a 30% family and friends discount at Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker or Kids Foot Locker (code LKS1CP87), at Champs Sports (code LKS16FFB), and at FootAction USA (code FF7A34L8). Also get an extra 10% off of purchases of $100 or more with these codes here at slickdeals.

Trolling thru SmartBargains clearance...found a dark green silk chiffon dress with a green sash from Laundry, above, for $80 (orig $165). Empire waist, halter top tie. Size 10 only and stuff goes fast on this site.

Also saw a super cute pair of knee-length gauchos with sailor-style navy buttons, below, for $32 (orig $64). From To the Max. Size 0 only. Doh!

(not my actual butt)
Only made it to one of the three bargain stores I set out to hit this morning. But I did find the awesome Samples Only shoe store and got a cute black top suitable for going out and casual Fridays. The Loehmann's in Reseda looked promising with seven racks of women's premium jeans and a great selection of dresses. Almost wish I didn't have three dresses covering my bases for any type of wedding.

Couldn't find any undies but if you like bright neon bras and panties this is your place. A pair of Joe's Jeans looked promising but the "Honey Bootie Fit" didn't deliver. You think having a big ass is a problem - these jeans made me consider butt pads.

Saw 3-inch black Calvin Klein heels for $50 (orig 80 and $90- two difrerent pairs), a tan Furla bagette purse for $158 (orig $250), and Guess peep toe animal print heels for $80 (orig $110). A short sleeve gray-ish purple buttom down top from Theory fit PERFECTLY but it was $99 (orig $230) and failed the wrinkle test wherein I scrunch the material in my hand for 10 seconds. If it's wrinkled, no deal. I am passionately anti-iron. Wound up getting a black cotton top for $14 (orig $40). Wash and dry, baby.

Visit them at 19373 Victory at Tampa. (818) 345-7063.

Samples Only in Reseda has tons of great shoes if you have small feet. Tons of pairs from Marc Jacobs, Ellen Tracy, and Kezio. But almost all their stuff was in size 6, 6.5, or 7. Curse my size 10 feet! Saw a cute green slide from Ellen Tracy with a mini-heel for $51 (orig $84) and a red patent leather heel from Marc Jacobs that had a tiny pink bow across the front for $95 (orig $158), and tons of other good stuff. Unfortunately, no Web site!

Owner Jin Kim gets his shoes from wholesalers and from manufacturers who want to unload the sample shoes they use to get orders from retailers. He's friendly once you start talking to him. But make sure the shoe fits because there are no returns.

Visit them at 19401 Victory at Tampa in Loehmann's Plaza. Cash or credit. Mon to Sat 10-6. (818) 881-8621.

Nike has free shipping until Aug 23. Use coupon code RBFSAUG7. Their Web site is freaking out at the moment, tho.

As a back-to-school promotion, Excel Taekwondo Center in Canoga Park is offering 4 weeks of free Taekwondo classes. Classes are twice a week, which days depend on age. First class is private with an instructor so they can size you up. Ages 3.5 to adults. Classes range from $100 to $139 per month for 8 classes. Owner and insturctor Catherine Marcelino says there's no obligation to join.

Caveats: requires purchase of $32 uniform, but you can take the private class without buying the uniform. Until Sept 15. Visit them at 21120 Vanowen at Variel. (818) 347-2721.

Decided today is the day to check out a long list of bargain stores I've been scribbling down on my to-do list. Recommendations from friends, places I've driven by without time to stop, etc. Today is the day. Nothing can stop me! Actually, my editor could. If there was a story that needed to be written. Hmm, let's hope my cell doesn't ring. Onto shopping!

Like a good bargain hunter, I have a list:
Jeans
Tops suitable for work
Underwear
Shoes (this goes without saying)
Toys for nephews turning 3

Woot has the Zune 30 GB media player for $150 +$5 shipping. Comments here seem to be mostly positive. Lowest price on Pricegrabber is $190. Woot sells out quick and even if it doesn't the deal is only good until midnight, when a new product hits the block.

Chick-fil-A and Coke are giving away 1 million free meals. All you have to do is sign up here. Promotion ends Aug 29 or until 1 million people have signed up. In 6-8 weeks they send you a coupon for a free chicken sandwich and medium coke. Requires name, address, ph number, email, dob. I usually give out my work address so I'm not bombarded with junk mail at home.

I hear the paperie Carmody & Co. is having a sale - 40% off most of their paper goods, invitations, pens, postcards, and accessories. Haven't been there myself but am told they carry brands like Anna Griffin, William Arthur, Checkerboard, and Boatman Geller. Sale ends Aug. 31.

Visit them at 121 E Union St, Pasadena. (626) 795-2924.

Get a free small popcorn Monday, Tuesday and Thursday when you buy a fountain drink at AMC theaters with this printable coupon. Check showtimes and theater locations here.

Caveats: Gotta be a member (form requires name, address, dob, email). Good thru Aug. 28.

(not my actual lunch)

Across the street from an assignment I spotted JB's Kabob & Grill. I tried to order a chicken kabob with rice and tomatoes for $5.99 (over my limit, I know), but the woman behind the counter grumbled that it would take her 20 minutes to make it and wouldn't I rather have the lunch buffet for $6.99? I decided that was too far a stretch for a Lincoln Lunch and instead ordered a falafel sandwich. It was tasty, but no better than many others I have tried. The fluffy pita bread was warm, and the falafel was fresh. The tahini sauce mixed well with humus and tomatoes. Missed the cucumbers and lettuce I've had in other falafels. $3.50 plus tax.

Visit them at 8931 De Soto in Canoga Park. (818) 701-6169.

Thanks to Slickdeals for this one: DealExtreme is selling iPod Style Noise Isolation Earbuds for $2 w/ free shipping. Buy 5 or more and get them for $1.41 each with coupon code BULKRATE.

The major chains are gearing up for Labor Day weekend, Sept 1-3, with big sales. They all start Aug 22 and go thru Aug 28 (except Albertsons which ends Aug 26). That's just long enough to stock up for the inevitable holiday BBQ. With so many things on sale it's impossible to say which store has the better deals, and all our shopping lists are different. But here's a quick comparrison on some of the basics:

----------- Grapes --- Chicken breasts --- Soda
Vons $.79/lb --- $3.49/lb boneless --- 3 for 2 (no price-grr)
Albertsons $1.99/lb --- $1.49/lb for 5 lbs+ --- 4-12packs for $7
Ralphs $1.99/lb organic ---$.99/lb bone in --- 1-12 pack for $2
Wild Oats $1.99/lb organic ---$7.99/lb boneless organic --- N/A

Caveats: Need a club card for each store (not a credit line, just your name and address). Some prices for Albertsons don't start until Aug 24.

Southwest just launched a fare sale with $49 to $109 one-way flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. If you can get an early morning flight Sat, then return on Tue you get a nice vacation without burning too much vacation time. Seattle is lovely this time of year (I just returned and loved it). If I had the cash I would spring for an outdoorsy retreat to Denver or a beach vacation to one of Southwest's 5 destinations in Hawaii (Hilo, Honolulu, Maui, Kona, or Lihue Kauai).

Caveats: book by Aug 23 for travel between Aug 28 and Jan 11. Need 14-advance purchase.

Sign up to be a VIP at the Camarillo Outlets and get some special offers. Catch is a lot of the coupons you have to print AT the VIP lounge IN Camarillo. Here are a few of the deals they offer once you fork over a name and email address:

15% off purchase at American Apparel
15% off entire purchase at Juicy Couture
20% off entire purchase at Saks Fifth Ave
20% off one full price item at Ann Taylor Factory Store, Easy Spirit, Jockey, Jones New York, Nine West Perfume Mania,
25% off one full price item at Liz Claiborne
Free wine tasting for two at Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard. $89 nightly rate at County Inn & Suites at Carlson and $99 a night at Grandstay Residential Suites, both in Camarillo.

You can also print a voucher to pick up a VIP coupon book at the Information Center at the outlets.

Organic to Go is new to the area and sending out coupons to attract new customers. With the promo code SMPC807 you can get $25 off an order of $100 or more. Not bad, eh? All their food is organic or "natural" which doesn't mean too much these days because "natural" is not regulated.

The menu is prepared meals, not groceries. Herb – crusted chicken w/pesto is $15 with a minimum order of 10. A cobb salad lunchbag is $12.50 and guacamole & chips is $20. Hope there's a lot of guac in THAT order. A plate, napkin, fork and knife is $.50.

Caveats: Delivery orders only. Expires Sept 30. Stores in the Warner Center at 5780 Canoga Ave, in Warner Gateway at 21820 Burbank Blvd, Suite 110, and in LA and Orange County. Order between Aug 20 and 24 and mention the Athena Promotion and 10% of your tab goes to fight women's cancer. Reach them at 800-304-4550.

(not my actual lunch)

Didn't have a lot of time so I ate lunch at the Woodland Hills Corner Bakery today but was *really* disappointed that the $5 Lincoln Lunch options were slim pickins. I had only two menu options aside from the side salads (I'm not a rabbit, folks!) and breakfast menu (ahem, it's called a lincoln LUNCH): Big Al's Chili or Soup of the Day. Took my chances with the tortilla soup in a bread bowl for $4.59 (with tax $4.97) and mooched a free cup of icy water.

Soup was very hot and tasty, with crispy tortilla strips on the top. Only problem is after 10 bites it was gone! They barely carved out any hole in the bread bowl, so I was left with a massive hunk of bread. Had to rip it off with my hands because the server only brought out a spoon. All the sandwiches and panini prices started with a 6, so I don't think I'll be returning to Corner Bakery anytime soon.

I'm new to Plummers and was amazed at the furniture prices in their weekend newspaper ad. A friend warned me about quality so I went to check out the Woodland Hills store for myself. I wasn't impressed with the dressers because the drawers seemed stiff or sticky on many. But the beds I would consider because the wood veneer is pretty convincing, especially on the medium-dark woods. A few of the headboards were a bit loose, like on the Sterling Park and Naia models, but it makes sense that they have some flexibility.

I really liked the accent pieces, especially the Zen counter and barstool for $200. The Symon Sideboard , above, adds fiery color for $188. The Luna Chair, below, is not a deal at $350, but it is surprisingly comfortable and stylish.

Locations in Woodland Hills, North Hollywood, Thousand Oaks, and Pasadena.

If you haven't already stocked up for the start of school, head to Office Depot for a few select deals. These prices are just to get you in the door with the hope you'll buy something else that's NOT on sale. Consider yourself warned.

With mail in rebates:
FREE: post its (orig $1.29), slim stapler (orig $3.39), lined pads of paper (orig $8.89). Limit 2 per customer.
1-cent: wood rulers ((orig $1.79), bookcovers (orig $2), plastic storage pouch (orig $2).
25-cent: crayola 10-pack markers (orig $2), comp books (orig $1), eraser 3-pack (orig $1.79).

Locations in Tarzana, Northridge, Woodland Hills, Encino, Van Nuys, Simi Valley, Sylmar and Studio City.

Linens -n- Things has a $10 airplane kit with jars and bottles for toiletries. I always have a hard time cramming mine in a baggie because I bought containers that are too big. This kit comes with a .5oz, 1oz & 2oz bottles they claim are leak proof, and 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 oz. jars, plus 36 labels and a 1 quart bag to carry it all in. With a 20% coupon its $8.

This is kind of a stretch but a really cool idea. MyArtStamps.com will make real postage stamps of your own design. Some folks are using it as school fundraisers, where the kids' art becomes the stamp. But it costs $25 for twenty 41-cent stamps, or $1.25 per stamp. That's a pretty stiff price, but if you could sell them for $2 each you'd make 75-cents per, or $15 bucks per sheet of 20 stamps.

Found a good coupon inside this month's Real Simple mag, a $20 off coupon when you spend $75 at Chico's instore or online. That's a 26% discount! Online code is 5894 but the fine print says you need a paper coupon for instore purchases. If you don't get Real Simple, why not browse an issue at your local bookstore? Inserts are always falling out of issues.

Caveat: Not good for soma purchases. Expires Sept 30. CallChico's at 888-855-4986. Locations in Calabasas Commons, Camarillo Outlets, Westfield Topanga mall, Encino, Simi Valley Town Center, Thousand Oaks, Studio City, Pasadena, Ventura and Valencia Town Center.

There's basically no art that really goes with this post so I'm just gonna use this cool picture I found online.

A new report says that one in three shoppers don't use price-comparison sites. Sounds kind of alarmist until you consider the flip side: 70 percent of shoppers still go to comparison Web sites! Technically the report studied British shoppers, but are they really that different than us?

"British consumers are realising there are good deals to be had shopping online and are becoming increasingly sophisticated at finding them," an analyst said. Price comparison websites have fulfilled that role for a while, but as awareness of the potential for their results to be biased spreads, consumers are going to be looking elsewhere and marketers need to ensure they are featured in the right places." Biased? I hadn't heard that. Stay tuned.

The weekend Target ad has some really cute $15 cotton dresses by Mossimo, fun little numbers to wear around the house or to school or to the beach. Also $5 tanks, and $6.88 for a 16-piece dinnerware set (stuff is fugly but if it's for college...), and $4.88 for 66-quart storage crates. Also $5 for a dry erase calendar or message board, and a $34 soccer backpack that has an external soccer ball holder and side pockets for cleats. Not a great price, but sounds very useful. Of course, the trick with Target is always to avoid getting sucked in to buying things that aren't on your list.

Time to get your sport on. Both EMS and REI are having Labor Day sales with steep discounts on stuff that's already on sale. I think it's time to blow some money on that camping trip we're always talking about taking.

EMS has 50% shorts and cotton tees, 40% off trail running shoes, 30% sleeping bags, 20% off daypacks, shoulder bags and some rainwear, 15% off all racks. REI has 25% of Kelty sleeping bags, 30% off Muir eco-sensitive fleece, a Garmin 60CSx GPS reader for $300 (orig $450), 30% of Gerber knives, tools and lights, 25% Timbuk2 messenger bags, 15-20% discontinued 2007 bikes, 25% On Guard locks, 20% Chariot Cougar Chasis, tent markdowns, and sales on underwear and socks.

Dates: REI Aug 24 to Sept 3. EMS Aug 28 to Sept 11.

REI locations in Northridge, 18605 Devonshire St, Northridge. (818) 831-5555

The stores are gearing up for an intense back to school shopping weekend with rival sales. Mervyns is givng out $10 gift cards to the first 100 shoppers, plus an extra 10% off all day today and from 7am to 1pm Saturday. Half off sales Sat between 7am and 1pm include these brands: High Sierra, Energie polos, Southpole, and Sideout. Evening sales, 4pm to midnight, are $10 off with $50 purchase and $15 off a $75 purchase. Find coupons in newspapers.

JCPenney has a buy 1 get a second for $1 for Arizona T-s and keans, junior men's jeans, dress shirts, jewelry, socks and towels. Plus 10% off during 7am to 1pm Sat. Bras, dresses, boys T-s, and Southpole gear are half off.

Sears has 50% doorbusters from 9am to noon Saturday on polos, uniform tops and bottoms, T-s, fine jewelry and Reebok tennis shoes. Plus half off on knives, towels, car floor mats, tools.

Lots of good reasons to get out of bed Sat!

Tonight at the Sherman Oaks Galleria catch a free concert by Playback, a band that specializes in 40's swing, 50's rock n' roll and 60's R&B. 7-10 pm.

You can also get a free swing lesson on Wednesday nights at 7:30pm. That's between sets so after you take the lesson you can practice your moves to live music! Taught by Joshua Castleman.

You'll be itching to hit the dance floor after watching these folks!

Gas prices are still falling! I fill up about once a week and check LA Gas Prices.com before I do to get an idea of what is a "good" price. It's all relative, baby. Some stations are still charging more than $3/gal, but really you should wait until you see prices sub $2.80. If you've got a 10 gallon tank, the difference is $2 - morning coffee and a donut. Over a year the savings are roughly $100, more if you've got a big ass car.

In the East Valley:
$2.75 at United at 7204 Van Nuys in Van Nuys
$2.77 at Shell on Victory at Woodman in Van Nuys
$2.79 at 76 on Sherman Way at Haskell in Van Nuys
$2.79 at Shell on Victory at Lankershim in North Hollywood

In the West Valley:
$2.79 at Alliance on Topanga at Saticoy in Canoga Park

In the North Valley:
$2.79 at 76 on Balboa at Parthenia in Northridge

A story from CNET talks about why deal hunters are such loyal followers of niche Web sites like Woot.com, Goldstarevents.com, and Travelzoo.com. People know what they want and want it at a good price so they sign up at specialty sites like these. Makes sense to me.

Notices to sign up for the spree have been plastered all over Westfield malls and today I finally decided to enter. Who couldn't use $20,000 worth of shoes and jeans and bags? I mean, a lot more people could use a hot meal or a roof over their head, but I have a feeling Westfield wants you to spend the money at one of their malls. Just a hunch.

Fill out the survey here. Seven questions, two minutes. Requires name, address, ph number, and email.

Woot.com has a wireless mouse and keypad from Targus for $15 (refurbished). I haven't blogged about Woot in a while, so I'll remind y'all how it works: The Web site sells one product each day starting at midnight and when it sells out it's gone. Woot doesn't say how many they have on hand. Look at a picture of the item Download file">here.

The site encourages folks to share their thoughts on every product. Here's one on the wireless mouse and keypad, which is apparently meant for accountant types or other number crunchers:

"Not a bad mouse but goes through batteries like a Bandolier of Carrots on Woot."

Woot also sells wine and T-shirts using the same model.

(not my actual lunch)

Stopped by El Taco Loco in Valley Village today on my way back from an assignment and was pleased with their $.99 cent tacos. I ordered three mini-tacos (tortillas about a 3-inch diameter), one each: al pastor (marinated pork), carnitas (regular pork), and pollo (this is LA folks, do you really need a translation?)

The chicken taco was juicy with lightly sauteed onions. With a little salsa, badaboom-badabing! The al pastor meat was tasty, but also slightly bland. I liked the carnitas the least (wonder if that's 'cuz I ate it last) because the meat was a bit dry. Again, salsa improved things. All three tacos were dusted with chopped onions and cilantro. My plate also came with about a dozen chips.

With tax the tab came to $3.22, way under my fiver-goal. Cha-ching!

Visit them at 5424 Laurel Canyon Rd. (818) 752-3845.

Coldwater Creek's Wear It Now! sale ends Aug 19. In store only. Select apparel, jewelry, accessories, home accents, and gifts up to 50% off.

Locations in Thousand Oaks at the Oaks Mall, Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, Pasadena, Fashion Square Sherman Oaks and Simi Valley Town Center.

Wine.com has a deal today for 20% off a dozen bottles. Use promo code CASEDEAL at checkout. Browse their selection of wines rated 90-points or higher for $20 or less here. So > 90 points = <$20. I liked the Smoking Loon Syrah and there are some reserve and grand reserve bottles to choose from (generally the better bottles a winery produces).

Thru Sunday, you can use the friends and family 25% discount for one item at Sports Authority. Buy online and use the coupon code FFTSA25. Caveat: lots of exclusions.

Locations in Northridge, Canoga Park, Burbank, Camarrilo, and Oxnard.

Stop the presses. Get our your credit card. Smart Bargains has 65 pairs of shoes for $40 each!

I love the sexy Audreyy Slingback Pump by Steve Madden (orig $100), above. The Bella Leather Flat by Tommy Hilfiger, below, is a little prissy, but not bad for work. (orig $60).

I also like the studded flats by Jessica Simpson (orig $75). The sporty Hilda black sneaker by Naturalizer isn't bad (orig $70)


The pairs will go fast - some of the 65 pairs have already sold out.

How's this for a happy hour? Starting Friday at 6 p.m. (thru Saturday) Linens -n- Things is marking down stuff up to 75% off. Serta pillows are $5 (orig $10), Damask sheet sets are $10-$50 (orig $20 to $100), and show curtains and bath accessories are 25% off. Plus sales on cookware and other stuff.

Don't forget to stock up on their 20% off coupons before you go. They also take coupons from competitor Bed Bath & Beyond.

Locations in West Hills, Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Burbank, Camarrilo, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura.

I'm constantly finding coupons for cheap oil changes at Jiffy Lube and EZ Lube in the mail. (The one in my mail pile advertises a $19 oil change with all kinds of extras.) The major chains send them out frequently and they can be a great deal - if you can pull it off. A colleague advises:

An employee might say they don't recognize the deal, but insist that they do if it is a corporate coupon that has not expired. Once they accept the deal price, keep your tab low by not adding other services. They'll often push you to buy new wiper blades, a new air filter, or a transmission flush.

Stick to a basic oil change and before you leave the parking lot check that they have actually done that. Open the hood, pull out the dipstick, and look at the tip. Is the oil dark and...oily smelling? Or is it amber colored and...not as oily smelling? A while ago the chains got in trouble for not performing some services so it's important to check.

New oil will be lighter colored and not very smelly. If it they haven't done the work, time to get bossy (in a polite way).

Hot doggity! A colleague just shared one of his favorite places to score a cheap meal: The Stand in Encino, where every Monday night they sell their $3 Stand Dogs for $1. They don't skimp on the topping choices either: diced red and white onions, tomatoes, three kinds of mustard, pickle or corn relish, 1000 Island dressing, ketchup, their house red sauce or BBQ sauce. Look at the full menu here.

Expect a crowd, as plenty of folks make The Stand a regular stop on Mondays. Visit them at 17000 Ventura. (818) 788-2700.

I could blame the mishap on my editor, who pushed me to finish a story Wednesday, or on myself for being off kilter from taking a day off Monday, but the bottom line is that there isn't a Bargain Hunter column in the paper tomorrow (Thursday).

I'm sorry!

I'll do my best to get it in the paper Friday. And to make up for the oversight (and win back *all* my adoring fans - that's you, sweetie!) I promise to find extra-good bargains for the late column. Please bear with me!

Hair cuts are a big deal, if the response to my posts about cheap or free cuts are any indication. Today I received a short letter from a BH reader stapled to a Polaroid shot of the Academy of Barbering Arts in Northridge with a sign advertising $4 cuts! I called and it's the real deal (Though ladies are $7). Visit them at 19557 Parthenia.

Caveat: the cuts are given by students in training.

At Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, Planet Funk is offering an extra 50% off any 3 sale items you buy. Not bad. Store is on the lower level near Macy's.

Caveats: Doesn't mix with other offers or promotions.

UPDATE: Price raised to $50. Coupon exired.

Slickdeals spotted this sale: Circuit CIty is selling a Philips DVD/DivX player for $40, that has a $20 rebate, but $4 in shipping and handling costs. Can't get in-store pickup for online sales.

Wow, even if it just worked a few months or a year, it'd be worth it. Sweetie, let's get it!

Coupon clipping. Sounds fascinating, right? Zzzzzzz. But this fun tidbit on BargainsLA tells how one man became a rabid coupon clipper. Kevin O'Connor, aka the Coupon King, is the husband of savvy shopper Suzanne O'Connor, who runs the Web site. There's even a picture of a recipt showing he saved 57% on his bill. Just think of how many trips to Nordstrom Rack that would fund!

Kevin keeps motivated by comparing savings with friends and family, i.e. bragging rights are at stake! Hmm, suddenly my competitive side thinks I could get into this.

Until Saturday, Target is offering 15% off furniture purchases of $125 or more. Plus, get an extra $5 off online orders of $50 or more using code TC9EL63N at checkout.

Performance Bike is having a sale that will get your wheels spinning! All kinds of bike gear and equipment is marked down. Today is the last day they are offering free ground shipping and an extra 15% off on purchases of $75 or more (use code 6002377 when checking out).

They have jersey's from $20, a $10 pair of bike gloves, shorts from $20, helmets from $25, a pair of stiff soled bike shoes for $30, a $2 water bottle, a kid carrier for $200 (orig $300), a $30 heart rate monitor, plus bikes, pedals, wheels, seats, and tires.

Locations in Ventura and Pasadena.

Kmart has at least 20 backpacks on super sale - 50 %. Decent selection and prices seem low if the packs are good enough quality to last 9 months. Most are $12.50 (orig $25) with some as low as $10 and as high as $15. The Web site was totally freaking out Tue afternoon and wouldn't let me get past the first of three pages of packs.

See all their back to school sales here.

Girls and boys clothes size 3 to 12 are marked down 40% at Gymboree at Northridge Fashion Center. Thru Aug 19.

Locations in Calabasas, Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Simi Valley, Valencia, and Thousand Oaks.

You can only print it once and the Toys "R" Us Web site seems to know if you open the coupon a second time. Click here for the flier that leads to the coupon.

In store only. Locations in Van Nuys, Northridge, Woodland Hills, Thousands Oaks, Burbank.

(not my actual lunch)

Flooky's: the name called to me at lunchtime today. How could I not take a chance at a place called Flooky's? The menu offered plenty of options for a $5 Lincoln Lunch and I settled on a chicken gyros (say yeer-row).

The gyros by itself is $3.50, or with a soda and heaping of fries dusted with spices is $5.54. Other options: Southern Style Chili Dog, Maxwell Street Polish (dog comes with mustard, sauteed onions and pepperoncini) for $3.45, standard sandwiches for $4 to $4.65, or burgers ($2.05 to $4.65). Fries are about $.80 more on each. Flooky's also serves lunch all day. Omelets are $4.25.

But back to my gyros. The pita was warm and light, with grilled chicken aplenty, plus cucumber strips, tomatoes, and a really good sour cream-based secret sauce. Fries were excellent.

Visit Flooky's at 21034 Victory (in a restaurant strip on the north side of the street) at Variel in Woodland Hills. (818) 340-7797. Parking can be difficult. Indoor seating is counter-style.

The gym 24 Hour Fitness is advertising a great monthly gym rate, but unfortunately there are a LOT of caveats that make it only a so-so deal. It's $19/mo is you pre-pay for 36 months! That's $684 bucks! Gotta provide personal info here to get all the details.

Thru end of August. If you can't decide now, they do it every year.

Thanks to a colleague, I now know of at least one spot for a Lincoln Lunch in Burbank: Giamela's on Magnolia just east of Victory in a little brick buliding with a patio out front. Their small subs are $4 including tax and the big ones are $5. Sodas just $.60 including tax, so it's totally possible to eat with just a fiver.

My friend had a large sammy with salami and pastrami. Came with chopped tomatoes, onions and pickles on a soft sesame loaf and was *very* tasty, she reports. And she wasn't even that hungry! It was so big that she had leftovers for dinner.

Yelpers review Giamela's here.

Nordie's is having a big sale online on summery stuff online here. Discounts of up to 50% on clothes for women, men, teens. Plus tons of marked down shoes!

I spooted a petite grey Michael Kors top, above, for $39 (orig $80).

For junior's I saw a cute Love Squared smock with thin straps, below, for $18 (orig $36.00).

Many more cute dresses, tops, plus size outfits, and 22 pages of women's shoe sales!

It's time like these that knowing my credit card number by heart can really get me in trouble.

Get $6 polos and T-'s at Aeropostale's clearance sale. If you spend more than $65, you can get a free gym bag with the code FREEBAG07. Get $10 off $60 or more if you use google checkout. Slickdeals has a list of sale items:

For gents:
* Polos (was $26.50 to $29.50) now $5.59 to $9.28
* Shorts (was $29.50) now $10.49
* Graphic Tees (was $19.50 to $26.50) now $5.59 to $9.28
* Smudge Logo Long Sleeve Graphic T (was $24.50) $3.99
* Shirts (was $29.50) now $9.28
* Swimwear (was $24.50 to $29.50) now $6.99 to $13.99

For ladies:
* Polos (was $19.50 to $24.50) now $6.83 to $6.99
* Distressed Logo Henley (was $24.50) now $5.59
* Stitched Sleeve V-Neck (was $16.50) now $6.99
* Puff Sleeve Tunic (was $39.50) $6.99
* Solid Zip Front Hoodie (was $39.50) $13.83
* Graphic T's (was $18) now $6.30
* Thick Thread Roll-Up Capri (was $39.50) now $6.99
* Bedford Cord Short (was $29.50) $9.09
* Woven Crochet Dress (was $29.50, size small) $9.09
* Bags, Totes, and Wallets (was $12.50 to $22.50) now $5.59 to $6.99
* Flip Flops (was $19.50 to $24.50) now $6.99
* Belts from $5.56 and up
* Swimwear tops and bottoms (was $26.50) now $6.99 each
* Stitched Flap Pocket Skinny Flare (was $49.50, size 9/10 S) now $20.99
* Wide Waistband Skinny Flare (was $49.50, size 3/4 R) now $29.99

Bargain Hunters have a tough decision coming up on Labor Day weekend. Do they stick by the BBQ and enjoy a few drinks, or head to the Camarillo outlets for shopping? The outlets are trying to make this an easy decision for you: between Fri Aug 31 and Mon Sept 3, there are discounts of 25% to 65% off. If my hubby's cooking wasn't so awesome, this would be an easy choice!

Remember the post a few weeks back about a free haircut? Well, apparently y'all jumped on it because Yossi, the salon owner, called to say that he's booked on Tue and Wed - the days he gives free cuts - for four weeks!

Because that was so successful, he's extending another deal to Bargain Hunter readers! Get a complimentary coloring (usually $55 to $65) when you book a haircut, which he charges $45 to $55 for. It's good any day of the week for the month of August. Maybe it IS time to take a chance and go...auburn!

His salon is at 5349 Topanga Canyon in Woodland Hills. (818) 227-9667. Or visit them online.

Orchard Supply Hardware is having a 15% off sale Aug 22 only for VIP members. You get discount offers by signing up for their credit card. No annual fee, 10% off your first purchase after signing up, and a 15% coupon with your first monthly statement. Plus, special sales like the VIP one Aug 22. Sounds like a fair deal if you can keep your spending in check.

And remember, OSH accepts plants you have killed (w/ receipt) for a FULL refund.

Locations in Canoga Park, Granada Hills, Van Nuys, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, and Santa Clarita.

I signed up for paperless billing a few months ago at So Cal Edison and got a $5 gift card to Starbucks in the mail this week. Sweet! Or rather, hot caffeinated goodness!

Go paperless here.

Just got the Crate & Barrel Best Buys catalogue in the mail and I'm not impressed with their sales. Most of the prices are not even marked down! Plus the folks at C&B decided not to show original prices. They just print them in red, as if that means they are lower! Grrrr. If prices were really that low, they wouldn't mind sharing the before and after cost.

You'll have better luck shopping C&B Outlet. Unfortunately, the only CA locations are in Carlsbad, Carbazon and Berkeley.

Saw 100% silk Hayward Pillows for $14 (orig $29), bamboo cutting boards which I love using for $18 to $29 (orig $35 to $45), and this wood-slat magazine rack for $25 (orig $43).

Thanks to ShopSmart mag for insights on four great sites to buy beauty products, and two to avoid:

benefitcosmetics.com for all-around good beauty products. I have their ooh la lift! for lightening skin under the eyes, and it works great...when I use it! Shipping can add up tho ($4.49 plus $.99 per item). Fyi, they have booths in many department stores.

threecustom.com to re-create lipsticks, foundations, and blushes that are discontinued.

beautysak.com for gifts and fancy stuff.

perfumebay.com to search for old favorites by the decade they hit stores. But watch out for "tester bottles," they are too good to be true.

ShopSmart suggests AVOIDing these sites:

ulta.com which says they have discounted prices, but SS testers found that to be untrue.

beautydepot.com says they will match any competitor's price, but you have to wait for them to get back to you after emailing the competitor's link.

Unfortuantely, Consumer Reports is still building ShopSmart's web site, but you can buy it at major books stores and at grocery stores. Get a free 30-day trial here.

Eastern Mountain Sports is having a big back-to-school sale. Until Aug. 28, get up to 40% off shorts, 20% off backpacks and totes, and 20% off Smith sunglasses. A pair of men's nylon shorts are $27 (orig $39) and a North Face Amira pack is $63 (orig $79).

Bookworm bonus: Get 15% off full-price items with college id.

As the name implies, they're an east coast retailer, so shop online.

If you haven't heard about eBates.com, it sounds like a total scam at first. You sign up at eBates (email required), then link to more than 800 retailers through their site. By linking through eBates you get a percentage rebate on each purchase, which varies by store. eBates tracks your purchases and every 3 months cuts you a check.

I tested it by purchasing a subscription to Runner's World (incidentally, a mag I really like) on ValueMags.com thru eBates. I bought the mag Aug 2 and today got an email saying eBates had credited my account with $5 (a 25% savings on the going mag rate of $20). The week delay was a little longer than I would have liked, but I also got a $5 bonus from eBates for my first purchase as a new client.

Totally sweet!

Here's a sample of the "ebates" available:
Best Buy 1%
Nordstroms 2%
Target 4%
Sephora 4%
Children's Place 3%
ValueMags 25%
Travelocity 1%
Hotwire 2%
Barnes & Noble 4%
Netflix $18 cash back (not sure how this works)
Wine Enthusiast 4%
QVC 3%
Petco 6%
SmartBargains 4%

By remembering to go to eBates.com first, you could really save a load. For the record, eBates says they get the money for the discounts "primarily from marketing partnerships with our merchants, as well as advertising opportunities."

Northridge Fashion Center has started selling Am Ex gift cards that come with special offers. They have different types (each with distinct discounts): for movie-goers, the betrothed, foodies, kids, teens, and folks celebrating their bday.

Some ex deals you get when you buy the gift card:

Free dessert with $10 tab at Calif Pizza Kitchen. Free small popcorn at Cinemark Theaters when you buy a beverage. $5 off a $30 purchase at KB Toys, 2-for-1 games at AMF Bowling. For all the specials click here.

At the mall the cards are on sale at Customer Service Center, lower level near JCPenney.

Professional photographer Harvey Branman emailed me with this special offer just for Bargain Hunter and Daily News readers! He is waiving his $100 sitting fee for new clients when they book an appointment on Tuesday or Wednesday now through the end of September. Get the deal by mentioning the Daily News Bargain Hunter when you book!

A sitting includes:
-An hour long session
-Option to change clothes for "different looks"
-Multiple combinations of family members

Here's the info:
Photography As An Art
1307 N. San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91504
(818) 954-9294
www.harveybranman.com

Thanks, Harvey!

A colleague took advantage of the Red Dot Clearance sale going on now at Stein Mart and picked up a collared Bolle wicking shirt for $29 (orig $75). It kept him sweat-free on the golf course and scared off the pootwaddles! (Sorry, bad inside joke.) The store has current season and designer merchandise for 20% to 80% off, their Web site claims.

Locations in Granada Hills (Zelzah and Chatsworth) and Pasadena.

I'm really loving this new mag, ShopSmart, from the renown testers at Consumer Reports. It's not a style advisor like Lucky or Vogue, but is similar to Real Simple, sans the touchy-feely stories on relationships. ShopSmart doesn't rely on ad dollars (unlike RS) so testers aren't afraid bash a certain product or store if it really stinks. It gives the mag a truly informed tone.

One story in the Aug/Sept issue focuses on 5 things NOT to buy at dollar stores:

1- Vitamins, unless they are brand names and have a label that says the product is verified by the US Pharmacopeia or NSF International. Generic vitamins they tested didn't have some of the ingredients listed and didn't dissolve quickly enough for your system to absorb them.

2-Toys for tots under 3, because toys imported or made in China may not be tested for sharp edges or small parts that like to get stuck in your kids' throat. Buy big toys instead, and remember this rule: If any parts fit into a toilet paper roll, it's too small for that under-3 babe.

3-Xmas lights, extension cords, and fans (i.e. electrical products). These items may have fake labels vouching for their safety.

4-Lookalike brands. Dinacell? Louis Vitton? They are close to the real thing (Duracell and Vuitton) but don't pass mustard. I mean muster.

5-Soft Vinyl lunch boxes. Several of the soft lunch totes have tested positive for lead. Not good for little ones. At all. Instead look for boxes lined with nylon, not vinyl or PVC.

These sneakers from Graffeeti.com aren't on sale or even a very good price, but they are made of special material that lets you can draw and re-draw whatever you please on your shoes! How times have changed. When I was a kid you only had one chance with indelible roller balls.

The shoes are a converse look alike with hi-top ($41) and low-top ($39) options. A set of 6 pens is $6. Available in Kids - 12 1/2 to 5, Juniors Boys - 3 1/2 to 7 1/2, and Juniors Girls - 5 1/2 to 9 1/2.

Read about Graffeeti in the NYTimes.

(not my actual lunch)

What's in a name? That which we call a Lincoln Lunch/ By any other name would cost as little?

Huh? I think I'll stick to prose.

So it's been brought to my attention that I did not fully explain why I call my posts on $5 midday meals the Lincoln Lunch. Study this fiver and maybe you'll recognize Abe's beard, his arched brows and resolute lips. Still don't get it? Lincoln is on the five dollar bill!

Moving on. I exchanged a fiver for a tasty pastrami sandwich at Cavaretta's Italian Groceries on Sherman Way just west of Topanga today. Theirs comes with cheese, lettuce, onions, mustard and mayo, plus dressing. The small size is $4.50 and was plenty of food. The store has a nice selection of drinks, including trendy ones like Boylan and Izze, plus wine, fresh cannolis. Need I say more?

Reviews here.

Bonus: They have three outdoor tables and a few indoors.
Super bonus: The place smells strongly of meat.

Visit Cavaretta's at 22045 Sherman Way in Canoga Park. (818) 340-6626

The cover of today's LA Times Food section lists places to get cheap food with tantalyzing pictures. A few of the items really ARE cheap, but a good number are not what I would consider a deal. A $42 tasting menu? A $10 BLT? Puh-leeze.

Let's skip to the true finds:
$5.50 for a 18 bagels at Schwartz Bakery on Wednesdays, in LA
$2.50 kachapuri (similar to a calzone) at Dream Bakery in North Hollywood
$5 roasted chicken with rice and beans at Polla a ala Brasa in LA, Gardena and Montebello
$1.95 cupcakes at Jongewaard's Bake 'n' Broil in Long Beach. (Are those mini cupcakes or the real deal? I can't tell from the picture.)

Santa Monica is not that far to go when you consider it's for the annual Barney's Hangar sale (named because it's held in an airplane hangar!)

The deals are renown, according to a colleague who said she picked up a cashmere sweater for $30. There are discounts on tops, bottoms, shoes, bags, lingerie, accessories--you name it. Every day the discount increases slightly. But if you wait somebody else may snatch YOUR find. So it's basically a retail catch-22!

It's at Barker Hangar at 3021 Airport Avenue in Santa Monica (the southeast side of the airport). Sale starts the Aug 10 at 10 am and goes thru Aug 20. Weekend hours 10 to 7 and Monday thru Friday 10 to 8.

Beware prudes: there are no dressing rooms so be prepared to strip between the aisles!

Until Sept 30, Sears is waiving the $15 session fee and has these photo deals:

In black and white get 1 5x7 and 4 wallets of the same pose when you buy a $15 portrait. Code 50847 but you need to print out the coupon.

There's also a deal on $3 portrait sheets when you buy 6 at the $8 each price. Get pics of the kids before all the blubber is gone!

The uber-trendy (and often high-priced) clothier Metropark is giving out $20 gift cards to their store (duh!) when you buy a pair of full-priced jeans between Aug 10 and 19. The card is good between Sept 4 and 30.

Their web site lets you search all their clothes. I saw a really cute worn-in-blue pair of Joe's Jeans for $159 with swoops on the back pocket, and a darker pair from MEK Denim that had light embroidery. For men, a pair of Monarchy Collection with an 8-pointed star on the back pocket was $198.

Locations in Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, Topanga in Canoga Park, Glendale Galleria.

Lane Bryant is extending their employee discount to shoppers Aug 11 and 12 only! That's a 40% discount, with some exclusions. Print the coupon.

Caveat: excludes Right Fit Jeans (which are 20% off), Perfect Price Every Day items, Baby Phat, Bali, Goddess, Fantasie, and Spanx.

Locations: Glendale Galleria and Westfield Valencia Town Center in Santa Clarita. Their store locator is completely retarded (there's a reason I block pop ups!)

A few stores at the Camarillo outlets have good sales:

Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, until Aug 22
20% - 40% off Factory Store Prices

Restoration Hardware, until Aug 20
Save 30% on Leather Upholstery
Save 40% on Fabric Upholstery
Save 50% on Occasional Furniture - All Coffee, Console and Side Tables

Ann Taylor Factory Store, until Aug 21
25-40% off Signature Styles

Maidenform, until Aug 26
Bralapalooza Sale
Get 50% off the lowest ticket price on select bras

To help tweens find juuuust the right new school outfits Sears launched e-Me. Create your own online persona (called an avatar) and then "try-on" T-shirts, shorts, shoes, backpacks, pants, and skirts. You can even give them a personality, like the holier-than-thou "Talk to the Hand," or the sporty "Rock Climber."

Just for the record, in high school I was *much* dorkier than the e-Me I created above.

Best part: save the outfit (which does NOT require giving them your name/address/etc), then print it out for 10% off everything you "tried on." Discount applies to in-store purchases only. Good until Sept 9.

Store locations in Northridge, Chatsworth, North Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale and Canoga Park.

The British company Megabus is launching bus service in Los Angeles Wednesday and to promote it they are selling a limited number of $1 fares between LA (Union Station), Vegas, Oakland, San Jose, Phoenix, San Francisco, and San Jose. There are 2 to 4 of the $1 fares on each ride, so they sell out quickly. It took me a few tries to find a $1 fare, and your chances rise the farther out you search.

Their regular fares are $8 and $15. Vegas, baby, here I come!

UPDATE: The $1 fares won't disappear in some sketchy bus terminal once word gets out, according to Megabus PR lady Liz Brower. It's part of the company's MO.

When the memory of relatives doing the chicken dance fades, when the top tier of your wedding cake is safely stashed in its frozen coffin, and when all three of your new toasters have been unwrapped, it's time to think about the unthinkable. Buying more stuff.

You probably have everything you need and more than you wanted to start your new married life, but remember that many department stores offer 10% of any un-purchased items left on your wedding registry. Macy's gives you a year to take advantage of the sale. Bloomingdales gives 6 months. Crate and Barrel gives you 6 months but requires you to do it all at once.

Maybe you really DO need that 11th and 12th dinner plate setting...

Gas prices are dropping a few pennies per week. Here are a few of the best prices, according to LosAngelesGasPrices.com.
Prices are for a gallon of regular:
$2.88 at Valero on Victory at Woodman in Van Nuys
$2.89 at United on Van Nuys at Sherman Way in Van Nuys
$2.87 at Quality on Vanown at Denny in North Hollywood

Plus, there are all the Costco and cash/debit card options.

The Company Store, which mysteriously started sending me catalogues last month, is having a decent sale on quilts, sheets, and some household furniture. While I cannot fully vouch for their quality because I have not bought anything from them, a few deals are worth looking into:

They have about a dozen quilts between $51 and $95 (orig $129 to $159). I also liked the Hallway Bench, in black or white, with hooks to hang coats, two shelves to hide stuff, and of course, a bench. Could be a great organizer of stuff that always lands on the floor at my house. $124 (orig $249), plus $50 shipping. Caveat: get out your wrench because ya gotta assemble it yourself! UPDATE: Can't find it online, and a sales rep said it sold out. Darn, I knew it was too good to be true!

The kids pop-up hampers $8 (orig $24) are fun and come as a pink fairy, a yellow duck or a green frog. Ribit!

Order over the phone at 800-285-3696.

Buy tickets to the amusement park Knott's Berry Farm at Ralphs with a club card and save $17 on adult tickets: $32 per person instead of $49. Kids tickets are still $19. Similar discount for Knott's Soak City in Orange County, San Diego, and Palm Springs. Adults tix are $21 instead of $28. Kids tix are still $17.

Sign up for the Ralphs' club card here, or there's a quick form in-store.

A San Deigo friend who is a *very* savvy shopper reminded me of Bed Bath & Beyond's liberal coupon policy. They accept their 20% coupons even AFTER they have expired and they accept coupons from rival Linen -n- Things. Plus, the 5 coupon limit per purchase does not seem to be in effect anymore.

So basically, you should never buy ANYTHING full price from that store. If you don't have tons of those big blue 20% coupons floating around your house, you can sign up for them here. The caveat is you can't use them online and they take 6-8 weeks to start coming. If you need a quick fix, check the inserts in your local newspaper.

If you donate $3 to Macy's literacy partner, Reading is Fundamental, Macy's will give you a $10 card good towards a purchase of $50 or more. Not a bad deal, and you feel good about giving to charity.

In LA the program is on thru Sept 12. Locations in Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Simi Valley, North Hollywood, Glendale, and Burbank.

Chick's Sporting Goods Tent Sale is coming up! Aug 10-19th at the Promenade mall. I stopped by to take advantage of their end-of-the-summer sales already in effect: rash guard shirts (no need for suncreen) for men, women and kids were all $20, women's swim suits were half off at about $21-24 per piece, and I got some marked down cute board shorts for $24. I'm ready for the beach!

Macys has a good deal on a 13-piece starter knife set. It's the Henckels high-quality brand, but for $40 (orig $75) you know you're not getting the top of the line knives. Still, they claim they never need sharpening and are dishwasher safe. Includes a 3" parer, 6" utility, 5" boning, 8" bread, 8" Chef's, 8" Carver, six steak knives and storage block.

Caveat: Price goes up to $60 starting Thur Aug. 9.

This prankster on You Tube is having way too much fun with grocery carts!

From ApauledTV.

I'll toot my own horn for just a sec here, then back to bargains. Yesterday, my story on how to AVOID falling into a bargain mentality, where everything on sale seems like a great deal, ran on the Sunday biz cover.

If you missed it, here are the best tips:
Signs a markdown is not a good deal:
+ The salesperson is pushing really hard. If the product truly stands out, nobody should mind if you take time to comparision shop.
+The quoted price is an "introductory rate." That means your bill is going ot fly to the moon quicker than you can say Neil Armstrong. pull out your magnifying glass and read the fine print.
+Online reviews are stunning. Paid bloggers or company shills may be posting overly positive reviews to boost ratings. Take these reviews - and those that are overly negative and may be written be competitiors - with a grain of salt.

More tips in the paper!

JCPenney's Salon is marking much of its styling products at steep discounts. In my Sunday newspaper circular there was a 5$ off coupon in addition to these sales:

750 ml Bed Head products are $10 (orig $20). Also on sale are BioSilk, Paul Mitchell, Redken, Sexy Hair, and Matriz. They have a buy 1 get second at $1 deal, but there are lots of exclusions: not good for shampoos, conditioners, appliances, and brushes.

Sale until Aug 11.

Pacific Theaters is closing the Sherman Oaks Galleria theater for three months to transform it into a lush ArcLight like the one in Hollywood. So to appease movie-goers, it is waiving the $1 service charge when you buy tickets online for the Pacific Sherman Oaks 5.

Linen 'n' Things has an air bed for 50%. Not sure if their AeroSport brand is related to the high-quality AeroBed. The twin bed that blows up in a minute (it's true, I've done it) is $50 (orig $100). Self-inflating, comes with backpack to stash the bed in.

LNT also has a really good price on a microwave that I paid at least $50 for at Target. The basic Emerson Microwave is $40 after a $20 mail-in rebate. It's not huge, but big enough to fit in full size plates and some dishes.

Don't forget that LNT sends out copious amounts of 20% coupons in their circulars. That brings the price of the bed down to $40, and the microwave down to $24!!

Title Nine, the women's sports clothing catalogue, is having a summer sale. Unfortunately, hardly anything is on sale!! But I did find one cute skirt on the back page of the catalogue--d'oh! It's sold out. I knew it was a good deal. Anyway, you can check out their other sales here. Order online or call then at 800-609-0092.

Looking for free Wicked Wings or Loaded Potato Skins from TGIFriday's? Best way to get one (up to $8) is to fill out a survey offer that appears at the bottom of your TGIF's receipt. The survey offer doesn't come with *every* receipt but frequently, according to a colleague who eats there often enough to rub elbows with Posh Spice. Can fill it out online or over the phone, and must be within 48 hours of purchase.

TIp: If you give then the top "5" rating for the first few questions the survey is much shorter. Sweet!

I'm learning the key to a successful Lincoln Lunch is sticking to one dish and eshewing extras like drinks and appetizers and dessert. I had mild success reigning in my order at the new Arya Bhavan in Canoga Park. The lunch buffet was $5.99 so instead I ordered the chana masala (chickpeas and onions in a spicy red curry sauce) for $4.99. But the mini samosas looked so tasty and they were only $.60. So I got one. That brought the total to $6.05, plus a $1 tip. The chana masala was hot and a good portion. The samosa was warm but still tasty dipped in a green hot sauce and a red sweet sauce.

Other lincoln options: Daal $4.99, Aloo Ghobi $4.99, Aloo Matar $4.99, Chana Bhatora or Chana Puri for $3.99 each. A half chicken tandoori style is $5.50. Lots of breads, rice, appetizers, soups, and sweets for under $5.

Visit them at 7257 Topanga. (818) 340-7500.

A friend says she just bought a 250 thread count Eygptian cotton bedding queen set (fitted and flat sheet and 2 pillowcases) for $34.50 at Cost Plus World Market! A small selection of bedding, duvets, towels, and shams in ivory or white were 50% at the store. All Egyptian cotton.

Locations in Sherman Oaks, Westlake Village, Northridge, Woodland Hills, and Glendale.

SmartBargains boasts a designer accessory sale that is worthy of princesses.

Their Jeweled Flap Clutch by Betsey Johnson, for $70 (orig $150), really is cute. DItto for the Steven by Steve Madden Palomino Satchel for $100 (orig $195), below.

If I had more cash to spend I would get the Isaac Mizrahi Large Leather FeedBag for $400 (orig $895), tho that is a LOT to spend on a bag, especially a white one that will get dirty the second I unwrap it.

If your legs ache from shopping so much at Dalia's 50% sale, head next door for a $45 hour-long massage. That's the introductory rate at New Age Chiropractic & Massage. It's a good rate, so don't let the new-ageyness scare you away. They are at 18676A Ventura in Tarzana. (818) 774-1620.

Get a free movie ticket for Rush Hour 3 (use it between Aug 10 and Aug 24) when you buy one of these six movies at Best Buy: Wedding Crashers, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Friday, Just Friends, or Rush Hour 1 or 2. All are $10 except for Wedding Crashers, which is $15.

The ticket is worth $10.50, so if you're going to see the movie anyway, it's like getting a free DVD with the ticket. And if you don't want any of the DVDs, they make great gifts.

Locations in Canoga Park, Northridge, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Burbank, Santa Clarita, Oxnard.

Near my old Valley stomping grounds I spotted a massive sale at Dalia's Studio on Ventura in Tarzana. Everything in the store is 50% off (except new arrivals on the back wall), said Dalia herself. Some of the signs say 30% off, so tell her you saw the blog!

The clothes are trendy, a little edgy, and very cute. Designer jeans, tissue t's, bejeweled belts, fuzzy little shoulder wraps. Brands like True Religion, Splendid, and J Brand. The prices are somewhat high before the sale, but with the discount I bet you can find stuff that makes sense.

Dalia is having the sale because she is moving across the street to a bigger store (the new construction on Yolanda) and the stock is going to be a bit more upscale, she said. Visit then at 18678 Ventura. (818) 881-8166. Note the limited hours: Mon 10-5, Tue, Wed, Fri and Sat 10-6, Thur 10-7, Sun 12-5.

Looking for one last summer getaway? Southwest has specials out of Burbank if you buy before Aug 6 and travel between Aug 21 and 29.

$59 to Phoenix
$59 to Oakland
$59 Las Vegas
$69 to Tuson
$59 to San Jose
$34 to Sacramento
$84 to Reno/Tahoe
$70 Salt Lake City

All prices for one way.

A friend sent me this list of the 20 best bargain web sites (besides The Bargain Hunter, of course :) ) from ebizMBA.

Most are best for comparision shopping, not neccesarily the lowest prices. But if you know what you are looking for and what to get a feel for what's out there, going rates and styles, these are good starting places. I think Shopzilla's site is easier to use than top-rated BizRate. I also liked the DealTime site.

Slickdeals.net and couponcabin.com have good discounts, but are totally random.

ShopLocal takes the legwork out of finding the best prices in nearby stores, when you don't want to shop online. Enter your zip code at the top of the page, set a radius, and then click on the product category you want. It'll show you prices at stores near you, with their addresses. Very cool.

Save 15% off your purchase at Harry & David using this coupon at Northridge Fashion Center.

Good thru Sept. 30. Coupon code 984614.

Print this coupon for $10 off a purchase of $60 or more at the sporting apparel store Finish Line at Westfield Topanga. Thru Sept 1. Coupon code 140570.

Not good online. Nike, Brand Jordan, and Fossil exempt.

(not my actual lunch)

Taqueria el Tapatio, a tiny counter-only eatery off Sherman Way across from the post office in Canoga Park, has great Mexican at uber low prices. Lunch for two - with drinks - for $10.18? Believe it.

I had a beef tostada that was crunchy and was topped with two tomatoes, sour cream, and a spicy red sauce. Yum. Price: $3.03. A friend had the pork torta, a sandwich so big she couldn't finish it, for $4.11. Soda $.85, lemonade $1.40. With tip it was $12.

Other cheap eats options: Tacos $1.30 each, burito $4.19, corn quesadilla $1.09, flour quesadilla $2.40, eggs with meat OR pork sausage $5.

Cash only. Visit them at 7214 Jordan Ave, Canoga Park. (818) 710-8807.

JCPenney's has a very low price for a 106-piece pot and pan set. The quality can't be great for the price, and most of the set is plastic utensils, tupperware, or kitchen tools. But it's $60 (orig $150), making it ideal for someone who will cook at college or is moving into their first apartment. The set includes:

3 pots with lids and one 9-inch frying pan.
A roaster pan, cookie sheet, and pizza pan.
Plastics: soup ladle, turner, pasta server, spoon, skimmer, slotted spoon.
Knife block set (chef's, utility, bread, paring, boning, set of six steak knives, sharpener, wood block)
10-pc. measuring set
Gadgets: pizza cutter, can opener, grater, peeler, bottle opener.
Four each: spoons, forks, knives.
One large and one small clip.
A cutting board.
Random other stuff: 6 cookie cutters, salt and pepper set, 2 ice cube trays, 8 tupperware containers with lids, a juicer, spout cover, detachable lid, seal lid, removable lid arm, slicing blade, six blade holder with stainless steel insertable blade, egg white separator, egg white beater, food bowl, pitcher with lid, tray, 5 cups.

I know I put a lot of shoe sales up on the Bargain Hunter, but who doesn't love shoes? (Jason, you're the only one.) The sale price at SmartBargains.com beats any that I've seen for the Kenneth Cole Reaction Slip N Dip Leather Flat. Sizes and colors limited (in 6, black, red, or bronze; in 7, just red). But for $40 (orig $83) and still full price in department stores, it's not a bad deal.

Saw a good deal for a 10.75 inch rectangular pan that's good for making lasagna. I use a glass pan, but it's never deep enough. This one at SmartBargains comes in blue or green for $30 (orig $50). It's made of stonewear and can go in the dishwasher, so unless you drop it the thing will last forever.

Could also be a great housewarming or wedding present. As they say, buy ahead of need to get the best price!

Shipping is $2.95.

A colleague noticed that the 99-cent store on Reseda and Nordhoff in Northridge has reading glasses for $1 that are better quality than what they usually sell: metal frames instead of plastic ones. The pair he picked up go for $18 elsewhere.

The Bargain Hunter Gods were shinning down on me Monday in NYC. After lunch with my friend Alex I planned to spend an hour (before flying home) looking for a purse. My green Ann Taylor one was frayed and dirty, but I had not been able to find a suitable replacement for months. I needed something that was adaptable but nice enough to use at work and big enough to carry all my crap (water bottle, notebook, wallet, pens, datebook, lunch, etc).

I told her my plan and she said her leather supplier made great purses. We knocked on his door, two floors below her studio, and entered a crowded room filled with bags! bags! bags! The leather smell was intoxicating. Everything was new and available at wholesale prices if I paid in cash.

I settled on a carmel-colored "naked leather" number that has a few buckles and straps, but nothing over the top like the Juicy bags. (sorry, I think they're ridiculous.) I paid $85 but the leather dealer said they go for $270 on ebags.com. I think I'm just gonna believe him.

Have a great story about finding a bargain? I'd love to hear it!

The Perfume Shoppe in Canoga Park has hundreds of brand name fragrances at steep markdowns, between 20% to 80%, owner Michael says. He guarantees all his scents are authentic, though some come without the boxes or are slightly damaged because he gets them from trade shows, discounters, and as testing samples.

A few bottles I spotted: Ralph Lauren Woman, Angel (four types), Ferrari Passion. He was flexible on some prices, but if you stop by make sure you know what you want, and what it normally retails for.

They are at 7212 Jordan Ave, just north of Sherman Way. Mon to Fri 8 to 6, and Sat 9 to 3. (818) 703-6087.

(not my actual lunch)
Headed to Los Altenos Taqueria in Canoga Park with a fiver in my hand and a hole in my belly. Was it possible to get lunch for $5 or less there? The menu had a handful of choices, along with more than a dozen options between $6 and $8.

Lincoln Lunch choices included a torta for $4.65, a tostada de ceviche for $1.70 each, and these options for $5 each: a torta with sauce, huevos with ham, huevos rancheros, scrambled eggs with rice and beans, and a gordita.

I ordered the pork gordita and it came with a basket of chips that the server refilled without me asking. This was my first gordita and very tasty. In case you haven't had one, a gordita is a four-inch round, thick corn pancake, grilled on both sides and slightly bland, which nicely complements the delicious filling. Mine was cut in half, with the top was spread with refried beans and the bottom topped with chunks of stringy pork in red sauce, shredded lettuce, and salsa. On the side was scoops of guac, sour cream, and more salsa. It looked small on the menu, but hours later I'm still pleasantly full.

The total with tax came to $5.41, plus a dollar tip. Visit the Taqueria at 21109 Sherman Way in Canoga Park. 818-992-1814.

Yossi Salon on Topanga just south of Ventura has a banner outside its door offering a free haircut. Gulp. Guess there's no excuse for my shaggy do anymore!

Caveats: Tue and Wed only. The deal is for new customers. Make an appointment to guarantee the free deal! Check it out and let me know if it's the real thing! They are at 5349 Topanga, (818) 227-9667.

Just an fyi, the Camarillo outlets have their big back to school sale this weekend: markdowns between 25% and 65% from Aug 3 to 5. The anniversary sale at Nordie's ends this Sunday. As they like to remind us, "prices go back up Aug 6."

There are good deals to be had, folks!

In Pasadena near the 210-134 split, Clothes Heaven is a "standout resale boutique," according to BargainsLA.

"Some women’s resale boutiques stand the test of time. These standouts have evolved by adding younger, trendier lines to their mix while still carrying lines that cater to the more classically tailored women."

The store's slogan is "where good clothes go when they have passed on." Their web site lets to look at new arrivals and do detailed searches of their stock by designer, type of item, and size. Note their limited hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11AM - 5PM.

Go to Heaven at 111 East Union in Old Town, 626.440.0929.

Radio Shack has a good price on a basic starter tool kit. For $10 you get 76-pieces, including a 10' Tape Measure,
hammer, Bit driver handle, 16 SAE and metric hex key wrenches, 2 Hex key holders, a 3/8" drive ratchet, a 3/8 to ¼" drive adaptor, 20 - 1" power bits, 2 Bit holders, 6" adjustable wrench, a 6" long nose pliers, 6 SAE and metric 3/8" drive sockets, and 22 SAE and metric ¼" drive sockets.

For Valley locations click here.