November 2008 Archives

UPDATE: Due to an oversight, the Bargain Hunter Gift Guide was not put on dailynews.com this morning. My apologies. You can read the entire gift guide here.

PREVIOUSLY: Check out today's LA Daily News for your very own copy of the fabulous Bargain Hunter Gift Guide. It has tons of gift ideas for every budget, tips for buying gift cards, getting good value for your money, and more.

If you came to this site because you read the gift guide and it said more info was online, you are in the right place! Just scroll down until you find what you are looking for.

If you like what you see, please come back and visit. I'll be writing a lot about the holidays during the next few weeks so expect more tips for saving a buck on gifts, groceries, festive parties, and more.

You can always suggest an idea for a blog post by emailing me at julia.scott@dailynews.com. Thanks!

Hubby cooked our 24 pound bird perfectly. It looked beautiful and tasted delish, but with nine guests, including two who do not like turkey, we have a lot of bird left over. So you may not think it makes sense for me to buy another turkey this weekend.

But you'd be wrong. Grocers are likely going to mark down their unsold turkeys, especially if any are still around next weekend. So why not pick up a smallish 12 pound bird, one small enough you can fit in your freezer, and keep it for a month.

By that time your supply of turkey will be gone and you will have another one (gotten at a good price) ready to be thawed and cooked. Think about it!

Thanks, Kate!

More gift ideas on a $250 budget:

For a gag gift...the eyes of a plastic goldfish light up when you press a button. Attach to your keychain. $4.50 at SkyBluPink. 314 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank. 818-845-0226.

For neighbors...make your own spicy, sweet or savory gift basket with travel-sized treats from Cost Plus World Market. $1.29 and up.

For the homebody ... a year of Dwell magazine provides an escape into modern home design and architecture for $20.

For the techie ... a Nextar MA933A-1P MP3 player with 1 GB of memory is $10 at Tigerdirect.com.

For TV lovers...a DVD of "Wall-E" is $17 on Amazon.com.

For Grandma ... a plush bathrobe from Gillian O'Malley comes in...

If you are worried about giving a gift card because retailers are doing so badly, you are not alone. Which means a lot of folks will be giving - and receiving - cash this year. Here are a few ways to dress up cash to make it seem like more of a gift.

1. Wrap the cash with pictures of what it can buy. This makes it seem more like you are giving the end gift and not just the means to acquire it.

2. Hide the cash somewhere in the house and leave the recipient a riddle under the tree (in an envelope or box) that they have to solve to find the cash. Give written and visual cues in the riddle. I've done this twice and both times it was a success!

3. Pair the cash with a small gift, with bonus points for something that is...

If you read the Bargain Hunter frugal and fun gift guide in today's paper, here is the recipe for my fabulous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I'll be making them for a lot of friends this year so if you make them you are not alone!

Ingredients:
3 1/3 c flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
16 T (2 sticks) butter at room temp or melted and cooled
1 1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 T vanilla
3/4 c peanut butter
16 oz (1 bag) chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat over to 325. Whisk flour, soda and salt in medium bowl...

Retail experts are predicting online deals on Cyber Monday, which follows the Black Friday weekend, will be better than last year, according to a story in Information Week. This year Cyber Monday is December 1.

"Shop.org, the National Retail Federation's digital division, reported that 83.7% of Internet retailers surveyed plan special promotions for the Monday after Thanksgiving," the story says. "That's up from 72.2% last year."

"The group's eHoliday Survey found that 38.8% of online retailers plan specific deals, while 32.7% plan e-mail campaigns and 24.5% plan one-day sales. About 23% will offer free shipping on all purchases, according to Shop.org."

Stay tuned for Cyber Monday deals!

Sign up for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest and get one email each weekday with the latest deals on the Bargain Hunter blog. It's free and you can unsubscribe at any time!

To join shoot me an email with a request to join at julia.scott@dailynews.com. Thanks! ~Julia

Thanks for reading the blog this week, even though many of you are on vacation. I hope the shopping tips have been handy. Check back Friday for posts about the fabulous Bargain Hunter Gift Guide, which runs in the LA Daily News this Friday.

Next week I am traveling to Florida for a journalism seminar on blogging so posts will be light. But I will do my best to keep you up to date on the latest holiday deals.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the leftovers!!
~Julia

1. Wear your most comfortable shoes
2. Bring a bottle of water (leave an extra in the car if you don't want to refill from the fountain)
3. Bring a snack that travels well like an apple, cracker, string cheese, pb&j, dried fruit, muffin or trail mix.
4. Write down gift ideas before you go shopping

5. Set your budget ahead of time and write down what you spend

6. Plan your route or decide which stores you definitely want to hit

7. Decide what your shopping goal is. Do you want to finish your holiday shopping in one day? Do you just want to get a certain doorbuster deal? Do you want to shop all night just for the experience?

8. Shop with someone who has a similar shopping goal. Or shop alone if that will make it easier for you to reach your goal.

9. Get a good night's sleep

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Here is a time line of when LA malls begin their Black Friday sales.

Friday, November 28 opening times:
* 12 AM Camarillo Premium Outlets (to 10 PM)
* 5 AM Glendale Galleria (to 10 PM)
* 6 AM Northridge Fashion Center (to 10 PM)
* 6 AM Valencia Town Center (to 10 PM)
* 7 AM Antelope Valley Mall (to 9 PM)
* 7 AM Burbank Town Center (to 10 PM)
* 7 AM Panorama City Mall (to 9 PM); La Curacao 5 a.m.-9 p.m.
* 7 AM Westfield Topanga (to 10 PM)
* 8 AM Westfield Fashion Square (to 10 PM)
* 9 AM Americana at Brand (to 11 PM)
* 10 AM The Promenade at Westlake (to 9 PM)
* 10 AM Westfield Promenade (to 9 PM)
* 10 AM The Commons at Calabasas (to 9 PM)
Sherman Oaks Galleria: Closed

Wal-Mart openings on Friday, November 28:
Fallbrook, Panorama City and Porter Ranch malls...

You can get a free meal on Thanksgiving from 10:30 am to 2 pm at Lum-Ka-Naad Thai Restaurant in Northridge. The meal includes fried rice, chicken satay, salad, grilled chicken and pad Thai.

Alex Sonbalee, the owner, is offering the free meal to express his appreciation for the community. He is seeing people lose their jobs, lose their homes because of the housing meltdown and because of fires, and wants to give something back.

"My restaurant is two years old," Alex said when I called him earlier this week. "First year was a struggle. This year is okay. I'm so lucky that I survived." Alex expects to feed 200 to 300 people.

Lum-Ka-Naad is located at 8920 Reseda Blvd. in Northridge. (818) 882-3028.

More Black Friday ads. Here is the one for Big Lots. Stores open at 6 am.

At Charlotte Russe the entire store is 25% off Friday November 28. A similar deal online has merchandise up to 25% off through a buy one get one 50% off deal.

The PepBoys doorbusters last from 5 am to 11 am Black Friday, though expect supplies to be limited. Read their flyer here.

UPDATE: A pre-Black Friday deal at Bath & Body Works gets shoppers free shipping with no minimum purchase. Use code SHIPFREE when checking out online. Some exclusions. Expires 11:59 p.m. EST on November 27, 2008.

Ann Taylor Loft has a Black Friday deal online and in stores for two $25 shopping cards every time you spend $50. I'm guessing there are quirky rules about redeeming the $25 shopping cards. They also have sweaters for $30. You can also get 20% off when you shop Friday before noon in stores.

Michael's has five coupons for 20% to 50% off starting Thursday at 6pm and going through the weekend.

Buy.com has Thankgiving deals that work only when you pay with PayPal, including a $15 marshmallow gun and a 5-in-1 Wii game set for $21.

Macy's Black Friday doorbusters include an extra 15% off savings pass available in Friday's newspaper (some exclusions). Jewelry is on sale, plus get men's designer sweaters for $20 (orig $50 to $54), any size comforter (down or down alternative) is $40 (orig $110-130), select holiday lane & Martha Stewart Ornaments are 50%and all espresso and coffee makers are 40% off.

Macys.com Web-busters on Cyber Monday starting at 2 am PST include free shipping on purchases of $75 or more, and a buy one get one free deal on women's sweaters.

Stop the presses!!! Rebates for online shopping through eBates.com will be DOUBLED for all purchases made on the site this Friday, November 28 only.

If you are planning on shopping online for gifts or holiday travel, this is a great deal. If you are new to eBates, it is free to join. You register on their site, then click through to retailers from their list, which includes nearly every retailer you can think of. Read more about how it works.

Check the rebate deal eBates has with each retailer because they are different. Some are as low as 1%, others are as high as 25%. For this one day only, the rebates are doubled.

How do you collect your rebates? eBates sends you a check every three months as long as your have earned $10 or more. If not they hold it until you accumulate more rebates.

The deal begins 12:01 am EST Friday (9:01 pm PST Thursday) and ends 24 hours later. Check it out!

The 13th Annual LA DWP light festival in Griffith Park starts today, November 25 and runs until Tuesday, December 30, 2008. The mile-long display of lights is on every night from 5 to 10 pm.

The first few nights (through Dec. 7) are for pedestrians and bicyclists, other nights are for horse enthusiasts. Cars are allowed starting Dec. 8. Shuttle service is available December 12 through 30 if you park at the LA Zoo.

For more details go here. For directions click here.

As a rule I never go shopping with Hubby unless it is to help him pick out new clothes. He has a strong allergic reaction to department stores, which means he only buys clothes every 18 months. And you thought I was frugal!

But if you are the type to drag, I mean take, your male significant other on a shopping trip, here are tips to keep him happy, courtesy of Frugal Dad. The advice may just keep you both in good holiday cheer, though some of the tips beg the question - is it worth it?

1. "Do not take him to a store that you know he does not like. There are only a few places I absolutely refuse to go. One is Bath and Body Works. You can smell the place from the mall parking lot! And once inside I can almost guarantee the onset of a blinding headache or an asthma attack from the aromatic collection of fruity lotions.

2. "Give us a list of items and turn us loose. Men, by nature, are...

Recent retailer bankruptcies have put shoppers on edge. Gift cards, that long-time safety gift for hard-to-buy-for people, may be one of the least safe presents to buy this year. Or are they actually a safe bet?

A gift card is safe if the retailer is financially healthy. So which retailers are viable? I wish I could tell you.

But I can share what an expert I interviewed told me. If there are two direct retail competitors (like Best Buy and Circuit City), and one files for bankruptcy and goes out of business, the other one is that much stronger, making it safer to buy gift cards from.

I say "safer" because no one is hands down safe. In this economy there are "less safe" and "more safer." If you are really worried, give cash. If people turn up their nose, they are ridiculous. Giving a gift card is essentially the same as giving cash.

For ideas about how to dress up a gift of cash, check back Friday, when the Bargain Hunter Gift Guide runs in the LA Daily News!

This morning Best Buy released their sales flyer for Black Friday, November 28. The sale starts at 5 am but if you can't wait that long you can shop online on Thanksgiving. That used to be sacrilege, now it's normal competition.

Best Buys flyer prices seem awfully low. Of course, the stores will sell out of these items within minutes of opening. The flyer lists how many will be in each store at the minimum, from 4 to 30 for each of these specially priced items. Don't expect you can roll in at 9 am and find one of these super deals laying around.

A 50 inch Panasonic plasma TV is $900. To get one of these super deals you must get in line and get a ticket. Read Best Buy's rules about waiting in line on Black Friday.

Amazon points out their Black Friday deals require no line waiting in the middle of the night. Browse their Black Friday sales here, including electronic gadgets, books and more.

A Leatherman Micra multitool, above, is $13 (orig $30).

UPDATE: Sears is offering their Black Friday deals online the day before, i.e., Thanksgiving. The flyer is unclear, but it seems that the sale ends at midnight on Thanksgiving. A preview starts at 9pm online Wednesday.

Hubby and I went shopping for Thanksgiving over the weekend and capitalized on a deal I wrote about last week. Vons had one of the best prices for turkeys - $7.88 for a frozen Butterball Turkey up to 16 lbs and $9.88 for one bigger than 16 lbs - so we headed over to our local store.

We found a lot of Butterball turkeys and flipped over the frozen birds to check their weight until our fingers turned white. They were all about 12 pounds each, which did not satisfy Hubby, who is in charge of cooking the bird when we celebrate Thanksgiving at home. He is one fine bird-cooker and he looks forward to leftovers almost more than the actual meal. So big birds are a must.

Luckily an employee from the meat department walked by as we were giving up finding one in the freezer. Were they bigger birds...

Here's a quick quiz to test your Black Friday knowledge. Write down whether each statement below is true or false.

The term Black Friday has been around since the 1960s and originated in Philadelphia.

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year.

Black Friday gets its name because retailers go from being "in the red" to being "in the black" because so many people go shopping.

In 1939 during the great depression retailers wanted a longer shopping season so President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week.

How did you do? Keep reading to find out.

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

Coming soon (The Bargain Hunter frugal and fun gift guide runs Nov. 28. Grab a copy to save on holiday gifts!)

Cheap turkey day tips

Toy liquidation sale

Party cheaply (going out on a budget)

Video questions (Wii v. Playstation 3 v. Xbox)

Rebates bounce

Lincoln Lunch: pizza and soda

I rarely drink caffeinated coffee - I know, I'm a lightweight - but Black Friday is the one work day where I like an extra kick to match the frenzied pace of shoppers buzzing around the mall. As long as I can turn in my retail story before the inevitable caffeine-induced headache sets in I can deal. Caffeine withdrawal on deadline? Not pretty.

To aid me and other coffee drinkers, many Starbucks stores across the country are opening a half hour earlier this Friday to help shoppers rev up for the traditional start of holiday shopping. Some are opening as early as 4 am!

Here is a sampling of LA Starbucks' hours this Friday:

Toluca Lake 4am-12am; Burbank Center 6am-7pm; Lankershim & Magnolia 4am-12am;
Pass Avenue & Oak Street 430am-11pm; Ventura & Vineland 4am-1am; Victory & Empire 430am-12am; Laurel Canyon & Riverside 430am-12am; Tujunga & Camarillo 4am-1am;
Hollywood Way & Airport Access, Burbank 430am-12am; Woodland Hills 4:30-1:00am; West Hills 5:00-11:00pm; Topanga Plaza 4:30-11:00pm...

My top advice for shoppers hitting the stores this Friday to jump start their holiday shopping is to a) create a list of gifts you want to give each person whom you are buying presents for, and b) set a budget.

Last year my Gift List named every person I was going to give a gift to (including cards and homemade gifts) and ideas for what present(s) I wanted to give each person.

This year, my Gift List has a lot more cards and cookies on it than last year. I've also been better at putting aside items I can re-gift and gifts I bought at bargain basement prices during the past few months. I'll try to post my Gift List for this year soon.

To track your spending, create a budget of how much you have to spend this holiday season. (Last year mine was $400). Divide the total budget by how many people you are buying presents for to get an idea of about how much you should spend per person.

As you spend, subtract the purchases from your budget. To motivate yourself, spend whatever you have left over in your budget on yourself! I went over by a few dollars, unfortunately, but making the list definitely helped me from overspending even more.

Thinking of buying a TV on Black Friday or during this holiday season? It's not a bad time to look because many stores have ultra competitive pricing this time of year. Don't expect an across the board discount, but there will be deals to be had.

The folks at BFAds.net, which posts Black Friday sales, has a TV buying guide which highlights TVs with the best performance for the price. The guide has a chart pointing out the difference between LCD and plasma screens, it breaks down the resolution for various sizes of TVs, and lists which brands are trustworthy. The site also has tips for buying a TV by size, from tubes smaller than 26 inches to ones larger than 60 inches.

Not a bad primer if you are thinking about buying a new TV. Remember to check PriceSpider.com to track the going rate of the TV you are interested in, once you have narrowed it down to a handful of choices. The site lets you compare how the price for an item has fluctuated over the past six months.

I'm going to be updating this post as the day goes on. Below are Black Friday sales and specials that start this Friday.

eBay is selling 15 luxury items for $1 today through December 8. The catch is that the listings are hidden. Whoever finds them first "wins." The secret $1 listings include a Corvette, Nintendo Wii, an iPod Nano, and a Garmin GPS system.

All the used books at Brand Bookshop in Glendale are 30% of with no sales tax sale November 28 to December 24. Visit them at 231 N. Brand Bl. in Glendale.

Get 20% off your entire purchase of $50 or more at H&M from opening to 10 am on Friday, November 28, 2008.

Stores at the Camarillo Outlets open midnight on Friday, Nov. 28. To browse sales by individual stores click here or download this printer-friendly version. The entire Banana Republic Factory Store is 40% off, Lancome fragrances and cosmetics are 25% off, at DKNY get an additional 20% off your entire purchase, and at J.Crew get an extra 50% off clearance items until 10 am Friday, November 28.

More info to help you plan your Black Friday shopping trip:

Toys R Us Black Friday sale items with prices

Wal-Mart Black Friday sales with prices. Some of the best deals include a Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player (NB500MG9) for $128, an Xbox 360 Arcade Console w/ Guitar Hero III and Wireless Guitar for $199, a Polaroid 42" LCD 1080p HDTV for $598, a Samsung 50" Plasma HDTV for $798, a Garmin nuvi 200 Portable GPS for $97, and a Samsung 10.2MP Digital Camera for $69, according to BFAds.net. The sale prices are from 5 am to 11 am on Black Friday and supplies are limited. Find out if that means 2 items sold at these prices, or several hundred before you set on buying one.

Ikea sale items with prices, including a number of bed frames for $100 that are originally $200. A kid's easel is $10 (orig $25), and a down comforter that is $50 (orig $80 to $149). You can also get a free $.99 breakfast before 10:30 am with a coupon at the bottom of this link.

Here is a list of Black Friday ads from dozens of stores, including Best Buy, Costco, Circuit City, Home Depot, Old Navy, Sears and Target. Compare prices to get the best deal!

Kohl's is opening at 4 am on Black Friday, with early bird specials until 1 pm, including 50% off the entire stock of toys made by Fisher Price, Playskool, Barbie, Tonka, Matchbox and Hot Wheels.

Early bird specials also include 40 to 50% off percent off the entire stock of designer apparel for misses, including Simply Vera Vera Wang, ELLE Contemporary Collection, and Daisy Fuentes.

Selected styles within the Chaps apparel for misses line will be 55 to 60%. A high-definition video camera value pack including 2GB SD card, tripod, rechargeable batteries, cable and pouch will be $100 (orig $200).

Jewelery and perfume will also be on sale. For every $50 you spend this Friday and Saturday at Kohl's, get $10 off purchases made from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6.

Find a Kohl's near you. Online deals will not be the same as ones in stores.

Get a free Dr. Pepper as part of the soda company's promise to provide free drinks if Guns N' Roses' album "Chinese Democracy" was released in 2008, according to a story on Fox News.

The album goes on sale Sunday. Get your free 20-ounce Dr. Pepper by downloading a coupon from the Dr. Pepper Web site. The coupon will only be on the site for 24 hours beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m. The coupons expire February 28, 2009.

Thanks, Tina!

Here are a few coupons I've received lately: They each have their own rules and exceptions so please read the fine print before you shop.

Get 20% off at the Container Store with this coupon. Online use code CLUTTERCREW. Expires Sunday, November 30, 2008.

Get 80% off at Restaurant.com with code SURPRISE now until Monday, November 24, 2008. That makes a $25 gift certificate $2. Read redemption rules carefully.

For every $50 worth of gift cards you buy at Pasta Pomodoro, you can get a $10 gift card free. The small chain has restaurants in Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks, Burbank, West Hollywood, Manhattan Beach and Huntington Beach.

Get 25% off fitness apparel at the running store Future Track in Agoura Hills with a coupon just for Bargain Hunter readers. Expires December 31, 2008.

Thanks, Myke!

PayPal, an online payment service, plans to offer lines of credit to qualified shoppers who want to buy holiday gifts, according to a recent post on a Wall Street Journal blog. I'm not sure if this a good thing (helping people buy gifts for loved ones) or a bad thing (encouraging cash-strapped Americans go deeper into debt).

eBay, which owns PayPal, is trying to expand it's "online-payments business," the post says, which makes sense because eBay recently purchased Bill Me Later, Inc., which lets shoppers pay later for items they purchase now.

Thousands of active eBay members will get offers to use the online service starting today. "The credit can be used at online retailers such as Toys "R" Us Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc.'s Apple Store, which use Bill Me Later," the post says. "Shoppers won't get charged interest or have to make payments until April 1, 2009, after which they can opt to pay through a payment plan with interest."

I'd be curious as to what kind of interest rates are being offered. Single digit? Double digit? Nothing comes for free.

(A cheap home haircut that may lead to an expensive salon fix!)

In the name of saving, some consumers are actually spending more. That's the subject of a recent NY Times story on bargain hunting gone bad.

The story says some newly-minted cheapskates are making rookie mistakes, like buying all their groceries in one place. (If only they knew about My Nitty Gritty Grocery List! Tsk tsk. No one store has the best prices on everything, which is why you need to shop around.)

"Pinched by shriveled retirement and college accounts, battered by ballooning mortgage costs, rent and co-op maintenance increases, and hedging against the possibility that a job might vanish, some are practicing economies that may not deserve the name," the story says.

The story continues: "Americans may be forgoing Starbucks and stocking up on Spam, but they are also making severe...

If you are planning on going shopping on Black Friday, the day after we gorge on turkey, or if you want help buying holiday gifts, make sure to pick up a copy of the Daily News next Friday.

Inside the November 28 paper will be a spectacular Bargain Hunter frugal and fun gift guide! I've been working my tail off on it, and I really hope it helps readers find great gifts without depleting their bank account.

The guide has tips for buying gift cards (watch out for retailer bankruptcies), ways to spot high-value gifts (as opposed to just plain cheap gifts), and tons of gift ideas.

There's a lot more, but I don't want to give it all away!!! For all the info make sure to grab the November 28 LA Daily News to get the Bargain Hunter gift guide. You won't regret it!

I desperately want to own my own home, but the only path to that goal may be buying a foreclosure. I realized this recently while taking a walk with Hubby. We came upon a home that had been overtaken by vegetation and so run down it must have been abandoned.

To our great delight, it was for sale. Maybe this was our chance! A fixer upper in a good neighborhood that nobody else wants. We'd pour our savings into the down payment, then slowly re-do the home room by room over the years as we could afford it. House proud and cash poor.

Then Hubby looked at the price. A cool $2 mil. Mother-fletcher! The listing made scant mention...

I've been blogging about various ways to save money on Thanksgiving dinner this week. Below are all the posts in one place (except a turkey recipe, which you can see by scrolling down to the next post.)

Thanksgiving supplies you can find at the 99 Cents Only Store, including dishes, produce, and decorations.

Free or cheap ideas for Thanksgiving table settings and name cards, like collecting leaves at the park or dressing up candles that you already have.

Where can you find the best-priced turkey? I compared a half dozen stores and the range is very wide. Find who has the best prices.

It's not (only) about the bird. Click here for recipes for side dishes that cost no more than $1 per person.

Here is a story about the cost of Thanksgiving dinner going up 5.5% since last year. Use these tips and don't be a statistic!

If you aren't cooking at home but are traveling, check out this link for LAX parking coupons.

Hubby has made many a delicious bird using this recipe from Cooks Illustrated. I made many other recipes from Cooks Illustrated with success, so in general I consider them trustworthy.

Roasted Brined Turkey

- serves 10 to 12 -
Ingredients

Table salt
1 turkey (12-14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets and neck reserved for gravy, if making
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Procedure

1. Dissolve 1 cup salt per gallon cold water for -4 to 6-hour brine or 1/2 cup salt per gallon cold water for 12- to 14-hour brine in large stockpot or clean bucket. Submerge turkey completely and refrigerate for predetermined amount of time.

2. Before removing turkey from brine...

(my actual lunch!) In two days I received the same Lincoln Lunch tip from two readers so I figured eating at Ameci Pizza and Pasta in North Hollywood was my destiny. As luck would have it, I had business nearby so I dropped in for an early lunch after toy shopping recently.

The main menu did not have one Lincoln Lunch, what I call a $5 meal because ol' Prez Lincoln is on the fiver, but off to the side was a neon menu with lower-priced specials. A slice of cheese pizza, salad and a soda was $5. Two slices of cheese and a soda was $4.50, and two slices of pepperoni pizza and a soda was $5. Three other options were $6.

I chose the pizza, salad and soda, paid at the counter and tried not to notice when the cashier was surprised that I wanted to eat there. Ameci's is a bare eatery, the kind that...

Get 40% off at regular-priced items at Michael's, a home decorating and craft supply store. Print the coupon here. It expires Saturday, November 22, 2008.

One coupon per customer per day. This discount may be good for those hunting for holiday decorations or gifts.

Caveats: not good on sale items or when combined with other discounts. Not valid on shopping cards, gift cards, classes, in-store activities or The Knack Kits. Excludes Christmas trees greater than 4 feet tall, special orders, digital picture frames, books, magazine and all Cricut products.

Find a Michaels near you.

If you are planning on buying a ton of toys on Black Friday, you may want to leave room in your budget for a toy liquidation sale being run by LA Kids Consignment Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, 2008.

LA Kids Consignment, which is growing fast, apparently attracted the attention of wholesalers eager to get extra loot off their hands. But unlike their consignment sales, where everything is used, the toys and clothing at the December sale are all new.

Here are a few items to be sold. Dolls that retail for $20 will be $8. Framed artwork that goes for $200 to 500 will be $5 to 60 at the sale. And insulated bags for baby food/milk that go for $25 will be $5, according to Kristin Nelson, who is running the sale.

Also look for arts & crafts, handheld games, preschool toys, infant/toddler gear, Melissa & Doug wooden puzzles and play sets, diaper bags, and girls clothing by Gynboree, Juicy Couture, Flowers by zoe, Lipstik clothing, Madonna's English Roses and Cach Cach.

To get into the private pre-sale Friday, December 5, you must volunteer. Sign up here. Spots are limited.

Regular sale hours are Saturday and Sunday 9 to 5. The sale is at City-Art, 7733 Hayvenhurst Ave., in Van Nuys. Cash only.

It's impossible to eliminate spending on entertainment when times are tough. But you can find lots of free and cheap parties and events on Going.com, which has listings for 30 cities across the country.

Find your city, (here is the one for Los Angeles) and look for a link that says "recession busters."

In LA, the frugal parties include a magazine cover release party, a talk on the West and Islam, and a music performance at a lounge. Some of the events are free when you RSVP, others have a reduced cost.

You can search for events by type, cost, time of day, and date. Non-members can browse a good deal of the site before having to register. RSVP'ing requires you to share your name, email, age and sex. Joining is free.

Thanks, Sean!

There are a lot of Thanksgiving supplies and food at the 99 Cents Only store, including turkey-sized tinfoil disposable roasting pans, 3 lb bags of potatoes, 20 oz cans of cut yams, white dishes with a fancy raised pattern, turkey gravy, wooden utensils (set of 3), decorations, and turkey bags for basting (2 for $.99).

The store I went to in North Hollywood also had tomatoes, butter, milk, onions, garlic, eggs and other groceries you may need for your big dinner.

If you have never shopped at the 99 Cents Only store, don't be afraid. But read my take on the store first to prepare yourself. And remember to carefully inspect produce for freshness, compare prices just like you would at any other store, and always check expiration dates. Just because it is 99-cents does not mean it is a fab deal!

Find a 99 Cents Only store near you. The company has stores in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Thanks, Rachelle!

Buy $25 worth of used kid's clothes at Wear It Once Wear It Twice in Burbank and get $5 off your purchase, a nice 20% discount. The sale is in celebration of their first anniversary and lasts until Saturday, November 22, 2008.

Print the flyer here. The store sells clothing in sizes newborn to 12 and has toys, books, videos and tapes, furniture and various baby gear.

I have not been to this store, but reader Rachelle says the store has larger sizes than Children's Orchard and has "TONS of cute holiday outfits."

Visit them at 1725 W. Verdugo Ave. in Burbank. (818) 558-4006. Thanks, Rachelle!

Get $2 off a sandwich, salad or wrap at Jamba Juice now until December 15, 2008. I didn't even know Jamba Juice sold grub, other than fluff food like pretzels and chips! Perhaps this is a way to introduce a new food line.

Print the coupon here. This particular coupon is only good for their stores in Encino, at 16443 Ventura Blvd., and Studio City, at 10955 Ventura Blvd. Sign up for their email list and you may get a coupon in your inbox for a store near you.

Before the discount, sandwiches are $5.95, wraps are $4.95 and salads are $4.95 to $6.25. The food is made by Organic To Go.

Caveats: one coupon per customer per visit. Not valid in combination with other offers or discounts. Offer not valid for Jamba Juice employees.

Get a free $20 gift card at Maggiano's when you buy a $100 gift card. It's unclear how long this promotion lasts, but I'm guessing through the holidays.

If you haven't eaten at Maggiano's, the food is very good and the drinks are strong. Portions are big enough that one couple splitting an appetizer and entree have to get a doggie bag.

Right now the semi-upscale family style Italian restaurant is offering a 3-course meal with a glass of Santa Cristina wine for $30 when you order a Little Italy Favorites entree, including lobster fettuccine, beef braciole, chicken francese or baked ziti. To get the deal you have to pay with any American Express Card.

I wonder if later you can split up the $100 card onto multiple cards for smaller gifts. Find a Maggiano's near you. They have restaurants in 21 states.

UPDATE: Members can get 20% off one regular-priced item in stores and online with this coupon. Expires December 1, 2008.

PREVIOUSLY: The REI Winter sale starts Friday, November 21 and runs through December 1, 2008. Look for discounts on skis, snowboards, boots, ski goggles, warm jackets and pants, shoes and accessories.

All REI-brand socks and SmartWool socks are 25% off. All Men's REI Heavyweight MTS Underwear is 30% off. Mountain Hardware Fleece hats are 30% off. Giro snow helmets, Scott goggles, and Smith Helmets are all 20% off. Many individual items are marked down 10 to 40% and there are discounts on kids' wear too!

The sale is online and members get $5 flat rate shipping for a limited time. Find an REI near you.

Hubby and I are hosting a few friends for Thanksgiving because we decided not to travel this year and I'd like to set the table in a special way, but not shell out any money, if possible.

Here are some ideas for frugal table decorations, mostly courtesy of Martha Stewart, for Thanksgiving or a fall dinner party:

+ Collect leaves of different colors at a park and sprinkle them on the table. For a similar effect, use paper cutouts of leaves.

+ Tie dried corns together with the husks sticking into the air for a dramatic effect.

+ If you are assigning seats, use a string or ribbon to tie a slip of paper with the person's name to a sweet gum tree spur, those prickly round balls you see on the ground this time of year. Place one on each plate. You may be able to collect the spurs from your backyard, or substitute another type of seedling, like acorns.

+ Line a plate of pears with orange and brown leaves you find at the park. Eat the pears later so they don't go to waste. Substitute the pears for any other seasonal fruit, vegetable or squash that is in season and on sale!

+ Make an artful presentation of your...

Target is going to cut toy prices during the holidays to compete with Wal-Mart, according to a story in yesterday's Daily News. The cuts are prompted by a 24 percent drop in third-quarter earnings.

"Target has fared worse than its chief rival, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., as consumers cut back on discretionary spending and shop mainly for necessities," the story says. "More than 40 percent of Target's revenue comes from nonessentials such as fashions and housewares."

The story continues "During the holidays, Target will remain "keenly focused" on offering low prices on national brands and its own products and will match Wal-Mart prices on identical items in local markets, said Kathryn Tesija, Target's executive vice president of merchandise."

I'm guessing Target will make these price drops crystal clear to shoppers, so stay tuned!

Prices are out for Thanksgiving turkeys! Every Tuesday the newspaper publishes grocery ads, and this week all reveal their prices for big birds. Here's a recap:

Albertsons - $.99/lb for a fresh 10-22lb Foster Farms Turkey with $10 minimum purchase and an Albertsons free frequent shopper card. Price effective Wednesday, November 19 through Thanksgiving. You also need the coupon in today's paper, though stores often have sales flyers at the entrance.

Vons - A Safeway brand or Manor House Turkey up to 16 lbs is $4.88 (making a bird that is exactly 16lbs $.30/lb) with a $25 minimum purchase and a Vons free frequent shopper card. While supplies last. Birds that are more than 16lbs are $6.88. To get the $.30/lb price on bigger birds, it needs to be at least 23 lbs.

Also at Vons, a frozen Butterball Turkey up to 16 lbs is $7.88 (or $.49/lb for a 16 lb bird) with a $25 minimum purchase and a Vons free frequent shopper card. While supplies last. Birds that are more...

Food prices are going up and we're all crunched for money, yada yada yada. To bring down the cost of Thanksgiving dinner, which has increased by 5.5 percent since last year, Los Angeles chef Bret Thompson of MILK restaurant came up with six side dishes that cost $1 or less per person.

The recipes include sweet potato gratin with sage, corn soup, green beans with caramelized onions and toasted almonds (yum!), creamed spinach, apple cranberry bread pudding (this one sounds so good I may try it), and pumpkin profiteroles.

Look at the recipes here. The link is a pdf so give it time to load.

Looking for a recipe to cook the perfect turkey? Stay tuned.

Are you debating buying a video game console like Playstation 3, Wii, or Xbox 360 but don't know much about any of them? Here's an explanation from BFAds.net, which posts Black Friday ads, about the major differences between the three consoles.

The first step is asking the recipient if they have a preference. No use buying something (especially when it comes with a big price tag) if the recipient isn't interested in it.

In addition to the chart via the above link, the post also says:

+ "In terms of technical capabilities, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are evenly matched. The Wii is well behind them."

+ "The Playstation 3 is easily the most expensive console and it's...

Brace yourselves. This may be the last tax-free online shopping holiday, according to a Forbes story. With record budget deficits and increased Internet spending, some say paying sales tax online is inevitable.

"The idea, which would levy sales tax on most goods bought online, has been tossed around for nearly a decade," the story says. "States are coming up with huge deficits and looking for places to make money," one legal expert said. "All of a sudden, Internet taxation appears a lot more viable."

I'm not a lawyer, but because states have the power to set their own sales tax, how would they agree to one flat tax for online shoppers? Would it matter which state you lived in and which state you were buying from?

Advocates of an Internet tax are working through the legislature "because the Supreme Court ruled in the 1990s that states can't require out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax on online sales."

If a new sales tax horrifies shoppers, will retailers be pressured to "include" tax in the sale price by marking up the goods? Hmmm...

Hi folks,
We're having some technical difficulties so blogs posts are taking a long to appear. The tech guys are working on the problem. Thanks for your patience. ~Julia

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

NUTCRACKER 20% OFF

$10 FOR COINS

MIXED DRINK

AIRPORT PARKING DEALS

DEAL EMAIL (e-mail me to sign up!)

MENU PLANNER

FINDING THRIFT

LINCOLN LUNCH: DEPOT DOGS

Ouch. Bargain hunters have to watch out for rebate checks that may bounce. In this tough economy, retailers are not the only ones hurting. Continental Promotion Group, a company that processes rebates, filed for bankruptcy Friday. That means uncashed rebate checks through them will bounce.

Folks who did business with the company should have received letters warning them that their rebate checks may bounce if they have not already cashed them. If you have not cashed your CPG rebate check do not cash it unless you want to pay bounce fees.

To check if you have an outstanding rebate with CPG, check if the address...

There are lots of cheap and free ways to get fit, lose weight, and exercise, says a story in today's Daily Breeze.

"Experts agree that you don't have to join swanky health clubs or shop at high-end grocery stores to stay fit," the story says. "And that's good news in an increasingly budget-conscious economy. Outdoor workouts, city recreation programs and some simple nutritional tips can keep you healthy and looking your best without breaking your wallet."

The story recommends you check out city run recreation programs for wallet-friendly group workouts. This LA County Health Web site breaks down exercise opportunities in the greater LA area into eight areas, including the San Fernando Valley.

LaHikes.com has detailed lists and maps of hikes through the LA region. Best Outdoor Activity (BOA) magazine lists six types of outdoor activities, including fishing, camping, adventure, family, getaway and beaches.

In Long Beach personal trainer Justin Rudd runs a group workout on the beach that is $10 per session.

Here are five more outdoor workouts you can do at Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles, Drake Track Stadium in Westwood, Will Rogers State Park and others.

The cost of putting Thanksgiving dinner on the table has gone up by 5.5% since last year, according to a story in Sunday's LA Daily News. This year the whole meal costs $44.61, up from $42.26, by the story's calculations.

"Meat producers have been struggling this year with higher costs for key ingredients like corn, soybeans and oil, part of why the cost of beef and chicken has risen so much," the story says. "Turkey producers are facing all the same pressures, but don't have the same economies of scale and have to plan a year in advance for the one day a year they count on most."

But there is hope for savvy spenders like yourself. "Consumers will see good prices this year, Rosenblatt said, since retailers will again heavily advertise turkey at prices where they may not make any money on the deal in hopes that shoppers drawn in by the lower price will buy lots of other products."

The story says it costs $19.09 for a 16 lb turkey, which is $1.19 per lb! Fellow bargain hunters, we can do better than that! Stay tuned - I'm going to blog about the best turkey prices soon.

Nordstrom has grouped all their little black dresses priced under $150 for easy browsing. The promotion comes just in time for the holidays, when many gals get new dresses for holiday parties.

You can sort the hundreds of dresses by size, price, brand, best sellers and what's new. A black Jones New York Jersey dress with cap sleeves and plunging V-neck that falls just below the knee is $62 (orig $124).

A black Lauren by Ralph Lauren ruched Jersey dress has a deep V-neck and is gathered at one side for a flattering fit, above, for $89 (orig $134).

I won't be buying a holiday dress this year, despite the fact that the fabulous one I purchased last year has gone missing. (How do you lose a dress???) Hubby's new company is very casual so I'm expecting a bar party instead of the Four Seasons we were treated to last year.

UPDATE: A PR rep tells me the double rebates below are good through Christmas.

PREVIOUSLY: A little more news about retailers doubling the automatic rebate you get for shopping online through eBates.com, which I blogged about last week.

eBates has announced the full line up of stores with double rebates, including 6% cash back at DisneyShopping.com, 4% back at Sears, 8% at Sephora and 6% at Nordstrom.

The only problem is the site does not provide expiration dates, so it is unclear how long these double rebates last. I'm guessing through the holidays, but there is no guarantee. New to eBates? Read how the site works.

(my actual lunch!) A failed Lincoln Lunch attempt led me to fall back on an old tip from a colleague. Try the hot dogs at Home Depot for a quick and cheap meal.

I zipped over to the construction warehouse on Variel in Woodland Hills and found a small lunch cart in the parking lot that seemed popular with...construction workers. Surprise!

The menu was limited with just three options priced above the $5 limit of a Lincoln Lunch, so-called because President Lincoln is on the fiver. I ordered a spicy hot dog with chips and a soda for $5.

A regular hot dog is $4 and a jumbo dog is $4.50 Both come with chips and a soda. There are seven different types of chips to chose from, including Lay's, Doritos, and Fritos.

Service was quick but...

Just heard this or I would have included it in the daily digest. There are new markdowns at the Linens -n- Things liquidation sale ONLINE.

Look for discounts up to 30 or 40% off on certain items, like curtains, furniture, home decorations and more.

Remember to compare prices to rival Bed, Bath and Beyond. All sales are final at the LNT sale.

UPDATE: An even bigger discount for these performances just came. You can get Kirov Nutcracker tickets at 50% off through Goldstar. You must join their free membership program to get the discount, which means getting occasional emails from them. I am a member and I don't find their emails intrusive.

PREVIOUSLY: Get 20% off tickets to see the Kirov Ballet perform the Nutcracker at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Performance dates eligible for the discount are Wednesday, December 17 to Friday, December 19, 2008. There are two performances Saturday, December 20 but the discount is not valid.

Before the discount, tickets are $65 to $120. To get the discount enter code SUGAR into the Special Offers box when buying tickets online (through the link above).

The discount applies to tickets in premiere orchestra, orchestra, orchestra ring, founders and loge seating only. Balcony seats are $30 but not eligible for the discount.

Caveats: tickets subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply. No refunds, cancellations or exchanges. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Additional Ticketmaster fees apply.

Stein Mart is having a 12 hour sale this Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm with a preview day today, Friday November 14, 2008.

Prices on clothes, shoes, accessories and home items are up to 30 to 50% off. Get an extra 25% off all red dot and clearance items with this coupon.

Caveats: the coupon excludes previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Find a Stein Mart near you. The company has stores in 32 states.

To celebrate the opening of their third store, Yozen Frogurt is offering free 6 ounce servings of frozen yogurt to anyone who drops by their new digs in Westlake Village with this coupon. It expires November 21, 2008. The freebie is not valid at their Thousand Oaks or West Hills location.

The Westlake store opens today at 11 a.m. The above link also has two 2-for-1 coupons for individual servings and pints. Read the fine print, please.

Each location has a dairy free flavor, a no sugar added flavor and a low-calorie flavor. Their new location in is at 2900 Townsgate Road in Westlake Village on the corner of Village Glen and Townsgate near Gelson's. (805) 230-3800.

Here's another coupon from Restaurant.com. This time it is for 70% off gift certificates. Normally a $25 certificate is $10, so this brings the price to $3 each. Use code DESSERT to get the discount.

Code expires Monday, November 17, 2008 at 9:59PM PST. Remember to read the redemption rules for each restaurant carefully as they often include specific days and times you can use the certs, minimum purchase amounts and exclusions, like tax, tip and alcohol.

Caveats: This offer cannot be combined with any other discount, rebate or promotion. When redeeming a Restaurant.com Gift Certificate, these savings cannot be applied.

Here are a few good online coupons but they expire soon. Read the fine print as each one has different exclusions.

Get 20% off at Bath and Body Works now through November 16, 2008. Use code 20FRIENDS when checking out. Online only. If you are looking for stocking stuffers, they have lip glosses starting at $3.50 and mini cosmetic cases for $5.

Get 20% off your entire order at J.Jill online now through November 16, 2008. Use code HBC481 when checking out. Valid on catalog orders (800.642.9989) but not in J. Jill outlets. Limit one coupon per person. If that code does not work try HL20EP to get 20% off.

Save 20% off your online tab at Steve Madden if you spend $125 or more. Use code SAVE20 when checking out. No expiration date given. Shop items under $100.

Get 25% off LOccitane.com through November 16, 2008 with code FNF25. This brand is a bit more upscale so it may be a good gift option if you want to impress.

UPDATE: Price for Burbank QuikPark seem to have jumped from $8.50 to $14 since this post was published, unfortunately.

PREVIOUSLY: As you gear up for holiday travel, remember to pack parking coupons to lessen the cost of leaving your car at the airport. Here are a few coupons to help you do that.

Here's a one night free coupon at LAX Easy Park (two nights required). They email you the coupon and send coupons in the mail. Some holiday periods excluded. To get the coupon visit their Web site, then look on the left for a link that says Free Parking.

Here is a coupon for $15 off when you park minimum three nights at LAX's QuikPark, which is $13 to $15 a day. Expires December 31, 2008.

At Burbank airport, park for $8.50 a night when you book online through QuikPark. Parking at the Burbank Airport economy lots are $9 to $11 per day. Happy travels!

Get $5 off a $20 purchase at Walgreens Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15, 2008. Some exclusions. Print the coupon here. One per customer.

Caveats: excludes alcohol, postage stamps, tobacco, prescriptions, prescription copays, gift cards, pre-paid cards, transportation passes, charitable contributions, prescription Savings Club membership and items prohibited by law. Purchase amount of $20 or more must be before taxes and after all manufacturer and Walgreens coupons and discounts. Limit 1 Walgreens Holiday Dollars Coupon redeemed per transaction.

Find a Walgreens near you.

Get a free 20 page 8 x 11 custom photo book on Snapfish when you register on the site. The deal expires 11:59 p.m. PST Friday, November 14, 2008.

Upload pictures to Snapfish, create the book (budget about an hour), then pay for shipping and handling. You can customize the layout, background patterns, and how many photos are displayed per page. The free book is normally $30. A great present for the holidays!

Caveats: one book per household. For US households only. Thanks, Marie and Tina!

Selling and buying used clothing and goods is becoming more popular in this tough economy. I even saw a thrift store that catered to tweens and teens in Santa Monica recently! If you are not sure where to find thrift and consignment stores, here are some resources.

KidsConsignmentSales.com lists sales by state. I clicked on many states and each had a few cities listed. Not a bad place to start.

The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops has a searchable directory of their members, which you can narrow down by state and zip code.

USCity.net lists consignment shops in California. For other states, go to their home page, then under the tab Select a Directory, chose a state. Click Go and you will get a page with tons of categories. Click on the letter C and then find Consignment Services. Click on that for a list of consignment stores in your state.

Unfortunately, none of the links seems to be working on the USCity site, but take the name of a store that comes up and search online for it. You should be able to get an address and phone number.

Then there's always second hand stores run by Goodwill and the Salvation Army.

New to buying used? Real Simple provides 6 tips for being a savvy second-hand shopper.

Registration to sell gently used baby and kid's gear at the California Kids Consignment sale in Santa Clarita is now open. It costs $15 to reserve a spot, which is credited back to you if you do not sell more than $15 worth of stuff.

To be a consignor you must have between 30 and 300 items to sell. Sellers keep 65% of the sales price. You have the option to sell your items at 50% on the last day of the sale.

The sale is February 26 to February 28, 2009 at The Plaza Banquet Facility, 23710 Lyons Ave. in Santa Clarita. Limit 150 consignors.

The Web site DealAlerter.com takes comparison shopping to the next level by letting you set "price alerts" for items you are interested in purchasing. When the price drops below your limit, the site emails you.

This site is especially handy during the holiday season when retailers have steep price drops for short periods of time.

Start by searching for an item you want to buy, like a Remote Control Wall-e (a cool toy my nephew wants). When your item comes up, click on "Set Price Alert" in the upper right corner. Then register your email and create a username so the site can email you when the price drops. The site saves your price alerts on one page so you can log in later and change the settings.

Still not sure how to set a price alert? Browse a quick demo here.

Deal Alerter is run by Consumer World. The site gets its price information through a partnership with PriceGrabber.com. Read more about how Deal Alerter works here.

Get all the best deals from the Bargain Hunter blog e-mailed to you when you sign up for the free Bargain Hunter Daily Digest. Emails are confidential and you can unsubscribe at any time.

You receive the digest once a day, Monday through Friday. The digest contains every new post from that day with a link to each item.

It's a quick way to scan the new items on the blog and see if something appeals to you. For some, receiving the digest is easier than checking the blog.

If you are interested, email me at julia.scott@dailynews.com. Thanks! ~Julia

Remember you can 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 until November 30, 2008. 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 outboth coupons here.

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.

Get half-price gift certificates to dozens of restaurants in Santa Clarita through the radio station KHTS. The station also has a few certificates for miscellaneous stores, including three coffee shops, a car mechanic, a hotel, gym and others. Browse the full list here.

Each business has its own rules for redemption and limitations. Read them carefully before buying. And remember to use it quickly. Many businesses are struggling and you never know when one is going to fold.

You must register to buy the certificates through KHTS.

I recently wrote about asimilar bargain on HalfOffDeals.

Thanks, Gammalain!

UPDATE: Here is a link for the Gap, Old Navy and BR coupon that is working. The original one probably broke because so many people tried to access it. I'm a bit worried that stores may not accept it because the coupon has spread virally, so before you spend a long time shopping in the store, ask a salesperson as soon as you walk into the store if they are accepting the coupon. Then you don't waste time or risk being disappointed.

UPDATE: The link to this coupon is broken. I am trying to find another link that works. Thanks for your patience.

PREVIOUSLY: Get 30% off at Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Store and Old Navy stores starting Thursday, November 13, 2008 through Sunday, November 16, 2008. Not valid online. Print the coupon here. Some exclusions.

The chains will donate 5% of every purchase made with the coupon to the World Wildlife Fund, an animal protection charity.

Caveats: The 30% discount cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Excludes gift cards, merchandise purchased with a gift card, packaging, applicable taxes, shipping and handling charges or telephone orders placed to stores or customer service 1-800/888 numbers. Not valid on Gap (Product) RED, Junk Food, babyGap Home, Converse, and Robeez.

Find a Gap near you. Find an Old Navy near you. Find a Banana Republic near you.

Thanks, Shellmer!

Here's another great reason to start your holiday shopping online now. eBates has doubled some of their rebate offers with retailers like Macy's, Nordstrom, Borders, Dell, and others. It's unclear how long some of these offers will last.

If you are not familiar with eBates, it is a Web site that gives you a cash kickback for shopping at their partner stores. You sign in on their site, shop through links on their site to hundreds of retailers, and get a percentage back of what you spend. Joining is free. You can use my email as a reference (julia.scott@dailynews.com).

With so much competition among retailers for limited shopping dollars this holiday season, eBates has some really good rebate offers. Shop at Macys and you get 8% cash back, Nordstrom is 6% back, Dell is 1-4% back, and Borders is 8% cash back. There are tons more rebate offers for just about any mainstream retailer you can imagine. Read more about how it works here.

Check it out if you are shopping online. The rebates take about 3 months to come, but you can't beat cold cash.

If you cash in $40 or more worth of coins at a Coinstar machine before December 7, 2008, you may be able to get a $10 bonus card. To get the bonus you have to choose to get your coins as a gift card, not cash. And you have to mail in the bottom portion of your receipt. Read details here.

You can get a gift card for Starbucks, Amazon, iTunes, Borders, and many more. Shy away from Circuit City, which just filed for bankruptcy, and other retailers on shaky ground. If they go bankrupt you are basically out of luck.

The bonus card is for the same store as the gift card you initially chose to cash your coins in for. It takes 6-8 weeks to arrive so don't plan on giving it as a holiday gift.

Last time I checked, Coinstar takes about 10% of your money for processing it. So 10% of $40 is $4, meaning the gift card is really a $6 bonus.

Caveats: valid at participating Coinstar Centers in the U.S. only and excludes Puerto Rico. Limit one per name or household. Not valid with any other offer.

Find a Coinstar machine near you. Thanks, Tina!

Looking to make a fun holiday drink for an upcoming party but don't want to buy a ton of pricey booze? Check out Cocktailbuilder.com.

Tell the site what alcohol and mixers you have on hand and it tells you what drinks you can make. So instead of rushing out and buying a bunch of alcohol and bizarre mixers you may only use once, you can save money by relying on what you already have.

In the "in my bar" box I typed in a few ingredients, like vodka, lime juice, milk and rum, and the Web site came up with a slew of drinks I could make. If I needed one or more ingredients, the site told me what I was lacking. Cocktail Builder prioritized the drinks by what was most complete.

Click on the "bar menu" tab to printout a menu for your party. Use the "suggest" tab to suggest your own concoction to the site. The site also sells barware under their "shop" tab.

Get a free smoothie at Jamba Juice when you buy a $25 gift card. They have changed their menu but still have some of the classics. I recently had a pomegrante smoothie called something like healthy heart and it was really good.

Caveats: offer valid at participating locations for one 16oz smoothie or 12oz Breakfast All Day Item per each $25 card. Not valid at Safeway, Pavilions or Vons stores. Offer valid only in-store, not with online or phone purchases. No cash value.

Offer ends December 29, 2008. Find a Jamba Juice near you.

So many retailers have issued coupons I thought I would include the best of them here. If you have cash, these coupons might make it worthwhile to start your holiday shopping. If not, no worries. There will be more sales to come.

Please read the details carefully for each coupon. Many have exclusions.

Get 10% to 25% off at Cost Plus World Market with this coupon. Sale ends today, November 11, 2008.

Get 30% off in Charlotte Russe stores Thursday, November 13 through Tuesday, November 18. Print the coupon here.

Get $20 off a purchase of $150 at Office Max online, excluding computer, cameras, printers, gift cards and printing services. Use promo code WGV3J09N1H22FVRVC when checking out. Expires Friday, November 14, 2008.

Get a $25 restaurant gift certificate for $4 at Restaurant.com now until Thursday, November 13, 2008. Use code HARVEST. The $25 certs normally sell for $10 so this is 60% off.

Get 15% off your total purchase at dELiAs now until Friday, November 14, 2008. Use code DEAL15.

Remember to read the fine print!

See a live production of "Oliver Twist" Wednesday, November 19, 2008 in Glendale and pay what you can for tickets. The theater company putting on the play, A Noise Within, suggests $10 minimum.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Pay what you can tickets are first-come, first-serve with a limit of two per person. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in person at the Box Office at 234 S. Brand Blvd. in Glendale after 2 p.m. on the day of the performance. Cash only.

"Oliver Twist" is a comedy and tragedy set in a Victorian music hall, where young Oliver Twist "struggles to navigate the dark alleyways of a whimsically cruel world," according to a press release.

Buy one holiday beverage at Peet's Coffee, get a second one free now through November 13, 2008. Print the coupon here.

Holiday beverages include peppermint, gingerbread, eggnog, pumpkin, holiday breakfast blend and winter solstice. One per customer.

Caveats: Valid at participating Peet's retail locations only. Excludes airport, supermarket, BART and other licensed locations. May not be combined with other offers. Free beverage must be of equal or lesser value.

Find a Peet's Coffee near you. Peet's has stores in CA, OR, WA, IL, MA, CO and Vancouver. Thanks, C Law!

To celebrate their first anniversary, Ziba Beauty in Glendale is offering a free eyebrow threading or a mehndi henna tattoo on Thursday, November 20, 2008 to those who RSVP. You do not have to be a first time customer.

Ziba is not taking specific appointments - it is first come first serve on November 20 - but feel free to specify a preferred time while RSVPing.

RSVP sooner rather than later and RSVP no later than Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Rebekah King is booking the appointments and can be reached at Rking@zibabeauty.com or (888) 259-4432. Leave a message if Rebekah if she doesn't pick up.

It takes about 10-15 minutes for threading and 10-20 minutes for mehndi.

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

Mail it for less

Recycle for Uncle Sam

Free money tips

Clothes and classes

Gadget prices

Not quite a Lincoln Lunch: sushi

Pucker up. When times are tough, women buy more lipstick. At least, that's the theory behind the lipstick index. Guess how lipsticks have been moving lately?

"Sales in the last few months are up 40 percent," says a tidbit in the NY Times. "What do women want when they aren't allowed to want too much? Traditional lipsticks in more-sheer neutral shades; the bright reds of days gone by have been replaced by pinky browns and rosy taupes."

The NY Times highlights 41 different lipsticks, from Wal-Mart's $2 Brandy Sparkle to Neiman Marcus' Sisley Hydrating No. L17, for $55. Look good, feel good.

Get 40% off regular-priced CDs at Borders books today and tomorrow, November 11, 2008. The offer includes multi-disc CDs and box sets.

To get the deal you must belong to their rewards program (which is free to join). Limit three CDs per customer. Print the coupon here.

Caveats: while supplies last. No rain checks, special orders, or reservations. Most Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores do not carry CDs. Excludes previous purchases, audiobooks, and shipping. May not be combined with other coupons, sale pricing, or corporate, classroom, or other group discounts. Original coupon must be relinquished at time of purchase.

Find a Border's near you.

The friends and family sale at Bloomingdale's brings nearly every price down by 20%, except beauty items and gift cards. Not too shabby!

Use code FANDF when checking out. Online only. Expires Sunday, November 16, 2008. One cool thing about the Bloomingdale's Web site is that entering the promo code is the first thing you do after adding an item to your cart. So you can check quickly if the discount applies.

The code shaved $11 off a pair of embossed leather pumps, above, by Michael Kors. They were originally $119.

At Shoes.com get $10 off a purchase of $50 or more with certain brand exclusions. Use code NOV08SAVE when checking out. Expires November 30, 2008.

Last week I gushed that you can buy Starbucks gift cards for 90% of their value (10% off) from GiftCardsAgain.com. A $20 card for $18? Sweet!.

Then a friend sent me a note. Psst. Didn't I know that Costco sells $100 Starbucks cards for $80? That's a 20% discount, though you cannot but them online and you do have to be a member, which costs $50 to $100 a year. I would call your local store to double check they stock them.

Costco has discounted gift certificates for many byusinesses, including McCormick & Schmicks, 24 Hour Fitness, and a few spas. More restaurant certs here.

Find a Costco near you. Thanks, Mike!

The liquidation of Linens -n- Thing is now online. All items are at least 20% off, says the Web site. Web prices do not apply to in-store sales. All sales are final. No returns.

Deal of the Day items are an additional 20% off. That makes a stainless steel OXO ice bucket $26 (orig $40, sale $32).
You can also search for items by theme - Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Compare prices to rival Bed Bath and Beyond to get an idea of how low the liquidation prices really are. That OXO ice bucket, for instance, is $40 at BBB. With a 20% off coupon, that brings that price down to $32. If it wasn't a Deal of the Day at LNT, it would be the same price as at BBB with a coupon. And BBB accepts returns.

Get help planning your meals for the week with a menu planer from the Web site Relish!. Each week the site offers members 15 dinner ideas. You chose five, then it gives you the recipes and shopping list.

You can set the list to the size of your family, from 2 to 8 mouths. Dinners include chicken burritos with mango salsa, soy and ginger flank steak with spinach salad, and couscous salad with feta and mint. Here is a sample weekly menu. Here is a sample weekly grocery list.

The catch is a monthly subscription costs $7. But you can try it out for two weeks for free with code losangeles, special just for Bargain Hunter readers. I'm not sure if it is case sensitive. To use it click on the tab that says redeem a voucher.

Members also get access to menus for lunch, a tailgate party, fondue party, and themed parties. Each Thursday members get an email with a link to that week's recipes.

Each dinner recipe also tells you how many calories, grams of protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrates are in the meal along with other nutrition info. Some menus require a crock pot.

Relish's sister site is GfreeCuisine, which is a $10 a month meal planner for glutton-free meals. Get a free two-week trial with code losangeles.

I already blogged about the Toys 'R Us pre-Black Friday sale going on today, but now BFAds.com says there are big sales this weekend at KMart, Kohls, Best Buy, WalMart and Amazon.com (on men's apparel).

For all the details, including sale flyers and doorbusters, click here. Remember to check prices so you don't get carried away by all the sale signs and marketing.

Want to know the cheapest way to ship a business package or holiday gift? ShipGooder.com figures it out for you. Plug in the starting zip code, the destination zip code, and the weight of your package.

The site spits out a chart of how much it will cost to send the item so it gets there the next day, in two days, three days or ground (1-6 days). Results are sorted within each time frame from cheapest to most expensive.

The site compares rates from UPS, FedDEx, DHL, the US Postal Service, and local couriers. You can also check rates for mailing items in Canada.

If, for instance, I need to mail presents to my family in the Bay Area, Ship Gooder tells me it is cheaper to use FedEx ground than USPS. Cool!

Keep this Web site handy, it will be helpful in the next few weeks. Thanks, Tightwad Tod!

Get 30% off regular and sale-priced items at the Cole Haan boutique at the Westfield Topanga mall as part of their family and friends appreciation event, which ends Sunday, November 9, 2008. Store manager Eric Holguin says nothing is excluded from the sale. Gasp!

Technically the event is invitation only, but Holguin assured me readers of the Bargain Hunter can get the discount if they mention they saw the sale on the blog. Other Cole Haan standalone stores are having the sale, too, Holguin said, though you should definitely call ahead to check if you can get the discount.

Cole Haan sells upscale leather shoes and goods and is known for high quality. I bought a pair of tan loafers on sale at an outlet mall in upstate New York years ago and I still wear them. I need to resole them but the leather looks fabulous.

The Cole Haan store at Westfield Topanga is on the first floor of the Canyon. The mall is located at 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Canoga Park.

Thanks, Anh!

(not my actual cake, but pretty darn close) Here is a recipe for "5 minute chocolate cake." If you are asking yourself how this helps you save money, making this recipe is cheaper than buying cake and is a fun activity for kids. Cheap entertainment that yields food = no brainer.

The ingredients include:
1 coffee mug
4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
small splash of vanilla

Directions: add the dry ingredients to the mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but that's okay. Allow it to cool about two minutes, then wiggle onto a plate and...

If you don't already recycle - and you know who you are - here is one good reason you should start today. Recycling helps the economy.

For every 10,000 tons of waste we generate, 36 jobs are created to recycle the mess, according to RecycleBank, a company that pays residents in 13 states for their recyclables. (I blogged about them once before.) The same amount of trash creates just one job if it is burned and 6 jobs if it is tossed into a landfill.

RecycleBank provides these nifty facts:

+ A lot of what you throw away could be recycled, about 75% actually.

+ According to a 2007 Harris Poll, about 25% of Americans do not recycle at all at home. 62-and-over adults are leading the pack.

+ Our current recycling rate saves 5 billion gallons of gasoline, which reduced our dependence on foreign oil by 114 million barrels. How much less gasoline we would need if we recycled more?

+ Buying used goods and items made from recycled products is another way to...

I finally used my five-year old Pottery Barn gift certificate! After searching high and low for a use for the card, which had $46 on it, I gave it to my sister. She's a nursing student and could use it more than me, I figure. I certainly had plenty of chances.

There are other, however, more lucrative ways of unloading unwanted gift cards. On GiftCardBuyBack.com you can sell your cards to the site for 65 to 83% of the value. Most redemption rates fell in the 70s.

At TGIFriday's, a $100 card is worth $75 in cash. A $100 Chevron card is worth $82. Browse what they pay for cards at restaurants, apparel stores and other stores.

On their companion site, GiftCardsAgain.com, you can buy gift cards at a 10% discount, roughly. Cards for Jama Juice can be bought for 92% of its value. Cards for Banana Republic can be bought for 90% of its value. Cards for Coldstone Creamery can be purchased for 92% of its value. Cards for AMC/Loews Theaters can be purchased for 85% of its value. Cards for Starbucks can be purchased for 90% of its value. Hot dog!

Cards may be returned up to 30 days after the order date with some rules. Shipping is free in most cases.

Thanks, Vernon!

Not that many folks are traveling these days, but Delta Air Lines said yesterday it would start charging $15 to passengers who check a bag. The fee takes effect Dec 5 for domestic flights. A second checked bag will run you $25 so pack light!

If you purchased your ticket before today for a flight after Dec 5 your first bag is free but your second bag is $50. Read tips to avoid luggage charges here. Note, the chart at the bottom may not be up to date.

I just discovered the National Endowment for Financial Education, a non-profit devoted to educating Americans so they can make sound financial decisions. The organization's Web site, SmartAboutMoney.org has a lot of resources and nearly all of them are free.

Worksheets and tips are organized into five categories by subject: financial planning, credit and debt, saving, investing, and retirement.

For each subject there are links to courses/workshops, helpful tools, multimedia materials and printed materials. Under Financial Planning I found a tipsheet for buying a used car, a home buying guide and a retirement calculator. Cool!

They also have tips for financial decisions by life stages - college planning, having a child, or aging parents. For a quick overview of the entire site, check out the site map.

There is a LOT of info on the site so don't get overwhelmed. Spend a few minutes on one topic, then return to the site later. Good luck!

Buy one ticket to the Lancaster Performing Arts Center production of ""The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and get a second ticket free.

The show is November 20, 2008 at 8 p. Tickets are $40 for orchestra seats and $35 for balcony seats. Supplies are limited. To get the deal call the box office from 10 to 6 Monday to Friday or 10 to 4 on Saturday. The number is (661) 723-5950. Remember to mention the buy one get one free offer.

You can also get the discount online. If you want two orchestra seats, for instance, add one ticket to your cart at the regular price, then add one ticket to your cart where it says buy one get one free. If you just add two at the regular price it will not give you the discount. Capice?

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is about six misfit middle school students who all want to become the spelling bee champ. The play is for "mature" audiences, so it may not be appropriate for kids.

The Lancaster Performing Arts Center is located at 750 W. Lancaster Blvd. in downtown Lancaster.

Get 40% off one regular priced item at Michaels now through November 8, 2008. Print the coupon here.

One coupon per customer. Copies are not accepted. The store is currently having a major sale on fall and Halloween goods with prices up to 70% off.

Caveats: not good on sale items or when combined with other discounts. Not valid on shopping cards, gift cards, classes, in-store activities or The Knack Kits. Excludes Christmas trees greater than 4 feet tall, special orders, digital picture frames, books, magazine and all Cricut products.

Find a Michaels near you.

After a week of eating nothing but carbs, I was ready for a light, vegetable-heavy meal. A reader suggested 2 Die For Sushi. Not exactly what I was thinking of, but cheap sushi? I cannot refuse. Sushi that is a Lincoln Lunch? Yeah, right.

But maybe, just maybe, it would fit my $5 lunch budget. If that meant testing a new sushi restaurant, I was willing to make the sacrifice.

As it turns out, the price was like a second cousin to a Lincoln lunch - close to being related to a lunch that is close to being a Lincoln Lunch. Translation: $8.52 with tax and tip.

The lunch special was $6.95 and included a choice of two items from the following list. Chicken, beef, salmon or sesame teriyaki, mixed tempura, sushi (3 pieces), California roll (4 pieces), spicy tuna roll (4 pieces) or sashimi (3 pieces). It also included miso soup, rice and salad. A three dish lunch combo is $8.95.

I chose the salmon sashimi (you can also get tuna or albacore) and the chicken teriyaki. The miso soup came immediately and was hot with tiny bits of portabello mushroom in it.

The rest of my food came just as I thought about checking my watch. It was served on a...

Today is the first day of the Nordstrom half yearly sale, when on women and kid's merchandise is up to 40% off. A great time to start your holiday shopping!

The sale is in stores and online. A pair of stylish black mary janes from Irregular Choice are suitable for work or play, above, for $68 (orig $115).

Browse women's sale clothes, sale shoes, sale handbags and accessories, kid's sale items and designer discounts.

Find a Nordstrom near you.

The Family Resource Center at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys has two free perks that may make it worthwhile to stop by. The center is open to the community.

The center offers free mommy-and-me type classes for parents of children up to 30-months old. The center also has a free baby clothing exchange.

Classes are not for credit and are taught by a child development instructor, said Marni Roosevelt, director of the center. Parents who sign up for a class can borrow parenting books from the center's library. For more info about parenting classes and to sign up call (818) 778-5612 and ask for Jeannette.

The clothing exchange is for kids up to age 3. Bring in your kid's clean, gently used clothes and pick out a few items. Clothing donations are not tax deductible. For more info about the clothing exchange call Kathleen Weislein at (818) 778-5528.

The center also has info about where parents can find childcare. It is located in bungalow 49. A campus map is here. Thanks, Punam!

Black Friday, the mega shopping day renown for price busters that starts after Thanksgiving, is a long way off. But that's not stopping retailers like Toys 'R Us from branding their sales as Black Friday-esque.

Toys 'R Us is having a sale Friday, November 7 from 3 to 10 pm and Saturday, November 8 from 7 am to 1 pm. During the sale, dozens of toys will be on sale. A pitching machine that tosses out plastic baseballs is $20 (orig $35). A sno-cone machine is $7.50 (orig $15). Browse all the sale items here, as provided by BFads.net.

It is unclear if all Toys 'R Us stores will be honoring these prices. Check prices before you buy. Find a Toys 'R Us near you.

As you prep your holiday shopping list it is important to get an idea of what the going rate is for an item. That way you know if the price in front of you is low or not, no matter how big the sale might be. PriceSpider.com makes this easy.

The site, as suggested by Tightwad Tod at Consumer Reports, focuses on electronics and gadgets. For any item, the site tells you how much various retailers, online and brick and mortar, charge. Enter your zip code and it will calculate shipping, too.

One of the coolest features is comparing how the price for that item has fluctuated over the past six months. For any item, click on the "Overview" button on the left to see how the price has changed.

Next to the price for each seller is a red or green arrow showing whether the price has risen or fallen compared to a week ago.

For the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW, above, the price has been as high as $400 since May and is now selling for about $340. When I last checked Amazon has it for the lowest price, at $282 including shipping. All but one retailer have dropped their price for the camera recently.

Bookmark the site or add it to your favorites for handy reference during the holidays.

Get 15% off your total purchase at Jo-Ann fabrics with a coupon that is good Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9, 2008. Print the coupon here.

The discount is good on regular and sale-priced merchandise. If you make quilts (which is soooo much more difficult that it appears) or make your own clothing, this could be a good time to stock up.

Caveats: excludes gift cards, sewing machines and sewing machine dept merchandise, past purchases, cricut machines and cartridges.

Find a Jo-Ann Fabric store near you.

Thanks, Lynda!

Veterans can get a free meal on Sunday, November 9, 2008 at participating McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants across the country. The freebie is part of their annual Veterans Appreciation Event and includes a complimentary entrée from a special menu.

All veterans must show proper identification, including a VA card, discharge papers, VFW card, American Legion card, DD214 or other veterans ID when they are seated.

In the Los Angeles region participating restaurants include the McCormick & Schmick's in Burbank, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Downtown Los Angeles, El Segundo, Irvine, Anaheim, and Santa Ana.

Dozens more across the country are participating, including McCormick & Schmick's in Austin, Baltimore, Berkeley (Spenger's), Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Houston, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Deigo, Seattle, San Francisco, and many more. Browse the full list here.

Caveats: because the restaurants will be so busy on Sunday, parties of 6 or more may not be seated.

Eyes Lips Face, the maker of $1 makeup, has introduced a new slightly more expensive "professional studio line." Every item is $3, including mascara, eye shadow, blush, powder, concealer, and more.

The last time I wrote about E.L.F., reader comments were very mixed. Some hated it, some loved it. At least one reader said the quality of the makeup was not even worth spending $1. Others said they had good experiences with certain products or that it was great for teenagers.

The $3 studio line is new so I have not tried it. I'm tempted, however, because lately I have been wearing a bit more makeup. If you do buy any of the $3 E.L.F., please let me know what you think!

Voters get one free appetizer at all Daily Grill locations except LAX from 4 to 11 pm tonight. Happy hour specials will be extended until 11 pm tonight, too.

Happy hour specials range from $3 to $4, including calamari, spinach-artichoke dip, hummus, crab cakes, Cajun shrimp, seared ahi tuna and chicken pot pie. You must sit in bar areas to get these deals.

Happy hour drink specials include $2 off any glass of wine, Sam Adams lager drafts for $3.50, Miller Lights for $3.50, house liquor & martinis for $5.50, and Stolichnaya martinis for $7.

The restaurant is offering the discounts to "celebrate our right to vote" said Daily Grill prez Philip Gay. I'm sure it will also help get customers in the door. Find a Daily Grill near you.

Caveats: You must show proof you voted to get the freebies.

Circuit City is closing a quarter of its stores across the country and liquidation sales are coming soon. The doomed stores are closed today but will be opening tomorrow, Wednesday November 5, for liquidation, according to Consumer Reports.

In the greater Los Angeles area the list includes Circuit City stores in Thousand Oaks, City of Industry, Riverside, Fontana, Pomona and Compton. The chain is closing stores in 26 states. Browse the full list here.

If you go to a liquidation sale, remember to do a little research before hand so you can better gauge prices. Liquidation sales do not always have the best prices. But you may be able to get some fabulous deals just in time for the holidays!

Show up at Krispy Kreme today with an "I Voted" sticker and get a free star-shaped donut with red, white and blue sprinkles. It'll go well with your free coffee from Starbucks!

Find a Krispy Kreme near you.

UPDATE: I cooked this recipe last night and made some changes.

PREVIOUSLY: I really hope my candidate wins. But I've been badly disappointed before so I plan to cook comfort food - in the form of mac-n-cheese - tonight night while watching the election returns come in. If you have your fingers crossed, too, you might want to make a batch. Here's my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:
2 c uncooked macaroni noodles, cooked separately according to directions on package
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 3/4 c milk
1 c grated cheddar cheese (you can also mix in...

Here is another reason to go to the polls! Get a free four ounce serving of frozen yogurt at Yozen Frogurt today when you tell the server you voted. The company has locations in West Hills and Thousand Oaks.

Both currently have chocolate and coffee flavors for fall, plus each has a no-sugar added flavor, a dairy free flavor and a low-calorie flavor.

If you want a bigger portion, here is a coupon good through the end of November for a free serving of frozen yogurt when you buy a serving of the same or larger size. It is good on 4-, 6-, and 8-ounce portions. The coupon also gives you 50% off a second quart of frozen yogurt when you buy one quart.

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.

Get a free tall cup of coffee at Starbucks if you vote today. If the deal from Ben & Jerry's wasn't enough, this should definitely send you to the polls.

Find a Starbucks near you. Below is a video with dramatic music about the deal. "If you care enough to vote, we care enough to give you a free cup of coffee," the ad says.

Thanks Ryan, Maggie, Jenni and Tina!

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

$20 theater

Holiday deals

Best price

Holiday travel

Spend less

Deal e-mail (e-mail me a request to sign up for the daily digest)

Nickel wine

Lincoln Lunch: chicken shawerma

Here's a Web site that is similar to Ex Boyfriend Jewelry, which sells baubles from former beaus, but is for wedding rings and white dresses and other nuptial paraphernalia.

The idea behind I Do Now I Don't is to connect people leaving a relationship with those entering one. With the economy in the dumps, the site is becoming more popular, according to spokeswoman Mara Opperman.

In September, sales doubled and listings grew by even more, she said. The site received about 35,000 hits last month, Opperman said.

It is free to list an item, which you can sell through an auction or at a set price. Sellers pay 5% of the purchase price to the site and the buyer pays for shipping.

If you make a deal, send in your ring for the site's gemologist to inspect. I Do Now I Don't holds the buyer's cash until the gemologist makes sure the ring is what you said it is. When all is clear, I Do Now I Don't sends the cash to the seller and the ring to the buyer. The site has turned back three rings and has sold hundreds, Opperman said.

When I checked, the site had 240 diamond rings for sale and 44 wedding dresses. One listing was for a 1.2 ct round cut diamond ring set in platinum for $6,000.

If you are interested in selling a ring but do not have GIA paperwork, get an appraisal from your local jeweler. I Do Now I Don't was founded in January 2007. Some listings are from wholesalers.

Remember to drop by Ben & Jerry's on election day to get a free scoop of ice cream - if you voted. Bring your "I voted" sticker or tell them you voted to get the free scoop.

You must stop by between 5 and 8 pm to get the freebie. Call your local scoop shop ahead of time to make sure they are participating.

Keep your eyes peeled for a few upcoming store closings in the Office Depot chain, suggests a recent story from the Miami Herald.

Sales at Office Depot stores that have been open at least one year are down 14 percent in North America and the company's stock has dropped almost 90% in the past year, the story says.

"Office Depot also told Wall Street that it intends to conduct a business review during the fourth quarter, which will include looking at everything from closing stores to getting out of unprofitable business units or countries," the story says.

The chain has a lot of stores in California and Florida, two of the states hit hardest by the housing downtown. There's no saying which Office Depot stores will close, if any, but be on the look out for slowing inventory and super sales.

Find an Office Depot near you.

Got an extra gift card or three? Swapagift will buy your gift cards for a percentage of the value on the card as long as there is no expiration date. You can also buy and sell gift cards through the site.

Their rates are not great, however. More major retailers they offer 60 to 65% of the card's value. I think you could do better trying eBay, Craigslist, or by re-purposing the card into a gift for someone else.

On the other hand, I have been carrying around a Pottery Barn gift card for more than five years. I probably would have been better off selling it.

Thanks, Sarah!

Here are three coupons for Marie Callender's good through November 21, 2008.

One is for $4 off two adults Sunday brunch buffets (or $2 off one adult Sunday brunch buffet). The other two coupons are for a free entree when you order one entree and two drinks. A party of four can use the coupon twice.

Find a Marie Callender's near you. Check beforehand to make sure they are participating and will accept the coupons.

Find out how your insurance premiums compare on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Web site, NAIC.org. The NAIC assists state insurance regulators, whose "primary responsibility is to protect the interests of insurance consumers," the site says.

To find out if what you are paying is high, low or average, first select your home state from this NAIC map.

When you get to your state's insurance regulation page, look for something along the lines of a 'premium comparison survey.' Many states have some kind of rate survey that provides information to consumers.

For Californians, you can find the survey here.

Personal finance guru Laura Rowley, who told me about this nifty info on NAIC, suggests that after you study your state's survey of rates, go back to your agent and ask if you are getting all the discounts you are eligible for.

There are all sorts of discounts available, including if your teenager has good grades, if you are a AAA member, if your home has appreciated significantly since you bought it, or if a minor driver on the policy lives more than 100 miles away. Some companies will give you a discount if you have a good credit score.

"You want to make sure your broker is shopping for your strengths," Laura said. Call yearly and ask your broker to find discounts for you. A 30-minute call may save you hundreds!