August 2007 Archives
Until Sept. 12, 
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.
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
or if that doens't work, try:
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.