October 2008 Archives

Here are three short Halloween stories from Opossum Sally's, a random Web site I found. One is about a clever costume, one is about a grammar ghost, and the last is about how to get three times as much candy. Enjoy!

Clever Costume

My son-in-law Matt has a great-looking Darth Vader mask. One year at Halloween, a friend asked if he could borrow it. Matt agreed, and on Halloween night, his friend came by to pick it up. Matt was surprised that his friend was dressed in his usual attire of jeans and a flannel shirt, with the addition of a black cowboy hat.

"Where's your costume?" Matt asked.

"This is it," his friend replied.

"Well, what are you supposed to be?" Matt inquired.

His friend answered, "Darth Brooks."

Grammar Ghost

One dark night two men were walking home after a party and decided...

What is thrift? We all have our own ideas - share yours by leaving a comment - but David Blankenhorn wrote a book about the word so I figure he knows best.

"Thrift is a particular way of seeing the world - a set of principles and ethical guidelines intended to orient us toward certain goals...Put most simply, thrift is the moral discipline of wisest use. The root of "thrift" is "thrive," David says in "Thrift: A Cyclopedia."

The book has various definitions of thrift, arguments against thrift, profiles of famous thrifty folks, info on thrifty institutions (from poor boxes to credit unions and libraries) and facts about thrifty societies.

"Thrift" also has proverbs and maxims, the best of which I'll share here.

"The borrower is servant to the lender."

'Buy what you have no need for, and you shall sell your necessities.'

"From saving comes having."

"Frugality is a great revenue."

"The generous man enriches himself by giving; the miser hoards himself poor."

The book has a quiz on thrift, which you can take here.

Two quick deals wrapped into one post:

Bev Mo's nickel wine sale is on. Buy one wine and get a second bottle of the same wine for a nickel.

Some 150 wines are eligible for the discount. The sale ends December 7, 2008. Could be a good time to stock up on wine for holiday gifts and parties.

This weekend only get free standard shipping on any purchase at MAC cosmetics online. Use code 3DAY when checking out.

Valid through 8:59 pm PST on Sunday November 2, 2008. Good on orders shipped to US and Canadian addresses only.

Get 40% off the list price of any one book at Borders when you spend at least $20. The coupon is good today through Sunday, November 2, 2008. Use coupon code SAY5421X online or in store print the coupon here. One per customer.

Caveats: gotta join their free membership program to use the coupon. No rain checks, special orders, or reservations. Excludes previous purchases, non-stock special orders, magazines, comics, coupon books, eBooks, and shipping. May not be combined with sale pricing, other coupons, or corporate, classroom, or other group discounts. Original coupon must be relinquished at time of purchase. Void if copied.

Find a Borders near you.

Avoid paying full price for anything with these tips from Kim Danger, who runs MommySavers.com. Danger was recently featured in a story from the Associated Press.

FOR THE MALL RAT

"Buy off season. Purchase things like swimsuits and air conditioners in winter, and skis and winter coats in the summer, Helen Malani, online shopping expert for Shopzilla, said in an e-mail.

"Limit errand running. Not only does it save gas, by making fewer stops you're less likely to be tempted by impulse purchases, said Kim Danger, family savings expert for Coupons.com.

"Ask about discounts. Many retailers have special discounts for working professionals, seniors and people who belong to certain organizations...

Well, apparently being a cheapskate is in my blood. Last week my Dad sent me 12 tips to living within your means and man, is he frugal!

I guess I should have seen it coming. My family's white Saab was so old that I remember silently reassuring the car it could get up big hills. When I was in kindergarten, to save on gas, my Dad rode me to school side saddle on his bicycle. The soles of his Birkenstock were smooth from being worn 10+ years. He re-soled them until the leather straps broke. I don't remember wanting for toys, but we did play outside a lot and I wore many hand-me-downs.

But I digress from my Dad's tips. Here are his "notes on routinely living cheaply."

"Buy a car with a good reputation for durability and maintain it scrupulously. If you get it new, you know that is has been well maintained for its whole life. A good car can last 10-15 years, and the last 10 will be cheap. It helps if you can find a good mechanic that you trust and is reasonably priced. After a certain age, drop the comprehensive insurance coverage. Put the money you save on insurance into a new car fund.

"Have inexpensive hobbies and recreational activities. I bicycle and ride my bikes for 10+ years. I haven't got the newest and highest tech bike on the road, but when I get (left behind)...

Across the country the average price of gasoline has dropped almost a dollar in the past month and is thirty-five cents lower than a year ago. Now at least one oil executive is predicting pump prices will hover around $3 a gallon.

Hmmm...when the person making the prediction gains when prices do not continue to fall, I am a little skeptical. But here is what the Associated Press reported in BusinessWeek.

"Jim Mulva, the chairman and chief executive of ConocoPhillips, on Wednesday said gas prices rose too much too fast over the summer and are now dropping too much," the story says. "He told The Associated Press a $3 price would balance supply and demand, allow oil companies to fund further research and satisfy drivers weary of high prices."

Even if gas seems cheap, it is all relative. Which means it is still a good idea to find the best pump prices before you fill up. I like MSN's gas price map. A green marker points out the lowest price, a red marker points out the highest. Stations with prices in between appear in gray.

Across the country, Americans have put their credit cards and cash away. Consumer spending fell for the first time in 17 years, causing the economy to shrink by .03 percent, according to a NY Times story.

"By almost all accounts, the economy is now in recession," the story says. Consumers used debt (home-equity loans, mortgage refinancings and credit-card loans) to spend previously. Then the housing bubble burst and...you know the story.

"Personal consumption fell at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the third quarter of this year, its biggest drop since 1980, when the economy was in a deep recession," the story says.

Now that we've dug ourselves into this hole, the question is how are we going to get out? What will the next spending vehicle be? Do you think the next growth engine will be green technology? The next generation of hybrid cars? Software? Computers?

A reader asked me for suggestions about where she could take her children on Halloween instead of trick-or-treating. I was clueless until I saw this list from the LA Parks Dept with 19 pages of events happening on Halloween.

Check out the list here. Most of the events fall on Halloween, with a few beforehand.

One listing at the Mason Recreation Center in Chatsworth is billed as a carnival with games and activities for all ages from 4 to 8 p.m. The event is free but the food is not. Call (818) 998-6377 for more info.

Also check with your local school, community group, or house of worship for alternatives to trick-or-treating. If you would like to share a Halloween event, please leave a comment so others can find out about it!

Visit the fast-casual burrito chain Chipotle on Halloween and get a free burrito when you come dressed as any item on their menu. That means a burrito, taco, salad or tin-foil wrapped burrito.

Gotta drop by between 6 pm and close to get the deal. I say make it a dinner stop on your trick-or-treating route or on your way to a Halloween party.

Find a Chipotle near you. The restaurant now offers online ordering so spare yourself the wait in line.

Get a free 4 oz. serving of frozen yogurt on Halloween when you stop by Yozen Frogurt in costume.

The store's fall flavors include Ghiradelli chocolate, espresso rush, chocolate covered cherries, pumpkin, eggnog and gingerbread. They also have some really good fruit flavors, like tart strawberry and pomegranate.

You can also get 10% off a gift card purchase of $20 or more. Not sure when this offer expires.

Visit YF at 6450 Platt Ave. in the Platt Village strip mall in West Hills. (818) 887-8511. OR visit them at 2416 East Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks.

Today the Shoe Megashop opens in Glendale next to the Americana at Brand mall. The store is owned by Marshalls.

The fun starts at 8 am and goes until 10 pm. The first 300 customers get a re-useable shopping bag. An ad I saw says Shoe Megashop will have "the same designer and brand names you'd find in dept. and shoe stores right now, but for up to 50% off their prices."

Visit the shoe store at 142 South Brand Blvd. in Glendale. (818) 241-0675. Get driving directions here.

Thanks, Barb!

I would save these tips for a date closer to the holidays, but these money-saving tips require you to start collecting a few items now.

+ Start saving ribbons and tissue paper to re-package gifts.

+ Look out for wine sales. Most stores offer 10% to 20% off if you buy 12 bottles, but consider trying to talk your way into a discount if you buy 6 or more bottles. Read negotiating tips here. Wine is a great gift around the holidays. Tie a ribbon around the neck and you are ready to go.

+ If you plan to make jam or other homemade treats, start collecting jars and canisters. They don't all have to look alike!

+ Start collecting boxes and receptacles that you can dress up and use to package during the holidays. For example, wrap a plain cardboard box in wrapping paper, stuff it with shredded paper and goodies and bam! Instant gift basket.

+ Start saving shredded paper if you plan to make a lot of gift baskets.

JetBlue is having a massive fare sale to celebrate the opening of their new terminal at JFK airport in New York.

Flights are $49 one way from Long Beach to Oakland, San Jose, and Vegas, $59 from Long Beach to San Francisco and Sacramento, and $69 from Long Beach to Seattle.

From JFK, one way flights to Orlando are $79 and one way flights to Puerto Rico are $99. The beach is within reach!

Of course, tickets are these prices are limited and will likely fall on weekdays. Be flexible and you may get a deal! Search for flights from your home airport on this page.

Thanks, Pete!

The Center Theater Group in LA is selling all their tickets for the 2008-2009 season for $20. They are calling it the "Entertainment Stimulus Package."

That means 100,000 tickets for shows at CTG's three theaters (Ahmanson, Taper and Douglas) for $20 a pop. Browse their calender of shows or search for tickets by date.

Thanks BargainsLA!

The $1 a day cell phone plan from Boost Mobile, a division of Sprint, sounds like a good deal on the surface. But I'm not sure it is any cheaper than a traditional plan with a flat monthly bill.

Let's do the math. You pay $1/day for unlimited text messaging, mobile-to-mobile and nights and weekend calling. You also pay $.10/minute for every daytime minute you use. They define daytime as between 7 am and 9 pm.

If you don't use the phone at all one day, you don't pay $1 that day. Phones are $40 to $180, plus you pay $1/day to use the walkie-talkie feature. There is no activation fee. It costs $3 per line to deactivate. There are some limits on text messaging.

Hubby and I pay about $93 a month total for 500 minutes and unlimited texting on our two phones. We paid $36 to activate the account and got the phones free because we signed a two-year contract. Our two year cost is $2,268.

So how does the Boost Mobile plans compare, assuming we actually use about 400 minutes a month and don't use our phones at all 5 out of every 30 days?

The Boost Mobile two-year cost is $1,600. But that's just for one phone. There doesn't seem to be any family plans available, so Hubby and I would have to open a second account. With two phones but the same amount of minutes, the two-year cost rises to $2,260. Just $8 less.

Do the math to reflect your usage patterns and see if Boost Mobile makes sense for you.

(not my actual lunch) I dragged myself out to Burbank yesterday to find a Lincoln Lunch suggested by a reader. Burbank seems very far away, but when I arrive it is so pleasant I think, I could live here.

I headed to Greek Knight Restaurant, which serves Greek, Armenian and Mediterranean food, from a bustling strip on San Fernando Road. Looking over the menu I started to worry because the prices were well above my $5 Lincoln Lunch threshhold.

Then I reached the back page, which listed five sandwiches for $4.50 and a few sides that fit my budget. I ordered the chicken shawerma at the counter and found a seat in the back.

Greek Knight has super high ceilings and blood red walls decorated with paintings that depict...

Here is another quick and cheap Halloween costume, this time for a pair. Got the idea from the Budget Fashionista.

Have one person dress entirely in red and the other person in blue. What are you? A red and blue state! To make this more clear, write the name of a traditionally "red" or "blue" states on a piece of paper and pin it on.

You can put the costume together for less than $20. Head to Goodwill if you need a particular color item.

The Web site Deal News predicts we will see some of the best prices this holiday season since the Dot.com bust in 2001. The company has even released numbers on exactly how low they think certain electronic items will go.

A 22-inch LCD monitors for $99, a Blu-ray player for $149, Blu-ray movies you actually want for $9.99, 52-inch 1080p HDTVs for $1,199, the newest iPods for 10% off, and a Canon PowerShot SD1100 8MP Digital ELPH for $139. See more price predictions.

There is no guarantee these items will be sold at these prices. And even if they are, retailers could severely limit stock so that only people who wait outside the store all night will get them at these prices.

You know, the first three people can buy a ginormous TV for $99 when the store opens at 4 am. The rest of us get to pay $699. Whoop-de-doo.

But you might want to jot down these prices for items you are considering buying and use them as a guide. If the item gets near that price and the shipping and return policy make sense for you, perhaps it is time to buy.

On the other hand, it might pay to wait. I wonder if prices will continue to drop through the holidays if merchandise is not selling the way retailers expect.

Now that you've decided to stay home for the holidays to save money, it is suddenly cheap to travel, says a story in the Sunday NY Times.

"Pack your stockings and mistletoe," the story says. "The recent Wall Street meltdown (and continued global financial turmoil) is turning into something of a last-minute gift to bargain-seeking vacationers who have yet to make holiday travel plans."

Look for shorter minimum-stay requirements, extra add-ons, and more negotiating room. (Read negotiating tips here.) You are more likely to get a deal during the week leading up to Christmas than the week between Christmas and New Year's, which is still in demand.

Make the most of the situation by comparing rates so you have ammo to ask for a discount. Print out prices you see on travel Web sites, get quotes from travel agents, and call hotels and resorts directly to find who can work with you to get the best price.

Some of my favorite travel sites are Kayak.com, CruiseCompete.com, and FareCompare.com.

Thanks, Sarah!

Watch students launch pumpkins hundreds of feet into the air with a huge catapult at California State University, Fullerton this Saturday, November 1, 2008. The event is part of a fall festival that also includes carved-pumpkin contests (bring your own carved pumpkin), a catapult contest, music and entertainment.

The festival is at Fullerton's Titan Stadium. There will also be oddities such as a concrete canoe and a solar-powered dune buggy. The shin-dig is a partnership between the Discovery Science Center and Future Scientists and Engineers of America.

The fun starts at 9 am and goes until 2 pm. You can RSVP here.

The stadium is located at 800 N State College Blvd, in Fullerton.

Watch a minute-long video of how engineering students built the launcher below.

You are in a store, contemplating buying a particular item. But you are not sure if a rival or online retailer sells it for less. What do you do?

Whip out your Google phone and use the ShopSavvy application, which scans the bar code on the item using a camera built into the phone. Then it tells you who else is selling it and for how much. You can get results by proximity (using a GPS system) or see prices online.

How cool is that?

If you go with online results, you can connect to that retailer's Web site or e-mail yourself or a friend the link. If you go with brick-and-mortar results, you can get a map to the store or call for directions.

The ShopSavvy application also lets you read reviews by other consumers.

Watch a video about ShopSavvy below.

Plus, the Google phone is $380 cheaper over a two year contract than rival iPhone. Thanks, Ryan!

If you like the deals you see on the Bargain Hunter, consider signing up for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest. It is a daily e-mail (Monday through Friday) with all the new deals and tips from that day.

It's free and you can unsubscribe at anytime. I don't share e-mails with anyone.

If you only read the Tuesday column you are missing a lot of deals because many expire before the column is printed or there is not enough room to include them all.

Join the list by e-mailing me at julia.scott@dailynews.com. If you live outside of LA let me know and I'll add you to the national digest. Thanks for signing up!

Here are all the deals mentioned in today's column in the LA Daily News:

Free coffee

Costume ideas

Taco Tuesday

Perfect present (e-mail suggestions to me!)

Eats 50% off

Free TV shows

Pumpkin carving

Haggling 101

Lincoln Lunch: Sandwich

This is the second time this month that Restaurant.com has sold gift certificates at 80% off. A sign of the times, my friend. This latest code ends Friday, October 31, 2008.

Use code TREATS online. I'm not sure if it is case sensitive. A $25 gift certificate usually sells for $10 on the site so with the code they are just $2. Tax and gratuity not included.

Caveats: read the restrictions on each restaurant before you purchase. They often include days and times you can use the certificates, if there is a minimum purchase required and whether you can buy alcohol with the certificate.

Get free shipping on any online or over the phone purchase at Coldwater Creek now until Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 9 pm PST. Use code WXH5333 when checking out. It should appear when you review your order.

The store is currently having a fall sale with prices up to 70% off. A brown cocktail dress with a V-neck, accent beads under the bust and a fluid skirt, above, is $83 (orig $119).

Caveats: orders must be shipped to a single address. Delivery guarantee covers all in-stock items, shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states. May not be combined with any other offer code; may be combined with fall sale. In the event of a return or exchange, discount will be forfeited and may not be reused. Does not apply to the purchase of gift cards. Not valid on previous purchases.

An upscale wedding dress boutique called the Bridal Suite in Sherman Oaks is closing and is having a sale that ends on Halloween, according to JensList. Look for markdowns of up to 75% and many wedding gowns under $500, I'm told.

After 14 years in business, the owner is liquidating the dresses to prepare for a move to Thousand Oaks. The store also has dresses for mothers of the bride and groom, bridesmaids, plus tiaras, veils, promwear, evening wear, shoes, jewelry and flower girl dresses.

Warning, online reviews said the dresses were great but the service was terrible.

Visit the Bridal Suite at 14532 Ventura Blvd. Open daily from 10:30 to 6. (818) 990-0071.

Thanks, Jen!

I put my own haggling suggestions to the test recently while buying a headlight for my bicycle. Riding through Topanga Canyon at dusk one time without a headlight is risky. Doing it twice is just stupid. And driving isn't nearly as fun.

Which brings me to haggling. I was looking at headlights at Wheel World in Woodland Hills, where I have had made many satisfying purchases. I knew from calling earlier in the day that the store had lights from $15 to $500.

In the store I told the sales guys I was looking for something on the low end and that I needed to attach the light not to my handlebars but to my aero bars (which stick out perpendicular to the handlebars).

He handed me a $40 light that swivels 90 degrees in each direction. It was perfect, but more than I wanted to pay.

"What else do you have that is cheaper?"

He showed me a light slightly bigger than my thumb. It looked like a large insect and...

People talk in hushed tones when they tell me they, too, are a bargain hunter. In fact, the admission is often just that - a confession they do not want to fall on the wrong ears. Non-bargain hunters often mistake being thrifty for being cheap, and it is no fun being on the receiving end of that judgement.

If you are not sure which category you fall into, thrifty is ordering economically at a restaurant, cheap is leaving a 10% tip.

With the troubled economy, being frugal is becoming more common and more widely accepted. My proof? A story on the front page of the NY Times Sunday Styles section devoted to the term "recessionista."

"Welcome to "recession chic" and its personification, the "recessionista," the new name for the style maven on a budget," the story says. "That the word represents the times could explain why Sarah Palin's new wardrobe ($75,000 at Neiman Marcus and nearly $50,000 at Saks) struck some as distasteful."

Retailers use the idea of cheap chic to sell clothes and shoppers use the idea to justify purchases, the story says. Both sides point to the "value" of recession chic purchases. But it is a trend nonetheless, just like military chic, geek chic, and eco chic, the story says.

Still, it is more fun to call yourself a recessionista than admit you simply cannot afford something, says a recessionista blogger quoted in the story.

"It is more lighthearted to say 'I am the Recessionista, and I don't really go for that,' instead of saying 'I can't afford that or I don't want to spend the money,' " Ms. Hall said. "The 'ista' on the end there, it gives it a little touch of the bling, I think."

Sigh. In the end, it is all about the money. Thanks, Tony and Sarah!

Get a free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco from Taco Bell this Tuesday.

"Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett stole free tacos for America from Taco Bell, as he stole second base in the bottom of the 5th inning of Game 1 at the World Series," according to a story on MarketWatch. "As promised, Americans will feast on millions of free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Tacos as Taco Bell's "Steal A Base, Steal A Taco" World Series promotion paid off for the second straight year."

To get the freebie go to a participating Taco Bell on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 between 2 and 6 pm. Find a Taco Bell near you.

Thanks, Ryan!

Hundreds of thousands of folks across the country have not received their economic stimulus checks and tax refunds because the IRS does not have their current address, including many in SoCal.

"The IRS says thousands of American taxpayers never got those checks because they failed to give the service their current address," according to a story on ABC7.

"The problem is especially serious in L.A. County, where the IRS says more than 8,0000 taxpayers have yet to receive economic stimulus checks, totaling more than $53 million. In addition, nearly $5 million in tax refunds due L.A. County residents were returned to sender."

You must update your address with the IRS by November 28, 2008 to get your check. Economic stimulus checks must be mailed by December 31, 2008 by law.

Check if your name is on the list using one of the following links.

Los Angeles County

Ventura County

Orange County

San Bernadino County

Riverside County

For everybody who lives outside of SoCal click here to find if you are on the list.

If your name is on the list and you need to update your address to get your check follow the directions on this page or if you do not have Internet access call 1-866-234-2942.

This deal at Staples requires you to jump through a few hoops but may be worth it if you are replacing a camera, printer, GPS system or other small electronic item.

Now until November 15, 2008, you can get a $30 Staples Rewards card (which is like a gift card, you can spend it on any item at Staples) when you purchase a qualifying tech item and recycle a similar item.

For instance, if you bought a Kodak digital camera priced at $139 or more and recycled any digital camera, you would get the $30 card. Here is the list of eligible purchases and trade-ins.

See your local store for details and to confirm they are participating.

Caveats: You don't get the $30 card until January, 2009. The Brother labeler model 1880 is excluded. You must join the free Staples Rewards program to get the discount. You have until the last day of the calendar quarter to redeem your issued rewards. Read more about how Staples Rewards works.

VistaPrint is celebrating Friday by offering 12 office supply freebies, today only. You pay for shipping, handling, upgrades and photo/logo uploads.

The free orders include premium business cards (250), standard postcards (100), a free T-shirt (1), small magnets (25), holiday cards (10), a pen (1), letterhead (10), a rubber stamp (1), a car door magnet (1), return address labels (140), sticky notes (1), and note cards (1).

Caveats: discounts valid only on lowest quantity of each product. Free offers are not valid on any more than 10 items per order.

VistaPrint prints their logo on the back of the free business cards, so yes, others will know you are a cheapskate. I'm not sure if they do this for their other products as well. You can pay an upgrade to have it removed. If you can tolerate their logo, this deal is a cheap way to acquire promotional materials for your business or project.

Also see their free trial offers page.

Hi folks,
I'm gearing up to write a few holiday stories and I need your help. Please leave a comment or e-mail me your best frugal gift ideas for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and Festivus. I'm also looking for general tips for being thrifty around the holidays.

The best suggestions will make it into a forthcoming Bargain Hunter story in the LA Daily News!!

Thanks for your help.

~Julia

Get $5 off a purchase of $20 or more at Walgreens today and Saturday, October 25, 2008 only. Print the coupon here. To use this coupon, your total must be above $20 after you use other coupons. Tax does not count towards the $20.

Online use code SAVEMORE. Not sure if it is case sensitive. Each customer can use the online coupon up to five times.

Caveats: cannot be used toward purchase of alcohol, stamps, tobacco, prescriptions, prescription co-pays, gift cards, pre-paid cards, transportation passes, and charitable contributions. No cash value.

Find a Walgreens near you.

My recent story on how to cutback your budget suggested you stop eating out as much, reduce visits by your maid and/or gardener, and split a nanny. I didn't think it was controversial stuff, but one reader felt otherwise and told me sol.

"Ms. Scott's intention is to show people how to save money in this precarious economy but in doing so, albeit inadvertently, she is adding to the recession," wrote Gary, the contrary reader.

"When people buy more, it creates jobs as more production is needed to fill the demand," he said. Indeed, many of my recommendations were to cutback spending on other businesses (gyms, salons, nannies).

The question is whether these types of cutbacks will have a small effect (businesses lose a few customers but you save money) or a big effect (job losses across the economy.)

No matter what effect cutbacks like this will have, each person or family has to decide...

Still looking for a Halloween costume? Here are some ideas from Frugal Dad for costumes you can make mostly from items around your home.

Hobo/Bum
* Old tattered clothes with a few holes (maybe some of Dad's old work clothes)
* An old, beat-up hat
* An old pair of well-scuffed shoes
* Worn canvas sack on a stick over the shoulder carrying belongings

Spa girl
* Green face paint to simulate a mask
* Towel for head or curlers
* Sleep mask
* Bedroom slippers
* Bath robe
* Pajamas

Here is a fun story from the Associated Press on looking beautiful on a tight budget. Some of the tips - like making your own deodorant - are really curious, though I have not tried many of them.

"Sure, we've got problems with the economy," the story goes. "But no one wants to looked stressed-out about it. Some ideas for keeping your skin, hair and nails in shape without breaking the bank:"

FACE STUFF

"Skip the expensive creams. Janet Luhrs, author of the newsletter, "Simple Living" and the book, "The Simple Living Guide," used to buy moisturizing cream at the dermatologist's office, spending $108 for a 4-ounce jar. Now she uses 100 percent jojoba, apricot or avocado oil, that she gets for around $4 for the same size container.

"Make your own acne treatment. Dina Falconi, an herbalist and author of "Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair," offers this recipe: Combine a quarter cup of water, a quarter cup of...

Get $10 off a $100 purchase at Home Depot online now until November 1, 2008. Use code FALLSAVE1 when checking out. I'm not sure if the code is case sensitive.

Unfortuantely, there are many exclusions.

Caveats: cannot be combined with any other discount, offer, promotion or special incentive program and is not valid on: (a) labor or Self-Furnish and Install ("SF&I") and Furnish and Install ("F&I") program products, including without limitation roofing, windows, siding, HVAC products, custom closets, storage solutions, installed sheds or structures; (b) the purchase of gift cards or certificates; (c) prior purchases; or (d) Consumer Electronics (including, but not limited to, televisions, DVD players, speakers, home theaters, cellular phones, etc.), John Deere, Cub Cadet, Little Giant Ladder Systems®, Thermador® in select markets, Gaggenau®, Miele®, Dacor®, Viking®, Fisher&Paykel®, Sharp Insight™, Delonghi®, Casablanca®, Hunter Prestige®, Buckhaven, Weber, Lynx, Alfresco, OCI, Marvel, Bertazzoni, Aga, and Vent A Hood products and trade styles. Enter promotion code at checkout to receive your discount. The discount will be reflected at checkout for the products qualifying for the promotion. Offer not valid for payment on any The Home Depot credit account.

This deal for discounted restaurant gift certificates may top even the steeply reduced rates at Restaurant.com. At Half Off Deals you can buy gift certificates at 50% off. The site also sell certificates for a few spas and golf courses.

This is how it works. Local radio stations partner with restaurants, spas and golf courses to sell half-off certificates in exchange for advertising. It is popular because restaurants know they will get new customers in the door (to use their certificates) and stations collect sales from the certificate. Half Off Deals earns a fee to process the certificates (more about that below).

To find a 50% off certificate near you, go to Half Off Deals and enter your zip code in the box where it says "Search deals in your area." There are about a half dozen in the Valley and many more in the greater Los Angeles region. I also found offers in San Francisco, New York, Phoenix, Portland, and Austin.

The number of certificates for each restaurant is limited and the site tells you how many are left. Each restaurant sets its own terms for usage, which you can read before you purchase a certificate. Generally the certificates have fewer restrictions than those sold on...

(not my actual lunch) Eating lunch at Daddy Q's in Woodland Hills left me with a dilemma. Employees at the restaurant tried hard and I'm sure they mean well, but they made enough mistakes that I cannot whole heartedly recommend the place.

But it would be unfair to write Daddy Q's off completely because the food was good. So instead I'll lay out all the pros and cons. I hope it helps you decide whether you want to visit.

Pros
Very friendly service
Received a free taste of fresh squeezed orange juice that was delicious
My tuna sandwich tasted very good
They gave me a full sandwich even though I paid for a half sandwich
The French fries were hot and good
The side salad was small but worth $2
The salad plus a half sandwich ($4) was enough food for lunch...

The Vons and Safeway grocery chains have a new gasoline promotion, but there are a ton of rules and caveats. Looking over the information, I don't think this is worth it for me, but it may be for you. Here's how it works:

Go to the "power pump" page at Safeway.com. Enter your zip code and click on the store you shop at to find out what is specifically being offered at that store. The promotions vary widely from store to store. Many Vons/Safeway stores in SoCal are offering some kind of gas deal.

The Vons in Woodland Hills, West Hills and Canoga Park are participating in this promotion. Spend $600 in groceries and you get a $9 gas card that can be used at Arco. If you only spend $400 or more, you get a card for $6. If you spend less than $400 you get nothing.

Purchases now until December 8, 2008 count towards your total. You can buy at multiple stores and have them count towards your total as long as...

Here is a Web site that is quickly catching on because it archives almost everything on TV and lets you watch it for free.

Missed Gov. Sarah Palin's guest spot on Saturday Night Live?

Watch it on Hulu.com.

Catching up on episodes of "The Office"?

Watch it on Hulu.com.

Don't pay for Comedy Central but want to watch Jon Stewart?

Watch it on Hulu.com.

You get the picture. Many episodes are added a day after they are initially broadcast, though you do have to sit through video ads before your clip plays. If it is a long video there will be a video ad every few minutes. Each ad has a counter at the top so you know how much longer until your video plays. I find this is a good time to check my e-mail.

The Web site is easy to use. You can browse videos by channel, most popular, recently added, collections, HD gallery, and spotlighted clips. There are also some movies.

Hulu has been around since March 2007, when it was founded by NBC Universal and News Corp. The site gets content from more than 100 stations, including FOX, NBC Universal, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more. Read more about Hulu.com.

Caveats: only US viewers can use the site.

The second most pressing question of the Halloween season - after what to dress up as - is how to carve your pumpkin. I'm still trying to figure out both (though I was considering not carving a pumpkin this year to save money).

Here are some suggestions in pictures. Hope one gives you an idea.

For many purchases there are no coupons. But in this down economy you may be able to talk yourself into a deal because many businesses are eager for customers. If you need motivation, open your wallet. Money tight? Keep reading.

I brushed up my haggling skills by calling Mandy Walker, a projects editor at Shop Smart magazine, a shopper-friendly publication owned by Consumer Reports. Her main advice was that if you don't ask, you will never get a discount.

"It's always worth trying," Mandy said. "If you feel uncomfortable going into it, (remember) if you get a great deal, you will feel great."

Try these tactics when you next buy electronics, clothing, a home, a car, appliances, shoes, or hire a contractors or purchase services.

+ Do your research before you go into the store so you can back up claims that a rival has it for cheaper. Prove it with a printout of the rival's advertised price. Or use a comparison Web site like Shopzilla or Pricegrabber.

+ Consider visiting multiple stores for flyers or other proof of lower prices. Tell the salesperson which store has it for less and ask them if they can beat that price.

+ Go to the store when it is not busy so the salesperson has time to...

Perhaps all is not doom and gloom this holiday season. At least four retailers are hiring at the Glendale Galleria for the holiday shopping season, according to a press release. If they are hiring, other retailers are probably hiring, too.

"Glendale Galleria is expecting it to be a good holiday season in terms of hiring," said mall spokeswoman Janet LaFevre. "Our retailers are hiring now and will continue through the holiday season."

Getting a second job is a great way to make more room in your budget. Here is who is hiring:

Macys Jobs - Click on "careers" for an online application or fill out one in the store.

Target - Apply at the in-store kiosk on the main floor or apply on-line on the careers page. Click on hourly positions and follow the steps to start an online application, which lets you chose a specific location.

JCPenney - Request a job application in the store.

The mall also has a page for non-seasonal job openings.

Get a $7 movie ticket to the Mann Theater in Westlake Village when you buy any dinner entree at the Marmalade Cafe in Westlake. Movie tickets are $8 to $10.75.

The deal is also being offered at the Marmalade Cafe in Malibu and the Malibu Hollywood Theater, where tickets are $8 to $15. The Palos Verde location is also participating, but not the Marmalade Cafes in Sherman Oaks and Calabasas.

At participating locations you get a voucher for a movie ticket when you buy a dinner entree (they range from $7 to $21). The movie tickets can be used anytime and any entree qualifies, even half portions, a PR rep tells me.

The dinner and a movie deal lasts indefinitely.

One option that is eligible for the free ticket is the $15 "early show" menu at the Marmalade Cafe in Westlake. It is available from 4 to 6 pm Monday through Friday. It includes a choice of four entrees, a choice of soup or salad and either dessert or a glass of wine. Check out the early show menu here.

Visit the Marmalade Cafe in Westlake Village at The Promenade, 140 Promenade Way. (805) 370-1331. Or visit them in Malibu at 3894 Cross Creek Road. (310) 317-4242. Or visit them in Palos Verdes at 550 Deep Valley Dr. (310) 544-6700.

Thanks, Simone!

In case you did not hear, the rumor about In-N-Out rolling back its prices to quarter hamburgers and ten-cent drinks to celebrate its 60th anniversary Wednesday is not true.

Unfortunately, the company is marking the milestone by conducting business as usual. Sorry to burst your bubble. I was hoping it was true, too.

Get a free tall coffee drink from the Starbucks cafe inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore now until October 31, 2008. Print the coupon here.

One per customer. You can use the coupon for one tall cappuccino, latte, espresso, brewed coffee or tea.

The coupon is not good at regular Starbucks stores.

Caveats: not valid at Barnes & Noble College bookstores or on past purchases. Cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon.

Find a Barnes & Noble near you.

"Free time is hard to come by, but these days money may be even more scarce," says my story in today's Daily News. "Need I remind you that your 401(k) has lost up to 20 percent of its value?"

"Or that median housing prices in the San Fernando Valley tanked by 35 percent in August, reducing them to January 2004 levels?

"That unemployment is at 7.8 percent in Los Angeles County? And that our national debt has more zeros than a box of Cheerios?

"Stop. This is not another depressing story about the crumbling economy. We have all read enough of those.

"Instead, I am offering ways to reduce spending on child care, food, services, transportation, housing, utilities and medicine...

Shoe Pavilion is having going-out-of-business sales at all of its 64 stores, according to a story in the Daily News.

"The going-out-of-business sale, which is being conducted by a joint venture group that includes Tiger Capital Group, is expected to last 10-12 weeks, with some stores closing sooner," the story says.

Shoe Pavilion is known for low-prices. But apparently, the prices were not low enough. The Sherman Oaks-based company has been around for 29 years and has stores in California, Washington, Oregon and New Mexico.

Find a Shoe Pavilion near you. Remember to watch out for high prices at closing sales!

Here are all the deals mentioned in today's column in the LA Daily News.

Voting treat

New digs = cash

Nickel coffee

Sam's Club $10

Quarter burgers?

What I am cutting

Eat and play

More online (Bargain Hunter Daily Digest sign-up)

Whole Foods $5 off

Clothes coupon

Lincoln Lunch: turkey burger

This is almost enough to make me upchuck the delicious Canadian Thanksgiving dinner I ate yesterday. Many retailers are scheduling Black Friday-type sales for October, weeks before the traditional start of Christmas shopping, according to Black Friday Ads.

Black Friday is the day after (American) Thanksgiving, which falls on November 27 this year.

"Several other retailers have mentioned that they will be having competitively-priced sales in the weeks before Black Friday," said an e-mail from BFAds.

The news is unsettling because it makes the holiday even more gift-driven. And it means four extra weeks of annoying Christmas music.

On the other hand, the additional competition may mean lower prices, which is good for shoppers. And it is a good idea to look out for budget-friendly gifts now. Still, I don't see why they can't just have all their sales shortly before the holiday.

With many businesses failing and having liquidation sales, like Mervyns and Linens-n-Thing, it is tempting to be lulled into a mindset that everything at these sales is a good deal.

But a sale is only as good as its prices are low, even if there are multiple markdowns and neon signs urging you to take advantage of double-digit discounts.

Remember, going out of business sales and liquidations do not have lower prices just because the store is closing down or being liquidated.

What matters is the final price you pay. Keep your blinders on and focus entirely on this number, not how much it once cost. If nobody was willing to buy the item at the higher price, it is not worth that price. In other words, it is only worth what you are willing to pay for it.

Items sold at liquidation and going out of business sales may not be returnable. In my mind, that raises the actual cost because if for some reason the item is not what you thought it was, you have no recourse.

The best way to find a coupon code or tip that is not readily apparent is to search the blog using the button on the upper right corner of this site.

Say you are looking for discounted tickets to see Wicked. Enter the broadway show "Wicked" (without the parenthesis) in the search box and hit Search. All the blog entries with this word will come up, though it can take a minute.

Using the Search button is a very quick way to find what you are looking for. Because none of the deals get deleted, they just get bumped down by newer ones. With five to seven new posts every weekday, it can take awhile to scroll down to find what you are looking for.

Get 20% off your order at Footlocker.com now until November 1, 2008. Use code LKS18T2P when checking out.

Another code - LKS18TMN - gets you free shipping. It expires October 31, 208. There is only one opportunity to add a promo code so you cannot use them on the same purchase.

A pair of black and white kid's sneakers with hot pink trim, above, are $52. For these sneakers, the 20% off code covered the shipping and tax, basically, so depending on your total, it may save you more than the free shipping code.

Caveats: it is unclear if either of the codes have exclusions, such as top name brands that are often excluded from discounts.

Here's a great tip from Laura Rowley, a personal finance expert who I interviewed last week. She says many clothes with "dry clean only" tags can actually be washed on the delicate cycle or by hand.

"Don't get scared by 'dry clean only' -- wool, cashmere, silk, rayon, polyester and spandex can all be laundered," says Lindsey Wieber, co-founder of The Laundress, a collection of specialty fabric care products. "Manufacturers will always put the label on because it protects them if for some reason you wash and shrink it."

Laura recommends you "lay wool and cashmere flat to dry; everything else, including cotton and linen, can be thrown in the dryer on a low-heat setting, then pressed. (Time starved? Send the garments out to be pressed -- it's still cheaper than dry-cleaning.)

"As for suits, hang them immediately and air out after wearing; dry clean just two to four times a season. It's actually better to spot clean stains with a lint-free cloth. "Dry cleaning can set in stains further, and does not remove odor from a suit," Wieber says. (For even greater savings, skip the dryer and use a laundry line; it saves an average of $100 a year, according to laundrylist.org.)"

Get an extra 20% off sale items at J.Crew now through Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 6:59 pm PST. Use code EXTRA20 when checking out. I'm not sure if the code is case sensitive.

A pair of suede black moccasins with patent leather trim are $72 (on sale for $90, orig $140). Many sizes are left. A lightweight viscose/silk top with pleats across the scooped neck comes in bright colors and is $24 (on sale for $30, orig $62).

There are 10 pages of sale items for women with many dresses, jackets, pants and summery items (great if you live in SoCal). Many sale items for men, too. Browse boy's sale and girl's sale items.

Caveats: all sales with this code are final, no returns or exchanges. The code cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon. The discount applies to sale items only.

Thanks, Sarah!

I was walking to the grocery store to buy apples for a pie I am making this weekend to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving when I suddenly realized exactly who the upcoming recession is going to effect.

The guy my local Albertsons employs to collect carts after patrons have unloaded their groceries into their cars. He keeps busy because most folks do not return carts to the collection bin.

There is something a little off about this guy. He seems reluctant to interact with people and he wears sunglasses night and day. His brown polyester pants are hiked up a little too high but and he is exceedingly polite.

A few times he has approached me as I loaded my car up.

"I'll be happy to take that when you're done," he says. Then...

I had a fun chat with fellow bargain hunter Laura Rowley, an author who writes for Yahoo! Finance and a Disney Family site. Some of her tips were so good I'm saving them for upcoming Bargain Hunter stories in the paper! Here are a few tips to whet your appetite.

+ Shop online at Sam's Club using their Click and Pull feature. You order groceries online, they bag it and you pick it up 24 hours later.

It saves you time and money because you eliminate impulse buys! There is no surcharge to use this service though you do have to be a member. Now until October 26 you can join Sam's Club for $10.

+ Always ask your doctor for generic medication. If you forget...

UPDATED: The link to the coupon works now. Sorry for the error.

PREVIOUSLY: Get 10% off at the interactive restaurant uWink, which has locations in Woodland Hills, Hollywood, and Mountain View. The coupon expires December 1, 2008. Print it here.

If you have never eaten at uWink, it is a fun, low-key place where you place your order through a computer on the table.

Your order earns you credits to play computer games created by restaurant founder, Nolan Bushnell, best known as the man who invented Atari.

The menu has modern comfort food and the restaurant attracts families, couples and singles.

Get details for their three locations. Thanks, Alyssa!

Get $10 of any pair of boots that cost $50 or more from DSW now through Sunday, October 19, 2008. Use code BOOTS.

Logged in DSW rewards members can also get free shipping on tabs of $25 or more with code RSHOSHP through November 3, 2008.

Both codes are online only. The boots page on the DSW site takes forever to load because of all the shoe pictures.

Once it does come up, jump to the $50 boots by sorting the price low to high, then jump to page 5. (There are a lot of galoshes and ankle boots for less than $50 that are not eligible for the $10 off discount.)

Caveats: not valid in stores or toward previous purchases. Terms and conditions are subject to change at the discretion of DSW.

Get a 5-cent cup of coffee from Walgreens every Friday for the rest of October. Some stores may off the deal through December 31, 2008.

Only about one-third of Walgreens stores are participating so call your local chain to confirm. Stores that have a "Cafe W" are more likely to participate.

The five-cent deal is for a 12-ounce cup of nine different flavors of coffee, hot cocoa or tea. No minimum purchase necessary. Just go to the Cafe W part of the store for the (nearly) free drink.

The chain started the deal in July and it was so popular they kept it around, a PR rep tells me.

Participating locations including Van Nuys on Coldwater Canyon and Magnolia, in Van Nuys on Van Nuys Blvd, in Northridge on Devonshire, in Pasadena on Lake Ave., and in Santa Clarita on Soledad Canyon.

Also participating are Walgreens stores in Los Angeles on Crenshaw Blvd, in Los Angeles on West Pico Blvd., in Los Angeles on West Sixth St, in Covina on Azusa Ave., in Chino on Central Ave., in Upland on West Foothill Blvd., and in Gardena, Torrance and Hawthorne.

Call to confirm the Walgreens near you is participating. Thanks, Al!

Get $100 from Rent.com when you use their site to find a new apartment. Just look through their listings, tell the landlord you found the listing on Rent.com and then tell Rent.com you have a new apartment.

To search their listings you have to give them your e-mail address so they can send you e-mails about apartments that fit your criteria. Nothing is totally free, after all. But you can always unsubscribe later.

They seem to have many listings in big apartment buildings with amenities so if you are looking for a humble abode it may not work for you.

Rent.com has listings in most major rental markets but not all.

Circuit City is matching its online and in-store prices in an effort to boost store traffic leading up to the holiday season, a story from the AP says. Previously, prices are online were usually lower so I'm wondering this means online prices are now higher, or if in-store prices are lower.

"Retailers sometimes offer different prices on Web sites and in stores, though some retail consultants say such practices can make customers less trusting when they find out about them," the story says.

Look for rivals Best Buy to follow suit. If there is not an official announcement, I would print out the online price of an item you want to buy and ask the manager in the store to price match.

Get $5 off a $25 purchase at Whole Foods now until Wednesday, October 22, 2008. Print the coupon here. It is a pdf file so give it plenty of time to load.

The coupon is good in the U.S. only. You can only use it once per day and it cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts, other than manufacturer coupons.

The coupon comes from the grocer's Whole Deal page, which has news about coupons, store events, and sales. Discounts at Whole Foods? It's a sign of the times, my friend.

I found a link to info about what food is in season, which often means lower prices. Apples and winter squash are in season, but before you write off squash, check out their guide to squashing your fear of winter squash. Here's what they say.

Why don't we eat more winter squash? "It provides great nutritional and financial value, and it's highly versatile in the kitchen. Here are the top 6 hesitations we've heard, and ways to solve them."

I don't know what to buy.
"Start with one of the most popular: butternut, acorn or spaghetti squash."

I don't know how much I need...

This weekend is the LA Kids Consignment sale in Van Nuys. The sale is Friday and Saturday from 9 to 5, and Sunday from 9 to 2, when most items are 50%.

If you are not familiar with the sale, it's like a well organized garage sale on steriods. You can find all kinds of clothes organized by age, toys, strollers, gear, and many other items you may need as a new parent.

Other parents sell their gently used kids items that they no longer need so the pricing can vary widely, leaving room for some great deals. The sale happens twice a year and is also held bi-annually in Santa Clarita.

This year the sale is at City-Art at 7733 Hayvenhurst Ave. in Van Nuys. The parking situation is supposed to be much better than last year, though I have not seen it for myself. Cash only.

If you are depressed about the upcoming election, here's one sweet reason to perk up. Ben & Jerry's is rocking the vote Tuesday, November 4 by offering a free scoop of ice cream to anyone who voted.

Drop by a participating location between 5 and 8 pm to get the freebie. Show your "I Voted" sticker, a photo of you in front of your polling station, do the "I Voted dance," or just tell them you voted.

Call your local scoop shop ahead of time to make sure they are participating.

I am more worried about the financial collapse than I let myself believe. I realized this while talking to my sister, who is also freaked out about her future. She was telling her biggest fear is that her husband gets laid off and they have to rely on her part-time salary.

Should she look for a full-time job immediately? How will they provide for their children? She is scared they won't be able to make their mortgage payments on a house they purchased about a year before the bubble burst.

My sister reasoned that they could rent out their home and move in with our mother. Or Hubby and I could move in with them to help out.

It was all a little too crazy, and yet, what struck me was that I had an equally crazy contingency plan for Hubby and me, which I promptly shared with her.

I could sell my MINI to cover six or seven months rent and use Hubby's car now that he bikes to work. It is a lot older and has pricey maintenance bills, but mine is worth a lot more. We could also move into a tiny, cheap apartment in a less desirable part of town. Or I could find a better paying job, like PR.

My sister and I don't want to make these choices, but we are both so stressed out about the economy that our brains have created a plan B. And C and D.

Do you secretly have a contingency plan in case the worst comes true? I'm not sure if having a plan reduces my stress because thinking about making these changes is a source of stress, too!

Get a 6 to 10 pound pumpkin for $2 flat at OSH now until supplies run out. On the small end, you are paying $.33 a pound. On the big end you are paying $.20 a pound. Not too shabby.

If you are interested, I would hit up OSH before the weekend. They may run out of 6 to 10 pound pumpkins.

Confirm your local OSH has this deal by going to their Web site and clicking on "View Latest Ad," which should appear in the left column. Enter your zip code and look at the ad for the store you intend to shop at.

Caveats: OSH has 86 stores in California but no other states. Find an OSH near you.

Everybody's hurting for money and worried about the economy, it seems. Here are a few extra ways to make a buck.

Have a garage sale - A lot of folks are looking to save money on CDs, DVDs, kids toys, sports equipment, kitchenware and home decorations. Pick a location near busy cross streets (maybe have a joint sale with a friend if you are secluded) and advertise well.

Sell/trade gift cards - Reach out to friends and family first to see if anyone is interested in an exchange. If that doesn't work put a free listing on Craigstlist or sell them on a gift card swap site. Expect to pay a fee on swap sites, however.

Get a second job - Some retailers are beginning holiday hiring. There are many other part time jobs advertised on Craigslist. You may have a hobby, like photography or fixing machines, that you could get paid to do.

Cash in your CRVs - Recycle your bottles and cans at a site that pays you the redemption value instead of letting the city pick them up.

Sell stuff on eBay - But make sure it really will sell, because you pay upfront to list items. If it doesn't sell, the money is gone.

Starting this weekend through Sunday, October 26, you can get a Sam's Club membership for the rest of the year for $10. Business owners and families who do not already belong to the warehouse retailer can sign up at any Sam's Club.

This sounds like a great deal, but a year long membership costs $40, or about $.77 a week. With ten weeks left in the year, that would be $7.7 dollars. So the $10 membership is actually slightly more expensive than the yearly rate.

However, if you can stock up on a lot of goods, buy discount Christmas presents, and get a few tanks of cheaper gas, it may be worth it in the long run.

Renewal rates for 2009 are $35 for business members and $40 for regular members. consumers). Find a Sam's Club near you. Thanks, Frugal Dad!

I know many folks are cutting back on clothes, but here is a great coupon at a relatively cheap store, H&M. You have to join their e-mail list to get the coupon to print out, but they only send about two e-mails a month so it's not bad.

If you join, the coupon is for $10 off a $50 purchase and you can use it for every $50 you spend. It is good Thursday, October 16, 2008 through Sunday, October 19, 2008.

Their fall look involves a lot of basic black and grey form-fitting pieces spiced up with a brightly color jacket or top.

Caveats: offer only valid in California and Nevada. Offer cannot be combined with any other discounts. Must have the coupon to get the discount.

Find an H&M near you.

Starting Thursday, October 16, 2008, Banana Republic is offering 30% off regular-priced clothes when you donate your gently-worn sweaters or coats to a BR store in the U.S. and Canada.

The donation deal ends October 26, 2008 and you must use the coupon by then. Donated items will be sold in Goodwill retail stores and the revenues will fund job training programs and support services for the needy, according to a press release.

A flaming fall orange top has cap sleeves and a tie-neck flourish, above. It is $29 with the discount (orig $44).

Caveats: some exclusions apply. See your local store for details. Find a Banana Republic near you.

Thanks, Sharyn!

You may have heard that In-N-Out is rolling back prices to celebrate its 60th anniversary on October 22, 2008. Hamburgers for $.25, fries for $.15, and sodas for $.10. If only it were true.

The popular burger chain is marking the milestone by conducting "business as usual" a company rep told me. They keep prices low by not offering any discounts, this same rep said.

The rumor-killing Web site Snopes also pronounced the rumor to be false.

If only the chain were not so popular, they *would* offer discounts to attract customers. Doh!

Thanks anyway, Dana, Mamedame and Todd!

If you have already sold a bunch of stocks, skip to the next post. If you have waited out the stock market collapse but are still thinking about selling, keep reading.

Selling stocks for cash may seem safe and be appealing to many folks, but there are reasons why doing nothing is the better option, says a recent story in the NY Times.

"By fleeing for the comfort of safe and insured, however, investors with a time horizon beyond a few years may be doing real damage to their long-term finances," the story says. "Selling now implies you are getting out at the right time (actually, that was about a year ago when the Dow was above 14,000) and it also implies you know when to get back in.

"But if you sell now, you'll be locking in your losses. And once you're in cash, there isn't much upside. In fact, with interest rates low, you're likely to lose money in cash, because inflation will probably eat up the after-tax returns you earn from a savings or money-market account."

That assumes you won't need the money to pay for your car, mortgage, tuition, groceries, or anything else. It all depends on your needs, your age, and your savings. In any case, try not to make decisions based on emotions. In the long run, it does not make $ense.

Wow. I've never seen this steep of a discount on gift certificates at Restaurant.com. A $25 certificate normally sells for $10, so with 80% off, it is just $2. Use code EIGHTY when checking out.

Like any steep discount, it will not be around for long. The code expires at 9:59 am pacific time Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

Caveats: be sure to read the redemption rules for any certificate you are considering purchasing. Each restaurant has different rules about how and when the certificate can be used. Many have minimum purchase requirements and exclude alcohol, tax and tip.

Yesterday I wrote about what I am cutting back because of the uncertain economy. Today I'm sharing what I'm not cutting back on - yet.

Coffee. I buy coffee about two days a week from Organic To Go, which really does make good coffee. It costs $1.35 a pop, though with my frequent customer card I will get every 11th coffee free, a 10% discount. When the machine in the lunchroom gets fixed my coffee fix will drop to about $.60 a cup.

Lunches with friends. I bring my lunch to work most days but once or twice a week I like to eat food someone else has cooked. If I keep it to a Lincoln Lunch, the bill is about $5 to $6 per meal.

Magazine subscriptions. I am a loyal reader of Runner's World and Newsweek, which in total cost me less than $40 a year to receive. I could cut them out, but it's relatively cheap entertainment that I look forward to reading.

Yoga classes. I buy them in a pack so they are $12 per class. Normally, they are $16 per. The work out, flexibility training, and peace of mind is totally worth it.

If push comes to shove, I will start to give up these items. But I'm not quite ready to yet. Are there things you keeping even though they are not absolutely essential? Leave a comment and let me know.

A family interviewed by Oprah says their thrifty habits make living on one $58,000 salary possible - and leaves room for saving money each month. Here is how they do it.

+ They use their cell phone for emergencies only, allowing them a low-minutes plan that costs $5 a month.

+ The father, Brett, brings a brown bag lunch and carpools to work, saving gas and food money.

+ The mother, Sue, cuts everybody's hair herself.

+ Brett does home repairs himself, saving the family $6,000 a year.

+ For fun the family goes to the beach, takes bike rides, or goes out to second-run movie theaters.

"It's an alternative to living beyond our means, really," Brett says. "Instead of spending too much money on things, we just make choices."

Thanks, Theresa!

Now through Halloween IHOP is selling all-you-can-eat pancakes for $5, a fabulous Lincoln Lunch that I have indulged in before. Pancakes, after all, are one of my favorite foods (up there with ice cream, of course).

For $5 you get a plate of five pancakes. If you are still eating after that, they come three at a time for as long as you can stuff your face.

For $6 you can get all-you-can-eat pancakes plus two pancakes, two eggs, hashbrowns and sausage or bacon. You can keep eating pancakes until you burst, though the eggs, potatoes and meat will not be refilled.

Caveats: in some locations the $5 pancake deal is $6 (like near Disneyland, a PR rep tells me.) Find an IHOP near you.

Thanks, Barb!

(not my actual lunch) I found an unexpected Lincoln Lunch in Canoga Park at Topz, which calls itself a "healthier burger grill." What is healthy about Topz is they serve turkey and veggie burgers, they bake their fries, and burgers are served on wheat buns unless you ask for white buns.

The $4.75 turkey burger comes with grilled onions, tomato, pickles, lettuce, and thousand island sauce. My order came quickly and was quite tasty. I wish it had been a little bigger, though.

An order of their baked "aero fries" costs $1.80. I tasted a few of my friend's for the sake of research. They were cut thin and tasted good but were not as crispy as fried potatoes. But, my dining companion pointed out, "they satisfy the French Fry craving." Topz also has garlic ketchup that makes eating the fries even more enjoyable.

The fast-casual joint has a few other Lincoln Lunches, what I call a $5 meal because Lincoln is on the fiver. A garden burger is $4.75, grilled cheese sandwiches are $3.45, and hot dogs are $3.85 to $4.75.

Visit them at 6500 Canoga Ave on the NE corner at Victory Blvd. Limited indoor seating but plenty of outdoor seating.

Here are all the deals mentioned in today's column.

Sweet treat

Lincoln Lunch: chicken Middle Eastern

Clothing recession

Eat on $3 a day

Lenses 50% off

DIY costumes

Free smoothie

Getting your credit report is the first step to repairing your credit, something that a lot of folks are doing these days, according to a story in the Daily News.

"At a time when even a blemish on a credit report can doom a car loan or a line of credit, consumers are flocking to credit repair companies for help in repairing the damage," the story says. "While credit-repair experts can't wipe out debts or erase the results of overspending, they can identify problem areas and suggest ways to improve a client's credit worthy status."

Get a free annual credit report through the Federal Trade Commission. The site explains how it works:

"A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. But there's only one online source authorized to do so. That's annualcreditreport.com. Beware of other sites that may look and sound similar."

Read about fake credit reports and free trial offers that sound appealing but may be a bum deal. You can also read the site en espanol.

The way the economic news is going, the Bargain Hunter will feature many more posts on personal finance. I didn't intend to go in this direction when I started the blog about a year ago.

But I didn't know there are so many great personal finance tips that really can save you money in everyday life. I also didn't know the economy was going to tank.

I will stick to useful, consumer-oriented personal finance tips and shy away from the really dry high finance stuff. My goal is still to save regular folks money in everyday life.

This means a lot of posts I have been filing under "Bargain Tips" will now go under "Personal Finance." You can read all my Personal Finance tips by clicking on that category on the right side of the blog (occasionally an advertisement blocks the categories but wait a bit and they will return).

Every year before Christmas my Mom warned us kids that this year we were not going to receive as many presents. Then Christmas morning we would wake up early, run into the living room, and find presents stacked knee high.

This year, however, the 12-year-old in me believes her. I'm betting there are many folks who will cut back on presents this year. To reign in spending and stay out of debt, check out my story in Sunday's Daily News.

"With the economy in the dumps, reining in spending this holiday season is crucial. Who can afford to overspend when we are on the verge of financial doom? This year, embrace your inner Scrooge. Instead of last-minute splurges, stay out of debt by saving and buying budget-friendly presents now.

"Did it take more than one credit-card cycle to pay off last year's presents? If so, you spent too much.

"If you can't pay it off at the end of the month, don't buy it, or get a cheaper way of borrowing," said Phillip Cook, a certified financial planner at Mogul Wealth Management Inc. in Torrance.

"Focus on your one- and five-year...

Every Wednesday and Thursday kids eat free after 4 pm at Carrows. You get one kids meal for every adult entree you order. They define kids as 10 and younger.

You don't need a coupon but I would confirm the deal after you sit down but before you order. For adults they currently have a two-course dinner for $7. You choose one of nine salads and desserts plus one of three entrees, including chicken sliders, mac -n- cheese, and pasta with sausage and marinara sauce.

If you join their e-mail club you may get a coupon. I did and got one for a free dessert with no strings attached.

Find a Carrows near you. They have restaurants in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Washington.

Soon we could be seeing gas prices below $3 a gallon across the country, according to a CBS2 story. Prices are always slightly higher in California because of clean-air taxes.

Oil prices have been dropping along with the stock market and that could mean steep price drops at the pump.

"Crude has now lost about 45 percent since hitting a record $147.27 on July 11, tumbling as a deepening credit crisis caused by the subprime mortgage fiasco wreaks havoc around the globe and drives down energy demand," the story says.

"Underscoring Americans' waning appetite for fuel, a gallon of regular gasoline dropped 5.3 cents overnight to a new national average of $3.35 a gallon, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express.

"Prices dipped below $3 a gallon on average in Kansas, Missouri and...

The NY Times has an awesome chart comparing the current bear market to past drops in the stock market.

There are zig zags from the 30s, 40s, 70s, 80s, 00s, and now, 08. The current drop seems to have fewer peaks. It's just one big slippery slope down.

The chart confirms that the current downturn is among the worst in history. And it attempts to answer the question - is it over? Check it out to judge for yourself.

I know it's coming, but it has not hit me yet. What this whole financial mess means for me and Hubby. Do you know what it means for you? I know our 401 (k)s have lost 10 to 25 percent of their value, maybe more. I know our jobs are slightly less secure.

But if neither of us gets "downsized," we are far enough away from retirement that the financial turmoil will effect us mildly. Am I being naive? I went to Hubby for a reality check. His resounding answer was, yes.

Even if we are luckily enough to avoid a direct hit and stay gainfully employed - knock on wood - we will get hit indirectly through higher taxes and lower services, Hubby believes.

The cost of things like car registration and sales tax will go up while our infrastructure and schools will lose funding. If others in our community are unemployed and become destitute, scams and crime could rise. Our parents may also need help that we hadn't anticipated.

I hope my optimistic view trumps Hubby's pessimistic one. But to hedge my bets against the worst I am going to cut back these expenses now:

+ Our cell phones. We are in between plans so we won't be penalized for stopping service. Hubby will get a cell phone through his new job and I can use...

If you like the tips you're reading on the Bargain Hunter, sign up for a free daily e-mail with more deals and savvy spending tips. I send the e-mail once a day, Monday through Friday, with links to each new blog post.

If something catches your eye, click through and continue reading. If not, delete it and go on your way. It's free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Sign up by emailing me a request to join the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest at julia.scott@dailynews.com. Thanks!

If you read my Sunday story about saving money for the holidays while also looking out for super cheap gifts now, you are in the right place. Here are 10 spots you can find discount gifts.

Know of other great places for bargain gifts? Leave a comment!

1. TJ MAXX
2. Ross
3. Thrift stores
4. Yard sales (as long as item does not appear used)
5. Freecycle.org
6. Craigstlist.com
7. Dollar or 99-cent stores
8. Nordstrom Rack
9. Stein Mart
10. Loehmann's

As part of my Sunday story I promised to share ideas for ten budget-friendly gifts. Here goes:

1. Homemade cookies (wrap them in tissue paper and saran wrap to save money on tins).

2. Knit cap or scarf

3. Homemade jam (stay tuned for my adventures making strawberry jam)

4. A paperback book (make a bookmark by taping pictures to a piece of thick paper or cardboard. The recipient will finish the book but still have the bookmark to remember you by.)

5. A magazine subscription

6. A framed picture of you and the recipient, or of your children

7. Low denomination gift cards

8. Coupon books for tasks that are truly coveted, like mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, or making dinner

9. Book of your favorite recipes

10. A heartfelt letter

I'm not breaking a lot of new ground here, unfortunately. Please share your original ideas for cheap gifts by leaving a comment. It will be greatly appreciated!

To cope with the depressing financial news I'm indulging in one of my favorite activities - watching back to back re-runs of Sex and the City. I plowed through the first season on DVD last week and am almost halfway through the second season.

It's free, fun, and relieves stress. I suggest you find a similar activity to take your mind off...you know what. If it's any consolation, eight in 10 Americans are also stressed about money, says a story by the Sacramento Bee.

"Crisis hotlines are hearing the anguish, while psychologists and other therapists say they are seeing personal woes tied to the faltering economy," the story says.

"But the hard economic times have their own irony: Financially strapped patients are also cutting back on therapy sessions when they may need them most. Patients have been curtailing visits -- or dropping out of therapy altogether. An hour session with a psychologist can cost upward of $150 or more.

"There's real anxiety about...

Senior citizens are eligible for a lot of discounts that the rest of us can only look forward to. Here are two good ones.

Folks 55 and older can get 10 to 20% off at Goodwill locations across the country. Check ahead of time at your local store because the discount may only be valid certain days of the week. You can also call (800) 741-0186 for store information.

Greyhound bus lines give 5% off unrestricted fares to folks 62 and older. Some destinations offer 10% if you purchase your ticket online. Their toll free number is 800-229-9424.

For more age-based discounts visit Senior Discounts. The site has three levels of membership, free and two paid memberships that offer greater access to deals. I'm counting the days!

Get 70% off gift certificates at Restaurant.com now until Monday, October 13, 2008. A $25 certificate on the site normally goes for $10, so with this discount it comes to $3. Use code SAVE. Unclear if it is case sensitive.

These discount coupons used to be relatively rare, but with the economy drying up many people are not eating out at as much, and certainly not at some of the fancier places you can get gift certificates to on Restaurant.com. So what used to be a quarterly or monthly discount has not become weekly!

Caveats: If you purchase a certificate, remember to read the redemption rules closely. They vary for each place and can be quite specific.

Get free standard shipping on any purchase from MAC Cosmetics this weekend only. Normally you don't get free shipping unless you spend at least $60.

The deal expires 8:59 pm pacific time this Sunday October 12, 2008. Use code 3DAY when checking out.

Browse the site by product type, designers and looks, or basic building blocks and last chance products.. They also have a page for Halloween makeup ideas, including an eye-catching blossom, above.

Caveats: free shipping valid on orders shipped to US and Canadian addresses only.

This Saturday, October 11, 2008 Borders is having a huge sale on games, holiday cards, books, DVDs, and more.

All games are 25% off list price. Holiday cards are buy one get one free. Ten recent bestsellers are 50% off and more than 40 DVDs and CDs are 40% off.

A selection of 90 DVDs are all reduced to $6. Burt's Bee's products are also buy one get one free. Buy a bag of coffee beans and get a medium beverage free.

Hmmm...may not be a bad idea to make one or two purchases as gifts for the holidays, which will be here before you know it.

Coffee deal and other products not available at Waldenbooks and Borders Express.

Caveats: some sale categories have limits (like only two 50% off books per customer). While supplies last. No rainchecks. Less expensive item is free for BOGO offers.

Find a Borders near you.

I think you'll enjoy this video. It is less than one minute long.

Watch More Videos       Uploaded by www.bebo.com/ideletejunk

Thanks, Carolina!

Many folks who are eligible to receive $300 stimulus checks from the federal government have not claimed them, according to a story in today's Daily News. In LA County alone there are 133,000 people who have not claimed them - and the deadline to do so is Wednesday, October 15.

Who are these folks? They include people who do not file tax returns (which is how the fed knows who to send the stimulus checks to), but who receive Social Security, veterans or disability benefits from Uncle Sam. Low-wage workers may also be due a stimulus check.

If you fit this profile and have not already received a stimulus check, here is how you can claim your moolah.

Fill out this two-page 1040A. The link also has directions on how to fill out the form and addresses for where you should mail your completed form in to receive the $300. Remember to write "Stimulus Payment" across the top of the form.

For help filling out the form contact one of the following:

IRS help line at 866-234-2942
LA IRS Taxpayer Advocate at 213-576-3140
Van Nuys office of the IRS at 800-828-1040 (6230 Van Nuys Blvd, M-F 8:30 to 4:30)
LA office of the IRS at 800-829-1040 (300 N. Los Angeles St, M-F 8:30 to 4:30)

Get 50% off all lenses at Lenscrafters, including bifocals, no-lines and prescription sunglasses. Discount ends November 1, 2008. Print the coupon here.

I like Lenscrafters because after you get your prescription they clean and tighten the frames for free anytime you want. I have taken advantage of this many times and they are always nice about it and never make me feel like I should buy something.

The 50% deal is valid on multiple pairs. Discounts are taken off the tag price. Clearance frames are excluded. In general if you don't have a coupon you can get an additional 10 to 30% off if you are a AAA member.

Caveats: frame and lenses purchase required to get the discount. Cannot be combined with any other offer, previous purchases, vision or insurance plans, readers or non-prescription sunglasses. Valid with coupon only. Valid prescription required. Void where prohibited.

Find a Lenscrafters near you.

Spend $50 at Target online and get $5 off your bill when you buy from one of these categories: men's clothing, girls' clothing and shoes, boys' clothing and shoes, women's clothing and shoes, women's outerwear, women's tops, juniors, luggage, jewelry, handbags and accessories and fragrances.

Use code TCDDG111 to get $5 off if the discount does not show up at check out. Expiration date unclear, though I suspect it is Saturday, October 11, 2008.

You may also be eligible for free shipping on the above items. Many furniture, home furnishings and other items are eligible for free shipping through Saturday, October 11, 2008. Look for the words free shipping in red.

Babystyle, an online clothing store for infants and young children, has two cheap Halloween costumes. Warning, most of their customs are $20 $40 so keep your blinders on and stick to the following two options.

A $10 Panda costume, above, (orig $36) comes in sizes 0-6 months up to 18-24 months. It does not include tights and shoes but you can improvise.

For infants, a $13 red hot chili pepper suit (orig $26) makes quite a spicy treat! None of the toddler costumes appear to be on sale.

With these prices, I doubt these costumes will last more than a day or two so act quick. You may also be eligible for free shipping!

There is also a 20% off code (use BOO20 when checking out) that may or may not work. The code is good only on online orders and says it cannot be combined with other discounts, which may include sale items like these two costumes. Give it a try! Unclear when it expires.

Caveats: final sale, no returns on these costumes.

Here are some recipes for cooking fast-food at home, including chicken tenders, burritos, and pizza.

"Fast-food places may be convenient and the path of least resistance at the end of a long, hectic day," says a story in yesterday's Daily News, "but when saving money is the goal, whip up something similar at home. It will not only taste better and be healthier if you pay attention to labels, but you can control portion sizes and calories.

"With a tortilla as your starting point, for instance, there are plenty of possibilities, ranging from soft tacos and meatless burritos to quesadillas and sandwich-style wraps, suggests Fernstrom.

"Make a taco with a corn or whole-wheat tortilla with shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken chunks or strips, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, store-bought guacamole, 2-percent-fat shredded cheese and reduced-fat sour cream.

"For a meatless burrito, roll up rice/and/or beans in tortillas along with... .

Can you say cheap date night? Pasadena Art Night is a coordinated effort to provide free art and a few drinks to you in a convenient manner. You can drive or walk to one of the 11 participating institutions, then hop on a shuttle that loops past every other museum until 10 pm. There is also a way to bicycle from exhibit to exhibit..

Participating museums include the Armory Center for the Arts, Art Center College of Design, Norton Simon Museum, One Colorado Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena City College, Pasadena Jazz Institute, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena Museum of History, Pasadena Public Library, Side Street Projects. Some museums will have free refreshments.

Local restaurant are offering a free ArtNight dessert between 5 to 6:30 pm when you purchase an entree at these One Colorado restaurants: Akbar, Gordon Biersch, Il Fornaio, Johnny Rockets, Russell's, or Sushi Roku.

For info on where to park, how to get a free shuttle pass, and self-guided tours click here. Thanks, Punam!

There are many resources for people facing foreclosure and other economic problems, according to a story in yesterday's Daily News.

There is a free homeownership and foreclosure prevention fair on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Braude Constituent Service Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys.

"Angelenos will be able to get personal help from nonprofit housing counselors, learn about refinancing opportunities and first-time homebuyer programs and meet with lenders about working out monthly payments or the possibility of switching from an adjustable-rate to a fixed-rate mortgage," the story says. Pre-register by calling 818-892-7600.

"The L.A. Foreclosure Response Network brings foreclosure prevention resources to six WorkSource Centers near communities that have been hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.

"The participating WorkSource Centers in the Valley are Metro North WorkSource Center; 342 San Fernando Road, 323-539-2000, www.goodwillsocal.org; Van Nuys-
North Sherman Oaks, 15400 Sherman Way, Suite 140, 818-781-2522, www.worksourcecalifornia.com; Sun Valley WorkSource Center, 9024 Laurel Canyon Blvd., 818-504-0334, www.wscalnetwork.org.

"Residents who are facing homelessness should call the L.A. County hotline 211. For mental health issues, call the county mental health referral line at 800-854-7771, or the Suicide Prevention Crisis Line at 877-727-4747."

Please share this information with anyone who may need it.

If you really must cut your food costs, check out this guide for how to eat on just $21 per week, which is about how much the average food stamp recipient lives on, according to the Food Stamp Challenge.

Last year four members of Congress took on the challenge. So did 12 senior executives of Grocery Outlets, which created this menu guide to share recipes that fit their drastically reduced food budget.

The recipes are simple but reading them made me hungry. Is a tiny breakfast burrito, tuna pita, carrot sticks and penne pasta all I would get to eat on day one? I would recommend supplementing their recipes with additional veggies, fruit, and snacks.

Grocery Outlets has only two locations in the LA area, in Buena Park and Fountain Valley. Their business model is similar to the dollar stores. They buy overstock, package changes, inventory closeouts, promotional and out-of-season items from manufacturers and sell them at steep discounts. Many items are names.

Grocery Outlets is based in Berkeley, Calif and has 133 independently operated stores in CA, AZ, NV, ID, OR and WA. To find a Grocery Outlet near you call 1-877-GR8-BUYS or click here.

Double your rebate when you shop online for Halloween candy, costumes and decorations this week through eBates.

If you have not heard of eBates, it is a site that gives you an automatic rebate when you join their free membership program and click through to retailers like Macys or Home Depot from eBates. They track what you buy and send you a rebate check every three months. eBates has a different deal with every merchant so the rebates can vary widely.

Now until Sunday, October 12, 2008, eBates will double your rebate at Costume Super Center to 14% (orig 7%), Candy Warehouse to 10% (orig 5%), Half Price Costumes to 12% (orig 6%), Spirit to 16% (orig 8%).

This week you can also get a doubled rebate on pet costumes at Petco (12% now, orig 6%) or Sears (4% now, orig 2%).

Remember to keep final price, and not just the discount, in mind when you weigh the value of your purchase.

Get 25 cards free when you order 50 from Shutterfly now until November 5, 2008. The deal is good on 4" x 8" and 5" x 7" greeting cards, designer cards or photo cards.

To get the deal, order 75 cards. You will pay for 50 cards and the other 25 will be free when you checkout. You may be able to get an even better deal if you are not a member of Shutterfly.

Caveats: deal does not apply to note cards. Savings applies to additional products of the same type and size. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply.

Here's a recipe for a beef soup that costs less than $10 and will feed at least four, courtesy of the Supermarket Guru. Note, you can make a lot of broth-based soups for less than $10. If the tab comes in under, I like to buy a loaf of crusty French bread to dip in the soup.

Shopping list with approximate prices:
15 oz. can of tomato sauce $0.67
2 lb. Boneless Beef Chuck Roast (on sale @ $2.15/lb.) $4.30
1 onion - quartered $0.50
3 long carrots or 1/2 of a 16 oz bag baby carrots $0.85
1/2 lb. orzo pasta $0.68
Total $7.00

From your pantry:
3 stalks celery - cut into 2" pieces
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Cooking instructions:
Put the boneless chuck roast in a pot and cover the meat with water, bringing it to a boil.
Add salt, pepper and garlic powder, lower the temperature and simmer for 1 1/2 hours - then, add onion, carrots and celery and the can of tomato sauce and continue to cook for another 1 1/2 hours. Cook the orzo according to package directions.

When the soup is done, remove the meat from the pot and pull it apart into pieces. Add the pieces of meat back into the soup and serve with the orzo.

Because this soup needs to cook a LONG time, it's a good one to make on the weekends. Then warm it up for a quick mid-week meal.

Get a free serving of frozen yogurt at Yozen Frogurt in West Hills and Thousand Oaks when you buy a serving of the same or larger size. Good on 4-, 6-, and 8-ounce portions.

You can also get 50% off a second quart of frozen yogurt when you buy one quart. Print out both coupons here. They expire November 30, 2008.

Yozen Frogurt stores currently are making flavors for fall, including Ghiradelli Chocolate, Double Chocolate Velvet, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Espresso Rush, above. Yum! I am a big fan of their peanut butter flavor when mixed with white cloud and a fruity flavor.

Visit YF at 6450 Platt Ave in the Platt Village strip mall in West Hills. (818) 887-8511. OR visit them at 2416 East Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks.

The coupon is also good at their third store at 2900 Townsgate Rd in Westlake Village, opening soon. Thanks, Karin!

Not all organic food is created equal. Some organic products may reduce the number of pesticides and hormones in your diet by more than others. So if you're cutting back - who isn't these days - cut these organic products last, says Newsweek.

Milk - especially if your family drinks a lot of it. Or get regular skim milk because some studies show the bad stuff sticks to fat.

Beef - pigs and chickens cannot have added hormones but in the U.S, beef can. Stick to chicken and pork or opt for the leanest cuts of beef, which have fewer contaminants.

Produce - food that can be peeled, like bananas, avocados, mango and avocado have fewer pesticides than sweet bell peppers, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, apples, tomatoes and lettuce. Washing for 30 seconds and drying with a clean towel removes some of the pesticides.

I was planning to blog about Halloween costume sales, but with the way the economy is going I'm thinking it may more useful to write about homemade costumes.

Here are 15 resourceful costume ideas courtesy of iVillage readers. Some require a little time or minor purchases.

"Get a white sweatsuit. From there, your tot can be a dog, a cow, or a ghost. Just get some black felt, cut it in shapes and pin (or velcro) the 'spots' to her suit! Add a little black eyeliner to the tip of her nose. For a dog, use the pencil to draw whiskers." --cl-mon71

"Attach balloons to a sweatsuit and be a bunch of grapes!" --cheatize

"I bought a hooded black sweatshirt for my two-year-old girl and hand-sewed black felt triangles on the hood and glued smaller white felt triangles inside the black ones. She just wore it with black pants and shoes and I used eyeliner to draw whiskers. She was an adorable cat and wore the sweatshirt all winter." --barville

"Be a bird! I cut out poster-board wings and tail and stapled on elastic bands. My daughter glued on hundreds of feathers, about $2 at Walmart, and wore a blue sweatsuit." --terri55

"One son was a dinosaur. He wore yellow and green sweats with...

Here's a new site that's developing a great concept - online classifieds for moms. It's a partnership between HandMeDowns.com and Jen's List, which is an e-mail sent by a Valley mom with family-related tips.

On Handmedowns.com, registered users can buy, sell, give away or donate new and gently used baby gear, toys, and clothes. A great way to make extra cash and save money.

They have sites for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C. but only the site for LA has listings. The others are waiting for users to post items. Joining is free.

The LA site has a listing for a free stroller, three listings for gliders ranging from $50 to $300, and six listings for baby slings and carriers from $15 to $75.

Some listings have pictures and details, other are quite brief. E-mail the person who listed the item for more info.

It's a great idea to use any gift cards you have NOW. With the economy on the brink of a depression, you never know what stores are going to file for bankruptcy and leave you with a wallet stuffed with useless plastic.

Anyone with a gift card from Sharper Image will know what I'm talking about. When the store filed for bankruptcy it stopped accepting gift cards. Then later it accepted them but only for up to 50% of the bill. In short, it was a mess for shoppers.

Try especially hard to spend any gift cards you have had for a long time - like my five-year-old Pottery Barn gift card. I shudder at the thought of how much inflation has eaten into my buying power. In the long run a gift card is not as good as cash and, with the way the economy is going, exchanging it for material items may benefit you.

Consider using the card to buy a holiday gift. If not, look for an item for yourself. If nothing strikes your fancy, think of what you may need in 6 to 12 months. A new set of sheets? New underwear? Spend it on staple items like these and you won't go wrong.

If you have a gift card from a store that goes bankrupt you may have a chance of collecting, but is it worth the hassle for $25 or $75? Save yourself the stress and spend it soon. Keep the receipt in case you want to exchange it.

The Budget Fashionista shared 10 tips to make sure your wardrobe survives the economic crisis. She's totally on the ball so I thought I'd share her ideas.

Develop a Signature Piece. "This is the piece you're going to be known for--sort of like your calling card. It could be fabulous shoes, earrings, blazer, dresses, etc. Focus your shopping dollars on these pieces. My signature piece is crazy necklaces, which I find at thrift stores and stores like Forever 21."

Use the Cost per Wear When Shopping. "Value is the key when building a great closet and The Budget Fashionista's cost per wear formula can help you get the most bang for your buck. The cost per wear is the price of an item/divided by the number of times you think you'll wear it. So if an item costs $100, and you wear it ten times, the cost per wear is...

Get 50% off already discounted gift certificates at Restaurant.com now until Sunday, October 12, 2008. Use coupon code DISCOVER when checking out. Not sure if it is case sensitive.

With the discount, a $25 certificate that normally sells for $10 is reduced to $5. Pay attention to redemption rules before you purchase because each restaurant has different rules about days and times the certificates can be redeemed. They usually have minimum purchase requirements and exclusions. So don't say I didn't warn you!

Caveats: cannot be combined with any other discount, rebate or promotion. Cannot be applied retroactively.

Here are all the deals from today's column.

Lincoln Lunch: sushi

Recycling perks

$2 sandwiches

Good wine

Deals e-mail- send a request to julia.scott@dailynews.com

Book trades

Money matters

Updates for the home

Get 20% off your entire purchase at Big Lots today through Saturday, October 11, 2008. Print the coupon here. One coupon per customer.

You may have to join their free frequent customer club, subjecting yourself to an occasional annoying e-mail.

Caveats: does not apply to previous transactions, priceholds, rentals, purchase of alcohol, purchases of gift cards, online purchases and cannot be used in combination with any other discount. Coupon discount will be applied in lieu of multiple item purchase discount (e.g. buy 2 for $3 when the regular price is $2 each) if coupon discount is greater than the multiple item purchase discount.

Find a Big Lots near you. Thanks, Dave!

You can now get details on a home sale just one day after closing on Realtor.com, according to a story on MarketWatch.com. Within 24 hours of a sale's closing, anybody with a computer can look at the sale price, property details, photos, and who the buyer's agent was.

The story says you can now do this for SoCal sales, implying they already provide this data for other markets. Check the site to see how much data they have for your neighborhood.

Consider the new search tool a way to conduct your own appraisal of your home, a neighbor's home, or homes in a neighborhood you are interested in moving to.

To find the recent sales data, go to Realtor.com, click on "Find Home Values," click on the state or region you are interested in, then zoom in really far until you see tiny red and green pinpoints. Each pinpoint has the data on one home. I had to zoom in about 5 times until they popped up.

The site also lets you sort the results for that neighborhood by sale price, sale date, number of bedrooms, bathrooms or square feet. You can also filter out certain homes for a more detailed search of their records.

Get a free breakfast at IKEA this Saturday October 11, 2008 through Monday October 13, 2008. Print the coupon here (you have to scroll down past the furniture sales a bit).

The deal is good until 10:30 am each day. The free meal includes one small breakfast ($.99), above, and one cup of coffee ($.99¢). If you are late they serve breakfast until 11 am but it won't be free.

Caveats: Limit one per customer. Not valid at stores in Hicksville, Houston, Seattle and IKEA Direct.

Find an IKEA near you.

Free a free bag of pop chips when you purchase any smoothie at Jamba Juice now until October 19, 2008. Print the coupon here.

You can also get a free 16 ounce smoothie or Breakfast All Day item when you buy a $25 Jamba Juice gift card.

They changed their menu some months ago, but certain classics are still for sale. My favorite is Coldbuster, though I have to say that I had one Saturday and came down with a terrible sore throat Sunday. Hmmm....

Caveats: while supplies last at participating Jamba Juice locations. Not valid at Safeway, Pavilions or Vons stores. Limit one coupon per customer per visit. Not valid online.

Find a Jamba Juice near you.

(not my actual lunch) I had a Lincoln Lunch revelation recently. A $5 meal at a restaurant with table service is roughly equivalent to a $6 meal at a place where you order and pick up your food at a counter. Profound, huh?

I realized this while munching on my rotisserie chicken lunch at Zarro in Canoga Park. The $6 meal came to $6.48 with tax but since there was no table service, no need to leave a tip. Two weeks earlier I had a $5.35 Chinese meal with table service that totaled $6.80 with tax and tip.

My Zarro's lunch came with a quarter rotisserie chicken, a hot pita, fresh hummus, a small side salad with a very tangy dressing and a little container of garlic sauce that, sadly, I did not discover until the end of my meal. Just a taste was enough to scare off vampires. Yum! My lunch also came with a 16 ounce soda.

Service at the no-frills restaurant was quick but not particularly friendly. The delicious food went a long way to make up for this. Don't expect small talk and you'll be fine.

Zarro's has a few other Lincoln Lunch possibilities. On the specials menu, a baja chicken wrap with rice, lettuce, tomato and white chicken breast and chipotle mayo dressing PLUS a 16 ounce drink is $5.49.

A plate with two falafels, tabouli, humus, pita, olives and a 16 ounce drink is $5.49. There are many other options for $6, including eight different wraps, a half rotisserie chicken to go (with pita, garlic sauce and rice), and a Cesar salad.

Visit Zarro's at 6851 Topanga Canyon Blvd across from Canoga Park High School. (818) 884-4895. Thanks, Joyce!

Pay what you can to see a production of the romantic comedy The Rainmaker this Thursday, October 9 at 8 pm in Glendale. The show is being put on by the classical repertory theatre company A Noise Within. They suggest you pay at least $10 for the show.

"Pay what you can" tickets are first come first serve, limit two per person. Get them at the box office at 234 S Brand Blvd., after 2 pm on the day of the performance. Cash only.

The Rainmaker is about how the arrival of a man named Starbuck to a small rural town changes how a young woman named Lizzie thinks of herself.

If you cannot make the "pay what you can" show, the play officially opens Saturday, October 11 and runs through Saturday, December 6, 2008. Previews begin Saturday, October 4.

A Noise Within is located at 234 South Brand Blvd. in Glendale.

The Simply Vera Vera Wang collection is 25 to 40% off for a limited time at Kohl's. The sale includes women's clothes, petites, shoes and accessories.

The sale is part of a Grand Opening celebration that goes through Saturday, October 11, 2008. A pleated topper jacket with elbow sleeves and a waist sash is $73 (orig $98).

A gray and black scarf with pink highlights is $24 (orig $35). A shimmery smocked top that would be perfect for the office or a cocktail after hours, above, is $40 (orig $54).

The discount tool store Harbor Freight is having a parking lot sale at many of its locations starting today through Sunday, October 5, 2008. Some sale prices may be good through Wednesday, October 8 so read the fine print.

With coupons you can print on this page, sale prices include scissors for $.97, a four-piece paint brush set for $.89, and an electronic bug swatter than I'm totally coveting for $2.49. Zzzzt. Zzzzzt.

Lots of other tools on sale. Find a Harbor Freight near you. The company has stores in many states.

Gift certificates at Restaurant.com are 50% off today through Sunday, October 5, 2008. Use code THREE when checking out. A $25 certificate is normally $10 on the site, so this discount brings it down to $5.

As usual, be careful to read the redemption rules for each restaurant carefully because they vary and can be quite specific sometimes.

If you pay attention to the rules the certificates can make eating out much more affordable, which is hard to do these days.

Caveats: cannot be combined with any other discount, rebate or promotion.

It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. Go by a bakery minutes before it closes (preferably less than five), and take a good look at what's left. See if there are any signs for late-day discounts in the offing.

If you don't see any, ask. No deal? Ask what happens to the baked goods at the end of the day. If they are tossed out, see if they can help you out with a fair price.

If they go on sale the next day (50% off is common for day-old baked goods), ask if they would be willing to give you the discount today. You are here now and want to spend your dollars. What's the best price they can give you?

I find being pleasant and complimenting the cashier or owner on how good the bread and pastries look helps. Don't be offended if can't help you out, just be disappointed.

Lastly, offer to pay in cash. Nothing like a few greenbacks to grease the wheels.

A superior at the paper recommended I try Delicato's Chardonnay because it was one of the best white wines for your buck. Expect to pay about $9, he said. I always appreciate tips and suggestions, so I looked around and bought a bottle.

It took me awhile to find it - none of the chain groceries stocked it - but finally I checked Bev Mo, where I found a 2006 vintage for $4.50. Wahoo!

Two 5% off online coupon codes, WELCOME and REWARDS35, (neither of which I have an expiration date for, unfortunately), brought the cost down to $4.06 plus tax.

Not too shabby!

Last night I opened the bottle to drink while listening to the debate between Vice Presidental candidates Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin. I was ready to celebrate or soothe my sorrows, depending on how it turned out.

The wine was slightly sweet and fruity with a simple, pleasing taste. Overall it had a relatively mild taste. I would recommend it for a casual dinner, BBQ, or picnic. It would also pass at dinner parties, especially as a second bottle.

Only problem is that Delicato's Chardonnay might be hard to find. BevMo still has a few bottles left.

Thanks, Ed!

You can read the survey's about how bad the economy is or just look at how many retailers and restaurants are sending out coupons. Discounts that were few and far between are becoming weekly. Here are a few good ones:

Discounts at Marie Callender's, from 20% off your total bill to a free entree when you buy one entree and two drinks.

Get $5 off a $20 purchase at Walgreens Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4, 2008 only. Some exclusions.

REI"s fall sale begins today, October 3, 2008. Runs through October 13, 2008.

But don't let the sale signs and coupons faze you. Focus on the actual price you are going to pay and ask yourself if it is really a good price. Could you get this item somewhere else for less without sacrificing quallity? Could you forgo the purchase?

I wish I lived in Everett, Massachusetts. The lucky folks there actually get PAID to recycle. Before trucks collect recyclables, they weigh the items and scan the household ID embedded in the bin.

That info is sent to a Web site that converts each household's haul into rewards, like discounts at CVS or the grocery store. "Basically it's like a frequent-flier program for recyclers," says a story in this week's issue of Newsweek.

The whole thing is run by RecycleBank, a startup based in New York. Residents have been motivated by getting paid, to say the least. In Wilmington, Delaware, where RecycleBank operates, the recycling rate has increased from 3% to 32% in one year. Everett residents have been recycling ten times as much, the story says.

Households get 2.5 points per pound of recyclables, up to a maximum of 450 points or $45 a month. The company makes money by selling advertising and by compiling a database of green consumers.

RecycleBank wants to expand in the South and Midwest, where recycling rates are much lower than on the coasts, leaving more room for improvement. Sigh. It may be hard to convince them to come to Los Angeles. Perhaps I will move. So what if it snows in Everett? Free lattes! Free lattes!!

With the recent news that new car sales have dropped dramatically - Toyota and Ford both posted a 30% drop - this next tip may sound old hat. But there are more reasons than ever to buy a used car these days, if you are buying at all.

The trick is to buy the right kind of used car, according to a recent issue of Consumer Reports magazine. "With relatively low mileage, modern safety and convenience features, and usually a much lower price than similar new vehicles, those used cars are in the sweet spot of auto deals," the story says.

In some cases, buying a three-year-old car can save you enough money over the first five years of ownership to cover your gas bill for those entire five years! That's true for a 2005 Toyota Camry with a V6 engine (actually, you still come out $2,500 ahead) and nearly true for a 2005 Ford Focus (buying used covers four years of gas).

With SUV sales and values plummeting because of high gas prices, you could save $25,500...

If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, I suggest joining the Home Depot Garden Club. It's free and may save you money if you can tolerate getting an e-mail about once a week from them. (I only open them if the subject mentions a coupon or deal.)

The e-mail they sent last week had a buy one get one free coupon for bulbs. (If the link doesn't work it's because you need to join to access the coupons.) I bought two packs of tulips, priced at $7 each, so in the end I got 28 bulbs for $7 plus tax. I also bought a pack of four compact florescent light bulbs for less than $6.

Consider joining, it may payoff for you!

Yesterday's Daily News had a story on quick meals and desserts you can make at home that taste great. They are also probably cheaper than eating out because you don't have to tip or pay for gas, but the main focus is not budget.

The recipes come from "More Fast Food My Way" by Jacques Pepin, "Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee" by Sandra Lee, and "365 Easy One-Dish Meals," by Natalie Haughton, a Daily News staff writer who also penned the story.

Here are four of the tastiest looking recipes, including a dessert that has my mouth watering:

ROASTED SPLIT CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD CRUST

1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)

Mustard Crust

Mashed potatoes, optional

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut alongside the backbone of the chicken to split it open. Spread and press on the chicken with your hands to flatten it. Using a sharp paring knife, cut halfway through both sides of the joints connecting thighs and drumsticks and cut through joints of shoulder under wings as well. (This will help...

BookMooch.com is a Web site that facilitates the (nearly) free trading of books between readers, similar to PaperBackSwap.com, which I blogged about recently.

You type in the books you want to give away, then you put in requests for the books you want. Meanwhile, you receive requests from other members. Joining is free. You only pay the mailing cost to send books out.

For every book you list you receive a tenth-of-a-point. Each time you give away one book you get a whole point, or three points if you mail it abroad. Receiving a books costs 1 point, or 2 points if it was sent from abroad.

To keep receiving books, you need to give away at least one book for every three you receive. Read more about how the points system works.

Browse books by topic, language or location on this page. My Dad uses the site and has been happy with it. Thanks, Dad!

Museums LA, a group that promotes local museums, is sponsoring free admission to 24 cultural, historic and art institutions this weekend, October 4 and 5, 2008.

The museums will offer free admission to visitors on both days or one day. Participating museums include the Autry National Center, California African American Museum, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles Fire Museum & Memorial, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the Skirball Cultural Center.

To see the full list and days each museum is free, click here

Caveats: You still have to pay for parking. The free pass may not apply to ticketed exhibitions. Advance reservations may be needed for some exhibitions.

Thanks, Punam!

The next 8-hour grocery sale at Albertsons is Thursday, October 2, 2008 from 1 to 9 pm. A few hot prices from the flyer in Tuesday's paper (that's when all the grocery flyers run) include:

Deli sliced Hormel Honey or Virginia Ham, Jennie-O Oven Roasted or Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast is $3.99/lb. This meat freezes well if you wrap it tightly!

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.79/lb for packs that are 5 pounds or greater or $1.99 if they are less than 5 pounds.

Albertsons 8-ounce chunk cheese blocks are 3 for $5, select varieties. Fresh Express Salad Blends are 99-cents for packs that range in size from 4.5-ounces to 12 ounces. Limit 2 per person.

Select bottles of wine are also marked down by 30% starting today through Tuesday, October 7, 2008.

Find an Albertson near you.

UPDATE: The PR rep messed up big time. The store opens today, October 2 at 7 pm, not at 11 am. If you went by before then and found the doors locked, you are entitled to a free yogurt, but you have to go by today to get it. I would call and ask for the store manager, Susan, to confirm. I spoke to her but it's always a good idea to call ahead. The store number is (818) 704-2224. I apologize for the inconvenience.

UPDATE: A reader says the store doesn't open until 5pm today - I reported the store is open 11 am to 11pm as per a PR rep - and I am on hold to clear this up right now. Will keep you posted.

PREVIOUSLY: A new frozen yogurt chain called Yogen Fruz is celebrating the opening of its Tarzana store this Thursday, October 2, with a buy one get one free offer.

Print this coupon to get the deal. It is a little confusing because it merely says the coupon expires this "Sunday." It is actually valid Thursday, October 2 through Sunday, October 5, 2008.

If you use the coupon by then you should receive another BOGO free coupon in the store, a PR rep tells me. Ask if they forget.

Yogen Fruz is originally Canadian and has 1,100 locations in more than 20 countries. They sell frozen yogurt, yogurt that is blended with fruit toppings, smoothies, fruit and yogurt cups, and fresh fruit.

Visit them at 18717 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana. They are open everyday from 11 am to 11 pm. Find a Yogen Fruz near you.

What would today be without a deal on Halloween costumes? It's October 1! BizRate.com has compiled sales listings of costumes and accessories from a slew of online retailers for a direct comparison of prices.

Sort costumes by Price Low-High to see your cheapest options first. But remember many of the cheaper items are for accessories like gloves or makeup kits, so read carefully to see what you are buying.

A child's fairy costume that includes wings, a ribbon and a net headband is $10.

Another great way to put a costume together is to throw a costume making party. Ask everyone to bring items they are willing to give away or lend that could become part of a costume for someone else. Think wacky hats, feather boas, aviator glasses, and extra makeup. Open a bottle of wine and the ideas will flow.

You've all heard of the massive online garage sale known as Craigslist, but there are other Web sites that facilitate the free trading of goods rotting in your house.

+ Freecycle is a network of groups based on geography. You may remember I blogged about them 15 months ago. Today there are 4,610 Freecycle groups of people giving away stuff across the globe. There are groups in Northridge, Woodland Hills, North Hollywood, Burbank-Glendale, and Long Beach. Find a group near you.

Each local network is a Yahoo group where members can post messages and scan items other members are giving away. It is free to join and by signing up for a local group, you reduce the number of miles you will have to drive to pick up an item. Plus everything listed is free!

LendList is similar to Freecycle but items are loaned, not donated, and you share your items with a smaller network of friends, family and associates that you choose.

Basically, you compile a list of things you have to loan out, send the list to your friends, family, co-workers, and fellow church members. The site tracks who has what and keeps your contact info private. LendList makes sense if you have items that you rarely use, like tools, bicycles, an RV, or kitchen gear that you want to share. Joining is free.

Thanks, Sarah!

I was thrilled to find a super cheap sushi restaurant in the same plaza as where I found a Chinese Lincoln Lunch last week. The menu at SushiMac said each roll is $2.75, which let me to believe that the place sold really crappy sushi or really cheap sushi. Or possibly both.

My frequent lunch partner begged off so I ventured out on my own. At 11:40 am, just ten minutes after opening, SushiMac was already a third full. Good sign. The small sushi joint plays loud music (store policy, a sign informs customers) and embraces efficiency as a means to offer cheap sushi.

As soon as I sat down at the counter, the lone server handed me a menu, which doubles as an ordering form. Using a pencil from a jar on the counter, which is where customers also find wasabi, pickled ginger, chopsticks, napkins, soy sauce, and dishes to hold soy sauce, I ordered...

The last day for Californians to register by mail to vote is October 20. Many other states have even earlier deadlines.

New York is October 10, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Texas are October 6, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon and Maryland are October 14.

Check your state's deadline here. Then fill out this form, mail it in and you can cast a ballot. Election day is Tuesday, November 4.