March 2008 Archives
Speedo, TYR, and Body Glove swimwear is 20% off at Sports Authority now until Saturday, April 5, 2008. The store I went to had many suits other than the semi-boring ones pieces meant for the lap pool. Not that I have any hard feelings against those suits (I own one myself). Each has their place.
Caveats: excludes rashguards and some clearance suits. Find a Sports Authority near you.
Seems like everybody I know is making babies. My best bud from eighth grade and high school is knocked up, in two weeks I've got a baby shower for another friend, and just last night I got an e-mail from a third friend announcing the birth of her second child. Even my masseuse is preggers!
I'm not sure if all this activity is making my "clock" tick louder or softer, but it will have me heading to Carter's to buy miniature clothes, one of the most appealing aspects of being a mother (at least, that's the way it looks from this side of the fence). Get $10 off your purchase of $50 or more at Carter's stores with this coupon until Wednesday, April 2, 2008.
Caveats: one coupon per customer per day, not good on gift cards, past purchases, or online. Find a Carter's near you.
Get a free item up to $11 at Bath and Body Works in stores only with any purchase when you have this coupon. Expires April 12, 2008. The fine print makes it sounds like you get to choose the freebie from items they have selected. Not valid online.
Caveats: while supplies last, selection may vary by store, no substitutions. Find a store near you.
Geri Cook, one of LA's original bargain hunters, has died. She was 83. Cook is the mom of Suzanne O'Connor, who runs BargainsLA, a great source for local sales across the region. Cook wrote the "Bargains" column for the LA Times and also worked for the Daily News for four years. She had a radio programs on KGIL-AM and regularly appeared on KCBS evening news. Read the full obit in the LA Times here.
Get a free Swingline stapler worth about $20 when you take a very brief survey for Swingline. Just tell them how important it is to have 28 different tools/office items in your desk. The free stapler retails for $19.59 at Office Depot. Unclear how many freebies they have to give out.
Caveats: one entry per person and per household, must live in the contiguous United States. Allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Note, staplers cannot be shipped to a PO Box.
To celebrate their 60th anniversary, Marie Callender's is selling three types of pie for $7 plus the tin when you buy an entree at their restaurant. Choose from chocolate cream, apple, or lemon meringue. A close call, but I would go for apple if there were ice cream. Otherwise, chocolate. Here are other pie options not included in the anniversary special.
Find a Marie Callender's near you.
Get 10% to 33% off at MonsterHair.com during their spring sale - but it ends today. Brands like MOP, Fudge, Brocato, Osis, Bonacure, Nioxin and Pureology are on sale. Code mhm06 is supposed to knock a few dollars more off your order but it didn't work for me. Browse their sale specials. Products that are on sale have prices in red.
A 3.5 oz jar of Fudge hair shaper is $15.16 (orig $20). Thanks, Melissa!
Subway totally ripped off my Lincoln Lunch concept - a $5 meal named after the president who graces the five dollar bill - but in a good way. They are selling foot long subs for $5 and even have a pic of Abe himself on their Web site. Not sure what to do with so much sandwich? Share with a friend, save it for later, or offer the other half to a homeless person.
The deal lasts until mid-April and includes all but their "premium" and "double stacked" sandwiches, an employee told me. Find a Subway near you.
Staples has an offer to buy your old printer for $50 when you buy a new HP printer from them by May 3, 2008. Your new printer must cost at least $159. Not sure if buying two HP machines counts.
Their current ad for Sunday, March 30 through Saturday, April 5 has three HP printers on sale, from $100 to $200 (reg $180 to $300). Find a Staples near you.
UPDATE: This deal has already expired.
PREVIOUSLY: Get a free Schick Quattro Titanium Razor, which retails for about $10, when you enter your name, address, age, gender and email address on this site. Unclear when the deal expires.
Caveats: one razor per person, household, or address, available only while supplies last, must be 16 years of age or older to receive a free sample.
One of my favorite blogs is Overheard in New York, which is just what is sounds like. People sharing the bizarre and ridiculous things they overhear on the subway, walking down Fifth Avenue, and other places they cram themselves into as part of everyday life in the ci-tay. B.O. is the least of their problems, let me tell you. Even if you have never been to the Big Apple you will still chuckle.
This tidbit was overheard at Jungle World in the Bronx Zoo.
Ghetto girl: Hey, look! What's that? I think it's an egg!
Friend: What the hell?! What's wrong with you? Monkeys don't lay eggs!
Ghetto girl: ... Well, how was I supposed to know that?!
Okay, so some people are just stupid. Others are motivated by deadline, according to this exchange overheard in Grand Central Station.
Bible-thumping lady: Get your Bible! We only have approximately five years left!
Passerby: Five years! Fuck! I gotta get movin'!
For more check out Overheard in New York. See also Overheard at the beach and Overheard at the office. Contribute your own bits for the benefit of those everywhere like to laugh. Note, some posts are quite raunchy.
Looking for linens? One place to check out is the Designer Linens Outlet. They sell linens for the bedroom, bathroom, and window dressings. A white sheet set made out of 1000-thread count cotton is $120 (orig $400). Linen prices can really vary, but I did a quick check at Macy's, which only sells sheets up to 800-thread count. Their Hotel brand 800-thread count sheets are $117 just for the flat sheet and another $117 for the fitted sheet.
The Outlet has a matching comforter, bed skirt and sham set in fall hues is $95 (orig $190) but comes in king size only. Macy's bed sets range from $80 to $230.
At the Outlet a six piece silk blend Shangri La towel set is $60 (orig $120). Macy's does not sell the Shangri La brand of towels but you can browse their selection here for your own price comparison.
A new Best Buy is opening Friday in Northridge and the first 50 customers will receive $20 gift cards. Store opens at 10 a.m. No idea how early folks will start lining up. Visit them at 19350 Nordhoff Way just west of Tampa in NorthridgeX.
Barnes & Noble is marking down all their CDs - new releases, box sets, etc - by 40% now until Sunday, March 30. In stores only. Use this printable coupon to get the discount. You do not need to be a member and the discount applies to as many CDs as you want to buy.
Caveats: not good at college bookstores or online.
Get 20% off sale and regular priced merchandise at J. Crew when you buy at least $175. Expires tomorrow, March 28, 2008 so don't delay. Use coupon code SHHH at checkout. A cliffrose print blousy dress is $158 and perfect for a brunch, wedding, or day of deep thinking at a museum. I also like these black, white and green print espadrilles, which are unfortunately $118. For the lowest prices check out their final sale items.
Instead of dishing out more money on advertising, Warehouse Shoe Sale is giving away 1,000 $35 gas cards and 300 monthly bus passes (normally $62) every month until December. The promo campaign is sure to attract a lot of attention. They hope the daring move will improve consumer confidence, and maybe convince shoppers they need more shoes. I know I do!
You do not need to buy anything to sign up for the freebies. Just leave your name and phone number. They will randomly select the winners and call to notify them. (Don't worry, you're still a winner even if they don't call). You gotta go back to a WSS store to pick up your winnings. The gas cards are for specific stations.
WSS also sells clothes and music. They have stores in Canoga Park, Resdea, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Sun Valley, San Fernando, Oxnard and across Southern California. Find a WSS near you.
Members get 30% off a single full priced item at DSW today through Sunday, March 30, 2008 with this printable coupon. Non-members get 20% off. Joining is free. Good in stores only.
Caveats: one per customer, can be combined with up to two rewards certificates, not good on gift cards. Find a DSW near you.
Have you heard of Buck-a-Roo$? Besides from having a really silly name, the discount home goods/grocery store in Van Nuys has some really good deals. Not everything is a bargain though, so shop with a discriminating eye.
Here are some deals I found there. Three Oral Fresh Plus toothbrushes for $1 (now I'm wondering why I only bought three!), two pint glasses for $1, Wet 'n Wild nail polish for $1, Herbal Essences 23.7 fl oz for $5, maternity jean shorts with an elastic band for $5, two 24-oz packs of Nestle chocolate chips for $5, and 5lb of long grain white rice for $2.
Some suspect prices I found there. Six packs of Ramen for $1 (a really good sale is at least 10/$1), 16 oz of pasta for $1 (you can get the same amount for $.79 at Trader Joe's) and camping chairs for $15 (they go on sale for $10 or less).
About 2/3 of the store is home goods and the rest is grocery. No fresh food was being sold when I dropped by. Here is a coupon for 15% off any purchase, good through April 15, 2008. Buck-a-Roo$ has such low prices because it buys overstocked items, orders that were canceled and items that have old packaging (not expired, just old). That means the stock is inconsistent - a deal you see one day may not be there the next day. Read more about the company here.
The Van Nuys store is new and clean, the aisles are wide and the place is well lit. Parking in back and in front. Note, they do not accept personal checks. Visit them at 17641 Vanowen St. in Van Nuys. (818) 758-6500. Open 8 to 9 everyday. Other locations in Bellflower and Pico Rivera.
Get 20% off your lunch bill at Charlie G's Prime Steak House in Tarzana for the rest of the month. The restaurant has not served lunch for many years and is offering the promotion to attract a lunchtime crowd. The dinner menu online is outdated, unfortunately, and "totally different" than their lunch offerings, an employee said. But think traditional steak house. Lunch entrees range from $8 to 24 before the discount.
Visit them at 18663 Ventura Blvd. #200 in Tarzana. (818) 344-1191.
Page A5 of today's Daily News and page A 11 of the LA Times has a good coupon for sale and clearance items at Macy's. Get 10% to 15% off with any form of payment or 15% to 20% off with your Macy's card. Coupon is good today through Monday, March 31, 2008.
Items eligible for the higher discount: sale and clearance apparel, handbags, accessories, fine, bridge and fashion jewelry. Items eligible for the lower discount: women's sleepwear and lingerie, shoes, men's pants and tailored clothing, electrics and electronics.
Caveats: many brands are excluded along with cosmetics and perfume, maternity and gift cards so read the fine print. Find a Macy's near you.
Geeks.com is having a three-day blowout sale with markdowns up to 80%. A Philips portable DVD player is $68 (orig $74.50). A soft neoprene laptop case is $5 (orig $7). A wireless Bluetooth speaker lets you listen to your iPod or MP3 player anywhere, above, is $30 (orig $40). For each item the site notes how many are left. Browse all the Geek sale items.
Every Wednesday Best Buy has an online sale of a few dozen items, from laptop cases to hardware and sometimes computers. Today's sale includes a wireless Internet radio for $150 (orig $200), a wireless Linksys router for $100 (orig $130), and seven other deals. Offers expire every Wednesday at 11:59 pm CT.
Get 15% off on certain Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights when you book by March 30, 2008. Fly between April 1 and May 31, 2008 and book online at alaskaair.com. Use discount code EC02608. Flights eligible for the discount from nearby airports include LAX to Cancun and Long Beach to Anchorage. Also SF to PDX, San Jose to Boise and OAK to Kelowna, BC (234 miles northwest of Vancouver, so, in the middle of nowhere).
Caveats: Blackout dates include April 4-6 and 11-13; May 22-23 and 26-27, 2008. The discount code may not apply to your home airport.
Jeans are one thing you absolutely 100% have to try on before you buy unless you have free shipping and free returns or a sugar daddy. If you play Russian roulette with your hard earned moolah, at least consult SearchByInseam.com first.
The Web site makes buying jeans, pants, cords, dress pants, leggings, shorts and maternity gear online less of a gamble by taking into account your inseam length, favorite brands and price range. Brands and price range are easy to come up with. For the inseam, measure your favorite pair of jeans. Here's how to measure the inseam.
I put in my stats and it spit out 15 pairs, none of which I'll buy right now (I'm currently on a clothing spending moratorium as a trade off for getting a bimonthly massage so that I don't implode into a tight ball of muscle from my TNT training. If you met Natasha, the Russian sports masseuse I go to, you would realize that I'm giving up new clothes for an hour of torture. Sports massage is not fun.). But maybe the site will help you find the pair that fits and flatters.
In case you don't get these things all the time in the mail, here is a coupon for 20% off at Linens 'n Things. Good on any single item with some exceptions. Expires December 31, 2008. Both LNT and Bed, Bath & Beyond accept each others coupon and generally accept coupons even after they expire. This one can be used more than once so come back to print another one out when you need it.
Cavests: valid in stores only, cannot be combined with other discounts. A number of labels are excluded, read the fine print for details. Find an LNT near you.
Get the Wonderbra Deep Plunge Push-Up Bra, above, for $10 (orig $29) from OneHanesPlace.com. The bra has a clear tab in the middle in case your neckline is VERY low and three spaghetti straps on either shoulder. Sizes from 34A to 38C. Comes in white, beige or black. Get with free shipping with coupon code 608910.
The Wonderbra Sultry Stripes Mesh Underwire Bra with lace trim is also $10. Comes in white, black or pink.
A huuuuuuge kids sale with thousand of items including clothes, toys, gear, is going on this weekend. The LA Kids Consignment sale is in a random warehouse in Van Nuys but I've been there before and it's super organized and only gently used items are sold.
The sale is run by Kristin Nelson, a mom was who tired of paying full price and finding grungy items at garage sales. Now Nelson enlists Moms who wants to make a buck off their kids' gear by re-selling it at the sale. Each person sets the price for their stuff (so it can vary), then Nelson organizes it and runs the sale. It's too late to be a consigner this year, but you can get on the list to be a consigner at the next sale in about six months.
Hours are Friday and Saturday 9 to 5, Sunday 9 to 2 and most items are 50% off. Cash only. Visit them at Seville Hall at 7963 Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys.
Hands down, the best place to get camping gear, outdoorsy clothes, and backpacks is the REI used gear sale, which is this Saturday. At their last sale I snagged a three-season sleeping bag for $60 that normally runs about $115 to $150.
The gear is marked down by 50% to 90% because it has been returned under REI generous return policy and cannot be resold under normal circumstances. My sleeping bag looked brand spankin' new, but a Keen bag I picked up was a little dusty and had a small tear in one of the pockets.
The catch is the sale is only open to members. Back when I joined it was $10, now the one time fee is $20. Join here. Expect a line to start forming outside the Northridge store a few hours before doors open at 10 am. (This ain't no Playstation sale but crunchy folks like a deal, too.)
Line up at 18605 Devonshire St. in Northridge. (818) 831-5555. Call your local REI to see if the sale is happening near you. Dates and times vary by store. I know the Santa Monica REI sale starts at 7am Saturday.
Get a $2 movie rental from Blockbuster when you give them your email. Click on this link, then click on "The Game" on the lower left. You don't actually have to play the game to get the coupon, which they email to you after you enter your email address. Coupon expires April 8, 2008.
Caveats: excluding games, high definition disks, defensive driving course and equipment. One per account, one time use only. You need Flash Player to print the coupon.
Find a store near you.
I think spas and salons must be having a hard time because I'm hearing about many promotions at these types of businesses. The latest comes from Serene Haven in Sherman Oaks. For the rest of the month they are offering 15% off everything from facials to nail services, hair extensions and product purchases. Waxing services are 30% off Tuesday through Thursday and three spa packages are 20% off. With these kinds of discounts I'm thinking there is room for negotiation if what you want is a little different than what they are offering, especially if you are booking multiple treatments or a group outing.
Package one includes a customized facial, mega detox manicure and pedicure, and a gift certificate for a foot and hand scrub, for $121 (orig $152). Package two includes a vitamin c facial treatment, nourishing treatment manicure and pedicure, and a gift certificate for a paraffin hands and feet treatment, for $138 (orig $173). Package three includes an anti-aging facial treatment, a traditional ginger combo manicure and pedicure, and a gift certificate for an ear coning treatment, for $152 (orig $190).
Visit them at 13511 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. (818) 986-3001. Thanks, Jen!
Get 30% off all the faux retro greetings cards from Paper Relics for an unknown amount of time. Buy online and use code CANDY at checkout. I may have to get a set for my sisters, who send me the most beautiful cards. I like this whimsical Let It Snow card, which is $4 for one, $12 for 4, or $20 for 8. That's before the discount.
A card that has a little fairy standing on a tree limb with an egg in her hands brings home the message "you're a good egg." Perfect for a birthday, graduation, or other congratulatory occassions, with similar pricing. A proper lady decorates a fun "eat cake" card, above.
There is a similar deal going on at Ann Taylor, but if you prefer lower-priced clothes for a slightly younger set, check out this coupon for Ann Taylor Loft. Get $25 off a $50 purchase with code 80200012. Might also include free shipping. Good on sale and regular priced items. With this discount it's a great time to stock up on work clothes if you have been holding off.
BEFORE the discount, a patch pocket trench coat in periwinkle, above, is $119. Free shipping on orders over $100. Browse their clothes, petites, maternity clothes, shoes and accessories, and sale items.
Get $50 off your tab of $100 or more at Ann Taylor online until April 5, 2008. Good on sale, clearance or regular priced merchandise. I tried it on one item that was already 50% off and it worked! Use coupon code 83500001 when checking out. Standard shipping is $6 flat.
BEFORE the discount a black and white silk crinkle top, above, is $39 (orig $78) and a pair of matching black jeans are $78 (orig $88). Browse Ann Taylor's clothes, petites, shoes, sale, and accessories.
Get two Nike Sport MP3 carrying cases for $6 including shipping today only from Woot.com. Everyday the site changes the deal and often it sells out hours before the changing of the product at midnight.
The case is specially designed for the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit and iPod Nano but fits most brand mp3 players, according to Woot. It has a padded divider that holds your iPod Nano, sensor, and receiver, and a spool for tangle-prone headphones. Also has a clear plastic card sleeve to hold your gym card or ID, a storage pocket and a small zipper pocket. Measures 4 1/8" x 5.5" x 2.75". Did I mention $6 gets you two of them?
...and figure out if they are a bargain! A story from Shop Smart magazine says look for these details to determine if clothing is well made or if manufacturers skimped.
Shirts - Hems should be smooth and free of wrinkles, buttons should be sewn into an extra layer of fabric (look for subtle stitch lines on either side of the buttons), and there should be two layers of fabric across the shoulders. Avoid a shirt with a collar that does not fold down properly - it wasn't been cut right.
Pants - look for neat, tightly stitched seams with no loose strings, invisible hems at the foot (unlike jeans or casual pants), and avoid pairs with sticky or hard to reach zippers.
Jackets - the arm should be made out of two pieces and not pucker along the shoulder. A jackets made of two panels of cloth on each front will fit better than those with darts or seams. High end jackets should have piped lining. Jackets made of wool with a little spandex will wear well and keep their shape best.
The Machinist blogger has figured out a way to access all the Wall Street Journal stories online for free. Normally subscribing costs $80 a year. The deal is that the WSJ wants to get traffic from search engines like Google and sites like Digg that collect popular stories, so the financial newspaper makes most or all of its stories free if you access them through these sites.
Normally, when you click on a link to a WSJ story from an ordinary Web site you get a truncated version of the story and have to log on and pay to finish reading it. "But if you click on a link to that same article in Google News, you'll be sent to the full story for free. This is true, also, of WSJ links on Digg, and probably a few other big referral sites, too," the blog post says.
If some stories are still off limits you can install a referer spoofer, which is totally legal, the Machinist blog claims. For directions click here and scroll down to where it says "The slightly harder way (but you do get all the Journal's stories):"